10/26/02
FORD SAYS SHO ENGINE PROBLEM NOT WIDESPREAD
About 200 former and current owners of Ford Motor Co.'s high-performance Taurus
SHO have launched a Web site (www.V8SHO.com) that claims the
car's 3-4-liter V-8 engine has a defective camshaft sprocket design, reports The
Detroit Free Press in a lengthy story. The group claims that as many as 10% of
the nearly 20,000 vehicles built between 1996 and 1999 are experiencing abrupt
cam sprocket failure at about 60,000 miles.
The SHO (super high output) engine is built in Japan by Yamaha and then shipped
to Ford's Atlanta assembly plant for installation. The disgruntled owners say
the problem occurs because the sprocket isn't firmly attached to the cam,
causing it to slip. This can result in a collision between the pistons and
valves-and severe damage to the engine.
The Free Press surveyed 10 owners who paid an average of about $5,000 to have their engine repaired or replaced as a result of the problem. Ford declined to comment on the issue other than in a prepared statement it sent to the newspaper. In the statement, the automaker says it is aware of the concern about the engine but claims its own investigation determined the problem isn't widespread. It also says it's working with Yamaha to reduce repair costs for the "small number of engines potentially affected by the condition."
To prevent the problem from happening, the Web site recommends owners spend $500 to have the sprocket welded to the camshaft. To date, only eight complaints have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the problem, according to the Free Press.
OCTOBER 25, 2002
Autotech Daily
Amy Sheetz
Charleston, WV
'98 black w/ new front brakes & rotors (Yay!)