Ford Taurus Sho knocking problems

Filed Oct 26, 2010 · Engine, Tires · 107,000 miles · IL

96 taurus sho v8 3.4l camshaft failure. I have kept my car in perfect shape with tune up and all. It is in mint condition and has no rust. I have nice exhaust system put on by a mechanic and also a cold air intake put on and a new trans in july now with only 3000 miles on it.. I heard ticking from under the hood out of no where. I don't beat on my car and have read that it doesn't matter either way if you beat on it or not the cam failure can still happen. So I heard the ticking so I drove it home from work to park it because I figured it was the cams. So I was going to get it welded the next day and 5 min from my house the car shut off and so I pulled the valve covers and sure enough it was the back cam near the fire wall that had slipped. I don't think its right that anyone should have to deal with this especially when the car is well maintained and in such great condition. Also don't think its right that us consumers should have to pay for this because ford didn't want to do anything about it to fix the problem now im out of a car. I want action done about this.

Filed May 17, 2008 · Engine · 80,127 miles · OH

I have a1996 ford taurus sho v-8,it just turned 80,000 miles and has had all regular service and now the camshaft gear has failed on the camshaft and damaged the engine!I work at a ford dealer and see this engine failure often. It seems that this is common on the v-8 sho engine around 75,000-85,000 miles and sometimes there is a ticking noise that is considered a warning sign too get repairs but there was not any warning from my engine. I have done all kinds of research and found that there are lawsuits and numerous complaints and blogs devoted to this exact issue but I don,t have any information available for assistance on these very expensive repairs that are definitely due to a design flaw and I have 18 ford technicians that are factory trained too back this up!I did not buy this vehicle new so I can,t say it was never abused but after partially disassembling the engine so far it is clear that it was very well maintained and cared for (it looks brand new inside)there is zero sludge and cams and followers are spotless. I will need to pull the rear head and send to machine shop for exhaust valve replacement and depending on how much damage maybe guides as well. I am very curious as too how many of these engine failures are always only the rear head exhaust camshaft because so far all I have seen is the rear exhaust camshaft gear failure and that is a f- in my grade book!

Filed Sep 20, 2006 · Engine · 124,851 miles · OH

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 MPH on dry road conditions, all dashboard lights illuminated and went out immediately. There was also smoke coming from the radiator. Under the hood, coolant was observed leaking and the timing chain bracket was fractured. The vehicle would start when attempts where made, but there was a ticking noise. The dealer was contacted and recommended that the manufacturer should be notified. The manufacturer offered no resolutions. Updated 10/6/2006 -

Filed Sep 5, 2005 · Engine · OH

There was a chain like ticking noise coming from the engine, I as a technician observed it to be a camshaft getting ready to fail, when it failed my pregnant wife was driving luckily on a side road where the vehicle had lost all power and making it nearly impossible to steer, now the 1997 sho just sits b/c I can not afford the expensive repairs! Especially with a baby on the way.

Filed Jun 6, 2005 · Engine · 86,000 miles · MI

I own a 1997 ford taurus sho. The first sign of problem began when I kept hearing a tickng sound in the engine. I took it in to a ford dealer and it was diagnosed with a mis- firing cylinder. I could not afford to have the dealer fix it so I found a mechanic willing to work on this type of car. I had the two mis-firing cylinders replaced. The ticking in the engine still went on. Before anything could be done the car acted like the engine had blown. Finding a mechanic that has actually worked on these types of cars is hard to find, inlcuding a ford dealer mechanic. I had a ford mechanic that now works out of his own garage look at the vehicle. The diagnosis was a broken camshaft 4 bad valves and bent pistons. This car only has 86,000 miles on it. The mechanic feels that this is a design flaw in the engine. I have also done research into a class action lawsuit against ford regarding this problem. To date there are 550 vehicles that have had the same problem. This is more than just a freak incident with just my car.

Filed Mar 28, 2005 · Engine · 89,515 miles · MA

While driving the engine produces a ticking noise. Dealer states the cam shaft position sensor has malfunctioned. Consumer is concerned that the vehicle will shut down while in motion.

Filed Jan 14, 2005 · Engine · 94,440 miles · TX

On december 21, 2004 my 1997 ford taurus sho began making a ticking noise. Two days (and about 20 miles) later, the left exhaust camshaft sprocket failed, causing the car to stall and not restart. As a result of the sprocket slipping, the no. 5 cylinder's piston was cracked due to coming in contact with an open valve (this is an interference engine). 15,000 miles ago, the left intake camshaft sprocket failed, resulting in a $2900.00 repair bill from a ford dealership. Unable to afford the cost of such a repair at this time (not to mention unwilling to deal with the same ford customer service that wanted me to believe that this hardly ever happens and that I must have done something to cause it the first time), I opted to attempt the procedure myself. After finding and removing the faulty camshaft, I thought my problems were solved until I changed the spark plugs. The no. 5 cylinder plug was covered in oil, which means there is a bad piston/ring, and most likely valves. I am considering my options to repair or part the car out now. I believe this needs to be addressed immediately by ford due to the safety issues that will arise when this happens to someone on a freeway. The loss of power brakes and steering that are associated with a stalled engine could make it difficult to maneuver through traffic to a "safe" spot on the shoulder. There is quite a bit of information on this issue at www.v8sho.com (it's interesting to see so many registered failures without the acknowledgement of a problem by ford).

Filed Oct 15, 2004 · Engine · 67,000 miles · MI

Driving down the road and heard a ticking noise, then a backfire and the car died. The dealership is telling me that I need a new head and that it would be cheaper to put in a used engine. They say that the rear head, all the valves are stuck open, but they didn't go any futher to tell me why.

Filed Feb 26, 2004 · Engine · FL

I recently purchased a 1997 ford taurus sho used.after I purchased the vehicle I did some research and found some disturbing news the cam sprockets are will more than likley fail and just to metion ford new this and screwd people. *ak anyways the other day about 2 days after I bought the car I heard a ticking noise that youaslly and more than likly meens your cam has already failed it just hasnt slipped yet when it slips you have anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 in engine repair's now mine hasnt slipped and hopefuly it whant but it has the ticking noise like your driving a ticking time bomb and you dont know when it is going to go off.the problem I have with this is I love my car and I love my life and the reason I say that is when the motor goes you lose all your power like your brakes,power sterring now if you have any concern for human life you would ask for a recall on this automobile and save people the greif that ford is putting us through again my motor is still functional thank god but it is a ticking time bomb hopefuly we will get justice and ford will have to recall all ford taurus sho's and hopefuly it will cost them some money and trouble since thats what there putting us through not to metion the trans problems that they also knew about but I want go into that other than they surge clutch goes bad 1st-2nd gear are harsh when shifting alot of other things I appreciate your time and concern sincerly dayne a. Gomez

Filed May 2, 2003 · Engine · 69,000 miles · MI

A ticking noise could be heard from the engine compartment especially when the car was in idle. I talked to a ford dealer and was told that the camshaft problem was affecting my car. I was quoted around $6000.00 for the repairs. I did som research and found that the secondary drive gears for the camshafts were the source of the noise.