1996 Ford Taurus engine and engine cooling problems

“MY 1996 FORD TAURUS GL STALLED DUE TO A FAILED CAMSHAFT SYNCHRONIZER THAT BROKE. IT ONLY HAS 106,500 MILES ON IT. I UNDERSTAND THE 1997'S HAVE A RECALL - WHY AREN'T THE 1996 TAURUS INCLUDED ?? THESE SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL. *TR”

“96 TAURUS SHO V8 3.4L CAMSHAFT FAILURE. I HAVE KEPT MY CAR IN PERFECT SHAPE WITH TUNE UP AND ALL. IT IS IN MINT CONDITION AND HAS NO RUST. I HAVE NICE EXHAUST SYSTEM PUT ON BY A MECHANIC AND ALSO A COLD AIR INTAKE PUT ON AND A NEW TRANS IN JULY NOW WITH ONLY 3000 MILES ON IT.. I HEARD TICKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OUT OF NO WHERE. I DON'T BEAT ON MY CAR AND HAVE READ THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER EITHER WAY IF YOU BEAT ON IT OR NOT THE CAM FAILURE CAN STILL HAPPEN. SO I HEARD THE TICKING SO I DROVE IT HOME FROM WORK TO PARK IT BECAUSE I FIGURED IT WAS THE CAMS. SO I WAS GOING TO GET IT WELDED THE NEXT DAY AND 5 MIN FROM MY HOUSE THE CAR SHUT OFF AND SO I PULLED THE VALVE COVERS AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS THE BACK CAM NEAR THE FIRE WALL THAT HAD SLIPPED. I DON'T THINK ITS RIGHT THAT ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED AND IN SUCH GREAT CONDITION. ALSO DON'T THINK ITS RIGHT THAT US CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE FORD DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT TO FIX THE PROBLEM NOW IM OUT OF A CAR. I WANT ACTION DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR”

“COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE OF ALL TYPES ALL PART PRONE TO EXTREME CHEMICAL CORROSION VERY AGGRAVATING PROBLEM AND NOW THE COOLANT BYPASS HOSE HAS FAILED WITH THE SAME CORROSIVE SYMPTOMS AS THE OTHER COMPONENTS. *TR”

“FIRST MY ENGINE SEEMED TO OVERHEAT A BIT THEN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT WOULD SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE WAS GRINDING ON SOMETHING AND WOULDN'T STOP.. SOUNDED LIKE A BUNCH OF CHAINS IN MY HOOD. BUT THEN ON OCCASIONS THE STUPID THING WOULDN'T SHUT OFF WHEN IT WAS MAKING THE CHAIN SOUND, EVEN WITH MY KEY OUT. IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN AND NOW THE THING SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING AND I HAVE NO POWER WHAT SO EVER IN MY VEHICLE. BEFORE WHEN IT FINALLY SHUT OFF IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO SPARK. THEN IT WAS MAKING A CLICKING NOISE THAT WASN'T COOL. *TR”

“ENGINE FAILURE AS A RESULT OF CAMSHAFT GEAR SPINNING ON CAM. DURING NORMAL DRIVING ENGINE STOPPED IN ROADWAY,REQUIRING TOW OFF ROADWAY TO REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE AUTO IS A 1996 FORD TAURUS SHO 3.4 V8 .AFTER STUDYING THIS PROBLEM I FIND THIS CAM FAILURE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO MANY AND COULD BE PREVENTED BY WELDING THE CAM SPROCKET TO THE CAMSHAFT. THE REPAIR TO THIS ENGINE IS VERY EXPENSIVE,AND I THOUGHT NHSTA SHOULD BE AWARE OF MY FAILURE. *TR”

“BOUGHT MY 1996 TAURUS IN JAN 1999 FROM A DEALER. NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE ENGINE & COOLING SYSTEM THAT WAS ISSUED IN 1999. I HAD TO REPLACE RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT,HOSES (WHOLE COOLING SYSTEM) DUE TO RUST AN SLUDGE IN SYSTEM. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH FOR 12 MILES ENGINE OVERHEATED AND CRACKED HEAD. THE THERMOSTAT NEVER REGISTERED HOT ONLY NOTICED THE OVER HEATING WHEN THE STEAM WAS BILLOWING OUT, IT WAS TO LATE THEN AS ENGINE DIED. OFF & ON THE THERMOSTAT WOULD FLUCTUATE ANYWHERE FROM COLD TO UP TO 95 % HOT AND THE ENGINE TEMP WOULD NOT BE HOT. DUE TO THE PROBLEM I AM NOW WITHOUT A FAMILY CAR AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH A NEW ENGINE OR BUY A NEW VEHICLE. IS FORD DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS I HAVE READ ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM? I KNOW MY WARRANTY HAS LONG EXPIRED BUT WHAT ABOUT A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND GETTING HELP WITH IT? *TR”