IMPORTANT NEWS

THAT AFFECTS YOU

May 9 -- Judge Overturns Honda Civic Hybrid Owner's Gas Mileage Ruling

NHTSA Defect Investigation List for the 2000 Ford Taurus

The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is an office within the NHTSA which investigates serious safety problems in the design, construction or performance of vehicles. The NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles, if the ODI finds a safety issue. NHTSA investigations for the 2000 Ford Taurus, both ongoing and closed, are listed below:

  1. FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASH NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA03010

    • Status:
      CLOSED
    • Date Opened: July 02, 2003
    • Date Closed: June 23, 2004
    • Recall: no recall issued

    Component: Air Bags:Frontal

    Summary: This investigation identified a total of 427 reports alleging non-deployment of the frontal air bags. Of the 427 reports, two incidents (fatal crashes) have been identified as severe frontal crashes in which the frontal air bags did not deploy. A defect trend has not been identified at this time. Further use of Agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See attached summary report.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA03010 »

  2. FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASH NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE03002

    • Status:
      CLOSED
    • Date Opened: January 06, 2003
    • Date Closed: July 02, 2003
    • Recall: no recall issued

    Component: Air Bags:Frontal

    Summary: Ford Motor Company has identified 260 reports alleging frontal air bag non-deployment for any (severity) frontal or near-frontal crash on model year 2000-2001 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles. Additional crash reports are contained in NHTSA's fatality analysis reporting system (fars) database. The single ODI report listed in the report summary is NHTSA's special crash investigation's case no. CA00-020 that involved a high-speed crash non-deployment involving a driver fatality and front passenger injury. This preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (EA03-010) and ODI will collect additional information on certain crash reports and conduct further study of this issue.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE03002 »

  4. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #RQ03008

    • Status:
    • Date Opened: October 23, 2003
    • Date Closed: March 05, 2004
    • Recall: Recall #04V106000

    Component: Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights*

    Summary: Ford conducted a recall in March, 2001 to correct a defect affecting the brake light switch in MY 2000 through early-2001 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with power adjustable pedals (recall 01V-078). RQ03-008 was opened to investigate complaints concerning the remedy and scope of 01V-078. ODI's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in recalled vehicles,failures in MY 2001-02 vehicles with adjustable pedals that were not included in recall 01V-078, and failures in MY 2000 vehicles with fixed pedals.(note: The manufacturer failure data in this resume includes all crashes and injuries, but the complaint information is limited to MY 2001-02 vehicles that were not included in the scope of recall 01V-078.)on March 1, 2004, Ford notified NHTSA of a safety defect in MY 2000 through early-2003 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals and MY 2000 subject vehicles equipped with fixed pedals (recall 04V-106). The notification identified three factors contributing to brake light circuit failures:(1) continuing grease contamination issues that prompted 01V-078; (2) misalignment of the booster rod pin and the brake light switch; and (3) wire assembly fatigue. The first two conditions were limited to vehicles with adjustable pedals and the latter condition affected vehicles with fixed pedals. Ford will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the brake light switch and associated wiring replaced with a re-designed brake light switch and wiring assembly.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #RQ03008 »

    * This defect investigation is filed under 6 related vehicle components.

  5. BRAKE/ACCEL PEDAL SEPARATION NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE02035

    • Status:
    • Date Opened: March 15, 2002
    • Date Closed: October 22, 2002
    • Recall: Recall #02V266000

    Component: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    Summary: Allege that some pedal clusters may have been produced with the brake pedal substantially closer to the accelerator pedal than specified by Ford.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE02035 »

  6. BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATION NHTSA Defect Investigation #RP03001

    • Status:
      CLOSED
    • Date Opened: October 31, 2003
    • Date Closed: March 23, 2004
    • Recall: no recall issued

    Component: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

    Summary: Ms. rodman reported that after her vehicle was inspected for the recall, her mother experienced a sudden acceleration and crashed the Sable into a light pole. Previously NHTSA had conducted an investigation for this issue (PE02-035) that resulted in the recall (02V-266) of 369,000 MY 2000-2002 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with adjustable brake and accelerator pedals to insure that the separation between the pedals was at least 50mm.. a review of ODI's database for complaints regarding recall 02V-266 did not identify any recall remedy complaints other than the petitioner's. ms. Rodman's vehicle was inspected by ODI using Ford's special tool and her vehicle was found to exceed 50mm. Also, the lateral movement of the pedals was found not to be excessive relative to other comparable Taurus and Sable vehicles. Therefore, it is unlikely that NHTSA would issue an order requiring Ford to provide a different remedy for this defect. In view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the Agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. For additional information concerning this analysis, please refer to the federal register notice dated March 23, 2004 (vol 69, no 56, pages 13619-13620).

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #RP03001 »

  7. FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE04044

    • Status:
    • Date Opened: May 24, 2004
    • Date Closed: August 16, 2004
    • Recall: Recall #04V332000

    Component: Suspension:Front*

    Summary: ODI possesses 130 vehicle owners questionnaires (voq) alleging front suspension coil spring failure in the subject (model year 1999-2000) vehicles. An additional 11 voqs concerning MY 2001 vehicles have been found, bringing the total to 141. More than 75% of these reports allege that the broken spring damaged or punctured the adjacent tire. All of these reports originated in the salt belt states located in the northeast quadrant of the United States and Canada. Ford will conduct a safety recall (04V-332) covering vehicles soldor currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, to install spring shields in MY 1999-2001 Taurus/Sable vehicles to prevent a fractured spring from damaging the nearby tire. Ford will additionally notify owners of all MY 1999-2001 Taurus/Sable vehicles that warranty coverage for spring fractures has been extended to 10 years of age or 150,000 miles. ODI analyzed Ford's warranty and complaint data and found that 99% of the spring fractures occurred in the states covered by the recall. The other incidents occurred in the states of Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. In view of the coverage of the spring failures by the recall campaign, ODI is closing the preliminary evaluation. ODI will continue to monitor the performance of the subject vehicles throughout the remainder of the country.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE04044 »

    * This defect investigation is filed under 2 related vehicle components.

  8. REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA06002

    • Status:
      CLOSED
    • Date Opened: January 24, 2006
    • Date Closed: February 05, 2007
    • Recall: no recall issued

    Component: Suspension:Rear:Springs*

    Summary: ODI's analysis identified a high complaint rate for the rear coil springs in the salt belt states (approximately 250 per 100,000 vehicles). Approximately 59 percent of the complaints alleged that the coil spring failure caused damage to the adjacent rear tire, with about half of these (30 percent of total complaints) alleging that the damage resulted in air loss. Because air loss from a rear tire can result in changes in vehicle handling characteristics, ODI examined field data, test data and interviewed consumers to assess the safety consequences of such failures in the subject vehicle population. Analysis of all available field data did not identify any crashes or injuries resulting from the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. VRTC testing conducted to simulate a coil spring induced rear tire failure did not result in a loss of vehicle control. When interviewed by ODI, none of the consumers who experienced incidents of tire air loss due to the alleged defect indicated that the failures caused a loss of vehicle control. Tire damage resulting from the alleged defect has involved rubbing/abrasive wear of the inner tire sidewall with the potential for air loss from pin-hole sized leaks in the wear "groove". there is no evidence that the alleged defect has caused any sudden, catastrophic tire failures in either straight or turning maneuvers. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of Agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See document file for additional information regarding this resume.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA06002 »

    * This defect investigation is filed under 3 related vehicle components.

  9. REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURE NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE05054

    • Status:
      CLOSED
    • Date Opened: September 27, 2005
    • Date Closed: January 24, 2006
    • Recall: no recall issued

    Component: Suspension:Rear:Springs*

    Summary: The office of defect investigation (ODI) opened preliminary evaluation, PE05-054, based on 131 vehicle owner questionnaires related to alleged rear coil spring fractures. Since opening the investigation there have been an additional sixty-three (63) complaints alleging rear coil spring fracture. An analysis of the vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) submitted to ODI reveals that 42% of the complainants allege that the adjacent tire was punctured as result of a rear coil spring fracture. Additionally, an analysis of the complaint data received by ODI from Ford reveals the following: There were a total of 553 unique vehicle complaints of coil spring fracture. 30% of the complaints allege that the rear coil spring fracture resulted in the adjacent tire being punctured. An engineering analysis (EA06-002) is being opened to further examine the potential safety implications of the rear coil spring fractures as related to tire punctures.

    NHTSA: For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE05054 »

    * This defect investigation is filed under 2 related vehicle components.

Browse Other Taurus Years

Become a Fan & Spread the Word

Click this button - it helps us do better in Google searches.