16 problems related to engine have been reported for the 1996 Ford Taurus. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Defective freeze plugs in 1996 Ford 3. 0 vulcan engine in Taurus sedan. On two different occasions freeze plugs corroded through letting hot engine coolant spill on to my hands causing burns. There was a recall issued but I was never notified as the car owner. Cost of repair vehicle was over $500 the engine transmission had to be removed and all freeze plugs were replaced. This cost should have been born by Ford motor CO. But was an out of pocket expense for me.
Camshaft snapped, causing loss of vehicle control. Dealer has been notified. Consumer states that the sprocket on the camshaft came loose, causing the cam to quit turning, this caused the valves and pistons to hit each other, the engine died and vehicle lost power brakes and power steering.
Motor mount has broken, safety issue?.
Camshaft failure. This seems to be happening more and more often on these cars. I have spoke to many that this has happened to. Ford is doing nothing for the victims of this problem. What more can we do to get a recall or reimbursment?.
Normal camshaft failure accurring in these model cars.
Camshaft gear separated from camshaft.
The 1996 Ford Taurus shos are a 3. 4l 4 cam v8. On the left bank of the v8, the exhast camshaft broke. The dealer reporting the damage to me said that this camshft is driven as a slave camshft to the intake camshaft which is driven off the timing chain. It is possible that in other cases that the damage could be on the right side cylinder bank. They are identical in design, meaning one camshaft is driven off of a slave chain from the other camshaft, which is in turn driven off the timing chain. It appears that the camshafts in these v8 shos are an achilles heel. There have been many reported failures. . Read more...
When driving and just stopping, andwith no warning spindle on camshaft came loose from engine.
Camshaft failure on interference engine in '1996 Taurus loss of power steering/ power brakes. What could happen in this auto with such a failure at highway speed?.
This is the second time a camshaft sprocket has failed. The first time was under warranty so the engine was replaced at no cost to me. Now my warranty is out and the estimated bill is over $3,000. This could be a very dangerous situation because the vehicle loses power all at once. This could cause a serious accident in traffic. I have seen many other complaints on this same problem(at least 20 other incidents). Will it take someone being killed before something is done about this problem.
On December 16, 2000 we were traveling to phila. Via i95 from wilmington for a xmas party. As we approached the restaurant my engined ceased as we turned on to the street near the restaurant. Fortunately we were able to drift into a parking space. Car was towed to home that evening and then to dealer the following day. Dealer did diagnostic test and reported no compression to two valves. Never offered to investigate further, but recommended new engine, approximate cost $10,814, dealer was unfamiliar with what could have caused the problem. Contacted Ford, whose customer service rep did not know of this model Taurus. As car was out of warranty, Ford offered no assistance and said that car should be traded as 85k was high mileage. Transferred car to winner, newark DE, where engine was taken apart. Mechanic found 4 bent cylinders but could not explain why it happened only that it appeared that sprocket teeth had snapped, releasing chain and causing damage to camshafts. Repairs took approximately 4 months due to parts and lack of tech's knowledge of engine. Car has been back to service 5 times for additional repairs, I. E. Replace imrc, iac motor, gasket seal. Car has valve tap and engine oil pressure warning when drive for more than 15 minutes at high speeds. Dealer has reported problem is above their head. This car is a street prototype of nascar racing cars, while I drove 50 rt miles on backroads/day it has a top end speed of 131+, adherence to Ford maintenance schedules and use of Ford certified techs are mandatory to maintain the car. My problem has now surfaced on many shos and is now a documentable defect. This engine could have ceased on i95 while doing 85mph. Cost to repair to date, $3200, and is still a danger to drive and Ford cannot recommend where and how to fix.
Head gasket was never any good. I have spent approximately $2500. 00 on repair cost and survived two winters without heat in the vehicle. Ford company knew about the problem with the vehicle and did nothing. **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*734332.
Head gasket was never any good. I have spent approxiamately $2500. 00 on repair costs and survived two winters without heat in the vehicle. Ford company knew about the problem with the vehicle and did nothing.
1996 Ford Taurus with blown head gasket at approximately 69,500 miles.
While traveling notice engine check indicator light would stay on. Technician stated that camshaft needed to be replaced. Please provide further information.
This document contains emails from several Taurus sho owners regarding the failure of the engine camshaft sprocket.