NHTSA Complaint #719960 — 1997 FORD TAURUS

WE BOUGHT THIS 97 TAURUS WITH 56,816 MILES ON 3/17/99. A WEEK LATER THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER ADVISED US TO GO TO HIS MECHANIC AND HAVE IT CHECKED. THE MECHANIC READ A P1744 CODE, CLEARED THE CODE, ROAD-TESTED THE CAR, AND ADVISED US TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE, AND SEE IF IT WOULD RESET OR NOT. IN THE ONGOING MONTHS ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON THREE MORE TIMES. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS AND THE CAR WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THESE THREE TIMES IT WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, THE CODE CLEARED AND WE WERE SENT ON OUR WAY. THE LAST TIME, HOWEVER, WE SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS GOT TO BE SOLVED! THE FORD DEALER SAID IT COULD BE MANY THINGS, AND WOULD COST $63.00 TO INVESTIGATE. AFTER INVESTIGATION, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS IN THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY, APPROXIMATELY $750.00 TO OVERHAUL. THE DEALER WAS GIVEN THE OKAY, AND THE END RESULT WAS A $1,245 BILL TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE VALVE BODY AND PUMP SHAFT. THE NEEDLE BEARING HAD FAILED AND THE PUMP SHAFT SCORED THE BORE IN VALVE BODY. THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS REPAIR 1/19/00 HAD 61,808 MILES. THIS IS A DEFINITE CASE OF PREMATURE FAILURE, CAUSED PROBABLY BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.*AK