Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus VISIBILITY

The floor board on passenger side is wet and heater blower only blows on setting 4. mechanic said water shorted out blower motor. did some searching and found i wasn't the only one. please see the following; reference recall number 03v087000 and other complaint 10184014. this will show a continuing trend. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving at any speed, the blower motor emitted smoke from under the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle. the failure recurred three times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the resister blower motor was getting damaged with water from the crow and under the air cabin filter where the installation of the cabin air filter. the technician informed the contact that the vehicle need to be taken to a dealer to have the installation replaced. the vehicle was repaired twice; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 132,000.

My battery discharge light came on then the abs light, the brake light and others. i have taken it to a repair shop and neither he nor i can find the battery drain. the computer doesn't show anything. at times if its raining the wipers go as does the heat or air blower. i have also noticed the transmission not shifting correctly. my main concern is the engine stopping or the brakes not working and i have had my wipers not work in a rain storm . any advice? *js

The heater blower motor has stopped working in my vehicle. i have had it replaced once and it worked for about 2 months before failing again. ford has issues a bulletin on this issue and it is a known problem, but they will not fix the problem if the car is no longer under warranty. *tr

Failure of blower motor. my research shows that water leaking into the blower motor compartment and shorting-out the blower motor/resistor is chronic in the 2003 ford taurus, evidenced by the presence of water on the floor passenger side-front, and necessitates replacement of the blower motor and/or ballast resistor from water damage, at owner expense! a recall is in order to compel ford to address this design issue, at their expense. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact was driving 25 mph with the defroster activated when she smelled an abnormal odor. the contact then discovered that the rear window had become discolored. the defroster was turned off and the odor diminished. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the windshield separated from the vehicle, causing water leaks and increased wind noise. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 03v087000 (visibility:windshield). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,200.

Water leak on passenger floor,shorted blower motor. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the defroster was inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised him that the blower motor had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 58,000.

A water leak which dumped water onto the passenger floor board also caused my ac blower motor to short out. i am not sure if this is related to recall 03v087000 but i know it is the same problem as complaint #10184014. *tr

A water leak, possibly from a faulty seal, onto the passenger interior floor board also caused my ac/heater blower motor to short out. my heater switch will only work in the maximum position. from what i have read it is due to a heater motor resistor, which has caused similar problems for other taurus owners. i could not get ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03v087000. *tr

I own a 2003 ford taurus that began having water leaks that kept shorting out the vehicles blower motor resistor. these events occurred between 12/10/2010 to 05/24/2011 during which at my expense two resistors were installed. after a short period they continued to fail as did the blower motor. i took the vehicle to a ford dealership and was told that i had water damage that caused the blower motor to fail. a new blower motor plus new cowl insulation was in stalled at a cost of $468.42.the two resistors i previously had installed cost $80.00 parts and labor. i did an internet search and found this to be a common problem with my automotive model and ford should had a recall and fixed this factory defect. i feel i should be reimbursed by ford motor company. i have heard that this repair should fall under ford recall 03v087000 but the dealership says no. it is my understanding that another complaint is on file with you concerning this matter (10184014). i would appreciate your investigation in this matter. *tr

2003 ford taurus sec wagon with a leaky windshield. water got into my a/c blower fan housing and shorted out the a/c blower fan, caused the blower fan to fail, the automatic temperature resister switch and the 40 amp fuse in the same system due to water entering into the car from the windshield and cowl design flaw. the result is a loss of defroster and anti-fog capability resulting in a severe loss of visibility due to a loss of said capability and/or functionality. *tr

Purchased 2003 ford taurus with 49k miles 8 months ago. blower motor and resistor have failed twice. water is coming into the blower housing through the air intake. recent failure at 60k happened in cold weather while on the road, causing fan to stop working and windshield rapidly fogged over, making it impossible to see. failure was accompanied by strong electrical burning smell. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the heater blower had malfunctioned. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have a the blower resistor replaced yet the repair did not correct the failure. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the dealer discovered water damage around the heater blower. the dealer created a shield around and replaced the heater blower. the failure mileage was 49,152.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that whenever the air conditioner was activated, the front passenger side floorboard would become wet. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that motor blower would need to be replaced. there were no prior warnings of the failure. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 86,000.

I have just purchased a 03 taurus which leaked water onto the passenger floor board also causing my ac blower motor to short out. when it is raining, humid or later when it gets cold there will be no way to keep the windshield clear of interior condensation or frost. this will make driving dangerous if caught in a storm. i have been able to get ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03v087000. i have found many others with this problem. i have read the descriptions related to recall number 03v087000 and ford tsb 04-15-3. i also see there is an existing complaint number to nhtsa: 10184014. the water leaks during storms regardless of whether the car is driving or sitting still. the fan first would only run on high speed and now won't run at all. this is an known design defect and i am frustrated that i can't get it remedied by ford. *tr

I have a 2003 ford taurus and every time it's setting out in a moderate to heavy rain the right front floorboard gets saturated with water. i've had to replace the blower resistor twice and the blower motor once and the motor in it now is going out. why isn't ford being held responsible for the repairs and costs affiliated with this manufacturing defect and the costs incurred on those of us unfortunate enough to have purchased one of them? due to this issue i nearly had an accident on 03/08/10 when my windshield fogged during a rainstorm and i lost almost all visibility. if i hadn't known the area very well plus 25 years of law enforcement driving i very well could have been seriously injured or killed. nhtsa needs to act on this asap before someone is killed. my name is [xxx] and i can be contacted at [xxx], in mesa, arizona. my car is usually under cover and it flooded with water also in feb. 2009 &feb. 2010, when it was standing out in the rain, not being operated but just out in the rain. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Due to a water leak problem, the ac blower motor failed (shorted out) and was unable to blow defrost air onto the windshield, causing poor visibility while driving. water soaked the passenger floorboard. there was a previous recall #03v087000. another person with the same problem has filed complaint #10184014. *tr

My blower in my 2003 ford taurus has been intermittently failing for a month or so. on friday jan. 8 it quit and will not go. the heat is fine and trickles out, but the blower will not come on at all. it was fine at 8:30pm when i picked a friend up at the airport, but was dead at 10:30pm when i picked up my granddaughter at a friends house. it appears that there has been water in the housing that has shorted out the motor. i understand that ford knows this is a problem with these cars but is reluctant to do a recall to fix it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that both the blower motor and the interior lights experienced failures. as a result, hot air would not blow from the vents and the windshield could not be defrosted. the interior lights illuminated constantly and drained the battery prematurely. the dealer reprogrammed the electrical system computer and corrected the interior light failure. the blower motor failure was not corrected. the failure mileage was 82,555 and the current mileage 85,754. updated 03/05/12*lj updated 03/06/12

My taurus's blower motor stopped functioning in december 2009. i believe the cause is a water leak or blown a/c heater blower motor. i think the leak dumped water onto the passenger floor board also caused my ac blower motor to short out, needing a replacement. after browsing the internet to see if other ford taurus owners had the same or a similar problem, this seems to be a recurring issue with the 2003 ford taurus. *tr

Water in the blower case or on the passenger side floor, and the blower motor only works on high speed. contacted dealer and was told that it was a service bulletin. asked if it was covered under recall number 03v087000 and was told no. *tr

[regarding taurus/sable for water leak and ac blower defect; silent recall; tsb 03-15-6; related recall existing under 03v087000, & possibly also compliance recall 03c03] - also see complaint #10184014 certified car, 2003 ford taurus ses, 47,000 miles have recently (11/7/09) gotten water on passenger floor, & now see that this is a common problem & design defect. now my blower mower has started an unusual sound as well, & this is obviously related. i was told that this sound is water sloshing around & will rust my blower motor, making that yet another repair. have been told that ford will not pay for repair - but have found many instances online where ford did indeed pay 80% of this exact same repair. this is a defect & there are hundreds of complaints about the taurus water problem all over online, yet ford chooses to ignore. *tr

2003 ford taurus, blower motor failing and leaking water onto the floorboard. from the looks of it i am not the only one with this problem. i think there should be a recall from ford to take care of this problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 65 mph in rainy conditions, there was excessive condensation on the windows. the air conditioner was activated, but then suddenly failed without warning. the windshield was unable to defrost, which resulted in reduced visibility. the driver pulled over to the side of the road and cleared off the windows. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the blower motor possibly failed due to water leakage as rust was present. the vehicle was repaired. the failure was mileage 127,600 and current mileage was 127,800. updated 08/21/09. *lj updated 08/26/09. *jb

Heater a/c fan on my 2003 for taurus has stopped working seems ford knows there is a problem but has not issued a recall. this is a safety issue since this particular car will fog up front window unless defroster is run. problem is leaking water into fan area, funny ford has a repair kit for this problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the dealer replaced the fan motor resistor four times. after the fourth repair, the dealer realized that water was leaking into the fan motor which caused the resistor to fail. the dealer also replaced the fan motor and the windshield for $500. he notified the manufacturer; however, they will not admit that the part was defected and they didn't offer to assist with the repair cost. the vin was not available. the failure and the current mileages were 26,000.

I just discovered water in my blower motor on my 2003 ford taurus. recently my blower stopped working all together and it will not work at all now. i am currently going to replace the blower motor resistor and see if this repairs the problem. it seems several people have had this issue. *tr

I own a 2003 ford taurus that the blower is bad and apparently due to water damage through the vent area, i see where on the internet this may be a recurring issue that ford has not issued a recall on. what course of action should i take to get this resolved so i don't have to continue to buy blower motors. the car is very reliable other than this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while the vehicle was parked, the passenger side floorboard became filled with water during a rainstorm. the manufacturer could not assist with any repairs since the vehicle was not under warranty. through online research, the contact found numerous complaints regarding the windshield and water filling up in the vehicle. the contact feels that the water entered through the windshield and is a safety hazard. the current and failure mileages were 129,500.

2003 ford taurus - water leakage through the heater box caused a failure of the ventilation fan, resulting in inability to defrost/defog the windshield for safe operation of the vehicle. *tr

Windshield of 2003 taurus exhibits leaks, wind noise, squeaks and rattles and may reduce protection in the event of a crash or accident. *tr

2003 ford taurus. fan blower motor (for heat and air system) failed due to cowl leak on passenger side of vehicle. known issue for ford. can create hazardous driving conditions if failure occurs during rain or cold weather. (lack of heat or ac to clear windshield). *tr

2003 ford taurus wagon. there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed by a recall: water leaking through the cabin air filter area into cabin compartment and seizing and overheating heating resistor and heater blower motor. my ford dealer told me there were no recalls for these problems on my car which is no longer under warranty the water leaking through the cabin air filter area into the cabin compartment in many 2001-3 taurus's have caused their heater blower motors to bind or seize which also burns out the blower resistor. it also eventually causes mold to form in the heater area and under the dampened carpeting. after noting a burning smell several times in my car's cabin after starting my heater fan, my heater defroster blower at first would not work- only to work a bit later-until it finally ceased to work completely. on at least 3 occasions when this happened my vision while driving was severely impeded due to the windshield fogging or icing up, as the dead blower could not defrost it. when i pulled the heater motor and resistor out (still wired) i discovered the cause of the burning smell. when i turned the ignition and fan switch on, the motor seized which caused the resistor to overheat to the point that literally flames were shooting out of the resistor! luckily i shut the fan off completely when i smelled the burning resistor but it is fortunate the car did not catch on fire. ford is well are of this problem and has issued a technical service bulletin # 04-15-3 to resolve it. the heater blower motor and resistor must be replaced along with the passenger side windshield cowl (which apparently warps from the sun and heat) and an additional piece of rubber molding installed on the rain hat over the cabin air filter. additionally an area near the over the cabin air filter must be silicone caulked and some foam insulation removed for proper drainage. i repeat the above are serious safety issues that need to be addressed by a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that as the vehicle was started, he attempted to activate the defroster but the blower fan failed to operate. in addition, the front passenger floorboard would periodically exhibit water retention. the failure occurred more frequently in rainy and snowy weather conditions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and they informed the contact that there was water within the blower fan motor relay. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

I currently own a 2003 ford taurus sedan. twice in the last 2 or 3 years i noticed water on the carpet on the front passenger side of the vehicle. well, over the last few weeks the blower motor started acting abnormally. finally, on february 23, 2009, i had to take the car to a local dealer to have the blower motor, a resistor bank, a piece of cowl top plastic and some weatherproof gasket replaced. i learned just prior to taking the vehicle in that there was a "tsb" about this same problem for a range of vehicles built between 2001 and 2003. the cost of these repairs was $237.00 in labor and approximately $200.00 in parts. i am annoyed and irritated that ford motor company still can't learn how to make cars, test them as long as they do, build them and then i experience this particular problem that they already knew about, six years after purchasing the vehicle brand new. it was also a potential safety hazard that the blower failed during extremely cold weather operations. i had to park the vehicle at home because there was no heat or any way to defrost the inside of the windshield. *tr

In line with numerous other reports about the 2003 ford taurus, my blower motor and resister have failed due to a water leak on the front passenger side. as a consequence, i cannot defog the windshield while driving. the result lack of visibility is dangerous for my passengers and for nearby cars. correcting this problem is not a simple matter of replacing the blower motor, but also requires a complicated repair of the causative leak. i request nhtsa to look into the numerous complaints like mine and work with ford in issuing a recall for this issue. *tr

I own a 2003 ford taurus with 40,000 miles on it. i have found out on the internet there is a design defect, water can get into the heater system and blows out the blower motor and resister. i am very upset about this and have read that many people that own ford's have the same problem. i should not be having any trouble with a car that has only 40,000 miles on it. *tr

Heater blower failed to start. *tr

Rain water leaks onto the passenger side floorboard. this shorted out the heater/ac blower motor. parts have not been replaced yet. other complaints have been filed re:10184014. there is also a recall to replace the windshield which is the source of the leakage (03v087000). *tr

Due to improper sealing on passenger side of vehicle water leaks in and damages blower motor and blower motor resistor. this renders the defroster inoperable and therefore causes a dangerous visibility situation. this is a very common problem with the 2003 ford taurus. *tr

About 3 weeks ago, the heating/air conditioning on my 2003 ford taurus would only work on a high setting. a couple days later, it stopped working altogether. i took it into a mechanic, who replaced the blower motor and the resistor for over $400. two weeks later, the blower motor went out again. i went to some random forum, and saw over one-hundred people upset because they own an 02 or 03 taurus, and they have the same problem with their blowers. and there has never been a recall? i can't imagine how many taurus owners are having this exact problem. all i know is that it is 20 degrees where i live right now and is going to be colder tomorrow. not only is this uncomfortable, it is dangerous. it is clear that many others have complained about the same situation, so it's clear to me that nothing will be done. i just don't know what to do. *tr

Water leak at front passenger side, replaced blower motor, resistor and cowl, still leaks. reference recall 03v087000 and many additional complaints from owners, specifically 10184014. there was water leaking at passenger dash area on and off since 07. it hadn't leaked in quite a while so i didn't worry about it. the dealer said it would cost about $250.00 to fix and i was waiting to see if it kept up or got worse. then the blower quit working. i spent $373.14 for a new blower motor, resistor assy, weatherstrip, cowl panel and sealant. on the 28th of december, 2008 my front passenger floor was again, full of water. note, this had not happened for many months and should have been fixed with the new cowl put on on december 9th. i asked the dealer if the previous water problem caused the blower motor to go bad. he said it was hard to say. evidently it was "hard to say" because it says right on the receipt "water in blower case". i bought the car in october of 03 (as a used vehicle but still under warranty with only 18,408 miles on it) but was never notified of a recall for this problem. i understand there is a service bulletin out for this problem now. i have been going to the same dealer since april 9th, 04. can you tell me if the recall was in effect at this time or how long the recall was in effect? this is very discouraging. where are the ethics from ford for taking ownership of this problem? maybe i should file for my own "bail out", with the amount of water leakage i've had, i'll probably need it. thank you for your consideration in this matter. jeanne acheson *tr

Blower motor failure. *tr

Heat/ac fan blows only on high. replaced cowl panel and installed rain hat and blower resistor 11/08; blower motor resistor found defective 7/10 and replaced. heat/ac fan blows only on high today 12/10. *tr

Failure of the a/c, heater, defroster fan. *tr

One day my heater stopped blowing. i first checked the blower motor fuse, which was fine. during this process i found that the passenger side floorboard was soaking wet. after research online i found that a bunch of people have had this problem. the water apparently shorted out my blower motor so now i have no heat or air. *tr

I own a 2003 ford taurus which experienced a heater motor and heater switch failure last year. i replace the components myself for around $250.00. this year i have been experiencing water in the passenger side floor after heavy rains and have not been able to determine the cause or location of the water entering the vehicle. this week with the torrential rains we have been experiencing, water was found coming out of my heater motor and heater and draining onto the passenger side foot well carpet while using my heater and defroster. once i got home i removed the heater motor from the air duct and approximately 8 oz. of water poured out on the floor. i surmised the water of this great volume was coming in through the windshield. i search the internet to see if there were other occurrences of this situation and on you web site i found there was a compliance recall on this issue on march 3, 2003 on vehicles built between october 29, 2001 and april 27, 2002 regarding windshield retention requirements. i am filling this complaint on november 17, 2008 in hope other owners will be notified of this defect(s). this poses a considerable financial undertaking by the consumer should the water infiltrate the electrical harness in the suspect vehicles and cause consider electrical component damage within said vehicles. to date i have not received any notification from ford regarding my 2003 ford taurus se with a manufacture date of 12/02 vin.#. i feel the nhtsa should institute an national recall on said vehicles since we are talking about a major fleet model driven vehicle as well one the highest volume model cars driven in fords history my the consumer in general. your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. i look forward to your need response on this damaging situation that most consumers have no knowledge of. sincerely, j. christopher veach. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that water was pouring into the passenger side window of the vehicle and leaking into the heater blower. currently, the blower only works on the high switch and shorting out the wiring switch. the dealer has not been notified, but the contact will call the dealer soon. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 81,699.