2011 Ford Taurus

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. I WAS HEADED SOUTH DOWN A CITY STREET CAME UP TO MY RIGHT TURN ONTO ANOTHER CITY STREET. AFTER I MADE THE TURN WHEN I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL OUT THE RIGHT ONE CUT STRAIGHT TO THE RIGHT I WAS FIGHTING THE STEERING WHEEL BUT IT WOULD NOT LET ME TURN IT. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO TURN INTO A PARKED CAR THAT WAS ON A PARKING LOT FOR SALE AND IT ENDED UP DAMAGING 3 CARS PLUS MINE TOTAL. I DID NOT RECEIVE A TICKET BECAUSE THE OFFICER STATED THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTION ON THE CAR'S STEERING. I JUST KNOW THAT SOMETHING CAUSED THE TIRE TO TURN AND I COULD NOT TURN IT BACK. I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE CAUSE IT WAS SCARY SCARY. THANK YOU,

MY FORD TAURUS HAS AWD. TODAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT (PTU) IS LEAKING BADLY AND MUST BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST ESTIMATE IS $1700 INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND CONFIRMED BY OWNER COMMENTS ON THE WEB, THE PTU MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 80000 MILES. IF IT IS NOT REPAIRED THE UNIT WILL FAIL AND THE CAR WILL LOCKUP AND HAVE TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE PTU IS ONLY USED ON VEHICLES WITH AWD. MY TAURUS HAS 82500 MILES ON IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS A DEFECT. I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT I SHOULD NOT EXPECT A LARGE REPAIR BILL FOR A BROKEN PART AFTER 80K MILES. MAINTENANCE IS ONE THING. A LEAKING POWER TRANSFER CASE IS QUITE ANOTHER. IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AND TAKE STEPS TO REDESIGN THE PTU SO THAT IT DOESN'T FAIL AFTER 6 YEARS OF USE.

I HAD A INTERNAL WATER PUMP FAILURE FILLING THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. THIS RESULTED IN A ENGINE HYDRO LOCK CONDITION (LUCKILY I WAS ABLE LIMP A VERY ROUGH RUNNING CAR IN THE EMERGENCY LANE AT 15MPH TO A NEARBY EXIT). HAPPENED FRIDAY EVENING FEB 3RD 2017 ON A COLD 27 DEGREE EVENING. I WAS STRANDED NORTH OF NASHVILLE, TN ON I65. THIS IS A VERY VERY BAD DESIGN FLAW. I AM MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND MOST CARS HAVE EXTERNAL WATER PUMPS -- EXCEPT THIS ONE. NOT JUST THE TAURUS, BUT ALL 3.5 (AND 3.7) MOTORS HAVE A INTERNAL WATER PUMP DESIGN; DRIVEN OFF THE OVERHEAD CAM CHAIN. WHEN IT FAILS, IT FAILS BIG, DUMPING ALL COOLANT (SEVERAL GALLONS) INTO THE CRANKCASE. END RESULT: IS A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE FAILURE AS ALL COMPONENTS INCLUDING IN MY CASE THE ECO BOOST TURBOS SUBMERGED IN COOLANT / ANTIFREEZE. LEARNING NOW IT MAY BE $8-9K FOR A NEW MOTOR. BESIDES THIS EXPENSE IS TO KNOW THIS ENGINE WILL HYDRO LOCK WITH ALL THE COOLANT IN IT AND CANNOT BE EASILY DRIVEN TO A SAFE LOCATION SEEMS VERY VERY DANGEROUS TO ME. IF THE EXIT WERE NOT LESS THAN A 1/2 MILE AWAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK. NO ONE WANTS TO BE ON A DARK FREEWAY FOR 1-2 HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK ON A COLD FRIDAY NIGHT. ALL IS TAKES IS ONE PERSON FROM BEHIND TO SLIP OFF INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND THEN IT'S ALL OVER.

POWER STEERING FAILURE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NOW THERE IS NO STEERING AT ALL. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH REGULAR TAURUS SE SEL, BUT THIS IS THE TAURUS SHO. NO RECALL ON THE SHO. FORD BLAMES THIS ON MANY THREE THINGS ELECTRICAL FAILURE, THE REAL CAUSE IS POOR ENGINEERING BY FORD, THIS STEERING RACK WITH ALL ELECTRICAL PARTS, ARE THREE INCHES AWAY FROM TURBOS AND CATALITC CONVERTERS,EXTREME HEAT FROM THESE COMPONETS HAS CAUSED THEM TO FAIL.THE HEAT PRODUCED FROM THESE COMPONETS ARE IN THE 1200 DEGREE RANGE.FORD NEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT'S WHY THEY TRIED TO PUT HEAT SHIELD NEAR THIS COMPONENT. THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP. I HAVE OWNED AND STILL HAVE FOUR TAURUS SHO'S 91,92,98,2011. NEVER AGAIN FORD. I THINK THIS CAR SHOULD BE ON RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.