Brake Fluid Leak problems of the 1999 Ford Taurus

While driving in a small town I experienced a loss in braking. The brake pedal went completely to the floor. I was able to guide the car to the side of the road, and then had it transported to a garage. They found that the master cylinder had failed. And was leaking fluid. This caused failure of the front brakes. On further inspection of the braking system they found that their was a leak in the brake line leading to the rear brakes. This leak was caused by external corrosion of the line. I thought that these lines were stainless steel, and should not have corroded due to salt on the roadway. If the lines are not made of stainless steel, they should be. The failure of the master cylinder and the leak in the line could have resulted in a serious accident, but did not because I was driving at a slow speed. I lost the complete stopping power of the car.

While driving my 1999 Ford Taurus to work on April 16th of this year, I noticed what appeared to be light colored smoke coming off my tailpipe as I sat at a stoplight. At the next stoplight, the smoke was more intense. At the same time, I noticed my brakes seemed spongy. When I got to work, I checked the underside of the car and discovered brake fluid was pouring over the exhaust pipe, just before the muffler and was burning off. Upon inspection of the vehicle at a local Ford dealer, it was discovered that the brake lines leading back to the drums in the rear were severely corroded just in front of the left rear tire. One line had burst open and the second had a crack in it. This occurred simultaneously. Both systems were compromised at the same time. Had I continued to drive it, I would have lost all brake fluid and been left with no braking capability whatsoever. Further examination revealed similar corrosion just below the master cylinder near the left front wheel, although that had not been breached. The car is only 10 years old and had 65,000 miles on the odometer. It was regularly maintained exclusively at the Ford dealer (westfield Ford in countryside illinois). I traded the car in on a new model that day. After checking the internet, I became aware of numerous people with the same exact complaint. Although I no longer own the car, I am concerned this problem will surface with the thousands of Taurus vehicle currently on the road. If my wife had been driving the car with our two children in it, she would have never noticed what was happening until it was too late. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I contacted Ford customer care on 4/20/09 and met complete indifference. I was told my complaint would go on file and to have a nice day. If these brake lines were made with some type of defective steel and there are more models out there like mine, it is only a matter of time before they start rupturing and causing accidents with injuries or death occurring.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus. On may 29, 2008, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. Brake fluid was leaking and burned the pavement in the contact's driveway. The vehicle was towed to an auto garage. The cause of the failure was determined to be brake line corrosion. The garage repaired the front and rear brake lines. The manufacturer is aware of the defect; however, they will not assist with the $285. 12 repair cost. The failure mileage was 31,529 and current mileage is 31,869. Updated 7/3/08 the corrosion was caused by water being trapped by a plastic guide that held the brake lines to the underside of the vehicle. Updated.