96 NTSB - Cam Failure (12)

new 11/22/01

Date of Failure: 05/30/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: CAMSHAFT FAILURE ON INTERFERENCE ENGINE IN '1996 TAURUS LOSS OF POWER STEERING/ POWER BRAKES. WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THIS AUTO WITH SUCH A FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED?*AK

Date of Failure: 07/16/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: TICKING NOISE FROM TOP OF MOTOR DIAGNOSED AS CAMSHAFT SPROCKET FAILURE BY FORD TECHNICIAN ON MY 1996 FORD TAURUS SHO, 3.4L, 207 CI V8. DEALERSHIP RECCOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE MOTOR AS PARTS MAY TAKE UP TO 5 MONTHS TO ARRIVE. I'VE HEARD THAT THIS IS NOW BECOMMING A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS WITH MORE REPORTS OF THEM BEING MADE KNOWN ON THE INTERNET.*AK

Date of Failure: 08/24/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: THE 1996 FORD TAURUS SHOS ARE A 3.4L 4 CAM V8. ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE V8, THE EXHAST CAMSHAFT BROKE. THE DEALER REPORTING THE DAMAGE TO ME SAID THAT THIS CAMSHFT IS DRIVEN AS A SLAVE CAMSHFT TO THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT WHICH IS DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN OTHER CASES THAT THE DAMAGE COULD BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE CYLINDER BANK. THEY ARE IDENTICAL IN DESIGN, MEANING ONE CAMSHAFT IS DRIVEN OFF OF A SLAVE CHAIN FROM THE OTHER CAMSHAFT, WHICH IS IN TURN DRIVEN OFF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAMSHAFTS IN THESE V8 SHOS ARE AN ACHILLES HEEL. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTED FAILURES. PLEASE SEE INFORMATION IN WWW.V8SHO.COM OR WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSHAFTSPROCKETFAILURE.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKETAUTOPSY.HTM, AND WWW.V8SHO.COM/SHO/CAMSPROCKET2.HTM AS WELL AS YOUR OWN DATABASE. I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AT 1-800-392-3673 TO REPORT THIS DAMAGE. FORD IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY PART OF THE DAMAGE AT THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT 105,348 MILES IS VERY EARLY IN A CAR'S LIFE FOR SUCH A FAILURE. I HAVE LOOKED THROUGH THE NTSA'S RECORDS AND I SEE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND THESE FAILURES. WOULD YOU PLEASE REVIEW YOUR RECORDS AND ENCOURAGE FORD TO REPAIR THE FAILURES OR REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR REPAIR COSTS. ALSO, IT APPEARS FORD DEALERS ARE REPLACING CAMSHAFTS WITH REPLACEMENT UNITS THAT HAVE THE SAME DESIGN FLAW IN THEM! THEREFORE, IS A CUSTOMER EVER FREE FROM THE FEAR THAT THE CAMSHAFTS COULD BREAK AGAIN TO THE TUME OF $2,000 TO $12,000 DAMAGE AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED? THE ESTIMATE FOR MY VEHICLE'S REPAIRS IS $5,500 OR GREATER (MORE INSPECTION IS BEING DONE AT THIS TIME AT CRESTWOOD FORD) NOT INCLUDING SALES TAXES! I HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE NOT THE DEALERS. PERSONALLY, IF FORD PROVIDED THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE AND SHARED SOME OF THE LABOR, I BELIEVE MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WOULD ACCEPT THOSE TERMS. THANK YOU. *AK

Date of Failure: 10/05/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: CAMSHAFT FAILURE. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN ON THESE CARS. I HAVE SPOKE TO MANY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. FORD IS DOING NOTHING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THIS PROBLEM. WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO GET A RECALL OR REIMBURSMENT?

Date of Failure: 10/23/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A TICKING SOUND FROM THE VALVE TRAIN AREA. THIS NOISE BECAME MUCH LOUDER OVER A PERIOD OF WEEKS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A LOOSE SPROCKET ON THE REAR BANK INTAKE CAMSHAFT. AS A MEMBER OF THE V8SHO ORGANIZATION (WWW.V8SHO.COM), I AM AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT'S MANY OCCURRENCES. THERE ARE NOW OVER 30 REPORTS OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM (WITH OCCURRENCES ON ANY ONE OF THE 4 CAMS), AND 14 REPORTED FAILURES IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, 2001 ALONE! THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AS THE SPROCKET IS MERELY "PRESSED" ONTO THE CAMSHAFT WITH NO OTHER MEANS OF ATTACHMENT. OVER TIME, THE CONNECTION WORKS LOOSE CAUSING THE OFFENDING CAMSHAFT TO SPIN FREELY, THUS ALLOWING THE VALVES TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE PISTONS, CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO CATCH THIS ON MY ENGINE PRIOR TO COMPLETE FAILURE. MYSELF AND NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVE CONTACTED FORD DIRECTLY WITH LITTLE SUCCESS ON THEIR OWNING UP TO THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER'S FIX IS USUALLY TO REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT(S) AT A COST OF $1080 EA., FOR PARTS ALONE! THAT IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AS THE OWNER IS STILL LEFT WITH A DESIGN FLAW, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT IT'S A NEW CAMSHAFT. MY BILL WILL BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $2000+ AND THAT'S WITHOUT THE SPROCKET ACTUALLY COMING LOOSE! FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS GROSSLY NEGLIGENT DESIGN FLAW!*AK

Date of Failure: 10/29/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: MY 96 TAURUS SHO HAD SEVERE ENGINE FAILURE AT 66,682 MILES. THE ENGINE (CAMSHAFT) SHOULD NOT FAIL ON WELL CARED FOR VEHICLE WITH ONLY 66,682 MILES ON IT. THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE SHO ENGINE THAT IS CASUING HUNDERDS OF CONSUMERS TO PAY HUNDERDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WHY ISN'T ANYONE CAUSING FORD TO ADDRESS THIS. THERE OUGHT TO BE GREATER CONSUMER PROTECTION AGAINST A MANUFACTURER OF A DEFECTIVE AUTO. PLEASE ASSIST. THANKS!*AK

Date of Failure:
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: WHILE TRAVELING NOTICE ENGINE CHECK INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD STAY ON. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT CAMSHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Date of Failure: 07/07/2000
Component: ENGINE:PULLEY:CRANKSHAFT
Summary: ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WE WERE DRIVING AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 45, CAM SENSOR, CAMSHAFT, DIED ROUGH IDLE, EGR SENSOR BAD, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT, DIES AT STOPS AND SLOW DOWNS, FUEL PUMP DOESNT HOLD PRESSURE, LONG CRANK TIME NO TURN OVER TILL ABOUT A MINUTE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON.

Date of Failure: 10/05/2001
Component: ENGINE:CAMSHAFT (8/82)
Summary: CAMSHAFT FAILURE. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN ON THESE CARS. I HAVE SPOKE TO MANY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. FORD IS DOING NOTHING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THIS PROBLEM. WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO GET A RECALL OR REIMBURSMENT?

Date of Failure: 10/03/2001
Component: ENGINE
Summary: I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ON VARIOUS WEBSITES (WWW.V8SHO.COM). THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESREAD PROBLEM, AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL OF THESE SHAFTS. I AM PRETTY SURE THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE RESULTS IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. *AK

Date of Failure: 12/16/2000
Component: ENGINE:OTHER PARTS
Summary: ON DECEMBER 16, 2000 WE WERE TRAVELING TO PHILA. VIA I95 FROM WILMINGTON FOR A XMAS PARTY. AS WE APPROACHED THE RESTAURANT MY ENGINED CEASED AS WE TURNED ON TO THE STREET NEAR THE RESTAURANT. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO DRIFT INTO A PARKING SPACE. CAR WAS TOWED TO HOME THAT EVENING AND THEN TO DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. DEALER DID DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND REPORTED NO COMPRESSION TO TWO VALVES. NEVER OFFERED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER, BUT RECOMMENDED NEW ENGINE, APPROXIMATE COST $10,814, DEALER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED FORD, WHOSE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP DID NOT KNOW OF THIS MODEL TAURUS. AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, FORD OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND SAID THAT CAR SHOULD BE TRADED AS 85K WAS HIGH MILEAGE. TRANSFERRED CAR TO WINNER, NEWARK DE, WHERE ENGINE WAS TAKEN APART. MECHANIC FOUND 4 BENT CYLINDERS BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAPPENED ONLY THAT IT APPEARED THAT SPROCKET TEETH HAD SNAPPED, RELEASING CHAIN AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO CAMSHAFTS. REPAIRS TOOK APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS DUE TO PARTS AND LACK OF TECH'S KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINE. CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO SERVICE 5 TIMES FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS, I.E. REPLACE IMRC, IAC MOTOR, GASKET SEAL. CAR HAS VALVE TAP AND ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNING WHEN DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT HIGH SPEEDS. DEALER HAS REPORTED PROBLEM IS ABOVE THEIR HEAD. THIS CAR IS A STREET PROTOTYPE OF NASCAR RACING CARS, WHILE I DROVE 50 RT MILES ON BACKROADS/DAY IT HAS A TOP END SPEED OF 131+, ADHERENCE TO FORD MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AND USE OF FORD CERTIFIED TECHS ARE MANDATORY TO MAINTAIN THE CAR. MY PROBLEM HAS NOW SURFACED ON MANY SHOS AND IS NOW A DOCUMENTABLE DEFECT. THIS ENGINE COULD HAVE CEASED ON I95 WHILE DOING 85MPH. COST TO REPAIR TO DATE, $3200, AND IS STILL A DANGER TO DRIVE AND FORD CANNOT RECOMMEND WHERE AND HOW TO FIX.

Date of Failure:
Component: ENGINE:OTHER PARTS
Summary: A TICKING NOISE WAS HEARD IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. WHILE AT DEALER, CAM GEAR SPROCEKT HAD COMPLETE FAILURE, CAUSING THE VALVES TO IMAPCT HEAD, RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. *AK