1999 Ford Taurus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CRUISE TO A STOP SAFELY. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE BRAKE LINE WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

A 51 POINT INSPECTION DONE ON A 1999 FORD TAURUS I PURCHASED THAT HAD THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ISSUES: CRACKED BRAKES, LOOSE PINION ROD, TRANSMISSION, STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER TO NAME A FEW ITEMS. REQUIRED A FLUSHING, OIL, ETC. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE MOST OF THESE ITEMS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. SOME OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT I ALSO HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT MY COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION FIXED DUE TO FUNDS. THESE ITEMS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD HAVE CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN A SMALL TOWN I EXPERIENCED A LOSS IN BRAKING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN HAD IT TRANSPORTED TO A GARAGE. THEY FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED. AND WAS LEAKING FLUID. THIS CAUSED FAILURE OF THE FRONT BRAKES. ON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM THEY FOUND THAT THEIR WAS A LEAK IN THE BRAKE LINE LEADING TO THE REAR BRAKES. THIS LEAK WAS CAUSED BY EXTERNAL CORROSION OF THE LINE. I THOUGHT THAT THESE LINES WERE STAINLESS STEEL, AND SHOULD NOT HAVE CORRODED DUE TO SALT ON THE ROADWAY. IF THE LINES ARE NOT MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL, THEY SHOULD BE. THE FAILURE OF THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE LEAK IN THE LINE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, BUT DID NOT BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED. I LOST THE COMPLETE STOPPING POWER OF THE CAR. *TR

I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A CAR DEALER. SINCE I PURCHASE MY BOLTS TO THE BACK BRAKES CAME OUT. FRONT END IS MAKING NOISES ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. BACK WINDOW IS READY TO BREAK OFF MISSING PASSENGER SIDE HINGE TO HOLD THE WINDOW IN PLACE. BRAKES SQUEAL. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY FOR EXAMPLE THE POWER DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK, THE POWER SEAT DOES NOT ADJUST WHEN YOU PUSH THE BUTTON, THE TRUNK CAN NOT BE OPENED WITH THE KEY, THE DOORS HAVE TO BE UNLOCK MANUALLY. *TR

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE: HAVING WORKED ON CARS FOR 40+ YEARS AND OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS, IT WAS A SURPRISE TO SUFFER TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT EVER HAVING THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATE A FAILURE. FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, ALL MY VEHICLES HAD A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BRAKE CIRCUIT WITH A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL SWITCH THAT WOULD LATCH AND LIGHT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS A PARTIAL BRAKE FAILURE WAS CAUGHT BY THE WARNING LIGHT. MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT WAS PERFORMED QUICKLY AS DRIVING WITH ONE CIRCUIT IS DANGEROUS. THE 1999 FORD TAURUS HAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL SWITCH, NO KIDDING! IF ONE DOES NOT MAKE PANIC STOPS AS A REGULAR PART OF DRIVING, IT IS EASIER THAN ONE WOULD THINK TO HAVE A PARTIAL FAILURE GO UNDETECTED (DESPITE THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN EXTRA PEDAL TRAVEL). WHEN THE SECOND CIRCUIT FAILS THE RESULT IS TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE, THE SAME TYPE OF THINKING AS THE FORD PINTO FUEL TANK. FORGET THE CUP HOLDER, SPEND THE MONEY ON THE SAFETY SWITCH!!! I SHUDDER TO THINK OF PEOPLE SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THIS MISSING SWITCH. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 FORD TAURUS TO WORK ON APRIL 16TH OF THIS YEAR, I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE LIGHT COLORED SMOKE COMING OFF MY TAILPIPE AS I SAT AT A STOPLIGHT. AT THE NEXT STOPLIGHT, THE SMOKE WAS MORE INTENSE. AT THE SAME TIME, I NOTICED MY BRAKES SEEMED SPONGY. WHEN I GOT TO WORK, I CHECKED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR AND DISCOVERED BRAKE FLUID WAS POURING OVER THE EXHAUST PIPE, JUST BEFORE THE MUFFLER AND WAS BURNING OFF. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL FORD DEALER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINES LEADING BACK TO THE DRUMS IN THE REAR WERE SEVERELY CORRODED JUST IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. ONE LINE HAD BURST OPEN AND THE SECOND HAD A CRACK IN IT. THIS OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY. BOTH SYSTEMS WERE COMPROMISED AT THE SAME TIME. HAD I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT, I WOULD HAVE LOST ALL BRAKE FLUID AND BEEN LEFT WITH NO BRAKING CAPABILITY WHATSOEVER. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED SIMILAR CORROSION JUST BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER NEAR THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL, ALTHOUGH THAT HAD NOT BEEN BREACHED. THE CAR IS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD AND HAD 65,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE FORD DEALER (WESTFIELD FORD IN COUNTRYSIDE ILLINOIS). I TRADED THE CAR IN ON A NEW MODEL THAT DAY. AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET, I BECAME AWARE OF NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXACT COMPLAINT. ALTHOUGH I NO LONGER OWN THE CAR, I AM CONCERNED THIS PROBLEM WILL SURFACE WITH THE THOUSANDS OF TAURUS VEHICLE CURRENTLY ON THE ROAD. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WITH OUR TWO CHILDREN IN IT, SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER NOTICED WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER CARE ON 4/20/09 AND MET COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE. I WAS TOLD MY COMPLAINT WOULD GO ON FILE AND TO HAVE A NICE DAY. IF THESE BRAKE LINES WERE MADE WITH SOME TYPE OF DEFECTIVE STEEL AND THERE ARE MORE MODELS OUT THERE LIKE MINE, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY START RUPTURING AND CAUSING ACCIDENTS WITH INJURIES OR DEATH OCCURRING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. ON MAY 29, 2008, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING AND BURNED THE PAVEMENT IN THE CONTACT'S DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO GARAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE BRAKE LINE CORROSION. THE GARAGE REPAIRED THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT; HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH THE $285.12 REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,529 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 31,869. UPDATED 7/3/08 *CN THE CORROSION WAS CAUSED BY WATER BEING TRAPPED BY A PLASTIC GUIDE THAT HELD THE BRAKE LINES TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT'S WIFE ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT PLACED BRAKE FLUID INTO THE BRAKE RESERVOIR AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IN WHICH IT EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR AGAIN. HE INSPECTED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. IN ADDITION, ALL THE FLUID HE ADDED LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V075000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,456 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,445.