1997 Ford Taurus

1997 FORD TAURUS - 3.0L V6 OHV TYPE U TENSIONER PULLER SEIZED UP WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY - RESULT: SERPENTINE BELT SHEARED OFF THE TENSION PULLEY ASSEMBLY. PULLEY AND BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO WATER PUMP NOT RUNNING BECAUSE NO BELT WAS OPERATING THE PUMP DUE TO THE TENSIONER PULLEY SEIZING. MECHANICS STATED THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THIS ITEM ON THE 3.0 L V6 ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO OTHER ITEMS WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON 4 TO 5 CARS PER WEEK. (THE BRAKE SHOP - CENTERVILLE, IN). *AK

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON (2ND TIME) FIRST TIME FORD DEALERSHIP DID FULL TRANSMISSION FLUSH($125) TO SEE IF CORRECTED PROBLEM. TWO MONTHS LATER (ON LONG DRIVE), WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND SAID IT WAS A TRANSMISSION CODE THAT NEEDED THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED TO DETERMINE CAUSE ($300). THEY TOLD ME THAT (EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS WORKING OK) THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS HAVING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. ALL PARTS AND COMPONENTS WERE EITHER SCORCHED OR FAILED WHEN TESTED AND RECOMMENDED A TOTAL REBUILD ($2862) OR PURCHASE A FORD REBUILT ONE ($2756). I SAID THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A CAR WITH 39,400 MILES ON IT. THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING AND I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY SOUNDED INTERESTED BUT WOULD NOT BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. (SO MUCH FOR THE QUALITY ONE - CUSTOMER CARE MOTO). READING OTHER COMPLAINTS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE FORD TAURUS OVER THE YEARS. WE HAD A 1994 TAURUS THAT HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS TO THE TUNE OF $1,100. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS IS MY LAST FORD PRODUCT AND THEY WONDER WHY PEOPLE BY FOREIGN VEHICLES!. WHEN I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO PUT THE CAR BACK TOGETHER THAT I CAN GET A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM 2 OTHER TRANSMISSION SOURCES (USED PARTS FOR $1400) OR NEW REBUILT PARTS FOR $2030), THEY THEN SAID "LET ME SEE IF THERE IS ANY LAST THING MY MANAGEMENT WILL DO" OF COURSE WHEN PUT ON THE SPOT TO LOSE BUSINESS AND RESPECTABILITY THEY LOWERED THEIR PRICE TO $2281 FOR A FORD REBUILT ONE. I AM STILL CONCERNED SINCE A LOT OF OTHERS SAY THEY HAD FAILURES WITH THEIR 2ND ONE TOO! IT COMES WITH A 3/36,000 WARRANTY. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS DAY AND AGE THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TOTAL REPAIR COSTS WHEN KNOWN DEFECTS OCCUR. A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AS SOME TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SEPARATED AND LOCKED UP CAUSING IMMEDIATE STOPPAGE OF VEHICLE LIKE SLAMMING ON BRAKES.*AK

THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS DIAGNOSED AT A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE WITH CODE 402 THAT SHOWED EXCESSIVE FLOW IN THE EGR SYSTEM. I REMOVED THE EGR VALVE AND TUBE FROM THE ENGINE AND INSPECTED THE COMPONENTS. THE EGR VALVE WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN AND DID NOT SHOW ANY LEAKAGE THROUGH THE VALVE WHEN IT WAS CLOSED. THE TUBE LEADING FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE EGR VALVE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY CLEAN. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED TO RESET THE INDICATOR LIGHT. TWO DAYS LATER, THE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLARKE FORD IN HUDSON, OHIO FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED BY A MECHANIC WHO FOUND THE SAME RESULTS. I WAS CHARGED FOR TWO LABOR HOURS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DPFE SENSOR AND TROUBLE SHOOTING. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT I WISHED TO KEEP THE OLD PARTS. WHEN I REVIEWED THE OLD PART WITH THE MECHANIC, EXCESSIVE CORROSION WAS PRESENT IN THE HOSE OF THE SENSOR. THE MECHANIC AND SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT FORD NO LONGER MANUFACTURES THE SENSOR FROM METAL AND THE REPLACEMENT IS PLASTIC TO PREVENT THE CORROSION. THE SERVICE WRITER PROCEEDED TO SHOW ME THE PRINT OUT THAT DISPLAYED THE REPLACEMENT INFORMATION. I HAD BEEN TO CLARKE FORD ON TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEFORE THIS AUTOMOBILE WAS SERVICED TO SCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENTS FOR SERVICE ON TWO VEHICLES AND TO DROP THE VEHICLES FOR SERVICING. WHILE I WAS SPEAKING WITH THE SERVICE WRITER, NO LESS THAN 5 OTHER CUSTOMERS RECEIVED THE SAME NEWS OF A BAD DPFE SENSOR. THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT THIS FAILURE WAS VERY COMMON. I FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION SINCE THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE SO WIDESPREAD AND HAS A NEW STYLE REPLACEMENT PART TO FIX THE CORROSION PROBLEM. *JB