Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75
April 22, 2004.
Hello.
1999 Sable LS with 65K..: Power Steering Rack Failure and Windshield Wipers going on without warning (defective steering column switch).
We are owners of a top of the line (fully loaded) Mercury Sable LS purchased from a Dealer in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada off a Ford lease. All Ford recommended services have been perfomed at the recommended mileages and are up to date. Ford and its dealers maintain a computerized record of this fact on this car.
We were advised by my private Mechanic as well as by the Service Manger of Totem Lincoln Mercury Dealership that the power steering rack was causing our sudden massive oil leaks and that Totem could offer a "preferred price repair of $1200CDN consisting of $400CDN labour and $800CDN for the part. When I brought the car in and described the problem and offered to show it to the Service Manager he stated he didn't even have to look under the hood, that he knew what it was... a defective Power Steering Rack. He said they were seeing lots of these now on this model year and that he was very familiar with the problem. He looked on his computer to see if he could find any Ford recalls or manufacturer assistance and could find none. He said he was embarassed about this and indicated Ford should come up with a retroactive extended warranty on this item.
I am deciding now whether to serve the President of this dealership with notice of a date in small claims court as "representative of Ford Canada". I will be claiming $2700 in personal damages and distress in addition to the the repair costs should the matter go to court. Hopefully this may provide insentive to all.
Best Regards to all
K.
We also own a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis LS (fully loaded) with air suspension bought new from a local B.C. dealer. The transmission on this vehicle failed recently at 95,000km at a cost of $1850 CDN to us and the air suspension also went for another $700. Despite these occurrances this car has been otherwise nice to own with a particularly nice ride... it is likely better quality than many others.
'99 Ford Taurus - I purchased the car in 12/98. Until recently, I have liked the car. I just had to replace the steering rack and power steering pump. It was a $900 expense. I have driven cars for 25 years and have never had this problem happen. After reading all the other reviews, I decided to contact Ford about it and see if they would cover any of the cost (car has 109,000 miles). They said they have not been aware of this being a problem with this car and could not make any adjustment. I was disappointed with their lack of customer service.
Other problems that have also been noted did occur in my car.
1. The alternator failed at 50,000 miles. (not covered)
2. The driver's door never has shut right and could never be adjusted correctly.
3. The windshield wipers going on by themselves is driving me nuts!
I certainly would consider another Taurus and have rented the new models when I travel.
Bought 99' Taurus, 7-4-99.
Rotors were warped @ 10k - had them turned - warranty.
Fuel tank pressure pump failed @ 15k - warranty.
I replaced the rotors, pads and drums @ 45k.
Have right side passenger wind noise, not fixed yet.
I replaced fuel pump @ 90k.
Had problem with screeching sound from left front wheel well, had bushings lubed twice, no noise anymore.
Now have dome light problem, will try wd40...thanks.
I had original tires on the rear till 60k.
I am disappointed with this car. I have a 99 SE and had to replace the rotors and the pads at 40,000 and then again at 65.000 and have the grinding again now, My sterring rack and power steeing pump just went out a week ago. what id the matter with ford, this is a real defect when will they own up to it.
I am an owner and find these comments helpful.
I have a 1999 taurus also. the random wipers has always been there. I had to have the pcm re-programmed after the engine light came on. a year later the light was back again.
Now the alternator is getting super hot, and my new batterys green eye is gone, so the alternator is bad, I hope.
Most of the problems people are listing I have had.
You think ford would fix this crap by now.
I have read all of the above comments regarding the 1999 Taurus with great interest. I'm especially amazed that someone else had an issue with the cruise control not working from the beginning (0 miles)! A simple cable adjustment by the dealer fixed this problem. Perhaps our cars were next to each other on the assembly line?
It appears I have been fortunate not to have had to replace any steering components, and this car currently has over 114,000 miles (knock on wood). I have only had these minor issues, until recently:
1) Replace front rotors (around 50k). No prior turning, and already they had insufficient material for resurfacing. This was quite disappointing, but rotors aren't extremely expensive, especially compared to some other cars.
2) Windshield wipers have a mind of their own (started around 60k). Supposedly replacing the multifunction switch with a new revised unit will solve this.
2) "Eternal" Dome Light (started around 65k). I pulled the bulb, but after reading comments on the Internet, I tried the WD-40 trick. So far, the "Door Ajar" indicator has not come back on (I wanted to wait a few days before deciding it was "safe" to replace the bulb).
3) Sludge & sediment in coolant system, no heat, etc (around 90k). There was a TSB about this for 1996-up Taurus/Sable. We keep up on maintenance, and it's a mystery why this happens, but I had the heater core, reservoir, thermostat, hoses all replaced, the system chemically flushed, all to the tune of $1100. This is the most major expense I've had to incur so far, so I suppose that's not too bad.
Other items that I took care of myself after the warranty period were replacement of the alternator, serpentine belt, and the DPFE sensor.
The engine (3.0L Vulcan) has been prone to minor detonation since the very beginning; however, overall performance is acceptable and the car still consistently achieves over 30 mpg on the highway. It is a very roomy, comfortable, and smooth riding car. Overall, I am very satisfied with this vehicle and would definitely consider another new Taurus.
I find this page very interesting... everybody who says they have a 1999 Ford Taurus seems to have major problems... I purchased my 1999 Ford Taurus SE brand new in 1999 and this is the Year 2004 and I haven't had any problems with the Vehicle at ALL!...the only things I have ever had to replace are common wear and tear parts that would usually go on a car, such as brake pads, wiper blades, oil filter, air filter... that kind of thing... Oh ya...I had to replace the front ball joints once, and that is because the place I live had "Terrible" roads that would tear the front end out of any car.
I'm an owner of a 1999 taurus se. Since I have owned the car it seems like I'm encountering more and more problems.First, I started with the replacement of the rack and pinion (which was a pretty penny) then proceeded to replace the rotors which warped the first week of install. When I thought that all was good, the tranny decided to start slipping and banging gears. so I pull the pan and change the filter and fluid which didn't make a difference so I picked up Lucas stop-slip tranny treatment which seems to make a slight difference.I'm curious to see if anyone has had tranny problems and how much did it cost to rebuild.Thanks.
My 1999 taurus se (105,000 miles) has been reliable except for some small problems.
Door ajar/int light I pulled the fuse before I heard the wd 40 trick and accidentally broke the fuse leaving some of it in the socket.
Random wipers. E.G.R. sensor. Heater dial. Window motor.
Rough idle and stalling at 70,000 miles my dealer cleaned the fuel injector free of charge in less than 10 minutes while I waited. This fixed the problem that I thought could possibly be expensive, what a relief.
FOR MUCH LESS MONEY THAN ACCORD I GLADLY DEALT WITH THESE.
BUY AMERICAN and save some money.
I am the owner of a 99 Taurus and I just bought it about 4 months ago (2004) So far I have only incountered two of the problems listed: the tranny slipping going into third gear and the crazy wipers with a mind of there own This is my first car and so far so good It's a nice car and I think I made a good choice.
I am the original owner of a 1999 Ford Taurus SE and have had many problems with it. First of all the brakes need to be replaced on a yearly basis. I have replaced every part associated with the source of heat and the costly repairs have left me with very little heat even after a long period of driving. I have transmission slipping and banging also. The alternator had to be replaced twice. Most recently I am experiencing a grinding, rubbing sort of noise when I turn my wheels on the passenger side which will have to be investigated. I spent $ 200.00 to get a seal put on as I was leaking all my motor oil and was told this is very common. None of my automatic door locks currently work, (and the key entry is very difficult) after countless times with the door buttons opening and closing on their own while driving on the highway they died forever! The constant clicking noise drove me crazy!!! My wipers run when they wish to without turning them on and they can take forever to turn them off! My interior carpet in the front tore away from the hump area... The car just seems to have so many problems I am sorry I bought it.
I have a 1999 ford taurus and I've encountered the following problems: emission light/check engine light stays on for no reason. I had to replace the steering rack at less that 60,000 miles. these malfunction should fall under the lemon law or recall. more people with the same model are experiencing the same problem. I am very disappointed that ford does not make any attempts to satsify their customers... they could at least pay 50% of any out of pocket expense. I am pissed! I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED AT BILL McRAE FORD IN JACKSONVILLE TEXAS.
THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUCKS. ALL THEY DO IS SIT AROUND DRINK COFFEE AND TAKE LONG LUNCH BREAKS. FORD NEEDS TO FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATIFACTION.....REALLY. OH, THE DEALERSHIP IS ON HIGHWAY 79 EAST...YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
I've noticed a lot of comments about the steering rack having to be replaced on the 99 taurus. I think its safe to say this is a common problem. I saw 2 in a row right next to each other both with new racks. Mine is one of the 2 that I bought used. I'm now about at 100,000. Has anyone with this car noticed a "chirping" sound coming from somewhere in the engine. I know its not anything with the serpentine belt cause it still did it with the belt off the car. This sound comes and goes and seems to do it under dry conditions as far as I can tell. It sometimes is louder than others. Other than this, it hasn't been a bad car, nice and smooth ride.
"I am the original owner of a 1999 Ford Taurus SE and have had many problems with it. First of all the brakes need to be replaced on a yearly basis. I have replaced every part associated with the source of heat and the costly repairs have left me with very little heat even after a long period of driving. I have transmission slipping and banging also. The alternator had to be replaced twice. Most recently I am experiencing a grinding, rubbing sort of noise when I turn my wheels on the passenger side which will have to be investigated. I spent $ 200.00 to get a seal put on as I was leaking all my motor oil and was told this is very common. None of my automatic door locks currently work, (and the key entry is very difficult) after countless times with the door buttons opening and closing on their own while driving on the highway they died forever! The constant clicking noise drove me crazy!!! My wipers run when they wish to without turning them on and they can take forever to turn them off! My interior carpet in the front tore away from the hump area... The car just seems to have so many problems I am sorry I bought it."
Ditto, couldn't have said it better myself. Do you own my car?