1996 FORD TAURUS Vehicle Speed Control Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A POLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST AND HEAD INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 3/13/13 *CN UPDATED 03/19/13 UPDATED 03/20/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK, AND SHE HIT SEVERAL CURBS AND TWO TIRES BURST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. SHE HIT A LAMP POST AND SOME SHRUBS, AS WELL AS AN ATM MACHINE. UPDATED 04/10/13

(1)THROTTLE WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR AND AUTO COULD NOT BE STOPPED (2)AUTO ACCIDENT SALEM POLICE REPORT #03-19963 NEAR FATAL INJURIES (3)NO REPAIR DONE. *NM

WHILE STOPPED IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC, MY 96 FORD TAURUS BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO APPR. 40-50 M.P.H I LEFT RUBBER, THANKFULLY I DID HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHICH HELPED TO SOME DEGREE. ABOUT THREE WEEKS EARLIER SOMETHING SIMILAR HAD HAPPENED BUT AT FAR LESS A SPEED APPR. 5 MPH. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A TOW BOOTH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LURCHED AT HIGH SPEED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF. VEHICLE WAS FORCED ONTO A CURB, AND FLATTENED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BEFORE THE ENGINE CUT OFF . NO INJURY WAS REPORTED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE SUFFERED BACK PROBLEMS DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. *TC

PURCHASED MY 1996 FORD TAURUS WAGON IN NOV. 2001. IT ACCELERATES AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH CRUISE GOING DOWN HILL. THE GAS PEDAL OFTEN GETS HUNG UP WHICH LEAVES ME TAPPING IT MY FOOT TO GET IT TO GO, SO THAT I DO NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE WHOLE CAR RIDES VERY ROUGHLY. IT ALSO HANGS UP IN PASSING GEAR ALMOST EVERY TIME. AND ALSO HOW DO I FIND OUT WHERE TO CHECK TO SEE IF ALL THE RECALLS WERE TAKEN CARE OF. BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT U BUY. *NLM

CAR ROLLED BACKWARD INTO GARAGE DOOR WHILE PARKED WITH TRANSMISSION IN PARK POSITION ON LEVEL GROUND. *AK

MY CAR BROKE DOWN 10/21/2000. I LOST ALL POWER ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD SON. I TOOK MY CAR TO 3 FORD DEALERSHIPS AND NONE OF THE MECHANICS COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. FINALLY I FOUND AN INDEPENDENT MACHINE SHOP WHO WAS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO NOT ONLY DIAGNOSE AND FIX MY CAR PROPERLY, BUT THEY HAD TO PIECE MY ENGINE (INCLUDING THE AXLES) TOGETHER AFTER A FORD DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PUT MY CAR BACK TOGETHER. I HAD NO VEHICLE FOR 7 MONTHS AND HAD TO PAY $3171 FOR THE REPAIRS NOT TO MENTION 4 TOW TRUCKS. SHORTLY AFTER HAVING MY CAR FIXED I NOTICED IT WOULD IDLE HIGH WHEN SITTING AT STOP SIGNS OR LIGHTS. EVENTUALLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED IT IS EITHER THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE BODY. REGARDING THE CAM SPROCKET FAILURE, I KNOW OF AT LEAST 69...

VEHICLE ACCELERATES FASTER THAN THE DESIRED SPEED. RPMS REV UP TO 2 1/2 -3 IN PARK. SENSORS WERE REPLACED, AND SET A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND IDLED DOWN VEHICLE. PROBLEM HAS COME BACK.

ON 8/3/2001, WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MARYLAND, MY FORD TAURUS SUFFERED A CASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAR HAVING NO POWER, WHILE THE ENGINE REVVED. I NARROWLY MISSED MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER. THIS FAILURE WA SUDDEN AND EXTREME AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY FAMILY'S INJURY OR DEATH. I WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO HAD TO PERFORM A MAJOR REBUILD OF MY TRANSMISSION, INCLUDING HARD PARTS. THE COST WAS IN EXCESS OF $2600.*AK

AFTER COMING OFF A GREEN LIGHT, AT ABOUT 15 MPH, TRANSMISSION FLUID BEGAN TO LEAK AND THE RPM'S REVVED WITH NO FURTHER ACCELERATION. AFTER HAVING VEHICLE TOWED TO AAMCO, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT SEAL HAD A MAJOR LEAK AND FAILED ALONG WITH THE STADOR AND TRANSMISSION. I ASKED HAYWARD FORD FOR RECALL OR TECHNICAL SERVICE ISSUES AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY. I ALSO CALLED THE FORD COROPORATE OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE THE FORD ENGINEERS WOULD BE FORWARDED THE MESSAGE, BUT WOULDN'T BE GIVING ME A CALL NOR THE INFORMATION I NEEDED.

ENGINE INTERMITENTLY ACCELERATES ON IT'S OWN. ENGINE SPEED OF 2500 RPM'S AT IDLE AND UNDER LOAD OBSERVED. *AK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE DRIVER PLACED CAR IN REVERSE, THE MOTOR REVVED THEN IT WAS PLACE IN DRIVE AND IT TOOK OFF. TRAVELED FOR 2.2 MILES BEFORE CATAPULTING IN THE AIR AND IMPACTING A UTILITY POLE ONLY AFTER CRASHING THROUGH AN IRON I BEAM GATE. BRAKING WOULD NOT EVEN SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. BLEW BOTH PASSENGER TIRES PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. ESTIMATED SPEED REACHED 50-70MPH ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AND DRIVER. *AK

RPMS INCREASED WHILE CONSUMER WAS GOING 60MPH. IT KEPT REVVING WITHOUT GIVING ANY GAS. FINALLY IT QUIT RUNNING, AND VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIFT IN A PARKING LOT. DEALER HAS REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWICE WITH REBUILD TRANSMISSIONS, AND IT STILL WAS NOT CORRECT. DEALER ONLY WARRANTIED TRANSMISSION FOR 12,000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS. DEALER SAID THEY DIDN'T PUT IN NEW TRANSMISSIONS, THEY JUST REBUILD THEM. *AK

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS AT HIGH RPM DURING 2-3 SHIFT. PROBLEM CONTINUES TO WORSEN. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BUT THAT IT MIGHT BE A SHIFT COMPUTER PROBLEM. PROBLEM INCREASES AS TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE INCREASES, SUCH AS DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 40 MINUTES IN A WARM CLIMATE. AT ENGINE START, NOTICING THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AS ENGINE JUST STARTS TO MOTOR. *AK

ENGINE WILL REV AT A HIGH RPM OR STALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON.*AK

CAR WAS PUT INTO DRIVE FROM PARK WHILE ON A SLIGHT DOWNGRADE AND THE CAR TOOK OFF INTO A HOUSE. THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE (NOT THE DEALER MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION) A WEEK PRIOR TO INCIDENT WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK

THROTTLE BODY GOT STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE GEAR, RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH HOME, VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG CAUSING INJURY TO CHEST, NOSE AND LEGS (BRUISES). MJS

WHILE AT A STOP OR IN PARK POSITION, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. BEEN TO DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE WAS IDLING NEAR GARAGE. HAD OPENED DOOR WHEN VEHICLE LEAPED FORWARD. HAD TAKEN TO DEALER & NOTHING FOUND BY MECHANIC. THE 2ND TIME, EVERYTHING WAS IN GEAR (PARKED) & OWNER IN FRONT OF VEHICLE WHEN IT LEAPED FORWARD & BROKE GARAGE DOOR. VEHICLE PUSHED OWNER THROUGH THE DOOR. *AK

THROTTLE CABLE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIUOS ACCIDENT IF IT HAD OCCURED ON THE INTERSTATE OR IN AN INTERCHANGE. THE DEALER SAID THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

WHEN GOING DOWNHILL THE VEHICLE SURGES AND BUCKS. THIS ALSO HAPPENS ON A FLAT PLAIN BUT MORE WHEN GOING DOWN HILL. THIS IS A INTERMEDIATE PROBLEM. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE. *AK

RUSTY WATER IN RADIATOR RESERVOIR. ALSO, VEHICLE SURGES AT ALL TIMES; TRANSMISSION SHIFTS WHEN GOING DOWN INCLINE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO RUNAWAY AND BRAKE VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT 40-45 MPH. *AK

FUEL CONTROL VALVE FAILED THREE TIMES.

WHEN ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND SLOWS DOWN, VEHICLE WILL GO INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, RPMS UNKNOWN, TO STOP VEHICLE PUSH ON BRAKES REAL HARD AND PUT GEAR INTO PARK AND TURN IGNITION OFF. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHEN MAKING A TURN FROM FREEWAY ONTO AN EXIT RAMP, POWER STEERING SEEMS TO TURN OFF, AT ONE POINT CONSUMER ALMOST LOST CONTROL, AUTO BECAME HARD TO STEER. *AK CONSUMER ALSO STATES IDLE SPPED AT COLD START UP REMAINS AT APPROXIMATELY 1350 RPM FOR GREATER THAN 60 SECONDS, THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN PLACING VEHICLE IN REVERSE.*JB

UPON COLD START AFTER SITTING TWO HOURS, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AFTER SHIFTING FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE. VEHICLE WENT THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE'S ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AND CABLE BROKE AT ONLY 6 MONTH OLD. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL NOT DESIGNED TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN ON DOWN SLOPES. *DSH

CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM, CAUSES VEHICLE'S SPEED TO INCREASE UPON TRAVELING DOWNHILL. *SD