2008 Ford Taurus X

TRANSMISSION FAILED (OVER-REV'ED AND THEN WOULD NOT FUNCTION) AND REQUIRED IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. DUE TO BEING ON THE ROAD, HAD TO HAVE REPLACED BY A NATIONAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IS NOW EXHIBITING THE SAME SYSTEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AT 45,000 MILES. FORD WOULD NOT HONOR OR REIMBURSE FOR THE $3,500 IN REPAIRS. *JS

PAINT IS BUBBLING AND PEELING OFF THE HOOD OF THE CAR BOTH AT THE FRONT AND AT THE WINDSHIELD. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS 2008 FORD TAURUS X LIMITED. THE METAL UNDERNEATH THE PEELING PAINT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE RUSTED. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ALUMINUM CORROSION ISSUE. FORD HAS TOLD ME BOTH AT THE CORPORATE AND DEALER LEVEL THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THEY DID TELL ME TO SAVE MY RECEIPTS INCASE THEY DECIDE TO COVER THE REPAIR. *TR

WHILE BACKING AND TURNING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AT SPEEDS AT OR NEAR 1 MPH I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS TIGHT - AS IF THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKED. AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE (SPEED LIMIT LESS THAN 25 MPH) TO A STOP SIGN, I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION (HAD TO BACK UP AND TRY AGAIN - FORTUNATELY NO OTHER CARS IN INTERSECTION). MOMENTS LATER, STILL AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH OR LESS, THE STEERING BECAME HYPERSENSITIVE WHILE GOING AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD, CAUSING ME TO NOT ONLY ENTER THE OPPOSITE LANE, BUT TO ALMOST DO A 360 DEGREE TURN (AND OFF THE PAVEMENT). I WENT HOME AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. FIRST, A FAILED STEERING RACK WAS DIAGNOSED, THEN A LOWER STEERING ROD JOINT FAILURE (NOT SURE IF ONLY THE LATTER OR BOTH SINCE THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP). FORTUNATELY, NEITHER I NOR ANYONE ELSE WAS INJURED - BUT THE CAR WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. ALSO FORTUNATELY I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (4TH TIME I NEEDED IT, BUT FIRST SAFETY ISSUE). I READ OTHERS HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES SO I AM REPORTING IT. *TR

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS. A FIRE WAS REPORTED TO MY SON WHO BORROWED IT FOR WORK. HE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER UNTIL THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THE FD DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND PUT OUT THE REMAINING FIRE. IN THEIR REPORT STATED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL AND STARTED UNDER THE FRONT DASH. THE MIDDLE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASH IS COMPLETE DESTROYED AND MELTED. LOCAL FORD DEALER, BYERLY FORD ESTIMATED $4600 OF DAMAGE. ALSO STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS TOO INTENSE AND CAUSE SO MUCH HEAT DAMAGE THAT A CAUSE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. SUBMITTED CLAIM TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER OR DESIGN ISSUE AND WOULD NOT PROCEED WITH ANY ACTION. CAR WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AND HAD NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. *TR

THE WEATHER WAS COLD...WELL BELOW ZERO (ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES F BELOW ZERO). THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING OUTDOORS. THE DEFROSTER WAS RUNNING TO KEEP THE VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEAR. ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO THE RIDE, THE WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED ALL THE WAY ACROSS FROM DRIVER'S TO PASSENGER'S SIDE, A DISTANCE OF OVER 4 FEET. THERE WAS NO NICK OR STONE CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD PRIOR TO THE CRACK. IT DID NOT PUT GLASS INSIDE THE VEHICLE COMPARTMENT, BUT COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE IMPAIRED VISION ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WAS DRIVING ALONG PARKWAY DRIVE AND TRY TO TURN INTO A SIDE STREET AND AFTER MAKING THAT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL GOT VERY TIGHT I FIRST TAUGHT THAT MY RACK AND PINION WENT BAD BUT THERE IS NO SIGN OF LEAK OR DAMAGE TO ANY PARTS IF IT WAS ONE SIDE I WOULD HAVE THINK I LOOK OVER SOME THING AND MISS SOME THING BUT IT IS HARD TO STEER BOTH SIDES AT ANY SPEED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE COMPUTER, SIX COILS, AND THE SPARK PLUGS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,620.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE OUTBOARD SEAT PIVOT (5F9Z*7460593*BA) FAILED CAUSING THE 2ND ROW SEAT FOLD DOWN/RELEASE TO BE INOPERABLE. THE PART WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON 22 SEP 2010. ON 19 MAY 2011 THE SEAT AGAIN BECAME INOPERABLE AND WAS REPAIRED. METHOD OF REPAIR WAS NOT LISTED ON THE SERVICE ORDER. ON 10 DEC 2013 THE SEAT PIVOT FAILED AGAIN. I DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN SO THE SEAT MECHANISM HAS NOT BE ABUSED. THE FOLD DOWN FEATURE OF THE SEAT TO INCREASE THE FLAT CARGO SPACE HAS PROBABLY ONLY BEEN USED SIX TIMES SINCE THE 22 SEP 2010 REPAIR. THE THIRD ROW SEATS ARE USED INFREQUENTLY. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART NUMBER REVEALED THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM (ALSO ON THE DRIVERS SIDE). MY CONCERN IS THAT PASSENGERS IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT MIGHT BECOME TRAPPED DURING AN ACCIDENT IF THE RIGHT FOLD DOWN SEAT IS OBSTRUCTED BY COLLISION DAMAGE. FORD ISSUED A TSB (A LETTER, NOT A RECALL) ON THIS PART NUMBER BUT I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A COPY OF IT. THE PART WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED WITH A REDESIGNED AND/OR STRENGTHENED PIVOT. ONE FORD HELP SITE REPORTED THAT THE LATCH COULD POSSIBLY BE RELEASED BY PULLING ON THE RELEASE HANDLE WHILE BANGING ON THE SEAT BACK FOR 5 MINUTES. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BENEFICIAL IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR