1997 Ford Taurus Sho

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. *TT

1997 FORD SHO TAURAS. THIS CAR QUIT ON MY WIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE,NO POWER NO WHERE.THERE WAS CARS SLIDING,HONKING HORN ETC.TO KEEP FROM HITTING OR CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO HER.I WASN,T CONCERN ABOUT THE CAR,BUT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT.THIS ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COSTLY.SOMEONE NEEDS TO STEP IN AND TAKE THESE CARS OFF THE HIGHWAY,BEFORE ITS TO LATE.MY CAR IS SITTING IN THE GARAGE DRIPPING OIL EVERY WHERE.COST TO MUCH TO FIX TO MUCH TO SELL.JUST HAVE LITTLE OVER 70000 MILES.IF ANYONE NEEDS A CAR TO LOOK AT I,VE GOT ONE.

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1997 FORD TAURUS V8 SHO IN 2000. WE HAD MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER, 2002. (THE TOTAL MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES). IN LATE DECEMBER, 2002, THE CAR STARTED TICKING VERY LOUDLY SO WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ON JANUARY 3, 2003, WHO WASN'T SURE WHY THE CAR WAS TICKING BUT HE PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE AND FLUSHED THE ENGINE. ON SUNDAY EVENING, JANUARY 5, 2003, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. IT LOCKED UP AS IF IT WERE OUT OF GAS AND I HAD TO MANUALLY STEER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONCE THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO A CAM SPROCKET FAILURE. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE MANY OF THESE FAILURES ON 1996-1999 FORD TAURUS SHO'S. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINES BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT IN A ROAD ACCIDENT.

I HAVE A 1997 FORD TAURUS SHO, I STARTED HEARING A TAPING IN MY ENGINE, I ASKED A MACHANIC FRIEND ABOUT IT, HE TOLD ME THAT HE READ ABOUT THE CAM SHAFT IN THE SHO'S FROM 1996 - 1999 GOING BAD, I TOOK MY SHO TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY DETERMIND IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT HAD GONE BAD. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THERE IS A WRITE UP ABOUT THE ISSUE.I TALKED TO FORD MOTOR CO CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HADN'T HAD ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRENT A RECALL, THAT I SHOULD SAVE MY RECIEPTS AND IF THEY HAVE A RECALL THEY WOULD REFUND MY MONEY. IF IT IS A KNOWN FAULT IN THE ENGINE WHY HASN'T FORD CHECKED INTO IT? I LIKED MY FORD SHO, AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT FOR A LONG TIME.

IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOME 50 1996 THROUGH 1999 TAURUS SHO'S HAVE HAD CAM FAILURES. THE RANGE IN MILEAGE VARIES FROM LOW MILES TO HIGH MILES. A GOOD NUMBER OF THE UNDER 100K MILES. SINCE THESE CAMS COST $1000 EACH AND 4 IS NEEDED AND IN MOST CASES PISTONS ARE ALSO REQUIRED. ALL OF US WHO BELONG TO THE WWW.V8SHO.COM LIST ARE WORRIED ABOUT FOUR CARS HAVING CAM FAILURES. FORD HAS IN AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE PAID FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR BILL IN CAR THAT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT HAS LEFT THE REST OF US HUNG OUT TO DRY. *AK DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS-----758682.