2008 Ford Taurus X

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY- I NOTICED THAT STEERING COLUMN WAS NOT LOCKED PRIOR TO INSERTING KEY. INSERTED KEY, TURNED TO START AND NO RESPONSE FROM IGNITION. KEPT TURNING STEERING COLUMN AND DECIDED TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO DRIVE SEVERAL TIMES. I RETURNED TO PARK-ING THE CAR AND REMOVED THE KEY. INITIALLY, STEERING COLUMN WAS NOT LOCKED, THEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN THE COLUMN LOCKED. TURNED THE KEY AND THE IGNITION HESITATED- THE DIALS WERE JUMPING. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE ENGINE TURNED OVER AND DIALS WENT TO NORMAL. I COMMENCED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY- THE ENGINE RPM JUMPED, FAR MORE THEN WHAT I WAS APPLYING ACCELERATION FOR AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS HESITANT ( CLUNKING WAS AUDIBLE). THE VEHICLE REVERSED TOO RAPIDLY AND I APPLIED QUITE A BIT OF BRAKE TO STOP- I SHIFTED TO DRIVE AND AGAIN I COULD HEAR THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HESITATED TO GO FORWARD ( TRANSMISSION WAS CLUNKING), JERKING FORWARD AND SLOWING DOWN AND THE ENGINE RPM WAS ERRATIC. I PULLED TO THE SIDE AND PLACED CAR IN NEUTRAL; WAITED A MINUTE WHICH DURING THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE RPM WENT TO NORMAL. OK, I PLACED GEAR IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE RESPONDED NORMALLY. HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES OF SOME OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED EVENTS HAPPENING SINCE ORIGINAL OCCURRENCE. AT THIS MOMENT, STEERING COLUMN IS NOT LOCKED WITH THE KEY REMOVED AND WHEN TURNING CAR TO START THE IGNITION IS JUST TURNING OVER. *TR

HARSH TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT AND LOSS OF POWER WITH HIGHER RPM AND A MAX SPEED OF ABOUT 20 MPH- REPLACED SPEED SENSORS TSS & OSS . SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN 11,518 MILES LATER REPLACING THE SAME PARTS WHICH FORD OR DEALER WOULD NOT COVER AT A COST OF $593.00. TSB 07-21-11 REPLACING WITH PARTS AA5Z-7H103 AND AA5Z-7M101 ON BOTH OCCASIONS OF FAILURE. HAD TO LIMP HOME BOTH TIMES FOR MANY MILES. WIFE NOW REFUSES TO DRIVE CAR. I CAN'T BELIEVE FORD DOESN'T STAND BEHIND A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WHEN IT HAS A TSB AND A MULTITUDE OF THE SAME REPORTED PROBLEM.

THERE IS A LEMON LAW BLOG REGARDING DEFECTIVE PAINT ON VARIOUS FORD VEHICLES, YET FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT. IT IS A SHAME FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND ANYWHERE FORM $25,000.00 - $40,000.00 FOR A VEHICLE THAT HAS THE PAINT BUBBLING OFF DUE TO TAINTED BODY PARTS. THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION AND FORD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. HTTP://WWW.LEMONLAW.COM. *TR

CAR HAS A TENDANCY TO DRIFT RIGHT OR LEFT WHILE TRAVELING. MORE PRONUNCED DRIFT WHILE STOPPING. EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR. DEALER INSPECTION INDICATES GEARS IN GEAR BOX ARE LOOSE AND GEAR BOX NEEDS REPLACING AND VEHICLE NEEDS ALIGNMENT. SECOND SET OF FRONT TIRES ARE WORN DOWN TO WEAR BAR AFTER ONLY 13,000 MILES. COST FOR GEAR BOX REPLACEMENT AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS $900. DEALER STATED NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR STEERING/GEAR PROBLEM. *TR

FIRST OCCASION WAS WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND SHE WAS PARKING AND THE CAR SURGED. IT HAPPENED ON SEVERAL MORE OCCASIONS AND ON 12/17/2010 FORD REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND AIR INTAKE. THEN ON 2-03-2012 AND 12-10-2012 CAR SURGED AGAIN. FORD DEALER SHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. ON 12-10-2012THE CAR WAS COMING TO A STOP AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE REACH AROUND 4000 RPM, I PUSHED THE BRAKE AND IT CONTINUED TO SURGE AND I HAD TO PUT IN IT IN NEUTRAL TO STOP IT FROM LUNGING INTO THE INTERSECTION. IT CONTINUED TO SURGE AS I PUT IT INTO GEAR AND MOVED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. IT THEN STOPPED SURGING AND BEHAVED NORMALLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. I HAS SINCE SURGED AGAIN WHILE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN. *TR

THE FORD TAURUS X SEL FWD WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2009. WE HAVE NOTICED STEERING NOISE SINCE 85K MILES APPROXIMATELY. RECENTLY THE CAR HAS STOPPED DRIVING WITH POWER STEERING REGULARLY AT LOW SPEEDS. SOMETIMES AT HIGHER SPEEDS IT WILL NOW ALSO DROP OUT AND THEN RESUME, MAKING DRIVING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS YOU ARE STEERING HARD WITH TWO HANDS WHEN SUDDENLY POWER STEERING CUTS BACK IN AND YOU SWERVE AS THE WHEEL IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO RESPOND. *TR

ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHEN EITHER PULLING OUT FROM GRAVEL OR WET PAVEMENT THE ESC WILL APPLY THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THE CAR IS IN NO WAY SKIDDING OR OTHERWISE OUT OF CONTROL IN ANY WAY. IT PRESENTS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. AS WE PULLED OUT ONTO THE MAIN ROAD THE CARS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD. WE HAD TO TRY TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC COMING UP BEHIND US. THE ESC LIGHT FLASHES DURING THESE EPISODES. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL FORD DEALER TWICE AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE BRAKES COME ON AFTER THE TURN HAS BEEN MADE AND THE CAR IS NOW STRAIGHT AND STEADY. EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IT WAS AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS X WITH CONTINENTAL CONTITOURING TIRES, SIZE: P215/55R17, DOT D1976825. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIRE EXHIBITED CRACKS ON THE SIDEWALL AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT REPLACING THE TIRE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE ALSO EXHIBITED CRACKS ON THE SIDEWALL. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,600.

DRIVING NORMALLY WHEN STEERING CONTROL/ASSIST WAS SUDDENLY LOST CAUSING THE STEERING TO BIAS TO THE LEFT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY VEER TO THE LEFT. BRAKING AND EXTREME PHYSICAL EFFORT TO RECOVER CONTROL BY ROTATING STEERING WHEEL TO THE HARD RIGHT HAD TO BE MAINTAINED TO MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE ON A STRAIT-AWAY COURSE. STEERING SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER (BRONDES FORD, MAUMEE, OH) FOR REPAIRS. CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE STEERING RACK PART OF THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR WAS CAUSE. METAL DEBRIS FROM THIS CATASTROPHIC COMPONENT FAILURE HAD TO BE FLUSHED FROM THE STEERING HYDRAULIC SYSTEM DURING THE REPAIR PROCESS; ENTIRE RACK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED WHICH NECESSITATED COMPLETE FRONT-END ALIGNMENT. COST FOR REPAIRS EXCEEDED $1,000.00. VEHICLE IS WELL-MAINTAINED, GARAGE-STORED AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY COLLISION AND/OR ROAD HAZARD ENCOUNTER OF ANY KIND. *TR