new 11/11/02, updated 1/12/02
AAAAAAA-MEN
There is someone else out there with similar problems with ford. I too have a ford Taurus SHO from 1999 vintage and it too is currently in the shop for (guess what????) Camshaft failure (front bank, #1 cylinder) (complete destruction of front head, two broken valves, and one bad piston). Cost of replacement motor $14,000.00, cost of rebuild about $6500.00 plus tow bill +++++++. I bought this car one year ago almost to the date of its problem. Unfortunately, I have an ESP (extended warranty) and they too walked from the problem stating that my maintenance was poor. Customer service puts me on hold and returns after research telling me the file has been closed and the decision is final. My car had +/- 54,000 miles at time of failure and it was on my way home from a family outing when the car stopped in a rougher part of Pontiac, Michigan on the side of the freeway with my wife and two young children. I could not figure out why the case was closed so fast on my car until researching and finding others with trouble and then finally this article published today in the Detroit Free Press.
I would go further if anyone is interested in starting a class action against ford for reparations. I am so fumed over this thing and the poor handing of this issue. I cannot believe, with as close as William Clay is to the markets and company pulse that he has let this thing fall to this.
As a small business owner I have a small fleet of "b" class trucks which are replaced on a regular basis. I currently have (3) of those from Ford. I can assure you my next one will not be from ford at this point.
I send this quick e-mail off to you with the hope that we might further dialogue. I, like most others here, would have to total my car or fix it. Unfortunately, this repair puts the car upside down and I have no choice but to fix it and live with it now for a long time. Even more disturbing is the fact that I purchased through ford the ESP plan for just such a problem because I bought it used and did not know the history of the car.
Hope to hear back from you.
Regards
Rick Martin
> 1. VIN#s
1FALP54NXTA243296
> 2. Date of malfunction
October 17, 2002
> 3. Where did the malfunction take place (highway, city streets,
driveway, parking lot, etc.)
City street (Van Dyke)
> 4. Odometer reading at time of malfunction
56,500
> 5. How fast were you traveling?
10 miles per hour (I was in rush hour traffic)
> 6. Were you accelerating or staying at a constant speed?
Slight acceleration
> 7. Estimated date of purchase, new or used?
March 20, 2002. Used.
> 8. Estimated Odometer reading at time of purchase
52,000
> 9. Full Name, address, and a good phone# to reach you at during the day and
> night.
Dan Mariani
> 10. Brief description of the time of events leading towards the
malfunction.
> (what did you hear and see before, during, and after the malfunction)
I was moving slowly along in rush hour traffic and the engine
stalled. I did not hear or notice anything leading up to the malfunction.
I attempted to restart the engine - it cranked but it would not idle or stay
started. I then put the accelerator to the floor and this allowed me to
keep the engine running. By keeping the pedal fully depressed, I was able
to move the vehicle about three miles per hour. I drove about 100 feet to
the nearest driveway.
> 11. Customer service phone # you called and the name of the person you
> talked to. (if you can remember)
I called three times, all to the same phone number:
800-392-3673 I spoke with: Kiesha (ID# 2279), Kieshia (ID#
2474) and Carol (ID#2196).
> 12. Did you feel satisfied with the answers customer service provided?
Explain.
I was not at all satisfied with the answers. They did not
provide any support or assistance. They also did not state that this
problem was known.
> 13. Which dealership did you take your vehicle in for service? (name,
address, phone#)
I didn't bring it to a dealership, I brought it to Bobby's Auto
Center. 4090 E. 14 Mile Road, 586-795-5700
> 14. What was the cause of failure determined by the dealer?
Right exhaust cam gear stripped.
> 15. What was the cause of failure determined by you?
Based on what my mechanic said and the information on the web
site, I determined that the cam gear/sprocket had failed.
> 16. How much was your statement? (I hope you kept your receipt)
My mechanic quoted around $3000 but I have not had it fixed
yet. I am afraid to repair it to only have another failure and have to
drop more money into it.
> 17. What can FOMOCO do to make you a satisfied Ford owner?
Repair my current engine problem and weld the cams so that I am
confident that I will not have this problem again soon.
>