2008 Ford Taurus: check engine light

Filed Nov 16, 2023 · Transmission · 85,367 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact shifted into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated while reversing, she heard an abnormal sound. The check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the power train not being connected to the solenoids. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,367.

Filed Sep 2, 2022 · Engine · 170,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled however, she was able to pull over and stop the vehicle. The contact stated that she noticed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the engine temperature gauge was indicating that the engine was overheating. The contact observed that white smoke was coming out from under the hood. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to her residence. An independent mechanic went to the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The independent mechanic determined that the head gasket had blown and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Filed Oct 16, 2020 · Acceleration, Transmission · 157,087 miles · TX

This has happened about 3 times in the last 2 yrs but while sitting at a light my car suddenly went forward. It didn't go.to far. Maybe a ft or 2 but was enough to scare me. My foot was on the brake. It will also get stuck in gears and lose power on the road. No check engine light is on as of now. One light did come on today while sitting at a light and without notice my car would not go. It was the power throttle/transmission light. I turned the car off and then back on and it drove fine all the way home. It did jerk once. The gear shifting and loss of power happens when I am driving on the highway.

Filed Sep 18, 2019 · Fuel system · 161,356 miles · CT

On 5/20/19 I filled up my fuel tank and when I returned home I smelled gasoline. I looked under the vehicle and noticed that fuel was leaking from the top of the fuel tank on to the ground. I immediately put down absorbent, parked the vehicle on a flat surface of my driveway and placed a large catch pan under the vehicle where the fuel was leaking. The vehicle had passed emissions about 2 or 3 months prior that includes a test on the fuel system. The amount that leaked out was approximately one half of a liter in total then stopped. No check engine light has ever come on and the fuel leak only happens when I fill the tank until the gas pump stops, I haven't filled the tank full again until yesterday 9/17/19 when I filled the tank full. After the first leak was noticed I brought the vehicle to a mechanic that put the car on a lift and dropped the fuel tank pressurized it and could not find out where the fuel was leaking from. He installed a new sending unit and fuel pump gaskets and reinstalled the fuel tank, filled the tank full and no leak was noticed. To be safe and ease my mind I didn't fill the tank full until yesterday 9/17/19 when I noted the leak again. The mechanic said he didn't notice any premature wear on the fuel tank or any of the components when I brought it to him. I spoke to another mechanic today and he said it could possibly be a faulty emissions valve that is located on top of the tank. I have an appointment on 9/20/19 to have the vehicle checked out again. I am checking here to see if others have had the same issue and if a recall was ever available and if not too add this to complaints.

Filed Jan 24, 2018 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · 94,000 miles · AL

On 1/23/2018, my 2008 ford taurus experienced, for the first (and so far, only) time, the same powertrain symptoms described at ford tsb numbers 07-21-11 and 08-26-13 (found at http://www.revbase.com/bbbmotor/tsb/downloadpdf?id=139970 and http://www.revbase.com/bbbmotor/tsb/downloadpdf?id=147402, respectively). Specifically, while idling at a stop light in preparation for a turn, my vehicle shifted out of gear with no input from me. I noticed this when, as I attempted to slowly accelerate into the merge lane, the vehicle did not move. There was no sound or other sign that the vehicle had shifted out of gear spontaneously. I shifted the vehicle into reverse, and the vehicle rolled back as it should. When I shifted back into drive, there was a small clunk. The vehicle did not respond to the accelerator, up to around 1,500 rpms. I put the car in park, and heard/felt a larger clunk, and noticed that the yellow wrench icon on the dash illuminated. I turned off the engine, waited 30 seconds, and restarted the engine. The vehicle then operated normally from that point forward with no signs of transmission or shifting issues. The yellow wrench light did not reappear, and no check engine light has illuminated since that time. I have driven approximately 100 miles and 6 drive cycles since that time with no symptoms. My research into this issue identified the above tsbs and I contacted ford directly about the issue. They told me that, while those tsbs do apply to the same model and year of vehicle, my VIN was not included on the list. They said I needed to have my vehicle inspected by the federal safety agency so that it can be added to this list.

Filed Oct 4, 2017 · Acceleration, Engine · 237,000 miles · IN

The ford taurus sel has 237,836 miles on it. Two times while driving the vehicle on the interstate highway then on a county road the dash showed all zeros and the car lost power. The check engine light came on. The car exhibited slow acceleration and unusual shifting. I took it and had the obd code read. The code indicated that it was a speed sensor in the transmission (p720). The code was reset and the car is currently being driven. It happened twice within a two-week period. I own two 2008 ford taurus and it happened on the same day to both of them. I will be filing incident information on the other vehicle too.

Filed Apr 6, 2017 · Electrical, Engine · 85,197 miles · NE · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. While driving 75 MPH, the vehicle jerked without warning. The contact drove and stopped at the interstate where she noticed a strong burning odor coming from the vehicle, which caused breathing issues. The contact had to open the windows while driving. The contact also stated that the engine light failed to turn on. Once the contact shut off and restarted the vehicle, the engine light turned on. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coil plugs, PCM, and computer burned out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 85,197.

Filed Oct 6, 2016 · Transmission · 117,426 miles · NC

The wrench symbol and the check engine light came on after being parked overnight. The shift in the transmission is rough and jerky in motion. It did this when I first purchased and we had the code cleared and had a recall on the emission or PCM fixed by ford. Now the lights are back on and the shifting is as I said earlier rough and jerky.

Filed Oct 28, 2015 · 80,000 miles · IN

My car will jerk and hesitate when I am trying to excelerate slowly, also it will do it while I am doing 50-60 and trying to speed up to pass someone.. I have tried fuel injection cleaner all my fluids have been checked, tune was done, no check engine light and mechanic can not figure out why it is doing it..it mirrors another complaint exacly..also every once in a while the inginiton will sick.. This happens all the time.. Since about february of this year

Filed Oct 10, 2012 · Fuel system · 61,792 miles · NY

On 8/28/12 the check engine light went on while I was driving on the long island expressway. On 8/29/12 I brought the car into syosset ford of huntington ("syosset")for diagnosis and repair of the malfunction causing the check engine light to go on. Syosset diagnosed the problem as a malfunctioning fuel sender attached above the taurus' fuel tank. Syosset effect a repair by replacing the fuel sender and charged me $411.38(before sales tax). On 9/4/12 I smelled gasoline fumes in the driver/passenger compartment, brought the car back to syosset who effected a repair of the leaking fuel sender. On 9/27/12, the check engine light went on again, I brought the car back again to syosset on 9/28/12. Syosset diagnosed the check engine light as caused by the malfunctioning fuel sender and possibly other components. They could not effect a repair on 9/28/12 because they id not have parts or personnel to effect the repair and scheduled me to bring the car back on 10/10/12, while assuring me it was safe to drive. On 10/10/12 I brought the car back to syosset, the check engine light was out and there was nothing they could do. I believe the fuel sender is a defective component that poses a serious danger to the public. Ford had to recall its 2012 escapes for fuel line defects, I believe this defective fuel sender is as dangerous as the escape's defective fuel lines.

Filed Oct 11, 2011 · Acceleration, Electrical · 83,000 miles · IL

It began with only the wrench light going on and the RPM would go up and the car would lurch forward. I would reset it with a code checker and I would not have the problem. The problem and the light would eventually return. It was recommended to change the air filter, the air filter was changed and the problem went away for approximately 3 weeks. Now not only my wrench light but my engine light also goes on and it returns every day after resetting it. After I looked up the problem on the internet I found that the problems seems to appear in other ford models. I am very surprised that this is not a recall. This is a safety hazard and eventually someone will get hurt or killed before anything is done about this issue.