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1996 Ford Taurus engine complaints

Page 5 of 8: complaints 101 to 130 of 216, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 1996 Ford Taurus engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Nov 28, 2000 · Engine · CT

My service station is advising me not to drive car because of clogged radiator. New thermostat did not help.

Filed Nov 13, 2000 · Engine · MN

Vehicle would overheat while traveling. Notice coolant coming from left side of vehicle engine. Notified dealer / manufacturer, and both informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under recall or extended warranty. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.

Filed Nov 6, 2000 · Engine · GA

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Filed Nov 2, 2000 · Engine · MD

Vehicle will stall while driving in traffic, causing a safety hazard. Vehicle will restart after cooling down.

Filed Oct 31, 2000 · Engine · IN

We contacted mr. Samson (id #3104) and told him that our vehicle was preforming the same promblems as the 3.6l 95 taurus. We also told him we had the car diagnosed about 4 months before the engine block cracked at a ford dealer and they told use that we needed to replace the ignition coil. We replaced the ignition coil but that did not fix the problem. He told us about a radiator flush recall that would have saved our engine but the ford dealer knew nothing of this recall. We asked if ford could do anything even pay half he (mr. Samson) said ford would not do anything. We then asled who was above him so we could talk to them he advised us that there was no one above him.

Filed Oct 30, 2000 · Electrical, Engine · MD

While driving about 55 MPH engine without prior warning stalled/ just stopped working.consumer steered off the road, and dealer did not know what could have cause the problem.*ak the day before this failure, the heating system stopped working. The following day, the vehicle stall. The dealer says the coolant system was the cause, and that the engine need to be replaced.

Filed Oct 24, 2000 · Engine · TN

My car was running hot. The service engine soon light was on. I took my car in to be service. When they diagnoised the car , I was told it was freeze plugs and that the charge was 1,575.00. I told them to fix my car. When I picked up my car it was shaking. I told them that the car was shaking. They told me to drive the car. It took my husband 2 months to get the money in order to get the car. Iwas told twice to drive the car. When I finally brought the back in the next day because the service soon light was back on, I was told the I had a blown head gasket, and they wanted another 495.00 from my husband and me to fix my car.

Filed Oct 23, 2000 · Engine · GA

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Filed Oct 15, 2000 · Body, Engine · IN

I liked the car when I bought it , but am wondering if I bought a lemon

Filed Oct 14, 2000 · Engine · 80,180 miles · LA

Head gasket was never any good. I have spent approximately $2500.00 on repair cost and survived two winters without heat in the vehicle. Ford company knew about the problem with the vehicle and did nothing. *nlm *scc **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*734332

Filed Oct 14, 2000 · Engine · LA

Head gasket was never any good. I have spent approxiamately $2500.00 on repair costs and survived two winters without heat in the vehicle. Ford company knew about the problem with the vehicle and did nothing.

Filed Oct 12, 2000 · Engine · MD · crash · 1 injury

In may of 2000 iwas driving my vehicle on md 695 when engine light came on I then lost power my car shut off and I was forced to pull over my car was stalled out I then had it towed to towson ford in towson md they told me it was my cooling system after telling a few friends of my ordeal one told me of a recall for the cooling system on the 96 taurus I then contacted the ford motor co in mich. Where I was treated very rudly over the phone I called several times to speak to a supervisor iwas told several diffrent times that one would contact me it wasnt until I refused to hang up the phone until I spoke to a supervisor that I talked to someone after all the trouble I went through they told me ford was not going to honor my request for financial help with my repairs after having repairs done myself my car continued to have problems it started to leak cooling fluid and overheat I imediatly had it taken back to towson ford they then told me I needed new head cylinders which my extended warranty would not cover after having these things done my car still loses power my engine light stays on and sometimes does not crank over I took it back to towson ford they put it on the anylizing machine they found other problems but could not tell me why engine light stays on why it wont crankover or why im losing power when im driving please help me find a solution I

Filed Oct 4, 2000 · Engine · TX

Had driven through a puddle of water & the water got inside the front of vehicle. Belts inside got wet. This caused the engine to stall. Had made squealing noises when it was stalling. After a few seconds squealing sound stopped. Vehicle then returned to normal. Did not have to restart vehicle. Taking vehicle to dealer to check.

Filed Sep 21, 2000 · Brakes, Engine · AL

I have had problems especially with my heads and transmission since I've gotten the car!

Filed Sep 20, 2000 · Engine · MD

No summary listed for abov evehicle.

Filed Sep 12, 2000 · Engine · FL

Coolant system corroded out freeze plugs. Coolant ran out and engine stalled with no warning. Engine is having to be replaced, but ford says this was not the cause. Reviewing the board here I see more than just me with the same problem. Just as with the firestone issue and ford its always the other guys fault, not them. For once I would like see ford take thier share of blame. Ford reps will not even respond to complaint.

Filed Sep 1, 2000 · Brakes, Engine · VA · crash

While driving on highway in rain storm, instantly when consumer took foot off gas pedal and put it on brake pedal, engine failed which caused a loss of brakes, resulting in rearend accident.

Filed Sep 1, 2000 · Engine · OH

The heating and cooling problems we have had with this vehicle have progressed from being inconvenient to a permanent problem. Finally, at the beginning of april 2000 I thought that possibly if I had the radiator flushed that it would take care of the heating and A/C problems. The 19th of april 2000 I took it to the dealer for a oil change and to have them check the cooling system. In there notes under "correction" it said "check over cooling system;belts;hoses;coolant;ect... Then in the "comment" area it said *ck -30 or better unless advised* it was picked up and I felt compelled to check to see if they had topped off the fluids. (being a widow and a single mother I don't know who to trust any more so I do more checking then maybe others) the coolant resvoir was near empty. I called the dealership about it and they told me to bring it back out. We complied and every thing was fine for approximately a week or so. On the 29th of april we drove it approximately 40 miles roundtrip and on the way home it started to overheat. By the time we got home all the coolant was out of it. I called the dealership and took it back in may 2nd. This was under the section "correction comment": contacted ford regarding concern; advised customer engine would have to be replaced; dealer and co. To assist; cust. Portion $700. Well I guess they thought I should have been relieved that I did not have to stand the whole cost, but I found out the root of the problem. The service manager at the dealership told me that the car came from the factory with the wrong coolant in it. The coolant was too acidic and had overtime corroded the intake valves,etc.,resulting in the necessity to replace the engine. Now mind you ford had installed a by-pass kit and chemical flush cooling system per program 07/29/99. And yet when I talked to a whistle blower wannabe, he told me they were first notified of the problem in july of 1998. Two other tauruses at this dealership had the same problem.

Filed Aug 31, 2000 · Engine · GA

Some questions, I was not sure about such as the drivetrain, etc. In most cases I said I did not notify the manufacturer, but, did notify the dealer. Most of the complaints regard manuf. Defects & may not be safety-related except for the 1 about the park pawl recall #96s51; in this case, I had done search of recalls on my car make & model thru certain internet web pages & found there were 5-6 recalls on my vehicle. I called ford cust. Svc. & gave my VIN # to find out which ones applied to my car. I found 2 of them applied to my VIN #. I suspect that ford is not notifying me of these recalls. One recall--not safety related, #98b23, I found out about from a svc. Mgr. @ a dealership. When I called ford cst. Svc. & told them I hadn't been notified, rep said they had sent the letter 2 weeks prior. When I asked for a copy of the recall ltr, I got a big run-around about how fmc could not send me a dupe letter since there was still 1 floating around in the u.s.p.s.(even though the ltr was specific to my VIN #). I finally raised enough "cain" to get them to send me the ltr, but, it was 2 late, my car was already effected by the "heating & cooling" recall. The next recall, #96s51, which is safety-related;I was not notified of; ford cst. Svc. Said this recall svc. Had been performed at boomershine ford in duluth, ga on 3/15/97. When I told them this was not possible since I was not notified of the recall, cs said possibly I had taken the car in for another svc. & it was discovered by the service tech that there was an "open recall" & they performed the svc. @ that time. I do not have record of this nor does the dealer. In order for me to find out if the svc was performed, it would be @ my expense. Ford cs told me to have the dealer to contact the regional rep for them and have the work authorized, however, neither of them are willing to give me the name of the reg. Rep. I contacted both ford cs and the svc. Mgr. @ the dealer. Each leaves it up to the other to

Filed Aug 30, 2000 · Engine, Transmission · MN

Car stalls at stop lights or when slowing down to make a turn on hot summer days. Transmission slips in fourth gear.

Filed Aug 30, 2000 · Engine · IL

The ford taurus is 1996 and 1997 was used as a guinea pig for an expirimental coolant that rusted out the freeze plugs, water pump, thermostat and more. Mine was found to have this coolant. I have already lost one freeze plug and could loose others. Ford motor company wants me to pay for half of fixing their error. They now want to pay nothing because I did not meet their deadline. My car could be potentially dangerous, leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere. Please help

Filed Aug 29, 2000 · Engine · TN

Engine head gasket failure

Filed Aug 29, 2000 · Engine · MS

The tempature gauge has been rising high the last two months, and the sevice engine soon light comes on for a few days, goes off ror a short time only to come back on.the only other time the gauge went this high and higher is when the water resavior cracked and busted. Our car was still under warranty at the time, but ford claimed this part was not covered.ford company also had a recall august 1997 to install a bypass cooling kit. Which we did have installed, two months after my water system had been flushed because of googed and corroded coolant. They did not tell us at that time, that because the system was so bad that we would always have problems with this vehical. Every year we are having problems with the cooling sysyem that seem to add up more and more in price. And we do keep up with the general maintainance on our vehical

Filed Aug 28, 2000 · Electrical, Engine · TX

When driving consumer noticed vehicle overheated due to a leak within the engine compartment. Also, a problem with battery draining out, and headlights come off and on. Consumer have contacted the dealer. *ak the thermostat failed.

Filed Aug 22, 2000 · Electrical, Engine · IL · fire

While traveling at 65mph, vehicle started to lose power, engine check light came on, then engine quit. Consumer had to get to shoulder by using hazard lights. While consumer was on shoulder engine caught fire. Consumer says temparature gauge went to 3 quarters intermittently.

Filed Jul 31, 2000 · Engine, Fuel system · CA · crash · fire

While driving was hit in front. First, vehicle spun; then, caught on fire without a prior warning.

Filed Jul 25, 2000 · Engine · IL

Vehicle was manufactured with copper colored antifreeze, due to this the coolant rusted out the freeze plugs, water pump, and thermostat.

Filed Jul 24, 2000 · Engine · NC

Continuous problems with the engine overheating over the past 6 months.

Filed Jul 11, 2000 · Engine, Fuel system · KS

On automatic transmission we were driving and engine check light came on and wouldn't go faster than 45, cam sensor, camshaft, died rough idle, egr sensor bad, service engine soon light, dies at stops and slow downs, fuel pump doesnt hold pressure, long crank time no turn over till about a minute service engine soon light came on.

Filed Jun 2, 2000 · Engine · PA

The vehicle had a continuing problem with overheating. I replaced the thermostat, radiator and the cooling system pressure cap to no avail. I then replaced the water pump. When I removed the original water pump I noticed that the impellor blades were badly deteriorated from corrosion. The blades were completely corroded away and unable to move water; this resulted in the engine continuing to overheat. I believe that the blades were unable to stand up to the coolant solution

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