1997 Ford Taurus

I OWN A 97 FORD TAURUS THAT LIKES TO PING. IT STARTED IN 1998 AND AT THE START OF A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP, WENT AWAY, BUT CAME BACK. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN TACOMA WA, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CLEANED A CYLINDER AND THAT THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS THAT LIGHT PINGING IS OK. THEY BLEW ME OFF. I MOVED TO FORT KNOX, KY AND THE WHOLE TRIP IT LIGHTLY PINGED. I PUT ON OVER 5,000 MILES IN LESS THAN A MONTH SO IT ISN'T CARBON. USED NAME BRAND FUEL THE WHOLE TRIP. IT GOT TO THE POINT HERE THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO FORD AND WAS TOLD BY FORD, THAT FORD HAS THIS "PINGING"PROBLEM IN ALL THEIR ENGINES. V-6 TO V-8 AND IN DIFF. VEHICLES. HE HAD JUST REPLACED A 4.0 LITER THAT DAY. . HE WOULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3 MONTHS, HAVE 37,000 ON THE FORD AND I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DOCUMENTATION ON THE PROBLEM. I WORK WITH A GUY WHO OWNS A 98 TAURUS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE CHANGED FUEL BRANDS AND OCTANE RATINGS AND IT DOESN'T GO AWAY. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT TAKES A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING TO START ACTING UP, BUT IT IS THERE. HILLS, STEADY DRIVING, CITY DRIVING, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I AM WORRIED THAT I WILL EAT AN ENGINE AND FORD WILL TELL ME "OH WELL". CAN YOU SHED ANY LIGHT ON THIS FORD KNOWN PROBLEM? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

COOLANT FLUID SHOT OUT OF RADIATOR ONTO ENGINE AND VENTS, AND MIST APPEARED ALL OVER PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR AND HOSES. FIVE MONTHS LATER, WATER WAS LEAKING FROM BOTTOM OF VEHICLE, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS RELATED TO HEATER CORE RECALL. DEALER THEY REPLACED HEATER CORE PUMP ASSEMBLY AND CORE ASSEMBLY. 14 MONTHS LATER, RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING. DEALER SAID IT WAS PART OF THE SAME RECALL, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE CONSUMER.*AK

BOUGHT 97 FORD TAURUS USED. NOTICED BROWN COOLANT AFTER PURCHASE (MAR 00). CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING IN SUMMER, RESULTING IN BLOWN HEAD GASKET REQUIRING EXTENSIVE ENGINE WORK. RADIATOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE BAD, REQUIRED REPLACEMENT TO TUNE OF $2300 FOR TOTAL REPAIR. HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT RECALL OF PRODUCT HAS BEEN OUT (98B23) DUE TO FAULTY COOLING SYSTEM AND A COOLING SYSTEM BYPASS KIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED (WAS NOT). AFTER WORK WAS DONE, ENGINE OVERHEATED AGAIN TWO WEEKS LATER (1 AUG 2000). I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, AND FORD HAS NOT BEEN ANY HELP AT ALL; THE DEALERSHIP JUST WANTS MY MONEY AND MORE COSTLY REPAIRS. *AKY

ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM CORRODED TURNING BROWN. CHANGED COOLANT, RADIATOR ASSY - REMMOVED, EXPANSION COOLANT REMOVED - REPLACED AT 27473 MILES AND RECENTLY CHANGED COOLANT AT 33322, STILL CORRODING. FAILURE WITH POWER TRAN, GEAR CHANGE PROBLEM, OVERHUALED POWER TRAN AT 33290. RECEIVED BAD SERVICE AT GALPIN FORD. GALPIN FORD DID NOT HONERD MY WARRANTY, HAD TO CALL FORD TO ENFORCE THE WARRANTY. GALPIN FORD REFUSED TO FIXED THE COOLANT PROBLEM, GALPIN FORD LEFT OFF THE CAP ON THE RADIATOR , WHILE I WAS DRIVING NOTICE IT AND DID REPORT TO GALPIN FORD. *AK