1989 Ford Taurus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, HE NOTICED THAT WHEN HE TRIED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, HE WAS UNABLE TO DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL USING THE BRAKE PEDAL. HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN USING THE BRAKES BUT HAD TO DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL BY PUSHING THE OFF BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 96,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1989 FORD TAURUS GLS. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TRIED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 85 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF AS THE SPEED INCREASED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES AND SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE.THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THEY NEVER WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE DUPLICATE FAILURE 2 YEARS LATER. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT REPORTED THE CRASH TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER INCIDENT BEFORE HER STATE CONSIDERED THE VEHICLE FAILURES UNDER THE LEMON LAW. THE CONTACT GAVE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER ACCIDENTLY STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND UNEXPECTEDLY, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO THE PROCEEDING VEHICLE. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS BEING POSITIONED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THIS WAS ON A 1989 FORD TAURUS L . AFTER REAR BRAKE REPAIRS THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE HOSE SPRUNG A LEAK AND ALL BRAKING WAS LOST. DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE THIS BRAKE LINE LIKELY BROKE DUE TO YEARS OF CORROSION FROM ROAD SALTS AND OTHER SOURCES DURING BAD WEATHER. DUE TO SO MUCH POSSIBLE DAMAGE FROM CORROSION I HAVE DECIDED TO JUNK THE CAR. BUT IT WAS LIKELY THAT OTHER FORD TAURUS OWNERS MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. *AK

SUNDAY AT 11:45 AM, I LEFT MY HOUSE TO GO TO WORK AT WAL-MART. AT ABOUT 4:30 PM, A CUSTOMER AT WAL-MART CAME IN THE STORE AND TOLD US THAT A CAR WAS ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. I WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE WHO CAR IT WAS. IT WAS MINE. IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE DASH. THE WHOLE DASH IS GONE. THE FIRE STARTED BY ELECTRICAL IN THE DASH. I HAVE THE REPORT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I WAS ON IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 1989 FORD TAURUS SEDAN AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 PM I EXPERIENCED AN APPARENT BLOWOUT OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. IN THE DARK, MY 13 YEAR OLD SON AND I CHANGED THE TIRE PUTTING ON THE TEMPORARY SPARE AND WE DROVE DIRECTLY TO THE LOCAL TIRE SHOP. THERE, OBSERVING THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRE WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING REPAIRED, I ORDERED A REPLACEMENT TIRE. AFTER MOUNTING THE NEW TIRE TO THE WHEEL, THE SHOP WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE WHEEL ONTO THE VEHICLE. THEY DISCOVERED A FRACTURED COIL SPRING ALONG WITH A DAMAGED STRUT AND OUTER TIE ROD. EVEN AFTER REPLACING THESE ITEMS (THEY DID BOTH SIDES SINCE THE OTHER EQUIPMENT WAS OF THE SAME VINTAGE) THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PLACE THE FRONT END FULLY INTO ALIGNMENT DUE TO FURTHER DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE COIL SPRING. REPAIRS TO DATE HAVE COST ME $660.88. THE OLD PARTS (SPRINGS, STRUTS AND TIRE) ARE AVAILABLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 1989 FORD TAURUS, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, AND THE CAR BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT NEAR ANY OTHER CARS, AND ONLY 1 BLOCK FROM HOME, SO WITH BRUTE FORCE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY. INSPECTION FOUND THAT BOTH REAR CORNERS OF THE SUB FRAME THAT THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND SUSPENSION HAD DROPPED DOWN, SEPERATED FROM MAIN CAR CHASSIS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL, SO I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND OUT THAT FORD HAD ISSUED RECALL NOTICE 98S36 THAT DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. EVEN THOUGH I NOW LIVE IN TEXAS, I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 1990 IN NEW YORK, AND OWNED SINCE. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN IN NEW YORK FOR THE 1ST 4 YEARS I OWNED IT. THE RECALL DESCRIBES A SUBFRAME RUST PROBLEM FOR CARS DRIVEN IN STATES THAT USE SALT IN THE ROADS IN WINTER. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER REQUESTING MY CAR BE REPAIRED WITH A KIT OF PARTS THE IS SUPPLIED IN THE 98S36 RECALL. I EVEN OFFERED TO PAY. I WAS TOLD MY VIN IS NOT ON THE LIST FOR THIS RECALL, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I THEN CALL FORD DIRECTLY AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I ARGUED THAT MY CAR HAD THE EXACT FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE LETTER, AND IN SAME CONDITIONS, SO MY CAR MUST BE ON THE LIST. BUT FORD SAID NO, VIN IS NOT ON LIST, AND THERE NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY REFUSED TO GIVE ME A TECHICAL REASON FOR THAT POSITION. MY ISSUES ARE; 1. IF FORD MISSED MY CAR IN IN RECALL NOTICE, THERE MUST STILL BE MANY FORD TAURUS'S DRIVING AT RISK OF AN ACCIDENT DUE THIS PROBLEM. 2. I WANT THE KIT OF PARTS THE COMES IN THE RECALL TO FIX MY CAR, SINCE THE CAR RUNS FINE AND IS GOOD CONDITION. THE VIN NUMBER OF THIS CAR IS: [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)