1997 Ford Taurus

YESTERDAY EVENING ME AND MY FAMILY STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND MY GIRLFRIEND WENT INTO THE BIG APPLE IN CANTON, MAINE. SHE WAS IN THERE FOR AWHILE AND I HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE CAR WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I WENT IN THE STORE TO SEE WHAT WAS TAKING SO LONG AND WHILE I WAS IN THERE I HEARD THE CHILDREN SCREAMING. ALL THREE OF THEM WERE IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE CAR BACKED UP BY ITSELF AND I RAN OUT OF THE STORE AFTER IT. IT RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POLE AND I IMMEDIATELY DEMANDED TO KNOW WHO TOUCHED THE CAR. NOBODY HAD, THE CAR WAS STILL IN PARK. IT MUST OF BACKED UP ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH BEFORE HITTING THE POLE. IF THE POLE HAD NOT OF BEEN THERE THE CAR WOULD OF CROSSED RT. 108 AND COULD OF BEEN HIT BY TRAFFIC. MY CHILDREN WERE SO SCARED THEY WOULDN'T GET BACK IN THE CAR. *TR

COMPLETE AND SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. PLACED FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL TO REVERSE CAR OUT OF PARKING SPOT. (WOULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY/DAMAGE HAD I BEEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED OR CITY MANEUVERING). PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND BRAKE FLUID PUDDLED UNDER THE CAR. HAD CAR TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY AND BRAKE LINES WERE REPAIRED. MECHANIC SAID FORD'S PLASTIC BRACKET ALLOWED WATER/DIRT/SALT TO ACCUMULATE AND RUST THROUGH LINES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING FOR A FUEL FILL-UP ON A HEAVILY-TRAVELED ALLEGHENY CO (PA) FOUR-LANE ROAD (SPEED APPROX. 30-35 MPH), TRAFFIC HEAVY, I EXPERIENCED, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, A SUDDEN TOTAL LOSS OF ALL BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. I FOLLOWED A FORD F-250 PICKUP INTO THE GAS STATION LOT AND BROUGHT MY CAR (1997 FORD TAURUS SDN, 90,000 MILES ON ODOMETER) TO A STOP BY SMASHING INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF MY CAR; INCONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HEAVY-DUTY STEEL REAR BUMPER OF THE TRUCK. A SIZABLE PUDDLE OF BRAKE FLUID WAS OBSERVED FORMING UNDER DRIVER'S SIDE FR DOOR OF MY CAR, CAUSED BY SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC RUPTURE OF ONE OR MORE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES ON MY CAR, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF ALL BRAKING POWER. MY CAR IS NOW UNDER REPAIR TO REPLACE ALL RUSTED-OUT OR CORROSION-COMPROMISED BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. WHAT IF, INSTEAD OF 5:15 PM ON A SATURDAY, THIS CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF BRAKES HAD OCCURRED AT 3:15 PM ON A SCHOOL DAY, WITH A SCHOOL BUS IN FRONT OF ME DISGORGING HALF A BUS LOAD OF SCHOOL KIDS CROSSING THE STREET IN FRONT OF ME? BELIEVE ME, THE FLASHING RED LIGHTS OF THE SCHOOL BUS WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED MY CAR TO STOP. IN OVER 50 YRS OF DRIVING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE LINE FAILURE, AND I ROUTINELY DRIVE A CAR FOR 10+ YRS. HAVE THE AUTO MFGRS BEEN PERMITTED TO SQUEEZE A FEW MORE PENNIES OF PROFIT BY ADOPTING A CHEAPER, LESS CORROSION-RESISTANT GRADE OF STEEL FOR THE VEHICLE BRAKE LINES? IS NOT THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF MY '97 SUPPOSED TO HAVE A REDUNDANCY FEATURE TO RETAIN SOME BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS IN THE EVENT OF LOSS OF ONE OF THE LINES? THE MANAGER OF THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I TOOK THE CAR TELLS ME THAT BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY COMMON REPAIR IN THIS PART OF THE SNOW-AND-SALT WINTER DRIVING BELT. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 1997 FORD TAURUS ON NOVEMBER THE 10TH OF 2008 FROM A LOCAL DEALER. ON 11/21/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HOURS MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLE, WHEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BY IT'S SELF. MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING BOTH FEET TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AT THIS TIME SHE DECIDED TO JUMP FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER DOING SO THE VEHICLE CLIMBED A 6 % GRADE HILL APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET THROUGH A FIELD, BEFORE RAMPING A 6 FOOT PILE OF LIMESTONE. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED 14 FEET THROUGH THE AIR BEFORE IMPATING THE GROUND. AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND THE VEHICLE MADE A RIGHT TURN AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 1500 FEET BEFORE IMPACTING A DITCH AND A TREE. WITNESSES STATED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TRAVELING NEARLY 90 MPH AS TRAVELED THROUGH THE FIELD, THE ENGINE WAS STILL ACCELERATING AFTER STRIKING THE TREE. THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED OFF FOR THE ENGINE TO STOP ACCELERATING. TOTAL DISTANCE THE VEHICLE TRAVELED WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER IN THE VEHICLE WAS 2190 FEET. REMEMBER THE FIRST 700 FEET WAS UP HILL THROUGH A FIELD (THE HILL WAS APPROXIMATELY A 6 % GRADE). *TR

A PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENS. HEADLIGHT LENS IS SO FOGGY THAT VISIBILITY IS POOR ENOUGH THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED. FORD SAYS THE DETERIORATION IS DUE TO AUTOMATIC CAR WASH SOAP. HOWEVER, CAR WAS HAND WASHED. THE APPROXIMATE COST FOR PARTS ALONE IS $500 AS THE LENS IS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY. CARS IN THE JUNK YARD ALSO HAVE SAME CONDITION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE BURNING VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO CONTAIN THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF LOST OIL OR OTHER FLUIDS. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO HUMAN ERROR. THE CONTACT RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF FORD RECALL NUMBER 05S28 AND SHE FEELS THAT THIS COULD BE THE CAUSE OF HER ENGINE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

I PURCHASED MY TAURUS IN DEC. 2004 NEEDING NEW HEADS FOR THE ENGINE. BEFORE I COULD DRIVE IT IN THE COLD WEATHER I HAD TO LET IT IDLE FOR ABOUT 20 MINS OR IT WOULD SLIP AND I WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO GO 15MPH. MECHANIC TOOK TO TRANSMISSION SHOP BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR FOR SIX MONTHS AT A TIME (2XS) AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING EVEN MORE NOW. MOTOR MOUNTS ALSO NEED REPAIRED SINCE MY ENGINE IS JERKING BACK AND FORTH WHEN I PRESS ON THE PEDAL. THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO FALL OFF WHEN DRIVING 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY. MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE MOVING FROM PHX.,AZ TO FT. HOOD,TEXAS TO BE WITH MY BROTHERS WIFE WHILE HE IS IN AFGHANISTAN. DO YOU THINK I CAN AT LEAST MAKE IT TO TEXAS WITHOUT IT STRANDING US. BECAUSE WITH ALL THINGS ASIDE THAT CAR HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT WITH ME. I LOVE MY FORD! PLUS I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER ONE SO HOPEFULLY THIS ONE IS GOING TO HANG IN THERE. *TR

EVERY TIME I PUT IT IN REVERSE, MY RADIO GOES OUT, MY PL, PS, AND PW STOP WORKING. IF I DRIVE LONGER THAN 5 - 10 MILES, THE LIGHTS AND ALL ELECTRICAL START BLINKING AND THE PS GOES ON AND OFF. I ALMOST HIT A CAR ALONG SIDE OF ME THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED, I ONLY DROVE IT OUT OF TOWN ONE TIME AFTER THAT, NOW I DON'T DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN AT ALL. EVEN IN TOWN IF I'M DRIVING ALL OVER, IT DOES IT. I TRIED TALKING TO FORD CORP. AND THEY BLEW ME OFF, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS. HELP!! *TR