177 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1996 Ford Taurus cite power train, 20% of all 868 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.
“1996 FORD TAURUS. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH THE PARK PAWL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PUT THE GEAR IN PARK, THE PARK PAWL DID NOT ENGAGE, WHICH CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL. THE CONSUMER SPOKE WITH HER MECHANIC AND HE INFORMED HER A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED IN 1996 FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED. WHILE THE DEALER DID ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECALL AND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AX4N AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES, SHE WAS ADVISED HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IT CRANKS, BUT THE IGNITION DOES NOT TURN OVER UNTIL SHE DEPRESSES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT LEAST TEN TO TWELVE TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD START. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS AND BRAKE SWITCH INTERLOCK WERE THE CAUSES OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO STUCK IN PARK AND WILL NOT MOVE. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, SHE HAS TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 05/05/09. *LJ”
“THE TRANSMISSION PARTIALLY SHIFTS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AND IS INCREASING IN OCCURRENCE. *TR”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED MINOR SHIFTING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY SHIFT INTO PARK. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT FAILED TO MOVE. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO PARK AND THE CONTACT'S FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO ROLL BACKWARDS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE SHIFTS OUT OF FIRST GEAR VERY HARD, AND THE ENGINE REVS UP TO 3,000 RPMS. A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS PERFORMED, WHICH STOPPED THE FAILURE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 96V086000 AND 96V166000 (POWERTRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)) WERE REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 113,000.”
“MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE I WAS GOING TO WORK OUT OF TOWN. CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE IT AND CALL A TOW TRUCK. I MISSED A DAY OF WORK . HAD TO RENT A CAR. I HIT A DITCH AND HAD 2 FLATS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR”
“MY 96 FORD TAURUS GL HAS THE FOLLOWING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, RADIO GOES OUT, SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHES AND CLICKS, INTERMITTENT WIPERS FAIL, POWER WINDOWS FAIL, FINALLY POWER STEERING LOCKS UP,AND WHEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS. IF PUT IN PARK EVERYTHING GOES BACK WORKING AS NORMAL. TOOK TO SHOP AND THEY SAY IT'S THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR AND THAT SEVERAL 96 TAURUS' THEY HAVE WORKED ON HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM....I AM WONDERING WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL PART IF THAT IS THE CASE...SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG! *NM”
Showing 6 of 177 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARK PAWL SHAFT MAY NOT BE FREE TO ROTATE AS INTENDED. IF THE PARK PAWL SHAFT DOES NOT ROTATE, IT WOULD PREVENT THE PARK PAWL FROM ENGAGING THE PARK GEAR WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS IN THE PARK POSITION.
THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET HAS A SHARP EDGE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PARKING PAWL TO HANG UP AND NOT ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK.
THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WAS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED WHEN THE ROLL PIN THAT RETAINS IT WAS INSTALLED DURING TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. IF THE SHAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED, THE ROLL PIN MAY NOT HAVE LINED UP WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SHAFT AND HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AT ASSEMBLY. ALSO, A BURR COULD HAVE BEEN RAISED ON THE SHAFT.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.