Problems with 1999 Ford Taurus SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front passenger side brake line fractured. the contact was able to cruise to a stop safely. the vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and the brake line was repaired. the mechanic stated that the brake line was corroded. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.

My brake pedal went all the way to the floor board, and i could not stop so i crashed into the car in front of me and it in turn crashed into the car in front of it. *tr

A 51 point inspection done on a 1999 ford taurus i purchased that had the following safety issues: cracked brakes, loose pinion rod, transmission, steering wheel off center to name a few items. required a flushing, oil, etc. i had to pay out of pocket to have most of these items repaired or replaced. some old parts are available, but i also have documentation to support my complaint. i have not had the transmission fixed due to funds. these items are a safety issue and could have cause a major accident. *tr

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. *tr

I just purchased this vehicle from a car dealer. since i purchase my bolts to the back brakes came out. front end is making noises especially when turning the wheel. back window is ready to break off missing passenger side hinge to hold the window in place. brakes squeal. electrical system is not working properly for example the power doors do not unlock, the power seat does not adjust when you push the button, the trunk can not be opened with the key, the doors have to be unlock manually. *tr

Loss of braking due to rear brake lines corroding and resulting fluid loss. an internet search indicates this is a very common problem with ford tauruses of this era. failure occurred near the rear of the driver's door. car is awaiting repair. *tr

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. *tr

Tl*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 *cn the corrosion was caused by water being trapped by a plastic guide that held the brake lines to the underside of the vehicle. updated

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford taurus. the contact's wife attempted to stop the vehicle, but the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. the contact placed brake fluid into the brake reservoir and depressed the brake pedal, in which it extended to the floor again. he inspected the undercarriage and noticed that the brake lines were corroded all the way through. in addition, all the fluid he added leaked onto the ground. the dealer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v075000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components). the current mileage was 57,456 and failure mileage was 57,445.

Total brake failure: having worked on cars for 40+ years and owned many vehicles over the years, it was a surprise to suffer total brake failure without ever having the brake light indicate a failure. for as long as i can remember, all my vehicles had a primary and secondary brake circuit with a pressure differential switch that would latch and light the brake warning light. on several occasions a partial brake failure was caught by the warning light. master cylinder replacement was performed quickly as driving with one circuit is dangerous. the 1999 ford taurus has no brake pressure differential switch, no kidding! if one does not make panic stops as a regular part of driving, it is easier than one would think to have a partial failure go undetected (despite that there must have been extra pedal travel). when the second circuit fails the result is total brake failure without warning. in my opinion, this is criminal negligence, the same type of thinking as the ford pinto fuel tank. forget the cup holder, spend the money on the safety switch!!! i shudder to think of people seriously injured due to this missing switch. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford taurus. while driving 30 mph, the brake warning light illuminated and the stopping distance increased. the contact noticed rust on the rear brake line as well as brake fluid leaking. as of september 5, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 119,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford taurus. while driving 15 mph the consumers daughter depressed the brakes and the vehicle failed to stop. she had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic and he stated that the brake lines were rusted. the failure and current mileages were 118,000. updated 02-01-08. *kb the consumer stated the brake lines had rusted. updated

My 1999 ford taurus brake line corroded and fell into pieces. this metal line should not have had this problem. the metal alloy in this line is at fault and should be recalled or warranty due to the severely dangerous outcome. my 16 year old pulled the car into the driveway when the line literally blew and all of the fluid blew out. it was a miracle that this did not occur any other time while driving because there is no pedal braking at all! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle was idling high. this confirmed that the cruise control was off. the contact engaged the brakes. however, the high idle continued to occur. when the contact attempted to stop the vehicle stalled and the brakes failed. the current and failure mileage was 97,000 miles. *ak

We had a total brake failure on our 1999 ford taurus, we drove out of our drive way going to the mail box and when we hit the brakes the brake failure light came on as the brakes went to the floor and the car coasted to a stop. if we had been going faster it would have been very serious. the problem was that the brake line to the back brakes split and leaked all the fluid which led to the failure, are these cars supposed to have a back up systems?*jb

My wife was pulling up to pick up for her prescription when she applied the brake it failed. steel brake line failure. 18 foot of steel brake line was replaced. *jb

my wife recently experienced a total brake failure on my 99 taurus wagon (46k miles). she was starting out of her parking space so there was no collision. this should not have happened as this vehicle has a dual diagonal system for safety. unfortunately the diagonal part is what did it in as the two lines running to the rear wheels were run together and both rotted out simultaneously. *nm

Consumer felt a pop in the brakes on his 1999 ford taurus. upon inspection mechanic determined that the brake line had failed due to corrosion and the passenger side also needed replacement. *kb *jb

Total brake system failure i was driving the vehicle at medium speed, and pressed the brakes to slow down at the curve. to my horror the brake pedal went down all the way without slowing the car at all. there was no brake warning light. the brakes came back briefly after pressing a few times, but went off again at the next stop light. the car ran through a red light, but fortunately there was no cross traffic. i pulled over slowing it down and put it into park. we got the car towed to the nearest brakes repair shop. the mechanic has informed us that the cause is an "internal leak in the master cylinder". *jb

On dec. 14, 2005, with 60,001 miles, the vehicles service (hydraulic) brake system failed. fullerton ford of somerville, nj evaluated the vehicle, and found that a badly rusted steel brake fluid tube (which feeds fluid to the rear brakes) had ruptured. given the cars low mileage, relatively young age and the fact that this type of failure could lead to a catastrophic accident, i feel it indicates substandard materials used in the cars manufacture and should require a recall and parts replacement at ford's expense. *jb

Dt: the contact stated while driving on the highway she put foot on the brake pedal and it went to the floor. she put the vehicle in neutral and used the emergency brake to stop. the vehicle was then towed to a service station. the main brake assembly was being replaced. *ak

Dt: the brake lines tubing rusted from the outside. the brake line failed and the consumer lost braking ability. had to take a section out. talked to dealer, they said nothing they could do. this happened on august 26, 2005. was pulling it into the shed changed the oil and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. *ak the tube assembly was replaced (f8dz-2c287/aa, f6dz-2l568/aa, f8dz-26569/aa). the consumer had the factory parts replaced to prevent further failure. the consumer still has the old part in his possession. *nm

Dt: the contact has a 1999 ford taurus and has had consistent problems with the car since it was bought new. she has been complaining for the last 48,000 miles for the same things. most recently last week she took vehicle to the dealer for a leak in the master cylinder, which they repaired. . they cleaned the hubs. she had to push the brakes all the way to get the car to stop. they replaced brake booster, machined rotors, and put new brake pads on. at 1,700 miles had to take vehicle to dealer for a noise she from the brakes. they cleaned the hubs. at 22,466 brakes and serpentine belt were checked. they put a new serpentine belt on at 22,500 miles. also, had multiple electrical problems with the car. 4 multifunction switches were replaced. in addition, a head lamp control switch was replaced at 17,000 mile, and a new radio put in.*ak the a/c had alo bee worked on twice. *nm

Consumer was driving down a country road in a 1999 ford taurus station wagon when the brakes failed with no warning and the pedal went to the floor. fortunately, consumer was able to coast to a stop with no damage and safely exit the vehicle. the following day the vehicle was driven (using the emergency brake) to the dealer who subsequently determined that the steel tubing of the brake line had rusted through, causing the failure. having never heard of such a failure in three decades of being involved with automotive repair in a northern climate with salted roads, and in view of the fact that this vehicle spent only a few years in a northern climate prior to moving to a snow-free area, consumer requested and was given the failed brake lines as evidence (still available). replacing the brake lines cost over $100 in parts and supplies and over $360 in labor, for a total bill of $471.18. a subsequent search of the nhtsa database revealed other complaints about this same problem with the taurus (see odi #10117988 and #10124628) with no investigation initiated by either ford or nhtsa. evidently investigations do not happen unless there is a fire, death, injury, etc., and these complaints involved: a taurus that had already exited a highway; one in a mcdonald's drive-thru; and this one on an isolated road. it seems incredible that no action is taken on such an obvious material design defect that can result in a sudden loss of braking with absolutely no warning. what does it take to get the nhtsa's attention?

Recall 04s17 parts are not available to fix car.was told in august 2004 the parts would be available in december 2004, in janyary 2005 got post card saying parts will be available in march 2005 it's now may 2005 and has not heard from manufacturer on parts. *ak

When i brake at highway speed the steering wheel vibrates very bad. the rotors were replaced when the car was new. i am on my third set of brake pads and third set of tires in 80,000 miles. i have been told by mechanics that there was a problem with the rotors on my 99 ford taurus but ford refuses to acknowledge. this is a very dangerous situation because the sterring wheel almost jumps out of your hand.*ak

A new oil pump was replaced and the engine was still knocking. dealer stated that the lifters were bad. also, brakes were replaced four times.*ak

While braking engine started racing at a high rate intermittently. consumer hade to pump the brakes. this caused a minor collision. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak

Brakes were applied while changing lanes and nothing happened, emergency brake had to be applied. *ph *mr

My ford taurus ant-lock brake system light under the dash board while driving alternately flashes on and off sometimes while i am braking. while braking sometimes the anti-lock brakes doesn't work.*ak

While driving at any speed consumer felt pulsation and vibration when braking. the abs light stayed on at all times, and there was a humming coming from under the hood. *ak

Swaybar endlinks are junk but dealer insists oem only way to go. aodx transmission kicks in and out. now experiencing p0500 code (faulty speed sensor)? rear brakes have always squeeled (even with oem pads) have had two apparent blowouts of pass side seal in rack.

Abs warning light in on all the time. dealer has inspected vehicleseveral time and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak

Brake rotors on 1999 ford taurus are becoming warped and causing the brakes to vibrate and the steering to shake when the brakes are applied at 40 mph and over. i believe that this is also causing an increase in the time required to stop the vehicle. i have had to have my rotors turned twice, the first time at 30,016 miles and just recently at 52,400 miles. the dealer told me that he is seeing this with lots of 1999 taurus vehicles, and he believes there is a design problem. *jb

Problems with car since day one. began with wipers turning on by themselves, spoke to mechanic, said it was nothing to worry about. then the car kept refusing to switch gears (second to third), the speedometer would quit and car died on side of road several times. along with this problem, the brakes squealed very loud. called dealer, would not help, sent me to ford dealer (dave goulds). replaced speed sensor, scraped "rust" off brakes and said they may continue to squeal, they do! the car picks up speed from no where, specially when coming from a stop. very scarey, refuse to let my daughter drive because of it. now the power steering is making a horrible hum and i have lost power steering on several occaisions. added fluid, the next day it looked like cocoa bubbling out. i contacted the gould ford dealership and i have to bring it in tomorrow. i am afraid to drive it and he tells me that my extended warranty most likely won't cover the repair (they didn't cover the speed sensor either). i bought this car at a local company after a severe accident, it was traumatizing to get back behind the wheel, but this car is like a rolling death trap, why isn't ford recalling them? mr

While pulling into garage at idle speed consumer applied brake. the pedal went to the floor and vehicle hit the wall of garage. vehicle has not been examined by dealer. damage to vehicle and garage unknown at this time. no injuries. nlm

Shortly after purchasing my taurus i noticed a slight vibration when braking. it was very minor and i did not worry about it - thinking it was a knot on a tire. it got steadily worse and when i had a mechanic look at it he told me i needed new tie rod ends. the front tires had both worn to the steel belts. i replaced both the tie rod ends and the tires. now i am still feeling the shudder when i brake and last week i started noticeing the steering was getting difficult and humming as i turned. i took the car to the mechanic today and he said the rack and pinion was leaking and needed to be replaced. he suggested your website and i have found numerous other people with the same problem. ford needs to do something about this, it seems to be getting out of hand. i hope you can pressure them into standing behind their product and do what is fair.

Exciter rims on abs switch broke, leaving vehicle without any brakes. contacted dealer.*ak consumer stated that tires wear out fast since the vehicle had no camber adjustment on rear wheels due to rear end being out of line. *yh

Vehicle vibrates excessively in the front when the brakes are applied.*ak

Front tire would shake when coming to a stop, took vehicle to dealer, and they stated that front brake rotors were warped. caused unknown. *ak *jg

Upon examining my recently purchased 1999 taurus, i discovered that the brake lines in the rear location near the left wheel are severely rusted repeat rusted. it appears that a brake line failure could occure at any time.*ak

Rotors heat up and are warped, causing vehicle to shimmy when coming to a stop. contacted dealer, and taking vehicle to dealership. *ak

Front brake rotors were going out of round. had three sets of rotors replaced. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Brakes act as if they were not going to stop, first time i carried the car back ford fixed the brakes, so they say. i carried the car back several times after that and they say the found no problems, i finally had to take the car and have the brakes repaired.. when sitting still, car pulsates, dealer said that this is called erratic idling the first time i carried it, they said reason unknow. the other times that i carried it they say they couldn't find anything wrong. rack and penion went out, ford charged me 180.00 to fix.

Warped brake rotors, severe vibration when braking, especially down hill, rotors and pads replaced, problem reoccurred.*ak

Warped brake rotors. contacted dealer, dealer said that it was a common problem that those brakes can warp at 10 thousand miles or in rain. also that rotors can't be resurfaced. *ak rotors were resurfaced twice by the dealer. *yh

Foul odor in psgr compartment after eng gets hot (20 min); retd to dlr 3x, dlr=no prob found;brakes=pulsate,turned rotors;intermittent washer spray when wipers on(washer fluid not activated) =turn signal sw rplcd;broken mo mount found, dlr replcd; sway bar brkn, dlr replcd; dlr bought vehl back due to odor problem-slsman & uv mgr were wonderful, serv dept =depends on tech involved; bought 2000 tau ses fr bd ford. *ak

Vehicle/steering colum vibrates when brakes applied at speeds 40+mph. dealer states rotors warped. corrective action is to turn rotors. rotors need turning at about 5000 miles. replaced rotors, now awaiting problem to reoccure. dealer offers no corrective action or reason as to why rotors warp so quickly or numerous times. just a common problem with ford taurus. vehicle very dangerous to handle, especially at highway speeds. awaiting next failure. problem #2 front bumper paint peeling/cracking and flaking off. vehicle under warranty, dealer states not a paint defect. however, bumper paint in bad shape. bumper paint not covered under any warranty according to dealer. have filed complaint with manfacture. dealer willing to paint bumper for large sum of money. so much for a vehicle warranty.*ak

While driving at 40-45 mph, applied brakes and vehicle did not stop , pedal felt normal, rearended another vehicle, minor damage to vehicle. mechaic found rear brakes locked up. *ak the brakes failed with only 30000 miles of normal driving. *yh

Passenger door window inoperable. *slc