NHTSA Complaint #707559 — 1995 FORD TAURUS

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE BEGINS TO BOUNCE TO 85 WHEN WHEELS HIT ANY BUMP AT SPEEDS OVER 55 MILES PER HOUR. NEEDLE HANGS AT THAT POINT FOR UP TO 25 SECONDS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL SPEED, OR WHETHER OR NOT THE CRUISE CONTROL IS PROPERLY SET. ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER FAILED AT 15,000, REPLACED AT ABOUT 19,000; FIRST REPLACEMENT AT 30,000, REPLACED AT 36,000; AND SECOND REPLACEMENT AT 49,000. FORD WILL NOT REPLACE BECAUSE OUT OF WARRANTY, ALTHOUGH EVERY SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED AT ABOUT 15,000 MILES. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES REPORTED TO NHTSB BY TAURUS OWNERS, AND THE INABILITY TO DETERMINE ACTUAL SPEED, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A RECALL IS WARRANTED. $600 FOR A REPLACEMENT EVERY 15,000 MILES IS NOT REASONABLE. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING WHERE EVEN ONE SPEEDOMETER FAILED. *AK