1997 FORD TAURUS Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1997 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED AS HE WAS DRIVING AT 65MPH THE CAM SHAFT FAIL. THE CAM SHAFT SLIPPED INTO THE MOTOR WHERE EVERYTHING JUST SHUTS DOWN. THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD HE HAD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. A MILE LATER, THE ENGINE STALLED, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT NOTICED LIQUID DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THEN, THE VEHICLE WOULD START, BUT NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE SPROCKET THAT HOLDS THE TIMING CHAIN CAME LOOSE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE AT 65 MPH THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE BRAKES BOUNCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AND THE ENGINE LIGHT SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

OIL PAN GASKET LEAKING AND REPLACED ON 6-15-02 AT 51070 MILES UNDER E.S.P OIL PAN GASKET LEAKING AGAIN ON 1-11-06 AT 87734 MILES TOTAL COST PAID $428.75. *NM

MY FIANCEE'S HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN ON HER 1997 FORD TAURUS (SPELLING). IS THIS NORMAL BECAUSE THE MECHANIC THAT WE WENT TO SAID "OH I BET I KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR. I BET THE HEADGASKET IS BLOWN." HOW LONG IS THIS HEAD GASKET SUPPOSED TO LAST. SHE ONLY HAS 140,000 MILES ON HER CAR AND DOES REGULAR MAINTANENCE ON IT.*AK

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON (2ND TIME) FIRST TIME FORD DEALERSHIP DID FULL TRANSMISSION FLUSH($125) TO SEE IF CORRECTED PROBLEM. TWO MONTHS LATER (ON LONG DRIVE), WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND SAID IT WAS A TRANSMISSION CODE THAT NEEDED THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED TO DETERMINE CAUSE ($300). THEY TOLD ME THAT (EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS WORKING OK) THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS HAVING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. ALL PARTS AND COMPONENTS WERE EITHER SCORCHED OR FAILED WHEN TESTED AND RECOMMENDED A TOTAL REBUILD ($2862) OR PURCHASE A FORD REBUILT ONE ($2756). I SAID THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A CAR WITH 39,400 MILES ON IT. THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING AND I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY SOUNDED INTERESTED BUT WOULD NOT BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. (SO MUCH FOR THE QUALITY ONE - CUSTOMER CARE MOTO). READING OTHER COMPLAINTS THIS...

THE FROST PLUGS IN THE ENGINE BLOCK FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY DUE TO INTERNAL CORROSION. THIS CAUSED RAPID LOSS OF NEARLY ALL COOLANT FROM THE ENGINE. THE LOSS OF COOLANT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, THE HEAD GASKET TO FAIL, AND THE HEADS TO CRACK. WITHIN NINETY SECONDS, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND CONSUMER WAS LEFT WITHOUT POWER. *JG

DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY, CAR OVERHEATED, THEN STALLED, THEN WOULDNT START. THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN, HEAD GASKET BLOWN AND THERE WAS WATER IN THE OIL. HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY THRU UNIVERSAL AND THEY ARE NOT HONORING WARRANTY. WAS NEVER INFORMED ON THE COOLING RECALL. *AK

RE: 1997 TAURUS 3.0 VULCAN - FROST PLUG CORROSION AND HEAD GASKET BLOWN!. *AK

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF HEAD GASKET WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CAUSED TOTAL FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS INHIBITING BRAKING AND STEERING MAKING CONTROL OF THE CAR DIFFICULT AND ENDANGERING DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND SURROUNDING VEHICLES.*AK

CAM GEAR FAILURE, CAR STALLED AT 40 MPH IN TRAFFIC, LOST ALL POWER, FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, UNWILLING TO ADMIT ANY PROBLEM WITH CAMSHAFT GEAR, AND WILL NOT HELP WITH REPAIR BILLS. 100 DOCUMENTED CASES OF CAM GEAR FAILURE CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.V8SHO.COM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING. THE SPROCKET ON THE CAMSHAFT HAD COME LOOSE WHICH THREW OFF THE TIMING/PISTONS, HITTING A VALVE, AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *SCC

ENGINE COOLANT TURNED BROWN AND SUPPOSEDLY CORROSIVE DUE TO SO-CALLED POORLY DESIGNED COOLING SYSTEM. THIS CAUSED MY TIMING COVER TO BEGIN LEAKING AND MY HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE TO FAIL WHILE ON OUR FAMILY VACTION IN SEATTLE. I HAVE NOTICED NUMBEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM IN YOUR FILES AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE THAT CAN BE TAKEN. I AM LOOKING AT A BILL OF APPROXIMATELY $4,0000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. PLEASE SUGGEST ANY ACTION THAT I CAN TAKE TO RECOVER ALL OR PART OF THIS COST FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

ENGINE COOLANT TURNED BROWN AND SUPPOSEDLY CORROSIVE DUE TO SO-CALLED POORLY DESIGNED COOLING SYSTEM. THIS CAUSED MY TIMING COVER TO BEGIN LEAKING AND MY HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE TO FAIL WHILE ON OUR FAMILY VACTION IN SEATTLE. I HAVE NOTICED NUMBEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM IN YOUR FILES AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY RECOURSE THAT CAN BE TAKEN. I AM LOOKING AT A BILL OF APPROXIMATELY $4,0000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. PLEASE SUGGEST ANY ACTION THAT I CAN TAKE TO RECOVER ALL OR PART OF THIS COST FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

WHILE STANDING STILL AT LIGHT AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUTDOWN AND BECAME INOPERABLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE AND VEHICLE CUT OFF, WHICH WAS AS CAUSED BY CAM FAILURE. *AK *TT

PISTON CRACKED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE A LATE ACCELERATION AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED.*AK

THIS IS A FAILURE OF THE SECONDARY SPROCKET ON THE CAMSHAFT OF MY 1997 TAURUS SHO. THIS TO ME SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THE CAMSHAFT IS ATTACHED TO THE CAM BY SPLINES WHICH UNDER THE STRESS OF THE ENGINE SPIN UN THE CAM WHICH THROWS OFF THE TIMING AND DESTROYS THE ENGINE. FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND ASKED THE PEOPLE OF V8SHOW.COM TO SEND THEM SOME CAMS SO THEY CAN TEST THEM. I AM AN OWNER THAT OWES $6000 ON A VEHICLE WHICH IS COMPLETLY OUT OF ORDER SITTING IN MY GARAGE BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5000 AND 15000 TO FIX IT. 5000 IS FOR A USED ENGINE WTH 50,000 MILES ON IT. 15,000 IS THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE FROM FORD. PLEASE HELP IN ANYWAY YOU CAN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND THERE WAS A "TICKING" NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT CAMSHAFT FAILED, AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

WE WERE DRIVING ON A BUSY FREEWAY WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED AND COMPLETELY STOPPED . WE HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CAR HAD A COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM. MY DAUGHTER GAVE ME THE CAR SO I WOULD HAVE A "SAFE" VEHICLE TO DRIVE. SHE OWNED IT FOR THE 3 YEARS PRIOR. BOUGHT WHEN IT WAS A YEAR OLD. WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF A RECALL OR ADJUSTMENT FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM BY A KIT PROVIDED BY THE FORD COMPANY.THE FORD CO. HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100000 MILES ON THEIR FORD TAURUS 3.8 ENGINE BUT NOT THIS 3.0L ALTHOUGH THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS, BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, CRACKED HEADS, ETC. WOULD APPRECIATE SOME HELP. THIS AT LEAST MY 4TH FORM I FILLED OUT TRYING TO GET AN ANSWER FROM YOU. CAN I EXPECT ONE OR AM I JUST BLOWING IN THE WIND? LILLIAN C. CARSON. *AK

CAMSHAFT SECONDARY SPROCKET FAILED, SPINNING ON THE CAMSHAFT TUBE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP INSTANTLY WHEN THE VALVE AND PISTONS TRIED TO OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE IN THE COMBUSTIAN CHAMBER. NEW REPLACEMENT ENGINES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS VEHICLE, ONLY SALVAGE UNITS. REBUILDS, IF POSSIBLE ON THIS MODEL EXCEED $4800 AT THE VERY LEAST! I HAVE BEEN INFORMED WHILE PERFORMING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM THAT IT IS "A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MOTOR" ACCORDING TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP.*AK

THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME OF THE HEAD GASKET IN THEIR 3.0 ENGINE PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO ADMIT IT. IN RESEARCHING THE ENGINE I FOUND THAT THERE IS A SECRET EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES FOR THIS PROBLEM IF THE ENGINE HAS MAJOR DAMAGE WHICH MINE DID.*AK

CAR IS IN SHOP HAVING 2 CRACKED HEADS REPLACED. MECHANIC WAS ADVISED TO KEEP ALL PARTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE FORD TAURUS 3.8 ENGINE HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THE FORD COMPANY TOLD ME THAT THE 3.0 ENGINE WAS BUILT IN ATLANTA GA. AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON IT.THE ALLDATA SERVICE BULLETIN 97-24-16 ISSUED 11-24-94 SAID TO SIMPLY EXTRAPOLATE THE 3.8L ENGINE FOR THE WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE 3.0. WE ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE ENGINE DIED WITH NO WARNING ON A BUSY FREEWAY. IF IT IS A INGITION MODULAR PROBLEM ALSO I DON'T KNOW AT THIS TIME. I FEEL THIS VEH ENGINE SHOULD HAVE LASTED MORE THAN 91,334 MILES. IF FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE IT SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED BEFORE ANYMORE BREAKDOWNS OCCUR.*AK

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, ENGINE OVER HEATED, NO COOLANT LEFT IN RESEVOIR. NO LEAKS? LET COOL AND FILLED WITH 5 QUARTS OF COOLANT. LIGHT STAYED ON. DROVE TO FORD DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. REPORT BACK WAS COOLANT CONTAMINATED WITH HYDROCARBONS (USED GAS). DEALER BELIEVES HEAD GASGET BLOWN OR CRACKED BLOCK. RECOMMEND REPLACE WITH LONG BLOCK. APPROX $4800. ASKED DEALER ABOUT ALLDATA SERVICE BULLITAN 97-24-16 AND EXTRAPOLATING TO THE 3.8L EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER SAID NO. NEVER RECIEVED NOTICE OF COOLANT PROBLEM THEY SAID OUT OF WARRANTY. NEED HELP.

CAMSHAFT MAKES A TICKING SOUND THAT IS NOT AT ALL NORMAL. *AK

THE REAR CAMSHAFT SPROCKET BROKE REQUIRING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE USED ENGINE WAS $2000 AND THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WAS $2100. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE REPAIR COST. I UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM IS BECOMING WIDESPREAD.

I NOTICES THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING A COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM. I TOO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH BROWN RUSTED COOLENT THAT CAUSED THE HEAD GASKET TO FAIL. I WAS TOLD TODAY THAT IT WILL COST APROXIMATLY $5000.00 TO REPAIR. THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE ENGIN, RADIATOR, HEATER CORE, WATER PUMP, ETC. THE SERVICE MANGER AT THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY POOR COOLING SYSTEM DESIGN THAT CAUSES A RUST BUILD UP AND THE EVENTUAL BLOWN HEAD GASKET. SINCE THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW WITH MANY ACCOUNTS LISTED ON THE NHTSA, I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION AND THE POSSIBLE RECALL BY THE MANUFACTURER (FORD).

THERE IS A FUEL SMELL IN PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT DUE TO OIL LEAKING FROM OIL PAN.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE SMELL IS SO BAD IT MAKES HER SICK TO HER STOMACH. *SLC

HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, LEAVING IT INOPERABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

MIDAS REPAIR SHOP FOUND HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. VEHICLE STARTED HEATING UP/ CHOKING, AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT TAILPIPE. MANUFACTURER'S REPONSE WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF PROBLEM, AND NO RECALL WAS ISSUED.*AK

NOTICED BROWN COOLANT DURING MAINTENANCE. HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, WAS TOLD OUT OF WARRANTY, NO RECALLS, NOT A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. TOOK TO NON-DEALER SHOP. FOUND LEAKING HEAD GASKET. REPLACED HEAD GASKETS, THERMOSTAT, COOLANT OVERFLOW CONTAINER, AND ANTI-FREEZE. RESURFACED CYLINDER HEADS. PERFORMED COOLING SYSTEM FLUSH. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT ~50,000 MILES NOTICED BROWN COOLANT AGAIN.

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAVE BLOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE, CONSUMER FELT IT WAS TOO SOON TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE.*AK

BOUGHT 97 FORD TAURUS USED. NOTICED BROWN COOLANT AFTER PURCHASE (MAR 00). CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING IN SUMMER, RESULTING IN BLOWN HEAD GASKET REQUIRING EXTENSIVE ENGINE WORK. RADIATOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE BAD, REQUIRED REPLACEMENT TO TUNE OF $2300 FOR TOTAL REPAIR. HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT RECALL OF PRODUCT HAS BEEN OUT (98B23) DUE TO FAULTY COOLING SYSTEM AND A COOLING SYSTEM BYPASS KIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED (WAS NOT). AFTER WORK WAS DONE, ENGINE OVERHEATED AGAIN TWO WEEKS LATER (1 AUG 2000). I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, AND FORD HAS NOT BEEN ANY HELP AT ALL; THE DEALERSHIP JUST WANTS MY MONEY AND MORE COSTLY REPAIRS. *AKY

REAR MOTOR MOUNTS ARE WORN OUT. BUT UNDER WARRANTY, AND DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE MOUNTS UNTIL THEY BREAK. *AK OWNER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE OR MODELS HAVE PEMATURE BREAKDOWN OF MOTOR MOUNTS. *YH

WHILE FREEWAY DRIVING, THE CAR DIED. NO WARNING LIGHTSOR ANY OTHER VISABLE PROBLEMS. TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER AND WERE TOLD THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND COULD HAVE ANOTHER FOR 5,500.00. TOWED THE CAR HOME AND FOUND THE COOLING RESIVORE WAS CRACKED AND HAD EMPITIED ALL COOLENT. WE FIND FROM FORD MOTORS THAT THIS WAS A RECALL ITEM, AND WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. *AK

THE PULLEY THAT DRIVES THE BELT FROZE AND FELL OFF CAUSING THE POWER STEERING, THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP AND BATTERY FAILURES. YH

CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR,I ORDERED A NEW ONE AWHILE BACK AND 4 COMP WERE OUT OF THEM. I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD,SO I ASSUMED THAT MAYBE THERE WOULD BE A DEFECT WITH THEM. *AK

THE FRONT FREEZE PLUG BETWEEN CYLINDER 4 AND 5 BLEW OR FELL OUT CAUSED BY COMPRESSION FROM THE HEAD GASKET, NEW ENGINE REQUIRED, FORD UNRESPONSIVE. *AK

ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RISE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ENGINE HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, SCORING OF ENGINE CYLINDERS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE ENGINE

VEHICLE NEVER HEATS UP. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER REGISTERS HOT ON THE CAR. ALSO, ENGINE HEAD GASKETS BLEW OUT WITHOUTY PRIOR INDICATION OR WARNING. INCIDENT OCCURRED THREE TIMES. DEALER NOTIFIED AND AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CAR WITH DEALER AND NO INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSIS. RIGHT FRONT GRINDING NOISE AND STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED. FREEZE PLUG LOST. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ENGINE MOUNTS DETERIORATED.

HEAD GASKETS FAILED TWICE.

TRANSMISSION/OIL PUMP DRIVE FAILED.

DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE OIL FILTER WITH WRENCH, WRENCH CAME IN CONTACT WITH WIRES NEAR THE STARTER MOTOR, ALOT OF SPARKS CAME OUT AND BURN MARKS WERE LEFT ON THE OIL FILTER, DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK