1996 FORD TAURUS Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

HEADLIGHTS WOULD ONLY WORK SOME OF THE TIME. DEALER REPLACED DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL, ALMOST LIKE A BELT SQUEAL. IT WAS DETERMINED THE CAM SYNCHRONIZER WAS DEFECTIVE. AT THAT TIME THE CAM POSITION SENSOR WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE MAGNET WAS FALLING OUT. THE COOLANT OVERFLOW BOTTLE WAS DISCOLORED, LEAKING AND FULL OF CRACKS CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO POUR OUT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM. FORD ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS A BANK TO BANK COOLANT FLOW IMBALANCE ON SOME 1996 MODEL YEAR TAURUS LEADING TO CONTAMINATED/CORRODED COOLANT. RECALL 98B23 WAS PERFORMED. BUT THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE TO THE REST OF THE COOLING SYSTEM.

2ND FORD VEHICLE TO HAVE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. FIRST WAS MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR WHICH I ALREADY REPORTED TO YOU. IT WAS 1,000 MILES OVER THEIR EXTENDED 100,000 LIMIT. THIS HAS CAUSED SERIOUS FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY TO OUR FAMILY THAT MAY TAKE A FEW YEARS TO CATCH UP. TOOK FORD TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT LAST WEEK AND LOST. THIS IS A TRAVESTY TO HAVE THIS HAPPENING TO FAMILIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I SINCERELY HOPE YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN FORCE THEM TO PAY REPARATIONS. *TR

IN MAY 03 FORD SAID TRANS. WAS JUST WORE OUT. HAD REBUILT BY AAMCO AND THEN AT THE END OF JULY TRANS. HAD NO PARK, WAS JUST LIKE IN NUTRAL. ON THE WAY TO AAMCO TRANS. FELL APART. AAMCO TRYED TO SAY WE DID SOMETHING WRONG, BUT DECIDED THAT WE COULDN'T HAVE SO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND A NEW CASE FOR ARE AX4N TRANS. NOW. IT HAS BEEN OVER TWO WEEKS NOW AND STILL CAN NOT FIND A CASE. HOPE THEY FIND SOON SO CAN GET CAR BACK AND GET RID OF IT, NEVER TO OWN ANOTHER FORD. THIS CAR HAS HAD CONTINUAL SMALL BUT STILL PROBLEMS NEVER THE LESS SENCE WE PURCHASED IT. HAVE BEEN A FORD LOVER ALL MY LIFE AND AM KIND OF SAD TO SAY I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER FORD.

THIS CAR CONTINUALLY STALLS OUT , THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON, THE ENGINE REPAIR LIGHT COMES ON, THE UNDERNEATH SUSPENSION SQUEEKS AND GROANS, THE BRAKES SQUEAK, THE WHEEL DOESN'T TURN WHEN THE CAR STALLS OUT. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I AM TURNING A CORNER, THE CAR STALLS OUT AND THE WHEEL WILL NOT TURN. NOW THE COMPUTOR SYSTEMS ARE NOT WORKING THE AIR CONDITIONING. I HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR TO GET THE RADIO AND THE AIR CONDITIONING TO START UP. THESE THINGS HAPPEN BUT NO ONE CAN FIND A PROBLEM.

WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH OUR HEATER CORE AND ENDED UP REPLACING IT. WE CONTINUALLY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR CALIPARS AND HAE REPLACED THEM TWICE AND REPAIRED THEM ONCE (THEY SEIZE). WE CURRENTLY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PEELING PAINT ON THE ROOF OF THE CAR, AND WINDOW SEALS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET FIXED; ARE THERE ANY RECALLS FOR THESE PROBLEMS? A BODY SHOP TECHNICIAN TOLD US THAT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN REPAINTED ONCE; WE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM *TT

MY 17-YEAR-OLD SON WAS DRIVING TO EDINBURG, TEXAS ON A PRETTY BUSY STREET, WHEN OUT OF THE BLUE THE ENGINE STARTED TO FAIL. HE NEARLY GOT KILLED. THANK GOD THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THE CAR CRACKED THE HEAD, AND IS IN NEED OF MAJOR REPAIR. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SINCE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE LAST INCIDENT, I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT WATER WAS A BROWN, ALMOST MUDDY COLOR AND TEXTURE. I FIGURED IT WAS JUST LEFT OVER DAMAGE FROM THE ENGINE REPAIRS IT HAD RECEIVED. AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH I FOUND THAT FORD HAD A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTICE PROGRAM FOR A "BROWN COOLANT RECALL." I NEVER GOT THE NOTICE AND MY WARRANTY EXPIRED A LONG TIME AGO. THIS IS CLEARLY A FULL OUT ''RECALL.'' I WOULD LIKE FOR THE NHTSA TO GET FORD TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED. MANY...

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. CAM SENSOR, HEATER CORE, NEW HOSE FROM RESERVOIR AND UPPER RADIATOR HOSE, RADIATOR CAP, RADIATOR, WATER TUBE ASSEMBLY, THERMOSTAT, OIL PAN GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER FOUND 1995 MODEL HAS A RECALL RELATING TO THE SAME FAILURES. *TT THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE LINKED TO THE RECALL FORD SENT OUT IN REFERENCE TO THE FAULTY HEAD GASKETS/ENGINE FAILURES AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE MONIES SPENT ON REPAIRS. *SCC

A FREEZE PLUG BECAME CORRODED, THIS CAUSED THE COOLANT TO SPRAY ON THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH NO WARNING, ABRUPTLY. NOW HEAD GASKETS COULD BE CORRODED OR CRACKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. NLM

THE CONSUMER TURNED ON THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER AND COLD AIR ALONG WITH A MIST THAT FILLED THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND COVERED THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER HAD TO USE PAPER NAPKINS TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS. THE HEATER CORE IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM THAT REOCCURS EVERY 3 MONTHS SINCE APRIL 2001. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. NLM COOLANT LEAK. DEALER REPLACED HEATER CORE 5 TIMES. RIGHT REAR WINDOW INOPERATIVE. DEALER REPLACED RIGHT REAR WINDOW MOTOR. SWITCH ON AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL HEAD FALLS OFF. DEALER RPELACED CRACKED CENTER CONTROL KNOB. SUNGLASS COMPARTMENT IN CENTER CONSOLE LID BROKE OFF. CONSOLE COMPARTMENT DOOR, HINGE PINS AND SPRING REPLACED. SQUEAK NOISE UNDER HOOD. REPLACED BELT TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEY. *TT

FREEZE PLUGS BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE HWY; TEMP GAUGE WITHIN NORMAL RANGE AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL ENGINE DIED. REQUIRED HEAD GASKET JOB AS WELL AS REPAIR OF FREEZE PLUGS. TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING CORNERS ON WET STREETS. WINDSHIELD FOGS OVER COMPLETELY WHEN DEFROST/DEFOG IS TURNED ON BEFORE IT CLEARS. TEMPORARY LOSS OF VISION THROUGH WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS...

VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITH COPPER COLORED ANTIFREEZE, DUE TO THIS THE COOLANT RUSTED OUT THE FREEZE PLUGS, WATER PUMP, AND THERMOSTAT. *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING AT 65MPH, VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, THEN ENGINE QUIT. CONSUMER HAD TO GET TO SHOULDER BY USING HAZARD LIGHTS. WHILE CONSUMER WAS ON SHOULDER ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER SAYS TEMPARATURE GAUGE WENT TO 3 QUARTERS INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

COOLANT KEPT TURNING BROWN- REPEATEDLY FLUSHED SYSTEM. IT RAN HOT ON 12-06-1999 AND TEMPERATURE GUAGE DID NOT SHOW IT WAS RUNNIG HOT.IT BLEW A HEAD GASKET.I HAD TO OVERHAUL MOTOR OUT OF OWN POCKET FOR $1214.00. I STILL HAVE RECEIPTS. *AK

DRIVING AT 55 MPH, NOTICED WHEN DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED. DEPRESSED GAS PEDAL FURTHER, NON-RESPONSIVE. LOOKED AT TEMP GAUGE, NOTICED OVERHEATED. PULLED OVER. BLED RADIATOR OVERFILL. ADDED WATER AND ANTIFREEZE. ENGINE KNOCKED VIOLENTLY WHEN RESTARTED. CALLED FOR TOW. NOTIFIED ENGINE SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK