1997 Ford Taurus

1997 TAURUS WITH 75000 MILES, BOUGHT NEW. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THEN WOULD EITHER BANG INTO GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING, OR WOULD HAVE TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK, TURN OFF THE ENGINE, RESTART THE ENGINE, AND PLACE IT IN DRIVE. OFTEN ALL WOULD BE FINE FOR 2-3 WEEKS, THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ACT UP AGAIN. AFTER THREE OR FOUR MONTHS OF THIS THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A DEAD STOP. THERE ARE NO UNUSUAL NOISES, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS CLEAN AND FULL, AND THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO SHIFT FINE ONCE I GET GOING. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY HAVE NO RECALLS OR KNOWN DEFECTS (OF COURSE). THE DEALER URGED ME NOT DRIVE THE CAR AND BRING IT INTO THE SHOP RIGHT AWAY. HE SAID IT WOULD LIKELY COST BETWEEN $1300 AND $2600 TO REPAIR. *JB

ALL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, HI-LOW BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS WORK! ALL PANEL LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WORK. TURNING SIGNALS & EMERGENCY FLASHERS DO NOT WORK AT ALL! IT IS AS THOUGH THE WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN WERE DISCONNECTED FROM BOTH THE TURNING STICK (SWITCH) AND THE EMERGENCY SWITCH? CHECKED EVERY FUSE IN FUSE BOX UNDER HOOD AND THEY ALL LOOK OK. ASSUME NO BULB PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE WAS AND IS NO FAST BLINK... IT SEEMS LIKE THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED DURING AN ALL DAY RAIN STORM...VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE I ASSUMED DIRECTIONAL WERE STILL WORKING DURING SEVERAL TURNS...THEN SOMEONE ALMOST HIT ME WHEN I WAS CHANGING LANES....I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A DUMB DRIVER TILL IT HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES....THEN I NOTICED NO TURN SIGNALS...VERY SCARY (VIN: [XXX])! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS DIAGNOSED AT A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE WITH CODE 402 THAT SHOWED EXCESSIVE FLOW IN THE EGR SYSTEM. I REMOVED THE EGR VALVE AND TUBE FROM THE ENGINE AND INSPECTED THE COMPONENTS. THE EGR VALVE WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN AND DID NOT SHOW ANY LEAKAGE THROUGH THE VALVE WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. THE TUBE LEADING FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE EGR VALVE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY CLEAN. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED TO RESET THE INDICATOR LIGHT. TWO DAYS LATER, THE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLARKE FORD IN HUDSON, OHIO FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED BY A MECHANIC WHO FOUND THE SAME RESULTS. I WAS CHARGED FOR TWO LABOR HOURS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DPFE SENSOR AND TROUBLE SHOOTING. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT I WISHED TO KEEP THE OLD PARTS. WHEN I REVIEWED THE OLD PART WITH THE MECHANIC, EXCESSIVE CORROSION WAS PRESENT IN THE HOSE OF THE SENSOR. THE MECHANIC AND SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT FORD NO LONGER MANUFACTURES THE SENSOR FROM METAL AND THE REPLACEMENT IS PLASTIC TO PREVENT THE CORROSION. THE SERVICE WRITER PROCEEDED TO SHOW ME THE PRINT OUT THAT DISPLAYED THE REPLACEMENT INFORMATION. I HAD BEEN TO CLARKE FORD ON TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEFORE THIS AUTOMOBILE WAS SERVICED TO SCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENTS FOR SERVICE ON TWO VEHICLES AND TO DROP THE VEHICLES FOR SERVICING. WHILE I WAS SPEAKING WITH THE SERVICE WRITER, NO LESS THAN 5 OTHER CUSTOMERS RECEIVED THE SAME NEWS OF A BAD DPFE SENSOR. THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT THIS FAILURE WAS VERY COMMON. I FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION SINCE THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE SO WIDESPREAD AND HAS A NEW STYLE REPLACEMENT PART TO FIX THE CORROSION PROBLEM. *JB

NAR 3-10-03 INFORMATION REQUEST ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR COMPANIES ABOUT A COMPLAINT SENT TO THEM FROM THE CONSUMER ABOUT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS COVERAGE. FORD REQUESTED A WRITTEN EXPLANATION TO RESOLVE MATTERS. *CB THE CONSUMER STATED AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A POLE TRAVELING AT 2- 25 MPH. DURING THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING THE AIR BAG, THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB