2008 Ford Taurus X

2008 FORD TAURUS X. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING A VERY LOUD RUMBLING NOISE INSIDE *TGW THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER, THAT THE TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AS RECOMMENDED BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT PIRELLI TIRES WERE KNOWN TO WEAR UNEVENLY AND THEY WOULD CHECK THE ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ALIGNMENT, THE NOISE WAS REDUCED TO ABOUT 50%. THAT LASTED 6 MONTHS AND THEN THE NOISE RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL LOUDNESS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO EITHER LIVE WITH THE NOISE OR REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AT HIS EXPENSE. *JB

DRIVING FOR WORK NOTICED WITH BACKING IN AND OUT OF DRIVEWAYS THAT STEERING WAS TIGHT. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS FINE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST NEEDING NEW TIRES. DRIVING HOME AFTER PICKING MY CHILDREN UP FROM DAYCARE AND WENT TO TURN RIGHT ON A CURVE AT ABOUT 35 MPH AND STEERING VERY TIGHT WITH "THROBBING" FELT IN STEERING WHEEL. I DID NOT HAVE GOOD CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND NEEDED TO SLAM ON THE BREAKS TO MAKE THE CURVE. TOOK CAR IN AND WAS TOLD NEEDED NEW RACK AND PINION. CAR HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT. CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEM REPORTED AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN AT ALL AND RAISES SOME SERIOUS CRASH AVERSION ISSUES AS WELL AS SOMETIMES WORKS FINE AND SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. I AM A VISITING NURSE AND HAVE TWO YOUNG BOYS AND THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS OVER $900 PLUS MORE IF THE P/S PUMP WAS ALSO DAMAGED. FORD HAS TSB OUT (WHICH THEY DENIED) AND SUPPOSEDLY THE NEW PART, THAT COST AT LEAST $200 MORE THAN AN AFTERMARKET, HAS TO COME FROM FORD BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. THEY HAVE REMEDIED THE PROBLEM WITH AN "IMPROVEMENT" TO THEIR RACK AND PINION SYSTEM AT THE COST OF THE CUSTOMER. *TR

POWER STEERING , INTERMITTENT DIS-ENGAGEMENT. THIS WAS NOTICED BY MY WIFE IN EARLY AUGUST 2010. SHE SAID IT WAS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO TURN. I DROVE THE CAR FOR A WEEK AND IT BECAME WORSE, (POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS WERE TOPPED OFF). IT WOULD WORK SOME TIMES AND THEN COMPLETELY FAIL LEAVING ONLY MANUAL STEERING WITHOUT POWER ASSIST. WHEN I DROVE ON THE FREEWAY I COULD FEEL THE SYSTEM COMING IN AND OUR OF POWER, THIS CAUSED A VERY DANGEROUS SENSATION AS I NEVER KNEW WHEN POWER STEERING WOULD BE ACTIVE AND IF I HAD TO DO AN ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE MOVE AT HIGH SPEED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DUE TO THE LACK OF POWER STEERING. I READ THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM, I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND HE WILL GLADLY FIX IT AT A COST OF $1400. MY CAR HAS 58,800 MILES ON IT AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER WANTS $562.37 FOR LABOR, $ 562.37 FOR A 8G1Z-3504-D STEERING GEAR, $190.43 FOR 8G1Z-3A674-A PUMP, AND $69.95 FOR AN ALIGNMENT. *TR

MY WIFE AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 FORD TAURUS X. W/IN THE LAST 2WKS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WHERE THE VEHICLE WILL NO ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND IN OTHER INSTANCES ACCELERATES W/O ANY PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL. THIS PRESENTS SAFETY ISSUES IN TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE IN A STANDING POSITION AS WELL AS TIMES WHEN IT IS MOVING. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A PROBLEM W/ THROTTLE BODY. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE - THIS ISSUE IS NOT ISOLATED TO OUR VEHICLE. I AM NOT ONLY AFRAID OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WHILE WE ARE DRIVING OUR VEHICLE - NOW I AM ALSO WARY OF WHAT HAPPEN W/ THE OTHER TAURUS X'S AND FREESTYLES LIKE OURS. SHOULD THIS NOT BE PART OF SOME GREATER RECALL TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF ALL DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS? PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS TO LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS EVEN BEING REVIEWED AND ACKNOWLEDGED. *TR

AT 62K MY 2008 TAURUS X BEGAN HAVING "SURGING" ISSUES WHILE WHAT WAS FIRST FELT AT HIGH WAY SPEEDS. IT ALMOST FELT AS IF I WAS DRIVING WITH SOMEBODY THAT HAD THE BAD HABIT OF PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS AND LETTING OFF CONTINUOUSLY, ONLY I KNEW THIS WAS NOT THE CASE FOR IT WAS MYSELF DRIVING. IT WAS WORSE WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR EVERYTIME DRIVEN BUT THE FREQUENCY BEGAN TO INCREASE. ONE DAY I TURNED THE CAR ON AND YOU COULD HEAR THE SURGING IN THE IDLING AND SEE IT IN THE TACHOMETER. THIS DAY I WAS COMING TO A STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE ENTIRE CAR LURCHED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO ALMOST REAREND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ONCE STOPPED I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO PULL FORWARD FROM THE STOP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ALTHOUGH MY FOOT WAS PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND WHILE ACCELERATING UP A HILL THE CAR WAS WAITING UNTIL ABOUT 3500 RPMS TO SHIFT - ALMOST LIKE IT WAS SLAM SHIFTING AND BUCKING UNTIL I GOT TO CRUISING SPEED AT THE TOP. MY CAR IS NOW AT THE FORD DEALERSHIPS AND HAS BEEN FOR 3 DAYS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS NOT THROWING ANY ERROR CODES BUT FORD HEAD QUARTERS HAD BEEN INVOLVED AND ONCE THEY PLACED A CERTAIN CODE INTO MY CAR OTHERS CAME UP. RIGHT NOW I AM WAITING FOR THE THROTTLE BODY TO BE REPLACED - OR SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD. *TR

2008 FORD TAURUSX - VEHICLE SURGES OR LOOSES POWER WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. VEHICLE ALSO HAS LOW POWER AND POOR ACCELERATION AT TIMES. CHECK/SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2009. FORD DID NOT TELL US WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNTIL THE WARRANTY ENDED IN 2010 WITH 36K MILES. FORD SAID WE NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY. WE HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THE PROBLEM IS EXPECTED TO RETURN AS SOON AS THE THROTTLE BODY GETS NORMAL DIRT FORM NORMAL OPERATION (3MONTHS ESTIMATED TIME). THIS CAR IS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND I FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY BUT WHAT CAN I DO WITH A CAR I CANT AFFORD TO TRADE AWAY FOR SOMETHING DECENT AND SAFE. *TR

2008 FORD TAURUS X (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE FREESTYLE) WITH PREMATURE REAR BRAKE WEAR. MY VEHICLE NEEDS COMPLETE REAR BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR REPLACEMENT AT JUST 25000 MILES, AT MY EXPENSE. FORD CUSTOMER CARE DENYING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE, EVEN WITH SO MANY OWNER REPORTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. THERE IS CLEARLY SOME SORT OF DESIGN OR ENGINEERING FLAW WITH THE REAR BRAKES ON THESE VEHICLES, AND FORD MUST BE COMPELLED TO ISSUE A RECALL OR AT THE VERY LEAST AGREE TO COVER REAR BRAKE REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION OF OUR 2008 FORD TAURUS X (49K MILES) WENT INTO FAIL-SAFE MODE ON 6/21/2010 AND WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO TEAM FORD. THERE WAS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE PARKING BRAKE PEDAL WORKING INTERMITTENTLY SO WE ASKED THAT THIS PROBLEM ALSO BE FIXED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THEIR SHOP. THE SERVICE MANAGE SAID THAT THEY WERE BACKED UP ON THE TRANSMISSION (8 OF THEM - NOT GOOD) AND WOULD BE A WHILE SO THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PARKING BRAKE FIRST. THE NEXT DAY, 6/22/2010, I RECEIVED A CALL TELLING ME THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RAISED UP ON THE RACK TO INSPECT THE REAR END, THE SERVICE TECH NOTED THAT THERE WAS UNEVEN WEAR ON THE PASS. SIDE REAR TIRE AND THEN NOTICED THAT THE BRACKET ON THE SUBFRAME ATTACHING THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS BROKEN (A CRACK THAT HAD PULLED APART). I WAS INFORMED THAT OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THE BROKEN SUB-FRAME AND BRACKET, A $2500 PART, WHILE MY POSITION IS THAT THIS IS COVERED AS IT IS A "LINK". I THEN WENT AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION IN THE CRACK. WE HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 10 MONTHS AS WE BOUGHT IT USED FROM GUADIN FORD WHEN IT HAD JUST 37,560 MILES ON IT ON 8/6/2009. IT WAS ALSO A FORD CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT MUCH CORROSION COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO WEAKEN THE BRACKET IN UNDER 10 MONTHS, FAIL PARTIALLY, AND HAVE THE TIRE NOTICEABLE WEAR UNEVENLY. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THIS "DAMAGE" WAS FROM "MIS-USE" OF THE VEHICLE. FUNNY THING IS, THE BRACKET WAS THE ONLY "DAMAGE". NOT EVEN SCRATCHES OR SCRAPES, OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, A FLAT TIRE OR WHEEL DAMAGE FROM A MAJOR IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY TO BREAK A HIGH STRENGTH SUSPENSION PART. IT HAD TO BE DEFECTIVE AND NOBODY EITHER CAUGHT IT OR ADMITTED CATCHING IT. THERE ARE MORE SPOTS OF CORROSION ON THIS PART WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS EITHER DEFECTIVE RUSTPROOFING OR COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE TYPE OF STEEL USED TO MANUFACTURE THIS PART. *TR