The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when taking the vehicle out of the park(P) after starting the vehicle, which required the brake pedal to be depressed, the contact could not depress the shifter button out of the park. The contact stated that the shift button would not depress. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and turned the vehicle back on but had to pump the brake pedal to shift the vehicle out of the park. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and determined that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
2003 Ford Taurus transmission problems
316 complaints (26% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 87,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 316
- of this car's complaints
- 26%
- typical mileage
- 87,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission136
- Automatic transmission: torque converter12
- Manual transmission1
- Axle assembly1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Taurus transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Ford Taurus transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Transmission failure 93Jerking 18Slipping 15Won't shift 14Hesitation 8
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2003 Ford Taurus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while slowing down would not accelerate when pressing the accelerator pedal and while switching gears the vehicle would lunge forward. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer forsom lake ford(12755 folsom blvd, forsom lake ca.) was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 175,000.
I was driving on the freeway at posted speeds when my car began to slow with the accelerator still pressed, almost getting rear ended I was able to get to the shoulder of the freeway. I realized the car was running but would not go forward or reverse. I had to call a tow truck. I waited three hours for the tow truck to show up and then had it towed 80 miles to my house. I did some research and found that the torque converter splines would fail with no warning. I also did some test to confirm it was the torque converter. There are so many complaints with the same issue and ford motor company has done nothing to recall and fix the problem. Does it take someone getting killed first? Ford needs to step up and recall to fix this problem before people are killed.
Had to replace my torque converter for $1,300 which is ridiculous considering there is only 87,000 miles. There has been thousands of complaints. Ford needs to fix this! Wouldn't leave park, had it towed out of my driveway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the vehicle out of park, the gear shifter failed to shift. On several occasions, the brake lights remained illuminated even after the vehicle was turned off causing the battery to discharge. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, but the contact spoke to an independent mechanic who advised that there was a recall on the likely issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Throttle stuck while driving up a hill going into a turn nearly causing an accident. I released the throttle and the engine continued to rev, forcing the use of brakes to gain control. Placed transmission in neutral and engine revved before turning ignition switch to off position. Inspection revealed that the cruise control cable retaining clip broke and prevented the throttle from returning to neutral position.
While getting off the freeway on the drive home from work (at 6:40pm on dec 1st, 2016) the transmission no longer engaged. I had to coast over to a field and park while avoiding on-going traffic. I lost all engagement with the gears (rd21), and it is like being in perpetual neutral. The splines of the torque converter are stripped. Ford made them too small, so they strip. The car has 126,000 miles on it, and is only used to go to and from work. Thousands upon thousands of people have had this exact problem, yet ford has done nothing to correct the situation.
The car was driving down the street and stopped. When I pressed to accel the transmission did'nt pull over 15 feet and stopped pulling. It was the torque converter that had gon out. And then I get a letter in the mail about other recalls but not on the transmissions. I worked for ford for 27 years as an engineer and built transmissions under recalls. I have no idea about these paople! But the 2004 has that recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of the park position. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that an independent mechanic diagnosed that the failure was a result of a stop lamp failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 283,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. After the vehicle was started, the gear failed to switch into the drive position without warning. In addition, the brake lamps failed to illuminate. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Questions about the 2003 Ford Taurus transmission
Does the 2003 Ford Taurus have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 316 complaints about the transmission of the 2003 Ford Taurus, 26% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Taurus transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 87,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Taurus transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Taurus have bad transmission?
The Ford Taurus model years with the most transmission complaints are 1995 (393 complaints), 2003 (316 complaints) and 1994 (265 complaints).
Other 2003 Ford Taurus problems
Suspension 313Visibility 196Body 111Electrical 97Engine 90Acceleration 88Airbags 46Lights 46Brakes 44Fuel system 24Tires 18Steering 12Wheels 8Locks 5Seats 3Driver assistance 2Seat belts 2
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