NHTSA Complaint #748845 — 1995 FORD TAURUS

7 ON 6-11-2001, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, A SMALL TAPPING NOISE WAS HEARD ABOUT A 140 MILES INTO MY TRIP, WHICH SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE TAPPING NOISE PROGRESSED TO A LOUD CLANKING COMING FROM THE MOTOR. {NOTE: THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT NEVER CAME ON}. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR AN ENGINE DIAGNOSIS. BECAUSE THE OIL INDICATOR STICK WAS FULL AND THERE WAS ADEQUATE COOLANT, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT THE RESULT OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE, BUT POSSIBLY DUE TO A "CONNECTING ROD BEARING" FAILURE. RECOMMENDATION: "NEEDS NEW ENGINE". MILEAGE: 70,903; 7 ON 3-26-99 THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD BROKE. MILEAGE: 40,551. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP: $700; 7 ON 6-29-2000, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, BROUGHT TO FORD DEALERSHIP- ESTIMATED DIAGNOSIS: "PROBABLY INTERNAL". MILEAGE: 57,850. DIAGNOSIS COST: $70.68 ESTIMATED COST OF TRANSMISSION WORK BY THE DEALERSHIP: $2000