NHTSA Complaint #710068 — 1993 FORD TAURUS

SINCE OCTOBER 1995 MY TAURUS HAS IRREGULAR FUNCTION OF THE FUEL AND/OR IGNITION SYSTEMS WHICH CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY, USUALLY DURING HOT WEATHER. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE JUST STOPS. OF COURSE, I LOSE THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS STALLING, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO A "VAPOR LOCK" PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS AT SLOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC. ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, IDLING THROUGH A PARKING LOT, AND SLOWING DOWN TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT HAVE ALL BROUGHT ON THIS UNSAFE SITUATION MANY TIMES. 100+ EPISODES IS A VERY LOW ESTIMATE OF THE TIMES MY CAR HAS BEEN DISABLED IN TRAFFIC UNTIL I CAN CHANGE GEARS TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE AND EXAMINED AT RIVERSIDE FORD AND PARKER AUTOMOTIVE IN MACON, GEORGIA WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT IN THESE MONTHS: OCTOBER 1995, JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST 1996, JULY 1997, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND OCTOBER 1998, JULY AND AUGUST 1999. DO YOU SEE THE HOT WEATHER PATTERN? WE HAVE REPLACED THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR ASSEMBLY, THE MLP SENSOR, THE AIR METER AND THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TUNED UP TWICE AND HAD THE FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED. I USE ONLY 89 OCTANE OR PREMIUM FROM A VARIETY OF GASOLINE VENDORS. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD FAILURES OF THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT AND THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. I CHECKED EVERY ITEM OF THE ALLDATA DISC AND ASKED MY MECHANICS TO EVALUATE EACH POSSIBILITY. ON THE LAST VISIT TO RIVERSIDE FORD IN JULY 1999, WHEN I COMPLAINED THAT INTERMITTENT STALLING CONTINUED JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PAID THEM FOR A NEW FUEL PUMP, THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED MY PROBLEMS WERE DUE TO A DETERIORATING HEAD GASKET. I OBTAINED A SECOND OPINION FROM PARKER AND AN REASONABLY CERTAIN THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE INTERMITTENT STALLING IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH IMPAIRS SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, HAS COST ME MORE THAN $1,000 IN UNSUCCESSFUL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, AND WHICH FORD SHOULD CORRECT NOW.