general problems of the 2003 Ford Taurus - part 2

Water leaks onto passenger side floor resulting in interior damage and damage to heater box and blower motor. Dealer replaced cowel at my expense, within 3 months leak returned and dealer wants to remove dash and check heater box, at a minimum expense of $850. Ford has a recall, 03v08700 and TSB 04-15-3 regarding these problems, but wants me to pay for the repairs. I also paid $375 to have the interior cleaned and disinfected after the first repair. I would also like to reference complaint 10184014.

Blower motor switch quit working. Is due, as I understand, to a defect in manufacturing and/or design in blower motor case which allows water to get in and ruin the resister switch. Eventually blower motor switch quits working altogether. When this happens there is no defrost or defogger which affects visibility. This happens according to a google search and TSB# 031506 frequently. Ford in the case of the 1996 contour gave a ten yr. Coverage due to similar problem.

Water leaked into front passenger side by windshield and soaked front floor area (at least 1 to 2 quarts of water) it also shorted out and destroyed the blower motor. Dealer installed new molding and an additional rain hat. Care was just out of warranty. So dealer would not help with cost. I wonder if it will take a fire for Ford to address this issue. If needed contact me for additional information. Thank you, bill.

2003 Taurus ses-windshield leaks water into pass. Side floor.

2003 Ford Taurus blower motor stopped working and the windshield fogged up while driving. The problem was water getting into the blower motor area from the cowl area at the cabin filter. Ford knows about this problem and has a TSB fix with a shield and weatherstrip. They tell you about the problem after the water has already caused the problem costing you $300 extra because now you need electrical problems fixed.

There was a known issue with the right cowl trim that allowed water to seep into the blower motor which caused the motor to rust out and stop working. If the failure happened within the 36,000 mile warranty it was fixed for free but if you were unlucky enough to have it fail afterwards Ford says you are responsible. They knew about the issue but did not warn the consumer. I believe that since they knew about the problem all along they should be responsible for the repair.

I have a 1993 Ford Taurus that leaked water from under the passenger side dash. Then my ac switch went out. I took it to a mechanic and he said water had gotten into the blower motor and shorted out. He also had a 1992 Taurus that he just repaied with the exact problem. The mechanic said it will need a new blower motor and resistor. Also some kind of cowl is needed to prevent this again.

Purchased used '03 Taurus ses from non-Ford dealer, on 3/2/06. April 22, after heavy rain noticed puddle of water on passenger side floor. Following Monday morning during drive to work. . . Still raining and misty. . . Windows fogging up. . . Turn on heater/defogger/ac. . . Not working! call dealer to advise of the water and heater/ac not functioning. . . Advised still covered under 3/36 factory warranty. . . However, Ford advised warranty expired 3/31/06. Dealer then had their mechanic take a look. . . Advised there's a leak behind firewall causing water to get in. . . And also cause of motor blower not working. . . Est. $500-600 to repair. . . Not including part for motor blower! they would need to contact Ford about price on motor blower. . . I decide to check pricing online and discovered the numerous complaints from other consumers! contacted Ford customer relations asking if they could make an exception on having covered under warranty as it was not quite 30 days beyond expiring. They contacted service mgr. At Ford dealer closest to me. . . Told that they would agree to repair work according to Ford's guidelines and discount repair cost. . . I dropped car off today for them to "asses" the problem which will cost $80 on top of the $109 paid to other dealers mechanic. I'd left several messages with service mgr. . . To discuss. . . Never called back! I put $4k down payment on this vehicle and only about to make 2nd car note. . . I'm certain that I, like many others who've complained, will be responsible for the costly repair.

Due to a design defect in Ford Taurus, water gets into the heater system causing the heater/air blower to fail. Also, puddle of water on the passenger side of car causing carpet to smell.

2003 Taurus blower motor blew out per mechanic. This was a design flaw that caused water to enter into the air intake of the vehicle, entering the blower motor.

Just like every one else. My heater blower quit working on all modes except high. Then within a couple days high went out. I tested it and found the resistor to be bad, but when I by-passed it, the blower motor was also bad. That's when I knew there was more to the story than what I was seeing. I noticed that the resistor had rust on it. This was not good, when I opened the fan motor casing I found water in it. This is not supposed to happen. The seal is faulty (defective) . I researched and found out that there is a bulletin out on this at Ford dealerships so Ford is aware of this problem, but not obligated to tell customers. So if you still have a warranty it's covered only if you contact Ford. If you do not have a warranty no longer than you are responsible to pay the bill. They have not put out a recall because not enough people have complained. Most take it in to service and Ford repairs and charges them, usually without telling them about the defective seal. I am currently fighting with the Ford dealership and have called and made complaints. My vehicle is not fixed at the moment, but I am determined. They knew about this defective seal, but yet did not have the common courtesy to inform their customers and have the problem fixed before it cost approximately $400-$500 for those without warranty instead of saving the $300-$400 . Something needs to be done about ripping off customers, and making them pay the price for another's knowing mistake. This leads to electrical problems and is a fire hazard lourie.

I purchased this car in spring of 2005 to buy american. I still will. Weeks after purchase I noticed a leak on the passenger side. Although under warranty, I paid dealership to repair. It seemed ok for a couple of months. When I go to the post office I keep important mail temporarily on the floor. After a long rain. I found my important mail sitting in a puddle, now my blower switch is not functioning, probably due to this leak. I am very disappointed. This was a new car to me. I want it permanently repaired for no charge. Thank you. Ford knows this is a problem.

Our 2003 Ford Taurus started to leak from somewhere. The floors became wet when it rained. We took the car to the Ford dealership and they fixed"the problem. This happened 3 more times each time they claimed to have fixed the problem. We were left without a car for a week the last time ,and still we have problems with the car. The water damage has left my car with a foul smell and has shorted out our blower for the second time. Ford in waterbury CT has given up on the car and claimed that they cannot find where the water is coming from. This happened over the course of about 1 1/2 years. Since this time our warranty has ran out and the problem is not fixed. We are aware of recall # 03v087000, but we are not sure if this is part of it. I have researched the internet to find many descriptions of Ford models 2001-2003 with this same problem. At this point the value of my Taurus has dropped significantly, and I cannot trade in this car knowing that this problem has not been resolved. I'm not sure anyone would even want this car at this point. We are very frustrated and feel "ripped off" by Ford. This was a beautiful car when we bought it but is now plagued by water damaged carpets and unhealthy mold. The heater/ac/blower does not work and on very cold, icy, or hot days it cannot be driven due to safety hazards. Please help us to resolve this problem we have nowhere left to turn. Ford Taurus 4 dr sedan tan.

Shortly after purchasing our 2003 Ford Taurus wagon, we noticed extensive water on the passenger side floor. We took car to newport Ford, an authorized Ford dealer. We were informed that there was a design defect which allowed water to overflow the rainhat and travel through the heater system to the floor. They "fixed" the problem under warranty. Several months later, still under warranty, we noticed water on the passenger floor again. Having moved, we took the car to howell motors of wright's corners, NY. They too were aware of the design defect, and were in possession of TSB # 04-15-3 which clearly indicates that this problem will lead to the failure of the blower motor, and/or blower motor resistor. We not being automobile mechanics, were not aware of the certainty of a defrost system failure. Not knowing that this was a safety issue, we did not insist that they replace all the damaged components. Last week, the defroster blower suddenly failed during the first snowstorm of the year. Water and slush from passing traffic froze to the windshield reducing visibility to zero. Was forced to limp home, stopping at gas stations to scrape and clean windshield. Researched on internet, and learned that Ford has issued a service bulletin for the exact problem we took the car in for twice while under warranty. Took the car back to dealer and were informed that this was no longer a warranty issue, and were charged $ 267. 26 for a new blower motor, to replace the one destroyed by the water pooling in the heater system. We argued that this should be covered by the warranty, as the car had been in twice previously, while under warranty, for the exact same problem. As the car was clearly unsafe to drive in upstate new york in the winter, we paid the dealer. Ford is trying to pass this off as a "comfort" issue, while in reality, having zero visibility from the windshield is not only unsafe, but illegal in NY state.

Water gathering on passenger side floorboard, told by Ford that the cowling was simply "plugged up" by pineneedles and such. Turns out that this problem is widespread among these vehicles, in some causing blower motor failure and dangerous conditions (uncontrollable fogging of windows). Carpet is heavily damaged due to this flaw.

Consumer discovered water leaking into vehicle.

: the contact stated water leaked between the windshield and the hood, which shorted out the fan to the compressor. Due to the fan shortage, the heater and defroster did not work. The vehicle also leaks by the passenger floor.

Contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus ses. It is leaking in the front right passenger's side. The leak seems to be coming from under the dashboard. The contact said the problem has been fixed a couple of times, but it kept leaking. The first time she had it fixed was on 3-31-04. Then on 5-27-04 she had it fixed again. The dealer repaired the cowl leak from Monday. On 8-30-05 she had it repaired again.

I found water in the passenger side of the floor board after a rain storm in the summer of 2005. This began happening after most heavy rains. After several occurrences the blower motor of the heat / ac would only work on high. After taking it to a mechanic the blower resistor was changed. I have had this completed twice now. I have also had to have the blower motor replaced once (they found evidence of water in the motor). There is also a musty smell when I run the heater so I assume there is some mold growing in there now. This problem has been occurring for several years. The Ford dealer said it would cost about $300 to fix. Through my internet search this appears to be a leaky cowl problem on Taurus's and not unique to my car.

2003 Ford Taurus developed water seepage from the blower in the motor compartment onto the passenger side floor. Water leaked onto the front passenger side floor form the blower motor area. When the motor failed it did not blow out the fuse in that circuit. The consumer wonders if this failure could cause an engine fire.

Water leaks in the front passenger side everytime it rains. The harder it rains, the more water ends up in the car. The dealer put the kit in last sat to fix problem, however last nite I had more water in the car than on any other previous leaks. The car mat was full of water, and when I took that out the carpet underneath was under water. And now when you turn on the fan in the car it squeals. Called dealer, can't do a dry out of the carpet or a repair for another week or 2 due to no courtesy car being available. And when they do the repair it will take 2 days because the dash has to be removed and it's either something in/behind the dash or it's the windshield (or both).

There wa CA continuous water leak on the passenger side of the vehicle. The leak caused all the windows to fog up and obstructed the driver's vision. The dealer tried to repair the problem five times but with no success.

The heater in my car failed. We called the Ford parts department and they told me it was a known problem that the cowl, relay and blower failed due to water leakage. We took the car in they said the cost would be 400. 00 which I could not afford at that time. Now I have no choice winter is here and I need my heater working. There are numerous complaints about this problem its time Ford fixes the problem at their cost not ours! I've also been told that I need front ball joints my car failed inspection. This car is only two years old I shoudn't be having these major problems. I can't remember the exact month or day I took the car into westbrook Ford dealer but cost us 40. 00 to tell me what I already knew the the blower didn't work because of water leakage.

Rust was found on the engine, wheel suspensions and pipes of a 2003 Ford Taurus. The consumer found that the new vehicle had rust on the wheel suspension, the engine, and pipes.

Water leaked through the seams in the roof whenever it rained or snowed. Please provide any additional information.