NHTSA Complaint #717900 — 1995 FORD TAURUS

THE ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED (UNDER WARRANTY) AT APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES BECAUSE IT BECAME ERRATIC OVER 40 MPH. ERRACTIC MEANS THAT ONCE I GET ABOVE 40 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE CONSTANTLY BOUNCES BETWEEN 35 MPH AND 85 MPH AND MAKES VARIOUS HIGH-PITCHED OR "GROWLING-TYPE" NOISES. IT VARY RARELY WOULD STEADY ITSELF AT ONE RATE. EASTGATE FORD REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER WITH THE FIRST PROBLEM. WITH THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME ERRATIC BEHAVIOR AFTER ONLY 10,000 - 15,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT REPLACED IT BECAUSE I WAS PROVIDED A QUOTE OF $450 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. WHEN SEARCHING THE WEB AND THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT STATES THAT THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH LUBRICANT PLACED IN THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE DURING MANUFACTURE. THE ONLY WAY TO "REPAIR" THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE UNIT. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING ON CITY ROADS OR HIGHWAYS ONCE I GET ABOVE 40 MPH. I HAVE TO DRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME RATE OF SPEED AS THE OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME AND HOPE THAT THEY ARE DRIVING AT/AROUND THE SPEED LIMIT. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT I AM WEARING OUT THE PLASTIC NEEDLE AND ANY ASSOCIATED BEARINGS BECAUSE OF THE NOISES THAT ARE GENERATED. IF THE BEARINGS WEAR OUT, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TELL MY RATE OF SPEED AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING SCHOOL ZONES! AN INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT MY STEP-MOTHER HAS A 1993 FORD ESCORT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND'S CO-WORKER ALSO HAS A FORD VEHICLE WITH THE EXACT SAME SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS. IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET FORD TO RECALL THESE SPEEDOMETERS? THIS IS MY THIRD FORD VEHICLE AND WILL NOW BE MY LAST BECAUSE THIS IS SO ANNOYING. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO ASSIST YOU ANY FURTHER. *AK