Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus VISIBILITY

I have two vehicles and rarely drive my newer car in the rain. i took my newer car on vacation and was returning home when it started to rain. a couple days afterwards i was headed to work when my car started to fog up. i turned on the defrost fans and could barely hear the motor running. i turned to high where it ran for about 1 minute before completely failing. i figured that maybe my blower was failing. i searched on the internet and found that this is not an unusual problem with the 2003 taurus and is a known problem (recall number 03v087000 and complaint 10184014). from what i am hearing, water is leaking into the blower unit and causing it to fail. the blower is in a completely useless due to this leak. i have called the dealership and they said it would be about $500 to fix. this is ridiculous for a design flaw in the manufacturing process. this is a safety issue and a design flaw on the vehicle. the blower was working during and up to the several hours of driving in the rain. *tr

I had the problem that my blower would only work on high speed. my mechanic knew right away that it was the blower motor resistor. so went to ford and bought a new one and replaced it. after about a month i had the same problem. it worked only on high. i had it like this for about a month when i lost the blower completely. went to my mechanic again and he took out the motor, at which time we turned it over and out came about a 1/2 cup of water. water is all over the glove box. also like other complaints on the windshield the button rubber piece has expanded so what flows through there to the glove box. *tr

Noticed pool of water on passenger side floor. at same time tried to run defroster and the fan would not turn on at all. checked all fuses which were good. mechanic assessed that the blower motor was not working. contacted ford dealer, was told that this is a known problem with this car and could be fixed at my expense. they would need to replace the cowl, seal the leak and replace the motor. this is not just an inconvenience, but a safety issue. visibility is affected with no way to defrost the windows. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving approximately 35 mph, the air conditioning unit failed. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the blower motor. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 47,300.

The fan on my heater has gone out on me three times since i purchased this care in august on 2006 - just a little over 2 years. i understand it has to do with a leak under the hood that ford is well aware of (recall 03v087000? - see complaint #10184014). i don't feel i should have to replace this blower every 8 months. *tr

Passenger side floor full of water after it rains, air only blow on high until it recently went completely out. worse this time radio and wiper blades were affected. a recall is needed to fix this problem. *tr

Poor vehicle design allowed water to leak into hvac system causing damage to blower resistor and blower motor. now unable to defrost / defog front windshield. *tr

Blower motor did not work on car. dealer said blower motor shorted because of a leak in the cowl. same thing happened two weeks earlier and was repaired. *tr

Notice about 2 weeks ago that our blower motor was not working at all times. it has progressively gotten worse and now does not work at all. we cannot heat or cool the vehicle or defrost the windshield or side windows. i know the temp control is working because when i turn the ac on there is a faint feeling of cold when i hold my hand on the vents. i actually work for a ford dealer and was told that yes it is a known defect where water leaks in and shorts out the fan module. the dealer told me they would install a new fan and shield so it does not happen again but it would be at my own expense. ford has issued a technical service bulletin according to our advisors but not a recall as they don't feel it is a safety issue. how can this not be a safety concern if you can't clear your windows? *tr

The a/c - heater blower motor stopped working due to a water leak through the cabin filter into the motor housing. it just stopped working. i took it to ford and they replaced the blower motor, resistor, cowl and new weatherstripping at a cost of $465.01. since there is a tsb from ford regarding this, i feel that it should be expanded to an all out recall. ford knows that it is a bad design and ford needs to make good on it's products. *tr

After a strong rain, a leaky cowl in my 2003 taurus let water into my blower motor and shorted it out. the fan only worked on high. i had it fixed once, and then after another storm it immediately shorted out again. then, in the last week (9/1/92008), it stopped working all together, even on high. ford has issued a related recall for a leaky windshield (03v087000), but will not fix this issue, even though it is a known problem. when i went in to talk with ford, they were aware of the problem, but said since it was not yet recalled, they would not fix it for free. i have not as of yet had this replaced again. *tr

Heater blower motor stopped working. fuse and relay are good. checked blower motor, condensation on outside of motor. smells of mold, water on passenger floorboard. in november of 2007 blower stopped but i tapped the housing and it starting working again. now will not do anything. *tr

Leaky cowl. causes floorboard to be constantly soaked. has already been reported with complaint # 10184014. the recall # is 03v087000. the recall needs to be extended to cover these cars no matter the mileage since it is a factory defect. *tr

2003 ford taurus several months ago the heater would not blow and then started working again. i also had water leaking onto the passenger side floor board. again yesterday, my heater and a/c will only blow on high. i see many people online have had the same symptoms. please refer to recall ref# 03v087000 and complaint #10184014. *tr

I started having problems with the a/c blower motor on my car about a month ago. yesterday, 04/23/2008, the blower motor resistor went out causing the blower to work only on high. today, 04/24/2008, the blower motor completely stopped blowing. i know that there is a tsb out for this problem and have read several different websites where other owners have experienced the same problem. this is something i think ford should recall and fix at their expense. if they know it is a problem fix it! why should i have to pay for a repair that is a manufacturer defect? *tr

2003 ford taurus, cowl leak. water leaks into heater and a/c blower motor causing corrosion. blower motor is inoperable. inherent problem, but never corrected. postings of this condition all over the internet. the ford dealer wants almost $600.00 to repair. the is a tsb 03-15-6 on this problem. *tr

2003 ford taurus. blower motor failure due to rain leaking through cabin filter into blower motor. visibility impaired when windshield then fogged. water found on passenger floor. blower and resistor found corroded. dealer replaced motor, resistor, weatherstrip and defective cowl panel/rain hat. labor + parts $412. tsb 03-15-06. *tr

Intermittent blower motor, wet floor passenger side under blower, water inside the blower motor housing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated when turning on the air conditioner, heater, defroster or any one or combination of these components, the vehicle would stall. the failure would occur only when the vehicle was in the drive position. when the vehicle was parked with the engine running, the failure would not occur. the vehicle had not yet been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000 and the current was 100,000. the vin was not available.

1. discovered water collecting in passenger side floorboard, following heavy rains. 2. blower motor resistor failed, causing blower motor to only operate on the highest speed. 3. located technical service bulletin #tsb 04-15-3 which described the problem i was having, the cause, and corrective action required. i took the vehicle to a ford dealership and had the corrective work performed as described in the tsb. *tr

Heater/ac fan only working on high speed then quit entirely, found fan motor full of water . somehow water leaks in from air inlet. ford aware of problem but will not fix. *tr

Taurus with a water leak or blown a/c heater blower motor. the blower on my 2003 ford taurus quit working all together. i have water draining onto the passenger side floor in rain storms. the blower would only work on high speed before it stop working completely. refer to ford recall number: 03v087000. *tr

Blower motor worked then quit all of a sudden when i was driving. did not work on any setting. it was raining and windows were starting to fog. i thought i was going to wreck because i did not have any defroster. recall number 03v087000 does not fix this problem even though its similar. i think it should include this problem because having the blower motor go out is dangerous. *tr

My 2003 ford taurus heater fan motor stopped working in slow speeds at about 51,000 miles, for about a month only the fast speed would work and yesterday the fan stopped working altogether. replaced the relays and fuses to no avail, last resort will be to change out the fan motor itself. *tr

My blower fan and resistor need to be replaced on my 2003 ford taurus wagon because water is leaking in through my cow panel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that recall 03v087000, visibility windshield was related to the failure. the contact stated that he experienced the identical failure related to the recall. ford advised him that his vin was not included in the recall. the contact was filing a safety complaint due to the water entering into the vehicle causing corrosion that shorts out the air conditioner. the vehicle was previously repaired but the failure recurred. the failure mileage was approximately 47,000. the current mileage was 66,000. updated 12/22/10*lj

I own a 2003 ford taurus. the heater blower gets water in it then shorts out and the heater/air blower does not work. it also dumps water into my passenger side floor. i have read on topix.com many complaints about this same problem. why is there no recall? *tr

About 3-4 weeks ago my heater/air conditioner blower starting working on high only. about 1 week ago the blower motor went out all together. i also have water leaking into the passenger floor board (not heater core, since it has not smell). this water has been leaking for a long time but no one could ever find where it was coming from. considering the number of complaints for the same thing there should be a recall for this repair. *tr

Bought a used 2003 ford taurus se and after owning it 6 months, the blower motor started making noises. after a couple months of the noise, the blower motor only works on high. i replaced the blower motor in feb 08 and it will only work on high as well. i noticed many people on the internet are having the same issue and i hope a recall will occur. *tr

In my 2003 ford taurus water leaks in through the cabin air filter, and basically settles within the housing where the blower is shorting out the blower so the heater doesn't work. *tr

My passenger floorboard is constantly damp as water has seemingly leaked through the exterior of the car. this has caused the blower motor to the a/c/heater to quit working. i would essentially have to find the source of the leak as well as buy a new blower motor to solve the problem, but it seems as if ford is aware of the issue yet is hesitant to offer any assistance whatsoever. this is also in reference to recall 03v087000 as well as nhtsa complaint 10184014. *tr

I was driving my 2003 ford taurus on february 5, 2008, when the blower motor ceased working. i also noticed that there was a water leak on the passenger floor board. *tr when i took my car to goodyear i was told that the water leak caused my blower motor to short out. i understand that this is a mechanical problem and the ford motor company should be responsible for the expense of time lost from work and the following costs: r/r blower motor, $88.00; new blower motor, $110.21; cabinet air filter gasket and blower weatherstrip $27.73; r/r/ cabin filter gasket $70.40 and the costs of installation of the air filter $29.66. the total is $362.82. i am referencing ford's existing recall number, 03v087000 and the complaint of william ford #10184014.

Heater blower motor went out on my 2003 ford taurus. it is a known issue through ford motor company, as they have issued a service bulletin on it. my local ford dealer refuses to replace the motor under warranty. water leaks into the motor that causes the problem. there are many people with this same problem. it is dangerous in the winter because my defroster doesn't work and my front windshield stays fogged up. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that water is leaking through the bottom of the windshield. the water leaked into the vents and traveled onto the passenger side floor. the dealer replaced a weather seal and cow panel. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v087000 (visibility:windshield). the current and failure mileages were 40,000. updated 3/11/08 *cn updated 03/11/08 *tr

Within the last month (early feb. 2008) i had noticed a small leak on the passenger side floor mat after a brief warming period (and melting of some snow). then just last week (feb. 18th, 2008) my 1-3 levels of my fan were no longer operating. then on feb. 23, 2008, the 4th and final still operating fan level stopped working as well. i checked all fuses applicable and it turns out that it is most likely the blower resistor that is no longer in operation. now i have no heat or defrost and it makes life more difficult when i need to leave promptly and i can't see out my windows. *tr

My passenger side leaks onto the floor and now the blower has been ruin due to the water that floods in during the rain storms. *tr

About 3 months ago, my windshield wipers began turning themselves on and off for various lengths of time, while switched off. now they run almost non stop. dealer suggests multifunction switch (i changed it -didn't work), or a gem module. a search at taurus car club sites shows this to be a common problem. consumer reports identifies overall electrical problems in all taurus' to be a common issue. *tr

In 2003 tuarus the blower motor and resistor was replaced due to failure from water from ac line. this did not allow ac/heater/defroster fan to function. on highway windows fogged up to zero visability traveling from nc to fl when cold. fortunitly no accident. ford is a ware of problem and knows the fix but when i first took car in blower worked and it cost $200.00 for just a check. ford forum let me know others having problem too and how to fix by replacing motor blower and resistor. have old parts which are rusted from water damage. *cn

2003 ford taurus. blower motor resistor rusty and bad from leaking water. technical service bulletin #031506. nhtsa #10011149. a known issue that should be repaired under a recall. *tr

I have a 2003 ford taurus. i have found water in the passenger floor board. over time, the blower fan has stopped working. during research on the internet, i have found that many consumers have had the same problem, and that ford motor company will not repair this obvious defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. in rainy weather conditions, the contact noticed a large puddle of water on the front passenger side floor. the failure occurs in any type of condition that involves moisture. upon further investigation, it was determined that water was entering the vehicle through the windshield. without repair, water could seep into the heater, burn out the motor, and cause mold to form. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repair. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 70,000 and current mileage was 90,000.

I purchased an 03 ford taurus 5 months ago from a ford dealership in pa. upon the winter season's arrival, i turned on my heat to hear a loud squeaking noise. i took my car to a repair shop where i was told that my blower motor was full of water due to a faulty cowl on the car. i was told that ford was aware of this defect, and that it was semi common, but that ford was not going to cover it under a recall. i was also informed that i would have to pay 500.00 to replace the cowl, the blower motor and a resistor. i called ford to voice my anger about the situation and their response was there were basically not enough complaints and that it was not serious enough to warrant a recall. i disagree. i drive my 1 year old daughter around in the car. i am unable to defrost my windshield because of this, and can often not see out of my winder without rolling them down to let the fog lift off the windows. this is unacceptable. someone could die as a result of this defect. ford must be held responsible for this. there was an apparent related recall, but ford still did not and will not take action. 03v087000 <--- recall. *tr

Tl*the contact own a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the heater would not blow. the dealer stated that water inside the blower motor caused the failure. they replaced the blower motor and resistor. the current and failure mileages were 44,500.

Heater/ac blower only worked on high, water would leak into the passenger side floorboard, now it does not work. there are alot of reports about this for a 2003 ford taurus, please have them recall these and fix them. *tr

1. heavily raining on an hour trip from home. 2. blower motor for heater stopped working making it unable to see road, traffic, etc and making it freezing in car. was almost in accident since unable to see. 3. contacted ford motor co to check recalls. unable to locate however if you google the problem it appears that there is a defect in the making of this vehicle resulting in damage to the blower motor and sensor. ford is aware of the problem and has a fix for it however you must pay for the entire cost. please see the following technical service bulletin tsb 04-15-3. please also see the following sites for several other complaints: http://www.epinions.com/msg/show_~threads/cat_id_~3/id_~11913/forum_id_~124 http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-taurus/5133-2003-taurus-blower-motor.html http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/taurus/2003/tsbs.shtml http://wiki.answers.com/q/what_could_cause_the_blower_on_a_2003_ford_taurus_se_to_stop_working http://www.edmunds.com/ford/taurus/2003/consumerreview.html. *tr

When it came time to use the heat, which wasn't needed before this problem, the heat only worked on high. sometimes it would not even work. now, the air does not work as well. they work on high every once in a while, but that is it. a mechanic told me that he has seen this quite often in this year model, and while you can just replace the blower motor switch for a temporary fix, it will continually go out each year, and the only real fix is to replace the air compressor. *tr

Heater and a/c fan motor suddenly stopped. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 35 mph, the blower fan was very loud and the contact was unable to activate the heat. the dealer stated that the a/c heater blower failed due to water leakage. as of november 2, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the contact felt that the recalled part caused the water leakage. the current and failure mileages were 46,000. updated 12-12-07. *kb the blower motor made a noise and doesn't work at times. updated *jb

I was online checking for an ac/heater blower motor as it only works on high. i discovered a recall for the mercury sable (03v087000) regarding the windshield leaking water onto the passenger side floor. the leak drips on the ac/heater fan motor causing it to short out and to stop operating. i live in wa, i found water on the passenger side floor several times but never found the leak. i see there have been many complaints about this problem. for a temporary repair, i can replace the blower for $500. for a permanent fix, i will also have to replace the windshield, another $500. thanks ford, you recalled the problem on the mercury sable, why not the taurus. *tr

Heavy rain caused water to appear on front passenger side floor in my 2003 ford taurus. heater blower motor stopped working at same time. ford repaired at a cost of $580, including replacing blower. reference recall #03v087000 and complaint #10184014. *jb