1997 Ford Taurus

WHEN CONSUMER WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE STOPPED. THEN, SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE. FROM THAT POINT ON EACH TIME VEHICLE CUT OFF, RESTARTED, AND MOVED A BIT. AFTERWARDS, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND CONSUMER RESTARTED IT UNTIL HE GOT HOME. THEN, HAD IT TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO TOLD HIM THAT THE SPROCKET CAME LOOSE. MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT BECAUSE THE LABOR AND PARTS WOULD COST ABOUT $6000.00 - $8000.00. CONSUMER TOLD MECHANIC NOT TO BOTHER BECAUSE HE COULD NOT AFFORD IT. HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO HIS HOME. *AK THE CAM SHAFT WAS BROKEN, 2 CYLINDERS WENT BAD, THE TRANSMISSION WAS AFFECTED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL POSSIBLY DUE TO THE COIL PACKS AND THE STRUTS WENT BAD. *SC

1997 FORD TAURUS. CAR BEGAN ROUGH IDLING AT COLD START. AFTER WARMING UP WOULD RUN FINE. TOOK TO MECHANIC TWICE. THEY DID NOT KNOW PROBLEM SAID IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. CAR ONLY HAD 80,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. CAR EVENTUALLY STARTED LOSING ANTI-FREEZE (NOT LEAKING, JUST TURNING UP LOW EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS), EXHAUST FUMES HEAVY, WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST, GAS MILEAGE TERRIBLE. I TOOK TO MY UNCLE, A MECHANIC IN ANOTHER CITY AND HE KNEW WHAT IT WAS IMMEDIATELY. AS I SUSPECTED, HEAD GASKET. WILL COST $800-1000 TO REPAIR. THIS IS MY SECOND FORD. OTHER WAS A 1995 FORD ESCORT. AFTER TWO TRANSMISSIONS AND A CRACKED ENGINE IT DIED TWO YEARS AGO FOR GOOD. I'M A SIGLE MOM AND THIS IS ONLY TRANSPORTATION. CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR YET. BUT IT WILL NOT BE A FORD WHEN I CAN. FORD HAS CHANGED AND IS NOT THE SAME AS IT USED TO BE. FORD DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CONSUMER. *AK

BOUGHT 97 TAURUS WITH 53,000 MILES IN 03-2001 AT A DODGE DEALERSHIP, WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY [CHRYSLER 24/24]. TOOK IN FOR OIL LEAK 3,000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE. OIL PAN GASKET REPAIR WORK WAS SAID TO BE DONE. APPROX. 8,000 MILES AFTER THAT, I TOOK CAR IN AGAIN FOR OIL LEAK AND POSSIBLE COOLANT LEAK. AGAIN GASKET REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSSEDLY DONE; NO REPORT OR REPAIR ON SUSPECTED COOLANT LEAK. APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES AFTER THAT, CAR BREAKS DOWN ON FWY; WILL NOT CRANK/TURN OVER. HAD CAR TOWED TO SAME DEALERSHIP; REPORTED FINDINGS WERE: NO COOLANT IN RADIATOR, COOLANT IN OIL BASKET, NO COMPRESSION. EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO BREAK DOWN. THEY SAY THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS AREN'T RELATED TO PRESENT PROBLEM. I FEEL THE REPAIR WORK EACH TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE WAS INCOMPLETE, OVERLOOKED, OR MIS DIAGNOSED.

VEHICLE HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH COOLING AND HEATING SYSTEM.*MR FIVE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE THE HEATER BECAME DEFECTIVE. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY FOR CONSUMER ABSORBED NOT COST. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST YEARS. THE EPISODE BECAME MORE UNSAFE AND EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT. ON JULY 26,2003 THE DEFECTIVE RADIATOR SPRUNG A LEAK. CONSUMER STATED FORD SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A BIG DISCOUNT PRICE IN 1999. *PH *NLM