Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus POWER TRAIN

The 2003 ford taurus while stopped at a light or applying brakes will surge and lunge forward. very dangerous, because it surges with people walking in front of it and cars in front of the car. the car then feels like it is hit from the rear end and smells like it is about to catch on fire. very scary situation, my children are very scared and we already have an evacuation plan if the car catches on fire. it is defintely not safe. a similar problem has been addressed with the 2006 ford freestyle. it also goes dead while backing up. even when brakes are applied to the floor, it surges and moves forward. the enginge jerking is a very hard jolt. we hope this will be addressed. *tr

Traveling in a busy area, driver attempted to pull out at a traffic light and the transmission lost all drive. all of a sudden, with no warning, the car would not go into any drive gear or reverse. the car had to be towed to a mechanic who looked to see if the filter had fallen causing no fluid to get to the pump. no such luck. appears the pump or pump shaft has failed. a friend of his that does transmission work for ford admitted to this being an issue. it is a shame we have not heard anything from ford about this. i am so grateful that my wife, who normally drives the car, was not stuck in heavy traffic with no way to get off the road. *tr

I bought the car in march 2009 and had was extremely happy with it. on november 5, 2009 my husband and i left for the store. we had not even gotten 1 mile away from the house when the car stopped responding when you pressed on the gas. there was no warning, no loud noises and the car had been running fine. when we stopped to inspect what happened we found that the car would not go into gear. when you shifted out of park--nothing, literally nothing happened. we found out that the transmission had failed and forked over the $1000 to have a rebuilt transmission put in. problem solved--or so we thought. earlier this week (march 22, 2011) my husband left for work and it happened again. same as last time- no warning and the car had been running fine. we are at our wits end with this car and although i love it we cannot afford to keep putting transmissions in it every few months. *tr

I was driving my 2003 ford taurus down i88.. i was doing about 65 mph. all of the sudden my car revs all the way up while i had my foot on the gas. i pull over and try to shift it does not move in any gear. turns out my tranny went.. thanks alot ford. my car only had 118,000 miles on and i had general maintenance on it regularly. this is ridiculous. *tr

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

Parked car overnight, started next morning- car would not move. park worked, all other gears acted as if in neutral. *tr

I was on highway 89s coming off of the ramp when i hit the stop sign at the end of the ramp the ford taurus just stopped. i noticed that it was revving up a lot on the highway then nothing. it is now sitting in the driveway after being towed from clinton st. *tr

Transmission failed on my 2003 taurus with my son driving in heavy rain at night. after almost being hit from behind, he had to push the car off the road & wait for the tow truck, still dangerous on a busy street in any condition or situation. this seems to be a ford issue with no solution. worse yet, there was no warning signs & the fluid smells normal. *tr

My husband was driving in the city late saturday night, and without any previous warning, the transmission completely died. the car was just coasting on it's own momentum. he tried restarting the car, tried reverse-none of the gears worked. our mechanic verified what we feared- we need a new transmission. we are now trying to decide how to handle this. we can not afford thousands of dollars for a new transmission, yet we still owe money on the car. *tr

I was driving my 2003 ford taurus on nb 23 highway at 70 miles ph and all of a sudden my vehicle was like it was put in neutral. had to coast from the left lane over to the right edge of the road, during rush hour traffic. the transmission would not engage. there had been no warnings prior to this event. just all of a sudden you have no transmission. *tr

2003 ford taurus ses, stops on busy highway without warning. transmission failure! car won't move forward or backwards! very dangerous! ford and dealer says it's not their problem! i hope my problem becomes their problem!! they sell us this junk and then don't have to stand behind it...no wonder everyone is buying foreign! *tr

Loss of forward motion on a dangerous highway intersection due to transmission failure. *tr

Driving a 2003 ford taurus sel down the interstate at about 65 mph, the car just stops. luckily, i was able to pull off the highway with no mishaps. i had no warning lights showing, no check engine light on, no engine noises or slippage. after my 300.00 tow back home, i had it checked out and was told the transmission was gone. the car has 108, 000 miles on it. after checking on the internet, it seems this is indicative of the 2003 taurus - the transmission just goes without warning. it could have very easily caused an accident, and seems that with the number of complaints i found, ford should have issued a recall. *tr

2003 ford taurus transmission quit in middle of my wife driving home from work. no warning light, noise, indication of an issue. after she got the car to the side of the road, and parked, she tried to engage the car in "reverse" and there was not a sound of engagement and the same when she tried to engage the car in "drive". this morning i looked at the car and everything she said is true. the transmission failing in the middle of her merging across the main road could have created a devastating accident if people didn't allow her to merge to a safe location at the side of the road. *tr

Transmission failure. vehicle has approximately 60,000 miles. was pulling out into busy traffic. the engine revved but stopped moving. the vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road. this is a one time event. there were no signs, symptoms or warning lights prior to failure. there has been nothing done to repair or correct the problem due to the repair costs. *tr

There are no events leading up to failure!! my 17 year old daughter was getting onto the highway 45 minutes away from home and the car just stopped suddenly, she was in an area where her cell phone had no service, she had to accept help from a stranger that stopped to help! her and her 15 year old sister were terrified!! after finally getting in touch with me i had to have the car towed in which they had to ride with a tow truck driver which was just as scary to them!! since then i have done a small amount of research and my findings are astonishing!!! the 2003 ford taurus has hundreds of complaints about the same problem! transmission failure... i am the only owner of this car and she was driving it to chapel hill because it was safer (in my eyes) that her 1998 mercury marquis, i am very upset that no one has told us owners of this vehicle that there is a known problem with the transmission. i really expect to hear something from someone in reference to fixing this problem or i will be contacting the state attorney general's office. i have documentation of all the other owners and problems. the car has been taken to a local mechanic because there is no way i'm letting ford touch my car again... and will be getting the results later next week, i should not have to be out of a vehicle because of a known problem that could of been fixed sooner! thank you and know i will be hearing from someone soon! *tr

Transmission slipped out of gear while traveling about 30 m.p.h. pulled over , put in park, shut off and restarted vehicle. cycled through gears, no engagement. free wheels in any gear but park. no symptoms prior to this. will update when it is replaced. *tr

Transmission failure while driving down highway. no warnings or signs of malfunction prior to. *tr

2003 ford taurus transmission just stopped pulling. no slipping no problems what so ever then nothing. it only has 43k miles and i'm nearly 80 yrs old. i cannot afford to spend $2000 on a repair that should be repaired at no cost because there should be a recall with all of the complaints i have read for the same problem. it is odd to me that most recalls are for something stupid like a taillight may be prone to leaking but when it comes to life threatening problems it is overlooked. it is just a good thing that she wasn't hit by someone since she had pulled out onto the highway and made it to her lane before the transmission just stopped pulling not noise, pop or anything!! will someone with a backbone please stand up!!! *tr

2003 ford taurus fails at highway speeds to a dead stop. many reports noted on carcomplaints.com - in line with toyota failures. endangers the public. all related to known transmission failure. *tr

I was on i-95 n speed 65 mph. my car revved to 4-5 rpm and i noticed that even as i was pressing on the accelerator that the car was not gaining speed but decelerating. i pulled over on the shoulder an coasted to a stop. the car wasn't/didn't over heat, there was no dashboard lights that came on to warn me. i had no warning of any transmission problems before. i turned off the car and turn the car back on which worked just fine i went to put the car in drive and it wouldn't go anywhere. i put the car in overdrive and reverse an the same thing it was like it was stuck in a constant neutral. the car just hit the 60k mile a few days ago. while i waited on family members to come assist me i checked all fluid levels including the transmission and fluid was correct. from reading on the forums there has been many complaints about this same problem from more than a few thousand people. i will have to go to a shop and the average price for fixing this problem on average is 2 grand. *tr

Stopped at stop sign and car wouldn't accelerate or go into any gear. trouble shot problem as being the torque converter. *tr

Son was driving car, stopped at an intersection to make sure no cars were approaching, took foot off the brake and nothing, stepped on the gas pedal and it would not move. he shut the car off, started it back up, tried all the gears and it would not move. i had driven the car earlier in the day and did not have any problems, there was not any indications anything was wrong. from what i understand this is a huge, common problem with the 2003 fords. i am a student and i had just paid off this car. it has just over 89,000 miles on it. i don't have the amount of money it is going to take to fix this problem. someone needs to tell ford that they have a defect in their vehicles and do something about it. i called ford and all they said they could do was take down my information and told me to take it to the dealer and have it checked out. they know what the problem is and they are ignoring those who have a ford vehicle and refuse to do anything. i am very frustrated since i now have no car and can't buy another one. please do something about this problem so many people are having. *tr

I was driving 55 mgh down the highway, when without warning, the engine started to rev, but my car wound not go forward. coasted to a stop and tried all gears but it just would not move. it was a very hot day, and i was in an area without cell service to call for a tow. it was the torque converter. $1400 to replace. my car only has 76354 miles on it. i have learned that this is a very common problem with 2003 taurus'. *tr

Recently while driving my 2003 ford taurus down a busy highway my transmission quit working almost causing a major pile up it cost me around 2500 dollars to repair the problem here is a link of other consumer complaint http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/taurus/2003/transmission/transmission_failed.shtml. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while merging onto the highway at 70 mph, the speedometer began rapidly decreasing. the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence. the vehicle was inspected by the an independent mechanic who advised that the torque converter was defective. the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not under recall and did not provide any further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 61,000.

Cruise control was set at 70 when the car all-of-the-sudden accelerated out of my control to the highest possible rpm and then snapped at about 90, rendering my car completely useless. i found myself coasting w/ very little control, out in the middle of nowhere, 5 miles from the nearest exit. cost over $2000 out-of-pocket to completely replace 200 transmission-related parts. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact was stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was unable to restart the vehicle and it was towed to her residence. the vehicle was inspected by her personal mechanic who stated that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the current and failure mileage was 58,506. updated 12/21/10*bf updated 12/30/10*jb

I was driving south on two lane highway. car went out of gear as though it were in neutral. would not go back into gear. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated while traveling at 10 mph, the transmission failed without warning. the contact stated there was never any prior indication that the transmission was failing. the dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 101,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 15 mph, approaching a traffic light when suddenly, the rpms increased and the transmission failed to function. the vehicle was towed to her residence, and two days later the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician replaced the transmission. the failure mileage was 110,000.

My wife's 2003 ford taurus with 58,000 miles had the torque converter spline gear,that was not heat treated properly. fail.just out of nowhere.it happened at an intersection.no forward or reverse. this could have been deadly.this is a very common problem, and we feel a recall is in order.thank you. *tr

I own a 2003 ford taurus ses with 123k miles on it. never had a moments trouble out of it till july 1 2010. while driving to work the car just stopped pulling. upon further investigation, i found out that the transmission had failed. i researched the problem and found out that alot of people with the same car have the exact same problem. if i had been on a busy highway this could have ended in a totally different way. this is a very bad safety issue that ford needs to address. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle decelerated abnormally with an increase in engines rpms. the contact mentioned that the failure was encountered once before. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that there was a transmission failure and that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 98,000. the vin was not available.

2003 ford taurus. car was running okay. i was stopped at a red light and when the light changed. i put my foot on the gas pedal and the car would not move. a few days earlier during a heavy rainfall i noticed the rpms meter go up while the speed dipped. i panicked but he car made it home and drove fine for several days thereafter. i was told the transmission was shot. *tr

2003 ford taurus transmission failure without warning! on i-44 in oklahoma, driving with cruise control at 75 mph, engine revved to 4500 rpm and only stopped climbing because i turned off cruise control. it was as if the transmission suddenly went into neutral. we were very fortunate that we were able to get out of very heavy traffic and coast to the shoulder of the highway. the transmission would not allow forward or reverse in any of the gear ranges. we had no prior occurrences of this problem, it came without warning! the vehicle had to be towed to a ford dealership and the transmission was replaced with a rebuilt ford transmission. the dealer told me it was an internal transmission failure. it cost $3171 to replace and $350 for a rental car to use to continue our vacation. we were over 750 miles from home and on the second day of vacation when it occurred. *tr

My wife turned right from a two lane county road onto a four lane us hwy. the car went into neutral as trucks and cars flew past her. she thankfully got off the road and walked back to the nearest store for help. the car was towed to a transmission shop where we were told it was the torque converter and input shaft. the estimate was $1800. the car has over 80k miles and the transmission fluid and filter had been changed at 30k and 60k miles as factory recommended. due to the severity of the intersection where northbound us hwys 441 & 301 split, the speed where traffic changes lanes due to their inability to read signs and then a car stranded in the middle of traffic death easily could have been the outcome. *tr

2003 ford taurus v6 3.0 se the transmission failed without warning on a busy san francisco street while making a turn and accelerating slightly out of the turn. had to push the car out of the street at some peril to myself. i have investigated and there have been numerous complaints about transmission failures on the 2003 taurus. transmission has to be replaced with a rebuild. the cost is $1300.00 plus towing fee. *tr

I was driving my 2003 ford taurus down a state highway, in arkansas, and the transmission went out while driving it. i went to pass a vehicle, and instead of the vehicle kicking into passing gear, it was as if the vehicle went into neutral instead. the engine just revved up and the vehicle started to slow. i barely made it to the side of the road, without being struck by another vehicle. the vehicle gave no indication of any transmission problems and has approximately 132,000 miles on it. there were no shifting issues, sounds, or warning lights. i have read where many other ford taurus owners have experienced nearly the same issue. this could have been much worse than it was, since i was in the middle of a main highway and traveling at approximately 55 miles per hour at the time of the incident. the vehicle will not shift into any forward gear or reverse. *tr

2003 ford taurus, 120,000 miles no warning car just stopped going moving, transmission seems to not be working, goes in every gear just no movement, have had nothing but trouble with this car since i bought it 3 yrs ago. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that when shifting into drive and depressing the accelerator, the vehicle would lunge forward violently. he vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who repaired the failure, but the defect recurred. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 64,000 and the current mileage was 76,000. the vin was unavailable.

I was coming home from work and had just started up an incline after stopping at a stoplight at one of the busiest intersections in st.louis (hwy 64 & lindbergh). as i tried to accelerate, i heard an awful noise and realized i didn't have any power. there were no warning signs....just gone! luckily, i was able to immediately pull off/coast into a nearby mall's parking lot (plaza frontenac). when i got to a stop, i put the car in park, then proceeded to try all the gears on the gearshift. no difference between them....they all seemed like neutral. i kept the car running, checked the transmission fluid, and noticed some grey/black in with the pink (just on the edges). once my husband got there, he verified he thought the grey was from metal shavings from the transmission. i had this happen to my 1997 dodge avenger (transmission gave out at 37k on busy highway at rush hour), so i knew the signs. after having aaa tow my car to a transmission repair shop, we waited for the verdict. it will be at least $1600 to rebuild the transmission. this will include the torque converter. the shop says they will also replace some of the other weak parts the taurus is known for in their transmissions. the car is a 2003 ford taurus ses with 115k on it. i've had it since brand new and can't believe all of the complaints online, especially in regards to the 2003 taurus. why hasn't there been a recall?!? i don't currently have the car or my insurance info.on me to supply the vin number.... *tr

My husband was driving my 2003 ford taurus to the corner store and the transmission failed in the middle of the road. there were no warning lights or signs leading up to the failure. luckily my husband was able to get to the end of our quarter mile driveway were we then pushed it to the house. i am very thankful this did not happen to my three children and i when we were out shopping earlier that day. this a potentially deadly failure that i have found many cases of online. *tr

Traveling on highway, all of a sudden when i was trying to accelerate the car would just increase the rpms. the car wouldn't move in any gears. repair shop told me transmission failed. *tr

2003 ford taurus se - vin# [xxx] - i had just taken a right turn onto a street and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. there were people behind me. i pulled off the road and it would crank but not switch gears. all fluids were in correct order with no issues. there were neither dashboard warning lights nor any unusual auto noises. this car only has 102,000 miles on it. it costed $1600 to fix. thankfully i was not on a very busy road or i could have been severly injured. ford needs to be aware of these problems and initiate a recall on these faulty transmissions. i was told by a certified mechanic that this particular ford has 6 different transmissions...meaning there is a significant safety issue that is being covered up! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My 2003 ford taurus transmission just gave out while driving. fortunately i was able to coast off road and get car towed to dealership. i have only 83,000 miles on car and transmission gave no warning it was going! now i have to pay 2650 dollars to fix tranny ford knew was bad! *tr

Transmission failure on 2003 ford taurus. car would not go forward or reverse after pulling out into traffic although the engine was running fine. on-coming traffic had to stop or swerve to avoid my stopped car. this happened with absolutely no warning or previous problems. i found 68 other documented cases identical to this incident. tow truck driver said he has towed 68 cases himself and was aware of the problem. i called ford and was assigned case#[xxx] but was told there is no re-call for this problem. this is definitely a "life-threatening" situation. please read the other incident reports at http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/taurus/2003/transmission/transmission_failed.shtm police were on site but don't know if a report was generated. they pushed car out of traffic. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Without warning the car lost power and would not go into any gear except park. the transmission has failed and will cost $2200 for a rebuilt one to be installed. this occurred once before, the same day our state inspection was completed, but we were able to get the car into drive again. *tr

While driving to work, stopped at red light, when i accelerated through the intersection...no power. there was no warning. luckily i was able to get off to the side of the road and call for tow truck. thank god i wasn't involved in an accident also, considering the transmission just goes out and how impatient drivers are. *tr

I was driving down the road and with no warning at all, my 2003 ford taurus starts to rev as if it was in neutral. i pull off to the side of the road, i try putting it gear with negative results. not even a little jerk. get it towed to a shop, they tell me i need a new transmission. tranny just stopped with no warning. i tried googling the defect and i found a web site called www.topix.com and i find out that this is a very common problem with the ford taurus. the one thing for sure is, is that i will never, ever buy a ford vehicle again. i wouldn't even take one if i won it in a drawing. this is my 3rd one and each of them had major problems. 3 times, shame on me. i believe ford needs to fix this transmission problem and stop making shoddy products. i had a tempo, the engine went at 88,000. i had a ford windstar, the tranny went. got it rebuilt 3 times in a 6 month period and finally just junked it. and then when i already told myself that i would never buy another ford, i get a good deal on a taurus. what a mistake. i know that i'm rambling on, but i do believe that ford could do something about this transmission problem. i've googled this problem on the web and there are many people just like me that feel the same way. that the taurus is junk. *tr