In June 2008 I started my regular yearly maintenance schedule of my 1998 Ford Taurus wagon. I had my oil change & rotated/balanced my tires. In October 2008 I had two tires replaced (all of my service was done @ a Ford dealership in my city) and a multi-point inspection for my vehicle inspection. The mechanic advised me that my car needed rear shocks, as the outer casing was rotted! left inner tie rod was loose & front brakes were worn. I went in on Oct 23, 2008 and had all of the work done!,$417.45 for front brakes, resurfaced front rotors; replaced front inner tie rod. Then on 11/10/08 I went in to have my vehicle inspected and was advised that it failed, the rocker panels were rotted out! I made an appt for 11/19/08 to find out how much it would cost to fix this & learned that the rocker panels were not available from Ford & that I needed to fabricate new ones! my car, which had 142,555 miles on it, which I thought to be in perfect condition, did not pass inspection because of sub-frame rot! this vehicle has only been serviced by Ford dealerships, who had just pocketed $621.45 of my money to perform work on a car that they refused to inspect! in searching for estimates to repair this damage I learned that all Taurus' rusted in the same place! under the rocker panel covers, right where mine was rotted. I was told by every company to junk my car! I called Ford to express my concerns and was only told "your car is no longer under warranty". I just learned today about recalls on Ford vehicles due to subframe rot! my car is still sitting in my driveway. I have been unable to fix it and have not junked it yet because I am so saddened that it was never fixed by Ford. I have every receipt for all the work performed on my car and would like my car to be included in the updated recalls on Ford vehicles! thank you. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Rochester, NH, USA

1998 Ford Taurus with relatively low miles. Always cared for. Mechanic informed me it has a rotted subframe. This holds the engine and transmission. Dealer stated there are no recalls for this model year. The car (which is in otherwise excellent condition) is unsafe to drive at this point. 3 independent mechanics were surprised to see this level of rot in a car of this condition.

- Conway, NH, USA

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Taurus. The contact noticed oil leaking from the vehicle while it was parked in the garage. He later discovered that the engine's subframe was corroded on the rear passenger side. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that the metal where the subframe bushing was attached was corroded. The mechanic also stated that there was no known remedy for the defect. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current mileage was 157,954 and failure mileage was 157,947. Updated 12/10/08 updated 12/16/08.

- Mukwonago, WI, USA

Today, Feb. 26,2007 I was summoned by the mechanic where I was getting the oil changed. While doing the safety inspection he showed me that the front end support rails of the car which holds the engine are rusting through! the whole cradle is in danger of breaking off due to the rust. This will not pass inspection he told me not to drive the car until it gets fixed! this is a defect in the steel I have never had this happen before.

- Manchester, NH, USA

There is a snapping and cracking noise whenever the steering wheel is turned. The entire front frame rusted because of the bad metal used by the factory. The manufacturer will be contacted. The front frame was not built properly.

- Maple Park, IL, USA

The rear end mount was loose while driving.

- Glasco, KS, USA