Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My battery light goes on a few seconds after the engine starts and i put the car in drive. the light stays on till i turn car off. replaced battery, replaced starter, had the alternator checked and was told its numbers were good but no one knows why the battery light goes on. upon further inspection found the wires are melting because of their position on and around the alternator. there is one, for example, that sits across on top of the alternator and appears to be melting as the unit gets hot. was told by several mechanics that this has been a manufacturing problem on these cars. ford has changed the positioning of their alternator wires on later models. it concerns me that this can cause a fire or can affect other connected components. the battery light refuses to turn off.

My interior light stays on while i'm driving, and will stay on 2-3 hours after the engine has stopped.

Brake lights came on would not turn off. brake switch needs to be replaced. battery died thanks .in motion on street

My car had caught on fire and the police officer and the firemen said it was a electric fire. my car was sitting in front of my apartment building at 8:30 p.m. and that between 3 and 4 a.m. a car that caught on fire and i was not even driving it was just sitting there park.

After driving for awhile and the car is still in motion, the pressing on the brake to slow down, the engine stall's out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving at various speeds, the anti-theft warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle had to be jumpstarted. the contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the alarm system failed; however, was unable to identify the exact cause of the failure due to no failure codes. the alternator and starter were replaced, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Driving 6am today both my headlights turned off while driving. they turned back on 5 second later but that is the second time it has happened within the last 30 days. also dashboard lights turned off and on random times for the last year even this morning but different time then headlight issue.

Riding down route 539 at 5:00 pm when the theft alarm came on and car cut off and jerked and restarted at the time the truck almost hit me in the rear end which i could have been killed i made to the shopping center and had it taken to my auto repair shop were it still is. my repairman is running all kinds of test to find the problem and correct it. ford needs to recall the car before someone gets killed and car dealer should also be held accountable for selling a car that is unsafe.

The park lamp switch seems to be failing and intermittently will stop working causing the brake lights to fail and the vehicle to not switch out of park. using the vin number the recall doesn't apply to my vehicle but obviously the recall needs to be expanded. your help with addressing this matter would be appreciated. thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate and the transmission would not shift out of park. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop who replaced the brake light switch and the wire assembly. the vehicle was repaired. the contact was not included in recall nhtsa campaign id number: 04v106000 (exterior lighting). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

My 2003 ford taurus accelerates by itself to 35-45 mph without having to touch the accelerator (note: the car will also accelerate uphill without having to press the accelerator. also, the cruise control light works, but the cruise control itself is not engaging. *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.

For the first 6 years this car was garaged, as soon as it was parked outside, exposed to the weather, a very bad water leak appeared. i constantly get water on the floor of the passenger side. this leak fried my blower motor, resulting in no heat. the blower motor was replaced, but the leak is still present. once again, i find myself with no heat. the blower motor works, but is not getting any power to it. the resistor has been replaced, and all fuses and relays are fine. driving in connecticut with no heat in the winter is a difficult task.

a water leak which dumped water onto the passenger floor board also caused my ac blower motor to short out. ford will not honor a recall but will fix it for $550 replacing the blower motor,blower motor resistor and the leak that they said was coming from a "rain cap" on the windshield. i looked online and have seen several complaints about the same problem. *tr

Water leaking in from cowl panel...causing heater motor to rust out...could cause a fire. *tr

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

My husband picked me up from school and he went in the store and the car while me and my 1 year old were in the car started smoking like from the air conditioner part the whole front part of the car, my husband ran out of store stating car was on fire he pulled car way from gas station, i got out of car and got my daughter out, fire was coming out of hood and bottom of car high we called fire department everything is on camera, than a police officer came out. the fire department put out the fire.

Brake light switch failed, at first the car wouldn't go out of park, after several tries it finally did. at that point it was noticed that the brake lights wouldn't turn off. i found an old recall that appeared to match the vehicle (04s12) but the ford dealer stated my car was not part of that recall and they would not state whether the car had already had it done or not. *tr

Oct 2012 bought my ford taurus 2003. in november as i drove home at 3 am at 55 mph the cars dashboard lights all flashed across my dash then the headlights went out as i pulled to the side of the road the car stalled. i sat for approx 15 restarted car and got it home. the next morn the battery was dead. purchased battery. car ran fine for a year then changed coils in october 2013. ion november i was driving 55 mph and all of a sudden dash and headlights went out. i was able to move the car into a driveway before gettin hit by 2 cars. car was towed to my house i charged battery check the alternator. next day car was started 3 times. the fourth time no go. car towed to mechanic. or shall i say dealership where car is under warranty. they called next day to tell me it was a dead battery they have charged it for an hour. i let the car sit there for a few days then called back, they then said my neg term to my battery wasn't connected.. and the car is now fixed, the car has sat at dealership for three weeks. im scared to drive it and don't want my four kids in that death trap. *tr

Affected part: starter...car would not start. i got it jumped and drove to autozone to test. starter was dead. replaced starter. affected part: not sure what part but i am having problems with the headlights/dashlights and air, all weakening as i am driving. vehicles think i am flashing my headlights at them. *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

My son was driving along when the radio stopped working and than the car would not accelerate. he pulled over and it stalled and he saw fire under the hood. the police officer suspects an electrical problem. the car burnt from front to rear..a total loss. *tr

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

Total transmission failure out of no where. multiple other phantom engine failures/engine inexplicably dies. *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

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the ignition starter was replaced for the second time. the original starter that was installed by the manufacturer was replaced in august of 2011. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the failure mileage and the vin were unavailable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated while driving 20 mph, the exterior lights and the instrument panel lights failed simutaneously. the light would remain off for approximatley five to ten seconds before re-illuminating. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted to report the failure. the failure mileage was 55,000.

When my car is parked in the rain, water will leak into the passenger side floorboard of the passenger compartment. on approximately february 1, 2011, it shorted out the blower motor that cools/heats the passenger compartment after sitting in the rain at the airport parking lot. since then, i have experienced several instances of water in the passenger floorboard. i had experienced the same water leak in 2006, but the short of the blower did not occur until this year.

1st occurrence: driving on freeway, all electrical power lost except antitheft light on dash on. turn signals not functioning, was lucky to get to shoulder, no hazards worked while on shoulder. stranded for approx 1 hr when all power came back and car functioned normally. 2nd occurrence; car was parked at work, antitheft light on and all electrical dead leaving driver stranded. will be towing to ford dealership if it doesn't start tomorrow. *ln

I had to have my transmission rebuilt last dec and now am experiencing electrical problems, my signal lights/hazard lights do not work and was told the wires and harness need to be replaced. hinges that hold rear window in have snapped off, window held in place by lock. *tr

Car was going approximately 45 miles per hour when the "check engine" light came on. car was taken to the car repair shop and it was discovered that the entire computer had to be replaced. a remanufactured computer was installed into the car and the cost was still over $600. mileage of the car was approximately 155,000. *tr

Power windows will not roll up or down, mirrors do not work, inside lights are out. ford replaced gem module a couple of years before for the same problem costing me money at that time. when the windows would not roll up or down, ford would replace fuse and in a few minutes the fuse would blow, again and again they did this and now they are not interested in fixing the problems since the vehicle is older and not under warranty and they claim fixing it would cost more than the vehicle is worth. i have a very good vehicle and would like to use the windows and mirrors and especially the lights inside and i feel this is definitely a safety hazard to me since i travel alone a lot each year. i have contacted ford and they repeatly state that they do not have any recalls and are not aware of such problems. i even sent them websites from people who are having these problems with the windows. all you have to do is goggle: taurus window problems and there are numerous owners with this problem. hope you can help with this matter as ford is not listening to us..... *tt

Repeated stalling of my 2003 ford taurus upon deceleration. rpm's drop to around 500 and then the engine either surges to approximately 1200 rpms (3 times in a row) and then idles normally or stalls. oddly if i shut off the blower fan, and shut off the radio i can prevent the stall but i still get the rpm bounce. there are no codes recorded in the onboard computer when this occurs. this happens very frequently and is very dangerous as i loose all power while operating the vehicle in traffic. *tr

On february 5, 2010 my 2003 ford taurus caught fire at 1:00 p.m. parked under our car porch and there was no one in the car and no one had driven the car for 5 hours on saturday morning. the shreveport fire department was call to keep the house from burning down with the car. the city fire marshall said the fire was caused by the cruise control switch. i told him no one uses the cruise control in that car because we just go in town and there is a red light at every corner. he stated that he had been to many other fires just like this one and it was always the cruise control switch. my husband is emotionally disabled and i nearly had a nervous breakdown just the sight that our investment was burning up and there was nothing we could do. i have call the fire marshall for a written copy of his report. i have taken pictures of the vehicle and their is some minor damages and lots of smoke damage to done to the house. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that when it rained, water made its way into the vehicle from the instrument panel and flooded the front passenger side. furthermore, the defroster did not work. the steering wheel vibrated and, interior light was always illuminated and the door locks did not engage automatically. the contact called the dealership and was advised to take the vehicle in for repair at his expense. the current and failure mileages were 140,586.

Blower fan failure to operate and when it did work, it made a loud squeaking noise. finally complete failure. system evaluatlion, fuses, circuit breakers, harnesses all good. removed fan motor housing and fan motor. both showed evidence of water collecting in the housing and motor itself. to correct the problem i purchased a fan motor , installed and reassembled everything. my question, is this going to happen again? *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 2003 ford taurus se has been cutting out while i am driving. all power goes out and the lights flash on the dash like a christmas tree. this problem has been occurring for about 9 months now and i have had it to the dealership 3 times only to have them tell me that there is nothing wrong with the car. everything locks up on the car, including the steering column and the brakes, and i am unable to do anything. after 3-8 seconds it will start itself back up again and i regain full control of the car. i have no idea why, but when i was trying to figure it out, i came across this website of people who have experienced the same thing and gotten no answers: http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-taurus/10048-taurus-shuts-off-starts-itself-while-driving.html if you can help me, please do! it's just not safe for my 1-year-old and i to be driving around unsure of when the car will do this again!! it's a horrible accident waiting to happen!*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

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

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

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

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

My 2003 ford taurus blower motor started to work only part of the time and then eventually stopped completely. i have read many other having this same problem. i live in northern mn where we temperatures at the end of jan beginning of feb of - 40 below and highs of - 5 below. the blower is extremely important. others that have the same problem are being told that water is getting into the blower and destroying them time after time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while attempting to use the air conditioner or heating system the contact noticed that no air blow out of the vehicles vents. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the resistor was replaced, however the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic where the resistor was replaced for the second. there were no prior warnings. the failure mileage was 51000 and the current mileage was 59000. updated 12/10/10. *lj the consumer stated he replaced three resistor units and a protective bonnet for the outside air vent and a new blower unit. updated 12/17/10*jb

Water leaks into the passenger side front floor board. water also accumulates in the blower motor housing, causing it and the control resistor to short out. *tr

Dash lights won't work except for hazard lights which stay on at all times when light switch activated. all other interior and exterior lights work. started during cold months but would resolve when car warmed up. now the lights are totally out. this is a safety hazard since i cannot see the gauges as i am driving to and from work in the dark. it seems to be a crossed wire or circuit board malfunction. tried to explain problem to local dealership, had appointment and then they wanted it to sit there for 3 days while technician who started the work was off!! it will be going to a new dealership on monday! *tr

The air conditioner fan has stopped working due to a leak in a defective cowl. *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

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that there should be a splash shield over the cabin filter, located above the heater and near the blower fan. when it rains, water enters and shorts out the resistor or fan. as a result, power is lost. the dealer stated that there was no recall, only service bulletin number 31506. the contact has to purchase a splash shield, which prevents water from seeping down into the blower fan. he stated that this was the third resistor that has been installed since june of 2008 because they continue to short out. the failure mileage was 92,000. updated 11-25-08 *bf updated 11/26/08. *jb