2013 Ford Taurus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (SUBURBAN FORD IN WATERFORD, MI) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V340000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

WHILE DRIVING TO A DR APPTOINTMENT I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN THE CAR STALLED, I LOST ACCELERATION AND A WRENCH LIGHT CAME APPEARED. FORTUNATELY I WAS NEAR AN EXIT WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY, AND FIND A GAS STATION, AS I IDLED INTO THE GAS STATION AT ABOUT 2-3 MPH. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT, AND OPERATION RETURNED TO NORMAL FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THEN TODAY, AS I WAS DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL AND WAS IN THE TURNING LANE TO ENTER THE FREEWAY IT DID THE SAME THING, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE IN A SPAN OF 15 MILES. AGAIN FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. OUT OF FEAR I TOOK ALL BACK ROADS HOME INCASE IT HAPPENED AGAIN, WHICH IT DID. I FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE SAYING THERE IS A FAULT WITH THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM THAT SEEMS TO FIT THE BILL, EXCEPT THE MOTOR IN MY TAURUS IS NOT THE SAME ONE LISTED ON THE RECALL. REGARDLESS, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS PUT MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN IN HARMS WAY 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I SPEND AN GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT I FEEL IS SAFE AND RELIABLE, AND I FEEL NEITHER AT THIS POINT FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS BUT 4 YEARS OLD.

REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. (ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS). 2013 FORD TAURUS WAS PURCHASED IN MAY 2013. MAY 2015 ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM (CALIPERS, ROTORS, BRAKE PADS, ETC) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN MAY 2015. IN OCTOBER 2015, ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM AGAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. NOVEMBER 2015, THE ROTORS WERE CUT. JUNE 2016, ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. APRIL 20, 2017, CAR IS CURRENTLY AT A FORD SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. I ASKED FOR THE WARRANTY TO BE EXTENDED BUT WAS TOLD BY FORD'S CUSTOMER CARE TODAY THAT FORD "GRACIOUSLY" EXTENDED THE INITIAL WARRANTY TO 77,000 MILES AND CAN DO NOTHING FURTHER FOR ME WITH REGARD TO THIS MATTER.

REAR AXLE BRAKES FAILED AFTER 39000 MILES. NOISE AT LIGHT BRAKING IN FORWARD AND/OR REVERSE. PADS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY WORN. ROTORS VISIBLY MARKED AND ROUGH. AFTER TRIPT OF ~50 MILES DISTINCT BRAKE SMELL AND ROTORS ARE VERY HOT. NEED TO REPLACE (NO WARRANTY AT THIS MILEAGE) AS THIS WILL EVENTUALLY DEVELOP INTOA MAJOR BRAKE FAILURE WITH SAFETY IMPLICATIONS.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE ENGINE TEMP WARNING ACTIVATED. I CONTINUED ON TO WORK, WHICH WAS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY, AND PARKED. I NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW COOLANT POURING FROM SOMEPLACE UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SHOP, AND IT WAS INITIALLY DIAGNOSED AS A MISSING FREEZE PLUG. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED. NO LEAKS HAD BEEN NOTED DURING PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE AND ALL FLUIDS WERE TOPPED OFF. NO FREEZING TEMPERATURES HAD OCCURRED IN THE DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE IS BEING TOWED TO ANOTHER SHOP THAT DEALS WITH MAJOR REPAIRS. WARRANTY COMPANY WAS CONTACTED FOR GUIDANCE AND I WAS INFORMED BY THEM THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS IF THE CRACKS WERE CAUSED BY FREEZING OR OVERHEATING. INSPECTION BY WARRANTY COMPANY PENDING, BUT I HAVE THE FEELING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO WORM THEIR WAY OUT OF COVERING THIS, EVEN TOUGH IT'S THE TOP OF THE LINE WARRANTY AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE "BUMPER TO BUMPER" AND "WORRY-FREE" COVERAGE. I WAS LUCKY THIS HAPPENED TO WHILE I WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A FAMILIAR PLACE TO PARK (MY WORKPLACE). THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE EXITING TO A CITY STREET, LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY WORKPLACE. IT HAS NOW BEEN CLOSE TO TWO WEEKS THE THE CAR IS STILL DOWN AND IN NEED OF A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH THE CAR AT ALL, IT RAN PERFECTLY UP UNTIL THIS ISSUE. FAIR WARNING TO THOSE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE AND LOOKING TO BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST.