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.
2008 Ford Taurus transmission complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 44, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would independently downshift and shift roughly. Also, while attempting to reverse, there was an abnormal banging noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
In march 2016 my vehicle began having problems. When making a turn, right front wheel spontaneously grabs intermittently. This disables the vehicle for a period of time. This has almost caused an accident several times, as it happens as I'm heading out into traffic. I have taken the vehicle into the valley ford dealership here in kalispell, montana 3 times in an effort to resolve this issue. The first time I took it in right after it first started happening, they told me it was the brakes. So I paid $1070 to have the brakes and rotters replaced. However, this did not resolve the problem. I have since taken the vehicle back to them 2 more times and they have been unable to resolve the issue. I am very concerned that this is a very dangerous ongoing problem. I am seeking your help in resolution in this matter. This has occurred about a dozen times.
Transmission speed sensor issue: car would get stuck in high gear losing power at slow speeds. Attempts to put the car in reverse or park would cause a large clunk. Speedometer would also fluctuate uncontrollably during this time. Diagnostic codes showed failed output sensor and I had it replaced. Function of transmission after sensor replacement is still rough. The safety issue caused by this caused me to lose forward power several times while in traffic almost causing several accidents.
Car suddenly would not accelerate from a complete stop. When driving, RPM dial will rev up to 5 or higher and will not come back down and shift the gears unless the car is shifted into neutral allowing the RPM's to go back down. Once RPM's are back to 0 and car is put back into drive, it will drive normally. Once the car has like two or three episodes of revving, the powertrain icon then comes on the dash, and stays on, and then the car drives normally again. The car has never had any acceleration issues or transmission issues. I got the car from a dealer in 2012 and it had under 60k when I bought it.
Transmission slips into neutral while driving. Same transmission is used in chevrolet and saturn vehicles and has been recalled by gm.
My 2008 taurus sel felt like it was slipping between gears when pulling out of a parking lot. 100 yards later, on an uphill street, the car would barely move and roll backwards when I let off the brake. I was blocking traffic so I had to rev the engine at max RPM to barely make it out of traffic and onto the shoulder. When I started the engine, there was a loud clunk coming from the transmission. When I shifted into reverse, there was a loud clunk and a jolt like someone just rear-ended me. Same when shifting into n or l. The car needed to be towed. The obd code reader indicated a pending p720 failure, "output speed sensor circuit malfunction". I contacted ford customer service and they pretended to be unaware of this problem. The output speed sensor is located inside the transmission, not a user serviceable part. Even the most meticulous maintenance could not have avoided the sensor failure which clearly points to a design flaw in the sensor. My taurus is 7 years old with 93,000 miles. A request for financial aid was declined by ford customer service. Any car with a 6f50 transmission should be recalled as these time bombs are a highway safety hazards.
Purchased vehicle in feb 2010. Driven to take children to and from school and back home approx total mileage round trip daily is 6 miles at most. First instance happened when approaching a stop sign and slowing down by pressing the brake but the motor accelerated rpms instead as if I were pressing the gas. Lasted few seconds and began doing as it should. Next instant happened couple months later when pressing the brake to stop after returning home from taking children to school. Tried to stop in my driveway when I reached the house and the motor accelerated instead and had to turn the switch off to make it stop making the acceleration noise. This has happened several times with each time a little more intense. Most recently, while taking my son to a travelball tournament I slowed to stop at a stop sign and it briefly revved the motor. When I tried to start going again it took a second for the car to actually go, then began running normal. Few miles down the road traveling about 45 miles per hour all of a sudden lost all ability to control the vehicle when the motor began accelerating but car slowing down as if it had been knocked out of gear. The difference was it was still in gear and pressing the brake did nothing and steering became very difficult. Managed to get off the road and stopped then it just started driving normal again. Proceeded to drive to destination and slowed to turn right at intersection with oncoming traffic when car did the same thing again. That was a month ago and has not done it since.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle begun to make an abnormal noise when accelerating from a completed stop as numerous indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact noticed that the speedometer was no longer working. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there were 13 error codes, however; the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and the failure was not able to be duplicated at that time either. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. While driving at 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The rpms increased and the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.
This car has only about 16,000 on it. I was driving on the interstate when I started getting this hard jerk and then the car speed went down to about 30 MPH. After a few moments, the speed will pick back up for about a mile or 2. The hard jerk will come again and the transmission will not change out properly. This could have cause an accident on the interstate, so I got off the interstate and started traveling on the back roads to make it home. By the time I got home, I could have hardly make it. I had the car towed to a ford dealership and they informed me that the transmission was gone out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called the ford company, but said it was not a recall on the transmission. This is a very serious ordeal, someone could have gotten hurt from this situation. The hard jerk, the speed dropping while the transmission trying to change out. Please look into this matter. I am sure this has happen to others, but has not been reported.
Started driving and car would just jerk and then would go again and not go into gear.only could get speed up to 20 or 40mph. Took to dealership and they state I need a new transmission. Called for and they can do nothing about it and still owe on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximate 40 MPH, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle was taken the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the computer was providing incorrect codes to the transmission, resulting in a transmission failure. The technician also stated that the computer required a programming repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance when the contact was informed that the vehicle was leaking transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
At a complete stop, car lurched forward at full throttle. I have had the car in for this problem previously. The dealership said no codes were stored and they could not duplicate the concern. This is a real safety issue.
The automatic gear shifter has a rubber mat under the metal plate with the prndl gears listed. It is difficult to shift out of p and then you reach r and d the mat has bunched up so much that the metal plate telling you what gear you're in pops off. This is an extreme hazard, as I back into the road and then to put it in d, not knowing where d is because the plate pops off, I could be hit. I also have a 2005 ford five hundred experiencing the same problem. I called ford and they acted as if there were no previous issues. This is certainly not true. This will cause an accident or fatality.
When ambient temp is below 20 degrees, harsh 2-1 downshift with impact after stopping and restarting. The transmission doesn't seem to be in any gear until movement starts thenna high impact bang occurs just as the car begins to move. After about 1 mile, the problem goes away until next cold start up. Ford dealer stated they replaced valve body because of sticky valves. Problem still there. Returned to dealer and they contacted ford. Ford service tech(ford service request #106142903) says problem is normal. This problem never occurred the last 2 winters I have had the car and ford loaner car I had while they worked on my car did not have this harsh downshift. This transmission is a joint development with gm and I know a buick owner with similar complaint and buick could not repair the problem-he traded cars. Warranty will end for my car this coming july and I think I will have a huge repair to be made on this transmission next winter as the problem has gotten steadily worst since last fall (2012 winter season) but only when temp is 20 degrees or colder. Please inform ford of this complaint. I would like a repair or extend my warranty to feb 1, 2014 to cover my complaint-thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle began jerking violently. The engine rpms also increased excessively. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where the vehicle was inspected and the contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the vehicle and offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 91,000.
We purchased a 2008 ford taurus limited awd new four years ago. We have had four (4) seperate times when the transaxle will not work properly. Car will be in drive, but vehicle will barely move. Vehicle will be towed to the dealership who is unable to replicate the problem, so we are sent home without any "fix." latest event occurred on 12/17/2012. Dealer's response: "customer states vehicle starts, but when put into gear it does not move. Throttle will not do anything could not duplicate concern. Road tested multiple times, checked transmission fluid level could not verified [sic] concern." this website, as well as many others on-line, seems to verify that there is a problem with ford's transaxle. We wonder why no recall has been issued for this obvious problem. Situation could be quite dangerous. Dealership claims that there is no "computer code," and therefore cannot offer any solution to the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the air conditioning condenser. The air conditioning condenser was replaced however, the failure was not corrected. The vehicle continued to jerk when accelerating. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 13,000 and the current mileage was 106,556.
At highway speed, vehicle suddenly, without any warning lights, stops running, resulting in loss of all power assist to maneuver vehicle to safety. Unable to restart vehicle. Towed to repair shop. Problem determined to be failure of "coil on plug" ignition coils, which shorted out PCM/processor assembly (main computer). Additionally, this mis-firing resulted in partial low effiency in catalytic converter, which will eventually impair vehicle's ability to meet emission standards. Total repair costs: ignition coils (6), spark plugs (6), and PCM replacement - $2,314.14, catalytic converter replacement - $1,589.95, for a total of $3,904.09 ford motor company has been aware of this problem since at least 2010, and has issued two technical service bulletins regarding this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that when attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would jerk abnormally and every warning light on the instrument panel illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled over and tried to restart the vehicle. The contact had to depress the accelerator pedal in order for the vehicle to start but the vehicle would not move forward when shifted into drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the vehicle seemed to function normally. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 80,000.
At a complete stop, and waiting to turn, engine revved up and lurched forward for no apparent reason. (unintended acceleration). Foot was on brake at the time. This occurred twice within an hour on the same day.
Update on transmission fluid loss of 10/27/11. Transmission oil loss unbeknown to me untill the transmission started to fail it's normal function. The cause was a leak in the trans cooler combo unit. The fluid accumulated at the base of the radiator. While it was on the lift I requested a check of the surpintine belt because it was squeeling. They made the dicovery that the belt was covered with transmission fluid. All this time, while driving, the trans. Oil was being sprayed over the belt causing it to slip over the pulleys of the power steering, AC unit pump and other equipment being driven by this belt.things could have turned out very badly for me and my passengers, because of an oil soaked surpintine belt, not to mention the fire hazard. My cost was $750.00. How do I go about recovering that cost. 78 years old. Let other people know of a possible problem with trans. Fluid leakage. And yet I love my taurus.
On inspection: found leakingtransmission fluid fromcooler combo accumulating at base of radiator cover. Lost closae to three quarts of fluid before I got any warning ofthe loss by irregular shifting. No dashboard indicator that fluid was low. A fire hazard.was there any damage to the transmission?. The dealer cost for repair and replacement $700.00. Since when does one have to remove most of the front of the car to get to the radiator section.?
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.
On two separate occasions, my 2008 ford taurus sel automatic transmission dropped out of gear while I was accelerating slowly away from a stop and then slammed into gear. The first time it occurred I was leaving my driveway. It dropped out of gear at about 5 MPH and made a growling noise. I stopped the car, thinking somehow the shift lever wasn't in the right position, I put it in gear and the transmission slammed into first. I had my foot on the brake, so I just shifted it into neutral and turned the engine off. When I started it again everything worked fine. About a year and a half later I had a similar incident. I was leaving a parking lot and I had reached a speed of 5-15 MPH when there was no longer any gear, then it slammed into gear for a moment, went a few feet, then dropped out again, then slammed into gear again. I was able to coast to the curb in a residential area and turn the engine off. Fortunately no traffic was coming. I started the engine again and had no further trouble, but this time I took it into the ford dealer where I had bought it new. They checked it out keeping it two days but said they could find nothing wrong with either the transmission or the software controlling it. I was told that there was no memory access to the transmission so that they couldn't find out or verify that there was a problem. I was checking out recalls and service bulletins on it today and I found that other owners reported similar problems. If I had been pulling out into traffic and my transmission failed the way it did, there could easily have been an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated the vehicle was not moving when it accelerated and shifted into gear with excessive force. The failure also occurred whenever the contact shift from first to second gear. The failure began to occur without warning immediately after the vehicle was purchased. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer several times and stated there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 34,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus x. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an unusual increase in the engine rpms, the vehicle shifted into second gear and accelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the engine needed to be recalibrated. The failure did not persist. The contact was making a right turn at a relatively low speeds and heard an abnormal clicking in the steering wheel. The dealer stated that the left front cv axle assembly was defective. The axle was replaced; however; the clicking noise continued when the contact made a left turn. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure became progressively worse over time when the contact made a left or right turn. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the failure could potentially be caused by the power steering. The dealer lubricated the front brakes and stated that the vehicle was repaired. The failure continued to occur and was diagnosed a third time by the dealer. The dealer was able to observe the failure and stated that the power steering pump may have caused the failure to occur. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 35,162 and the current mileage was 35,788.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact was driving approximately 55 MPH on the highway. The vehicle began to jerk. There was no warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The failure occurred intermittently. Additionally, the vehicle stalled on different occasions. The failure mileage was 27,000. The current mileage was 28,000.
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