1996 Ford Taurus

ON DECEMBER 16, 2000 WE WERE TRAVELING TO PHILA. VIA I95 FROM WILMINGTON FOR A XMAS PARTY. AS WE APPROACHED THE RESTAURANT MY ENGINED CEASED AS WE TURNED ON TO THE STREET NEAR THE RESTAURANT. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT INTO A PARKING SPACE. CAR WAS TOWED TO HOME THAT EVENING AND THEN TO DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. DEALER DID DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND REPORTED NO COMPRESSION TO TWO VALVES. NEVER OFFERED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER, BUT RECOMMENDED NEW ENGINE, APPROXIMATE COST $10,814, DEALER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED FORD, WHOSE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP DID NOT KNOW OF THIS MODEL TAURUS. AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, FORD OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND SAID THAT CAR SHOULD BE TRADED AS 85K WAS HIGH MILEAGE. TRANSFERRED CAR TO WINNER, NEWARK DE, WHERE ENGINE WAS TAKEN APART. MECHANIC FOUND 4 BENT CYLINDERS BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAPPENED ONLY THAT IT APPEARED THAT SPROCKET TEETH HAD SNAPPED, RELEASING CHAIN AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO CAMSHAFTS. REPAIRS TOOK APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS DUE TO PARTS AND LACK OF TECH'S KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINE. CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO SERVICE 5 TIMES FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS, I.E. REPLACE IMRC, IAC MOTOR, GASKET SEAL. CAR HAS VALVE TAP AND ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING WHEN DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT HIGH SPEEDS. DEALER HAS REPORTED PROBLEM IS ABOVE THEIR HEAD. THIS CAR IS A STREET PROTOTYPE OF NASCAR RACING CARS, WHILE I DROVE 50 RT MILES ON BACKROADS/DAY IT HAS A TOP END SPEED OF 131+, ADHERENCE TO FORD MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AND USE OF FORD CERTIFIED TECHS ARE MANDATORY TO MAINTAIN THE CAR. MY PROBLEM HAS NOW SURFACED ON MANY SHOS AND IS NOW A DOCUMENTABLE DEFECT. THIS ENGINE COULD HAVE CEASED ON I95 WHILE DOING 85MPH. COST TO REPAIR TO DATE, $3200, AND IS STILL A DANGER TO DRIVE AND FORD CANNOT RECOMMEND WHERE AND HOW TO FIX.

I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ON VARIOUS WEBSITES (WWW.V8SHO.COM). THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESREAD PROBLEM, AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL OF THESE SHAFTS. I AM PRETTY SURE THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE RESULTS IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. *AK

THE 1996 FORD TAURUS SHOS ARE A 3.4L 4 CAM V8. ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE V8, THE EXHAST CAMSHAFT BROKE. THE DEALER REPORTING THE DAMAGE TO ME SAID THAT THIS CAMSHFT IS DRIVEN AS A SLAVE CAMSHFT TO THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT WHICH IS DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN OTHER CASES THAT THE DAMAGE COULD BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE CYLINDER BANK. THEY ARE IDENTICAL IN DESIGN, MEANING ONE CAMSHAFT IS DRIVEN OFF OF A SLAVE CHAIN FROM THE OTHER CAMSHAFT, WHICH IS IN TURN DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAMSHAFTS IN THESE V8 SHOS ARE AN ACHILLES HEEL. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTED FAILURES. PLEASE SEE INFORMATION IN WWW.V8SHO.COM OR WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSHAFTSPROCKETFAILURE.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKETAUTOPSY.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKET2.HTM AS WELL AS YOUR OWN DATABASE. I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AT 1-800-392-3673 TO REPORT THIS DAMAGE. FORD IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY PART OF THE DAMAGE AT THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT 105,348 MILES IS VERY EARLY IN A CAR'S LIFE FOR SUCH A FAILURE. I HAVE LOOKED THROUGH THE NTSA'S RECORDS AND I SEE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND THESE FAILURES. WOULD YOU PLEASE REVIEW YOUR RECORDS AND ENCOURAGE FORD TO REPAIR THE FAILURES OR REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR REPAIR COSTS. ALSO, IT APPEARS FORD DEALERS ARE REPLACING CAMSHAFTS WITH REPLACEMENT UNITS THAT HAVE THE SAME DESIGN FLAW IN THEM! THEREFORE, IS A CUSTOMER EVER FREE FROM THE FEAR THAT THE CAMSHAFTS COULD BREAK AGAIN TO THE TUME OF $2,000 TO $12,000 DAMAGE AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED? THE ESTIMATE FOR MY VEHICLE'S REPAIRS IS $5,500 OR GREATER (MORE INSPECTION IS BEING DONE AT THIS TIME AT CRESTWOOD FORD) NOT INCLUDING SALES TAXES! I HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE NOT THE DEALERS. PERSONALLY, IF FORD PROVIDED THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE AND SHARED SOME OF THE LABOR, I BELIEVE MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WOULD ACCEPT THOSE TERMS. THANK YOU. *AK

TICKING NOISE FROM TOP OF MOTOR DIAGNOSED AS CAMSHAFT SPROCKET FAILURE BY FORD TECHNICIAN ON MY 1996 FORD TAURUS SHO, 3.4L, 207 CI V8. DEALERSHIP RECCOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE MOTOR AS PARTS MAY TAKE UP TO 5 MONTHS TO ARRIVE. I'VE HEARD THAT THIS IS NOW BECOMMING A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS WITH MORE REPORTS OF THEM BEING MADE KNOWN ON THE INTERNET.*AK

VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING IF RIGHT WHEEL SPLASHES WATER ONTO SERPINTINE BELT. IT ONLY HAPPENS IF RIGHT WHEEL GOES THROUGH A WATER PUDDLE AND SPLASHES WATER ONTO THE SERPINTINE BELT. CONSUMER HAS HAD THE PROBLEM HAPPEN 3TIMES BEFORE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED CURRENTLY. CONSUMER PLEASE ADD VIN# AND MILEAGE TO FORM. *AK