1994 Ford Taurus

THE THIRD TRANSMISSION HAS NOW FAILED. THE FIRST TIME SHORTLY AFTER OBTAINING THE CAR NEW. THE SECOND TIME AT AROUND 65,000 MILES (AT THIS JUNCTURE I WAS TOLD BY A RELIABLE SOURCE THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM). THE THIRD FAILURE, AUG. 2003, HAS JUST HAPPENED AFTER REPEAT TRIP TO THE DEALER WITH FAILURE OF THE CAR TO MOVE COMPLAINTS, IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. NOW I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND THE MILEAGE WARRANTY IS NOT IN FORCE. THE CAR IS JUST A LITTLE OVER THE 12,000 MILE PERIOD BUT IS WAS NOT WHEN I BEGAN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. THIS PERSON THAT I CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH, WHILE CALLING FORD, IS NON RESPONSIVE AND REFUSES TO CONNECT ME WITH A SUPERVISOR. ALL SHE SAY'S IS "WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM" AND "I CANNOT SPEAK WITH ANYONE ELSE". I HAVE SPENT OVER $5,000 REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS AND I'M GOING TO GET SOME RESOLUTION. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE IN BRING THIS TO A POSITIVE CONCLUSION. THE INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS WHEN THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED, 3 MONTHS AFTER GETTING THIS CAR NEW.

MY CAR STALLS OR JUST STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, IT WILL GO FROM 60MPH TO 0MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER 20 TIMES. I TOOK IT TO PEFFLEY FORD FOR REPAIRS, THEY CHARGED ME $669.36 AND 6 DAYS LATER MY CAR CUT OUT ON ME AGAIN AND THEY TOWED IT TO THEIR SHOP. THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT MY CAR WITHOUT ME PAYING MORE MONEY FOR REPAIRS AND THE TOW TRUCK. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRS FOR MY CAR AND I FEAR FOR MY LIFE EVERY TIME I GET INTO THAT CAR. I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL CUT OUT AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A NEW CAR. I FOUND OUT THAT 8 PEOPLE OWNED THAT CAR BEFORE ME, WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, THE SALESPERSON SAID THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE FOR MY TWO YOUNG GIRLS TO RIDE IN HE WAS WRONG. I HAVE ALL OF MY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND WILL SEND COPIES TO YOU. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE ONE OR ALL OF MY FAMILY END UP INJURED OR DEAD. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE, KAREN JUDKINS.

CAR WAS STALLING AT STOP SIGNS AND MAJOR INTERSECTIONS. WHEN TRING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, CAR WOULD NOT MOVE INITIALLY UNTIL EXTRA GAS WAS APPLIED. THEN IT WOULD LUNGE INTO FIRST GEAR AND THE CAR COULD BE DRIVEN, AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT STOP. THE WARMER THE CAR GOT, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM WOULD GET AND MORE IT WOULD STALL. I WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING REAR ENDED AND STARTED CALLING NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION SHOPS. I THEN FOUND OUT THAT TAURUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ARE A COMMON PROBLEM AND TRANSMISSION SHOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAD BEEN FIXING EARLY AND MID 90'S TAURUS FREQUENTLY OVER THE YEARS. ALSO, FORD NEW OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS THE SOURCE OF THE IMPROVED REPLACEMENT PART. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NAME OF THE FAULTY PART, BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN CALLED AN ALUMINUM CLUTCH CYLINDER. THE COTTMAN TRANSMISSION SHOP GUY NEW WHAT THE PROBLEM SOURCE WAS JUST BY TALKING TO HIM OVER THE PHONE AND HE SHOWED ME THE HAIR LINE CRACK IN THIS THIN ROUND ALUMINUM PART. HE ALSO SHOWED ME THE STEEL REPLACEMENT PART BOUGHT FROM FORD. I ALSO HAD TO PAY OVER $1400 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FIXED SINCE THE FAULTY PART CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHE PARTS. I HAD TO GET THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT. PRETTY BAD CONSIDERING THIS CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND ONLY HAD ABOUT 60,000 MILE ON IT. DT

1. 3.8L V6 HEAD GASKETS. GASKET(S) FAILED ON VEHICLE AT 80878 MILES. ENGINE BLOWS HEAVY ?!@#$% SMOKE FROM TAILPIPE, OVERHEATS AND LOSES COOLANT. VEHICLE IS 8 YRS OLD AND OUT OF EXTENDED FORD WARRANTY PROGRAM, (7YRS 100,000MI). CONTACTED BOTH LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, BOTH SAYING THERE IS NO ASSISTANCE THEY COULD PROVIDE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE HEAD GASKETS. 2. TRANSMISSION FAILED, AT 79,392MI. WHEN VEHICLE WAS WARM, TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE 1ST GEAR, LEAVING YOU STRANDED WHEREVER YOU STOPPED. CONTACTED LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHO QUOTED $2500 + LABOR. HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR $1800. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. ALL MAINTENANCE ITEMS PERFORMED AT MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED INTERVALS FOR HEAVY DUTY USE. (EVERY 3000MI) OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000MI, TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED PER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, FILTERS, TIRE ROTATION, SPARK PLUGS, EVERYTHING. IF FORD WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, WHICH HAS A KNOWN DESIGN / MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THIS WAS THE LAST FORD PRODUCT I WILL EVER BUY. IT MAY BE ANYWAY. *AK