NHTSA Complaint #763817 — 1996 FORD TAURUS

NOTICED A KNOCK IN THE ENGINE AND WAS GOING TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT WHEN GOING DOWN INTERSTATE 75 AT 65 MILES AND HOUR THE CAR LOST ACCELERATION IN HEAVY FRIDAY AFTERNOON TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE EXPRESSWAY AND CALL FOR HELP. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY HAVE NOW HAD MY CAR FOR 48 DAYS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAMSHAFT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THE REPAIRS WOULD BE BETWEEN $2,800-$3,300. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS. AFTER FINALLY GETTING THE PARTS, REPAIRING AND PUTTING THE ENGINE BACK TOGETHER IT STILL DID NOT RUN PROPERLY. THEY HAD TO PULL THE ENGINE APART AGAIN AND NOW SAID THEY WOULD NEED APPROXIMATELY $2,000 MORE TO REPAIR THE VALVES AND HEAD. THEY REPLACED THE VALVES AND WERE ABLE TO MACHINE THE HEAD. THEY PUT IT BACK TOGETHER AND RETURNED MY CAR AFTER 35 DAYS AND $4,400 IN REPAIRS. THE NEXT MORNING ON THE WAY TO WORK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH. TOOK BACK TO FORD AFTER 4 MORE DAYS I WAS TOLD THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WAS NOW MALFUNCTIONING AND IT WOULD COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2,000-$3,000 MORE IN REPAIRS. AFTER GOING TO THE HEAD OF SERVICE/PARTS THEY AGREED TO COVER THE LAST REPAIRS. I WAS INFORMED THAT WHEN THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETE THAT IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOW ALL THIS IN THE BEGINNING I WOULD NOT HAVE AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS.*AK