CarComplaints.com Notes: Most people need a car that shifts gears & coil springs that don't shred tires. The Taurus fails in that respect.
The 2003 Ford Taurus has major issues with the transmission failing. Typically the 2003 Taurus transmission failure costs $2,000 to fix by about 90k-100k miles. Not good.
Adding insult to injury, the 1999-2003 Taurus also has a huge problem with coil springs breaking which can puncture or even shred tires while driving.
The US government spent THREE YEARS (2008-2011) investigating the 2002-2003 Taurus coil springs. Although Taurus/Sable from earlier years were recalled, ultimately the NHTSA did not force a recall. They determined that because there had been no deaths & very few bad crashes & injuries, the broken coil springs defect was no big deal & not a safety defect. Tell that to all the owners who had close calls...
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,763 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The floor board on passenger side is wet and heater blower only blows on setting 4. mechanic said water shorted out blower motor. Did some searching and found I wasn't the only one. Please see the following; reference recall number 03V087000 and other complaint 10184014. This will show a continuing trend.
My battery discharge light came on then the ABS light, the brake light and others. I have taken it to a repair shop and neither he nor I can find the battery drain. The computer doesn't show anything. At times if its raining the wipers go as does the heat or air blower. I have also noticed the transmission not shifting correctly. My main concern is the engine stopping or the brakes not working and I have had my wipers not work in a rain storm. Any advice?
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact was driving 25 mph with the defroster activated when she smelled an abnormal odor. The contact then discovered that the rear window had become discolored. The defroster was turned off and the odor diminished. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and the current mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the windshield separated from the vehicle, causing water leaks and increased wind noise. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number: 03V087000 (visibility:windshield). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,200.
A water leak, possibly from a faulty seal, onto the passenger interior floor board also caused my ac/heater blower motor to short out. My heater switch will only work in the maximum position. From what I have read it is due to a heater motor resistor, which has caused similar problems for other Taurus owners. I could not get Ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03V087000.
I own a 2003 Ford Taurus that began having water leaks that kept shorting out the vehicles blower motor resistor. These events occurred between 12/10/2010 to 05/24/2011 during which at my expense two resistors were installed. After a short period they continued to fail as did the blower motor. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership and was told that I had water damage that caused the blower motor to fail. A new blower motor plus new cowl insulation was in stalled at a cost of $468.42.the two resistors I previously had installed cost $80 parts and labor. I did an internet search and found this to be a common problem with my automotive model and Ford should had a recall and fixed this factory defect. I feel I should be reimbursed by Ford Motor Company. I have heard that this repair should fall under Ford recall 03V087000 but the dealership says no. It is my understanding that another complaint is on file with you concerning this matter (10184014). I would appreciate your investigation in this matter.
2003 Ford Taurus sec wagon with a leaky windshield. Water got into my A/C blower fan housing and shorted out the A/C blower fan, caused the blower fan to fail, the automatic temperature resister switch and the 40 amp fuse in the same system due to water entering into the car from the windshield and cowl design flaw. The result is a loss of defroster and anti-fog capability resulting in a severe loss of visibility due to a loss of said capability and/or functionality.
Purchased 2003 Ford Taurus with 49K miles 8 months ago. Blower motor and resistor have failed twice. Water is coming into the blower housing through the air intake. Recent failure at 60K happened in cold weather while on the road, causing fan to stop working and windshield rapidly fogged over, making it impossible to see. Failure was accompanied by strong electrical burning smell.
In line with numerous other reports about the 2003 Ford Taurus, my blower motor and resister have failed due to a water leak on the front passenger side. As a consequence, I cannot defog the windshield while driving. The result lack of visibility is dangerous for my passengers and for nearby cars. Correcting this problem is not a simple matter of replacing the blower motor, but also requires a complicated repair of the causative leak. I request NHTSA to look into the numerous complaints like mine and work with Ford in issuing a recall for this issue.
I have just purchased a 03 Taurus which leaked water onto the passenger floor board also causing my ac blower motor to short out. When it is raining, humid or later when it gets cold there will be no way to keep the windshield clear of interior condensation or frost. This will make driving dangerous if caught in a storm. I have been able to get Ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03V087000. I have found many others with this problem. I have read the descriptions related to recall number 03V087000 and Ford tsb 04-15-3. I also see there is an existing complaint number to NHTSA: 10184014. The water leaks during storms regardless of whether the car is driving or sitting still. The fan first would only run on high speed and now won't run at all. This is an known design defect and I am frustrated that I can't get it remedied by Ford.
My Taurus's blower motor stopped functioning in December 2009. I believe the cause is a water leak or blown A/C heater blower motor. I think the leak dumped water onto the passenger floor board also caused my ac blower motor to short out, needing a replacement. After browsing the internet to see if other Ford Taurus owners had the same or a similar problem, this seems to be a recurring issue with the 2003 Ford Taurus.
Water in the blower case or on the passenger side floor, and the blower motor only works on high speed. Contacted dealer and was told that it was a service bulletin. Asked if it was covered under recall number 03V087000 and was told no.
Taurus with a water leak or blown A/C heater blower motor. The blower on my 2003 Ford Taurus quit working all together. I have water draining onto the passenger side floor in rain storms. The blower would only work on high speed before it stop working completely. Refer to Ford recall number: 03V087000.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The dealer replaced the fan motor resistor four times. After the fourth repair, the dealer realized that water was leaking into the fan motor which caused the resistor to fail. The dealer also replaced the fan motor and the windshield for $500. He notified the manufacturer; however, they will not admit that the part was defected and they didn't offer to assist with the repair cost. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileages were 26,000.
Heater A/C fan on my 2003 for Taurus has stopped working seems Ford knows there is a problem but has not issued a recall. This is a safety issue since this particular car will fog up front window unless defroster is run. Problem is leaking water into fan area, funny Ford has a repair kit for this problem.
I just discovered water in my blower motor on my 2003 Ford Taurus. Recently my blower stopped working all together and it will not work at all now. I am currently going to replace the blower motor resistor and see if this repairs the problem. It seems several people have had this issue.
Blower motor in my 2003 Taurus only runs on high. This has been an ongoing issue with year and model. Water leaks in and burns the blower out. Recently had to drive with no defroster ond ue to no blower. Had the blower replaced now it only runs on high, it apparently needs a new resistor. There have been many complaints and nothing has been done about it.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While the vehicle was parked, the passenger side floorboard became filled with water during a rainstorm. The manufacturer could not assist with any repairs since the vehicle was not under warranty. Through online research, the contact found numerous complaints regarding the windshield and water filling up in the vehicle. The contact feels that the water entered through the windshield and is a safety hazard. The current and failure mileages were 129,500.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lakewood, CO, USA