NHTSA Complaint #720280 — 1997 FORD TAURUS

WAS PROCEDING ACROSS INTERSECTION, STARTING UP SLIGHT GRADE WHEN I LOST FORWARD MOTION OF VEHICLE. I ACCELERATED ENGINE AND THE ENGINE REVOLUNTIONS INCREASED. I PUT TRANSMISSION IN PARK, THEN BACK INTO DRIVE AND SAME THING HAPPENED. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. I THEN PLACE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE AND THE CAR MOVED BACKWARD AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO. NO PROBLEM IN REVERSE. AGAIN, I ATTEMPED TO PLACE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE, THEN 2ND, THEN LOW RANGE AND COULD NOT GET ANY FORWARD. MOVEMENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST (AFTER DICSUSSING ISSUE WITH DEALER). THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST SAID HE GOT INTO THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND CAR RAN FINE. HE TOOK FOR TEST DRIVE AND CAR RAN FINE. HE INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. HE REPLACED FLUID AND CHANGED FILTER. THE CAR RAN OKEY FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THEN ON 3/16/00, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND REPORTED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. ESPECIALLY WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN SHE WOULD PROCEDE FORWARD, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, THEN JERK THEN ULTIMATELY CONTINUE IN A SOMEWHAT NORMAL FASHION. I CALLED DEALER, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE STATED THE FLUID WAS BURNED AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER INDICATED HE WMAY GO $1,000 OF THE ESTIMATED $2,100 REPAIR FOR A REBUILD TRANSMISSION. I REPORTED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS TO FORD MOOR CO. CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER. LIKEWISE, THEY INDICATED THAT FORD MAY PAY A PORTION FOR THE REPAIR. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE INDICATE HE WOULD FORWARD A REPORT TO HIS REGIONAL AND DISTRICT OFFICE AND THAT A REPORT WOULD BE SENT TO THE DEALER. IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE DEALER SHOULD RECEIVE A FORMAL REPORT FROM FORD MOTOR CO. WITHIN TWO WORKING DAYS AND THAT I WOULD THEN BE NOTIFIED AS TO WHAT THE FINAL STATUS OF THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE. *AK