NHTSA Complaint #749027 — 1997 FORD TAURUS

THE CAR HAD ABOUT 35,000 MILES ON IT WHEN PURDHASED IT, FACTORY WARRANTY WAS CARRIED OVER TO US AS THE NEW OWNERS. SOON AFTER THE SALE OF THE CAR TO US, FORD CAME OUT WITH A BROWN COOLANT RECALL, WHICH RAN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1999. ALL OWNERS OF THESE 1997 TAURUS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL BY MAIL. IF NOTIFIED CAR OWNERS BROUGHT THEIR CARS IN DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THE FORD DEALERS WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEVER INFORMED US OF THIS RECALL. IT WAS NOT UNTIL SHE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO NORTH BAY FORD (IN SANTA CRUZ, CA) TO REPAIR A CRACKED COOLANT HOLDING TANK ON JULY 19, 2000, THAT SHE WAS TOLD OF THE REQUIRED RECALL WORK NEED ON HER FORD TAURUS, BUT THE WORK WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY PAYMENT PROGRAM AND THE COST WAS NOW THE OWNERS PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING THE FORD DEALER COULD DO ABOUT IT. AT THIS TIME WE PAID THE BILL, WHICH WAS OVER $500. THE BROWN COOLANT RECALL PROGRAM WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE OF A DESIGN ERROR IN THE ROUTING OF THE COOLING SYSTEM HOSES INTO AND OUT OF THE DASH HEATER COIL AND THE PROXIMITY OF THE HOSES AROUND THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE RESULT WAS THAT THIS PROBLEM CAUSED THE COOLANT TO TURN INTO BROWN MUD FROM EXCESSIVE RUSTING OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. WE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY OVER HEATING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR UNTIL THE COOLANT TANK BEGAN LEAKING. NOW, BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RUST IN THE COOLANT, A GALVANIC REACTION DEVELOPS WITH FREEZE PLUGS IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER INSISTED ON CHANGING THE PLUGS, BUT HE ONLY CHANGED 2 OF THE 4 PLUGS. THE JOB ALSO INCLUDED A COMPLETE ENGINE FLUSHING TO REMOVE ALL THE OLD RUSTY COOLANT. ON JULY 7, 2001, BROWN COOLANT BEGAN RUNNING OUT ONTO THE GROUND FOR THE SECOND TIME WHICH REQUIRED ANOTHER $500 TO REPAIR. FORD MOTORS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO COVER THE COST OF THERE ENGINEERING ERROR. *AK