2008 Ford Taurus X

SCANNED SYSTEM NO CODES. CHECK P/S PUMP PRESSURE OUTPUT. FOUND A VALVE IN RACK THAT WAS STUCK IN ONE DIRECTION AND NOT ALLOWING PRESSURE THE OTHER WAY. REPLACED P/S RACK AND THEN RESET ALIGNMENT. TEST DROVE TO VERIFY OPERATION. VEHICLE WOULD TURN LEFT NORMAL, BUT DIFFICULT TO THE RIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. NO P/S FLUID LOSS. KNOWN ISSUE FOUND ONLINE WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. *TR

2008 FORD TAURUS X -- POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AT LOW SPEEDS AND THEN WOULD RE-ENGAGE WITHOUT NOTICE CREATING SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR SWERVING DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE OVER-CORRECTION. THE VEHICLE IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS, BUT ALL TURNING IS DIFFICULT. THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED AT SUBSTANTIAL COST. STEERING RACK FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2008 FORD TAURUS X VEHICLES, WHICH CREATES A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY RISK FOR THE PUBLIC. *TR

CAR HAS A TENDANCY TO DRIFT RIGHT OR LEFT WHILE TRAVELING. MORE PRONUNCED DRIFT WHILE STOPPING. EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR. DEALER INSPECTION INDICATES GEARS IN GEAR BOX ARE LOOSE AND GEAR BOX NEEDS REPLACING AND VEHICLE NEEDS ALIGNMENT. SECOND SET OF FRONT TIRES ARE WORN DOWN TO WEAR BAR AFTER ONLY 13,000 MILES. COST FOR GEAR BOX REPLACEMENT AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS $900. DEALER STATED NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR STEERING/GEAR PROBLEM. *TR

THE FORD TAURUS X SEL FWD WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2009. WE HAVE NOTICED STEERING NOISE SINCE 85K MILES APPROXIMATELY. RECENTLY THE CAR HAS STOPPED DRIVING WITH POWER STEERING REGULARLY AT LOW SPEEDS. SOMETIMES AT HIGHER SPEEDS IT WILL NOW ALSO DROP OUT AND THEN RESUME, MAKING DRIVING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS YOU ARE STEERING HARD WITH TWO HANDS WHEN SUDDENLY POWER STEERING CUTS BACK IN AND YOU SWERVE AS THE WHEEL IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO RESPOND. *TR

DRIVING NORMALLY WHEN STEERING CONTROL/ASSIST WAS SUDDENLY LOST CAUSING THE STEERING TO BIAS TO THE LEFT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY VEER TO THE LEFT. BRAKING AND EXTREME PHYSICAL EFFORT TO RECOVER CONTROL BY ROTATING STEERING WHEEL TO THE HARD RIGHT HAD TO BE MAINTAINED TO MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE ON A STRAIT-AWAY COURSE. STEERING SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER (BRONDES FORD, MAUMEE, OH) FOR REPAIRS. CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE STEERING RACK PART OF THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR WAS CAUSE. METAL DEBRIS FROM THIS CATASTROPHIC COMPONENT FAILURE HAD TO BE FLUSHED FROM THE STEERING HYDRAULIC SYSTEM DURING THE REPAIR PROCESS; ENTIRE RACK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED WHICH NECESSITATED COMPLETE FRONT-END ALIGNMENT. COST FOR REPAIRS EXCEEDED $1,000.00. VEHICLE IS WELL-MAINTAINED, GARAGE-STORED AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY COLLISION AND/OR ROAD HAZARD ENCOUNTER OF ANY KIND. *TR

UNABLE TO STEER IN A PARKING LOT TO PARK. TURNING LEFT BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND A HISSING SOUND OCCURRED. THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BUT IN SEVERAL SITUATIONS IT HAS COME VERY CLOSE. I FEEL THAT FORD NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE SINCE AFTER DOING RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS IS HAPPENING ON ALL VEHICLES OF MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED MY TO FAIL MY VEHICLE INSPECTION FOR SAFETY. IT'S AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM AND IF THE STATE WILL NOT PASS BECAUSE THEY FEEL ITS A SAFETY ISSUE THEN I BELIEVE THE DEALER NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

POWER STEERING RACK FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. FORD SAID STEERING RACK IS NOT PART OF THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY SO I HAD TO REPLACE OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. FORD IS APPARENTLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS TSB 09-5-7 SHOWS. THIS TSB SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR SAFETY REASONS. IF THE POWER STEERING WOULD HAVE FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC THE CAR WOULD'VE UNCONTROLLABLE. *TR

SLOW SPEED TURNING VERY STIFF, SO STIFF THAT MY WIFE CANNOT TURN TIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. RETURNED TO DEALER AND HAD CAR INSPECTED. FORD SAID NOTHING WRONG. HAS HAPPENED TWICE MORE BEFORE FAILING COMPLETELY. FORD SAYS NOT COVERED BY 5 YEAR WARRANTY. $1100.00 REPAIR AND THE PART IS BACKORDERED. OBVIOUSLY FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR STEERING COMPONENTS BUT DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS X. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEEDS OF 7 MPH WITH NO WARNINGS THE POWER FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN . THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND TURNED OFF; HOWEVER, THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY WHEN IT WAS TURNED BACK ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING GEAR MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,645 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,710. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ UPDATED 03/30/12