NHTSA Complaint #753180 — 1996 FORD TAURUS

ON DECEMBER 16, 2000 WE WERE TRAVELING TO PHILA. VIA I95 FROM WILMINGTON FOR A XMAS PARTY. AS WE APPROACHED THE RESTAURANT MY ENGINED CEASED AS WE TURNED ON TO THE STREET NEAR THE RESTAURANT. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT INTO A PARKING SPACE. CAR WAS TOWED TO HOME THAT EVENING AND THEN TO DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. DEALER DID DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND REPORTED NO COMPRESSION TO TWO VALVES. NEVER OFFERED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER, BUT RECOMMENDED NEW ENGINE, APPROXIMATE COST $10,814, DEALER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED FORD, WHOSE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP DID NOT KNOW OF THIS MODEL TAURUS. AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, FORD OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND SAID THAT CAR SHOULD BE TRADED AS 85K WAS HIGH MILEAGE. TRANSFERRED CAR TO WINNER, NEWARK DE, WHERE ENGINE WAS TAKEN APART. MECHANIC FOUND 4 BENT CYLINDERS BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAPPENED ONLY THAT IT APPEARED THAT SPROCKET TEETH HAD SNAPPED, RELEASING CHAIN AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO CAMSHAFTS. REPAIRS TOOK APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS DUE TO PARTS AND LACK OF TECH'S KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINE. CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO SERVICE 5 TIMES FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS, I.E. REPLACE IMRC, IAC MOTOR, GASKET SEAL. CAR HAS VALVE TAP AND ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING WHEN DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT HIGH SPEEDS. DEALER HAS REPORTED PROBLEM IS ABOVE THEIR HEAD. THIS CAR IS A STREET PROTOTYPE OF NASCAR RACING CARS, WHILE I DROVE 50 RT MILES ON BACKROADS/DAY IT HAS A TOP END SPEED OF 131+, ADHERENCE TO FORD MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AND USE OF FORD CERTIFIED TECHS ARE MANDATORY TO MAINTAIN THE CAR. MY PROBLEM HAS NOW SURFACED ON MANY SHOS AND IS NOW A DOCUMENTABLE DEFECT. THIS ENGINE COULD HAVE CEASED ON I95 WHILE DOING 85MPH. COST TO REPAIR TO DATE, $3200, AND IS STILL A DANGER TO DRIVE AND FORD CANNOT RECOMMEND WHERE AND HOW TO FIX.