Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus POWER TRAIN

I was driving my 2003 taurus ses and was following a truck going over a railroad track and was going like less than 5mph since the truck in front of me was going so slow and when i went to press on the gas pedal to move forward after passing the tracks the car was making a noise when i tried to press on it more. and all of a sudden it just stopped at first than started moving again so i pulled over off the main road. the next thing i know the car just stopped and would not move whatsoever. i turned the car off and turned it back on again trying to move forward by pressing on the gas and it didn't budge. the car didn't even move at all nor in reverse. everything else was running fine and there was no technical lights on in the car. eventually i had it towed back home and found out the transmission was out the next day resulting that i have to get a new transmission. i've also found out that it was common apparently for 2003 taurus cars to be defects for transmissions. this is highly a hazard on the road where a car just stops out of nowhere when who knows you can be crossing a light, railroad track or in mid-traffic where accidents can occur! *tr

With no warning or problems of any kind my transmission went out in the middle of traffic. my car was stuck in the middle of the road. nothing i could do. buses were coming at me from the left, cars from behind and in front. this is a huge safety hazard. had to replace with another transmission costing over 1500.00. we will never purchase a ford vehicle again unless this is made right by the company. we have talked to several mechanics and this is common amongst ford taurus'. wish we would have known about this ongoing problem before we purchased. we also wonder why there hasn't been a recall. is this the purpose of recalls. how many people need to complain before something is done. no wonder people are buying from toyota. at least they own their problems and offer a solution. *tr

Driving car to the store and came out our car would not move. ran fine but would not go into gear. mechanic said our torque converter went out. they see about 2-3 taurus's a month with the same problem. cost around $800.00 to fix. needs recalled considering all the complaints i've been reading with the same problem. *tr

Driving at approx. 30mph and my car acted like i just threw it into neutral. any gear i tried to put it into acted like i was in neutral. my transmission had to be repaired. i am reading the message boards and seeing that this is happening alot in the ford taurus. some were driving down the interstate when this happens and that could be very dangerous going from 65mph to 0. i think there needs to be a recall on these taurus transmissions. my mechanic stated that he's fixed around 20 of them in the past year, there's obviously a problem with them. *tr

Driving to work lost power in car. rpm went up pulled over i had no drive no reverse nothing the transmission was gone no warning no lights, no noise just stopped. i had it towed to shop they told me the pump was out. i have been only owner and always maintained my car. it has 65,000 miles on it. *tr

On 3/31/10 i was driving my 2003 ford taurus southbound on i-5 in the sacramento, ca area at about 7:20 pm. just north of richards boulevard my auto began slowing down for no apparent reason. no dashboard emergency lights came on and there was no unusual sounds. as i depressed my accelerator my rpm indicator would increase but my car continued to lose speed. i was able to safely exit the freeway and my auto coasted to a stop on a side street. i then placed my car in reverse, drive, 1 and 2 and depressed the accelerator and the car did not advance forward or backward. car was towed to a ford dealership on 4/1/10. on 4/3/10 a customer service manager called to tell me that they need to remove the transmission in order to diagnose problem further. the car has less than 59,000 miles on it and i had purchased it used in 2007 with approximately 23,000 miles on it. i have searched the internet for similar complaints and have come to the conclusion that it is a possible transmission failure which could cost me approximately $2500.00 to fix. i bought the car for $8,900.00! i've owned a 1989 mazda 323 and a 1998 toyota corolla which each had over 110,000 miles on them and i never encountered a transmission problem. *tr

I had just pulled out of the parking lot of my local ymca and was driving on a suburban road when all of the sudden my rpms went up and my speed went down. i was able to bring the car to a stop but loss all control of the ability to accelerate my vehicle. i brought the vehicle to a stop and called for a tow truck. the result was that the transmission had broken down. the approximate mileage on my car at the time is 70,900 miles. this complaint has been documented over 58 times on the web at: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/taurus/2003/transmission/transmission_failed.shtml

I got this car in 2009 around about november. by march 2010, the transmission went out on me with no warning. got another transmission now march 2012 i just found out to have my transmission rebuilt again and i cannot afford to have it rebuilt again. how long do a transmission suppose to last in a ford taurus anyway. i mean will i have to have my transmission rebuilt every two years as long as i own this car? *js

2006 ford taurus. started decelerating in the middle of traffic. engine starts and check engine light goes off and stays off so probably no dpc code. transmission does not work at all. ford shop said it's not their problem because it's out of warranty. it has 107,000 miles on it. it was by the grace of god that i didn't cause an accident. *tr

I was driving and all of a sudden my car would not go anywhere even though the engine was running. i took it to my mechanic who had the car towed to a reputable transmission shop in town. when i went to talk to the mechanic he said he already knew what it was. he said that he had a multitude of this make and model that had the same exact problem. he said it was a design flaw in the transmission that allows the torque convertor to "strip" without any warning. after taking the transmission apart he called and told me that it was the torque convertor and what it would cost to replace it including labor so i had the torque convertor replaced. all was going well with the transmission/torque convertor until august 30, 2014 when out of no where it happened again. so once again i will have it repaired. the car doesn't even have 80,000 miles on it. i am extremely grateful that i was not in an accident because of it. what is it going to take for someone to seriously address this issue so no one is killed? this is a dangerous car and many complaints have been made in regards to this issue as early as approximately 2007 so it is not the age of the vehicle but the design flaw. no telling how many people had this happen without reporting it. this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed for all who have owned or still own the 2003 ford taurus. *tr

Transmission failed with 63,000 miles on it! *tr

Transmission failure. while driving on an expressway, i felt the gears slip as the transmission was automatically shifting from drive to overdrive. after the gear change, i attempted to accelerate, however, power did not transfer from the engine to the wheels. i coasted to a stop. the transmission was rebuilt at my own expense. *tr

The transmission quit working while i was driving down the road at 55mph with kids in the car. i have searched this and have found many people having this problem. *tr

2003 ford taurus lx -without any warning the automatic transmission ceased to function. this car had 40,500 miles on it. i stepped on the gas and the car felt like it was in neutral. i have since found that this is a common problem with this car and that some people were traveling at 70 mph on a busy highway when this occured. this could have been a deadly accident on a busy highway or anywhere in heavy traffic. my mechanic told me that the torque converter splines were totally worn out. this at just over 40,000 miles! my car is in for oil change and safety check every 3,000 miles and this is something that cannot be detected. however, ford motor company, from what i understand, is aware of this problem and there has been no recall or publicity regarding this. this was a $1300 fix. *tr

The transmission failed completely, without warning while driving. all gear settings, with the exception of park, responded in the same manner as neutral. there was no warning of any type. the transmission simply failed. all recommended services have been performed on or ahead of schedule for this vehicle. a cursory search of internet auto message boards revealed at least several hundred failures of the same type in 2003 ford taurus automobiles. *tr

June 12, 2009 drive time 7300 e. hampton ave. mesa, az 85209 to whom this may concern: my name is andrea m. love. may 14, 2009 was the happiest day of my life because i purchased my first new car, a 2003 ford taurus ses from drive time at 11247 e. colonial drive, orlando, fl 32817. the color is a beautiful dark cherry red, the interior and exterior looks magnificent; it's roomy for my family and best of all it's my first new car. i've seen the many advertisements on television and thought to myself everyone can't get approved like they say. i went online and filled out the application and to my surprise the next day i received an email and a telephone call that i was approved and needed to come into the office to speak with a sales person. i called my entire family and all my friends and told them the great news i had just received because a week prior i had a very traumatic experience. on may 19, 2009 it rained from sun up to sun down and it was forecasted to rain the rest of the week, so my children asked me to drive them to school the next day. when my daughter opened the passenger side door to get in, she stepped into a three inch puddle of water. at the same time the battery light was flashing on and off. on wednesday the 20th i called the drive time service center to make an appointment to have the leak looked at and repaired. the next day i took off work to take my car in to aamco transmissions and was told they could not find where the leak was coming from and that the alternator was bad, but the battery was okay. they replaced the alternator and said i needed to call the service center back to find another repair center to have the water leak checked out. i had to go another day cleaning water out of the car and buying air fresheners to rid the car of a nasty mildew smell. thursday, may 21st i called the service center ...

2 transmission in my 2003 ford taurus. the first transmission went out in 2005 at 68,000 mile and the second transmission went out at 121,000 miles. had to pay to have fixed and when i contacted ford they said they are sorry but there is nothing they can help me with. is it traditional for a transmission to go out every 60,000 + miles? i was driving down the highway at 70 miles a hour when the second transmission went and the car revved up and wouldn't go no where and almost go rearended because there was construction on highway and no where's to pull over. i also had my grandson and daughter in the car and we all were scared that we where going to get hit. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that when the vehicle was not warmed up he was unable to shift into any gear. the issue did not persist when the vehicle was running for a long period of time. the vehicle was not taken to a dealership or independent mechanic. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000 miles and the current mileage was 100,000 miles.

Transmission failed at 52774 miles. had it serviced twice in this short of milage. had transmission repaired at a cost of 1,897.69. *tr

I have an issues.

Without warning, transmission went out, after midnight in 30 degree weather, miles from home. third such occurrence with same product. problem will not be fixed in the near future due to being unemployed. *tr

Drove my car home from work , went out the next morning and started so it would be warmed up .. i was taking my son to school. we went out got in the car, i put in drive it would not move.. put in reverse .. nothing. i had to call someone to take my son to school, had my car towed to ford dealer. they removed the transmission and told me the torque converter was bad .. going to be at least 1,000 dollars to fix it ...i bought the extended warranty but it ran out 10,000 miles prior to this happening. i had no signs or warnings anything was wrong with my car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was replaced. approximately 5 months later the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was again replaced. the failure recurred again and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the cam sensor was reset. the failure has not recurred. approximately 1 year later while driving at approximately 20 mph the front passenger side tire blew out. upon examining the vehicle the contact noticed the coil spring was broken and pierced the tire. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the front passenger side coil spring was replaced. the contact also stated that approximately 2 months later while attempting to operate the vehicle it would not shift into gear and would not move. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was in the process of being diagnosed. the failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 90,600.

Ford taurus, has many problems. my ford has had to have the transmission rebuilt as well as problems with the blower motor on the heater/ac. transmission rebuild job consisted of new torque converter as well as new clutch bands, the splines were striped. as far as the blower, the motor made a noise for about a week and then stopped. if ya'll would research these issues you will find that these problems are a recurring issues with the 03 models and the others with this tranny, and blower. hope you do something on behalf of the consumer. *tr

In october of 2008, my 2003 ford taurus ses suddenly lost the ability to move while i was driving in heavy traffic. the torque converter had to be replaced - the vehicle had 41,086 miles on it at the time. cost of repair was $1260.96. *tr

car had a large leak of transmission fluid on the driveway. there was not any trouble with shifting gears but a whine, at times. tried to take it to the dealer this past monday at 10am. they were closed due to storm damage and electricity outages starting sunday afternoon. was referred to transmission company. told it is a known problem at about 60,000 miles (i'm at little more than 58,000). the pressure inside changes and computer makes changes that then causes the fluid to rise through the vent. i'm been told it is going to be $1,816.96 repair and three days without a vehicle. the repair shop is rebuilding the existing transmission. technician stated unsure why ford has not had a recall on this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard a popping noise coming from inside the passenger compartment. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed a new transmission pump. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 77,000. updated 08/04/08. *lj the consumer stated the vehicle continued to accelerate. it would not go forward. updated 08/06/08

2003 ford taurus with less than 40,000 miles. complete transmission failure, automatic overdrive transmission. the car was driving fine earlier in the day, then my was going to my daughters home, when she stopped for a stop sign by my daughters home, the car pulled away and stopped accelerating in the middle of the intersection. she was almost hit by another vehicle coming from adifferent direction. this could have been worse if she had been on an interstate or open road in heavy traffic. there were no warnings of any type that a problem was forthcoming. the car has not been repaired due to lack of funds. rough estimates $2000 +/-. ford acknowledges problems with the transmissions, but will not discount any repair or help customer in any way. there are numerous complaints all throughout the internet on this same problem with the same result. no help from ford. this needs to be investigated, because accidents could have been caused from this condition. *tr

While traveling in my 2003 ford taurus at approximately 50 mph, the transmission suddenly failed and an accident was narrowly avoided as i was able to pull off the road. the vehicle has approximately 115000 miles on it, but has had routine service performed. although it has not yet been serviced, i did check that the transmission fluid level is normal and not discolored or evidence of fouled fluid. *tr

I purchased a new ford taurus se in 2003. after only 30,000. miles on the odometer my transmission failed on the freeway. i had it towed to goodyear and a mechanic confirmed that the transmission failed and referred me to transmission specialist. my quote to have the transmission rebuilt was $3,000. i believe that this falls under "catastrophic mechanical failure" and i should not have to pay to get this situation rectified. i contacted ford customer relationship center and requested that the car be replaced with a new taurus or a new transmission with warranty and the repair of any collateral damage as a result of the car sitting in my garage since 2008, i was told that nothing could be done because the warranty expired two months before the transmission failed. i was nearly killed as i tried to navigate from the freeway to the shoulder. in essence i paid $1,000. per mile for the life of this car. 2003 was one of ford's worst year for transmission failure. this transmission should have been recalled. to have such a major component fail after owning the car 5-years and just 30,000. miles is a travesty. in conclusion, i would like to know how many owners died as a result of this transmission failure and hope that we can receive assistance for this travesty by an american auto company's lack of responsibility. this is not right and i don't know how a company can get away with this , to me, is an illegal act that should not be tolerated! *tr updated ivoq 07/09/12 the consumer also reported transmission failures experienced by other consumers. updated ivoq 07/23/12

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 55 mph, the anti-theft warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost all power and shut off. the dealer replaced a sensor at the cost of $400, but the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times and they replaced the sensor again. the automatic control and powertrain control modules were replaced and a new computer was installed; however, the failure continued. during the final time the vehicle was taken to the dealer, they stated that an engineer would be flown in to determine the cause of the failure. the engineer concluded that the vehicle was losing 2.4 volts while driving, which caused it to shut off. bypass wires were installed on the vehicle in an attempt to get it to operate correctly. the vehicle was in the shop for over 30 days and is currently awaiting repairs. the failure mileage was 65,000 and failure mileage was 66,693. updated 09/25/08 *bf updated 09/26/08. *jb

April 5, 2008 started off like any other saturday,cleaning my house then going shopping at my local grocery, but this day was different. when i got in my 2003 ford taurus to go shopping, i turned the key to start my car and put the car in reverse, but the car would not move. i put the car in park and tried again by putting my car in reverse. needless to say the car would not budge. no problems were indicated before that day. i called my local ford dealership to ask them about a possible solution to my problem, but they told me i would have to bring my car to their shop. i said 'how can i bring my car to your shop when i can't drive it anywhere since it won't go in reverse'? the person on the phone told me i could have it towed to their location and when i asked how much it would cost to replace the transmission, the guy told me $3500. you can imagine how shocked i was to hear this cost! in the meantime a neighbor came to my house and suggested i call one of my town's transmission shops. i did and was told the cost to replace my transmission would be about $1500. i was also asked how many miles i had on my car and i told him 35,000. he was shocked to hear a transmission was out w/only 35,000 miles on my car. later that day my car was towed to a local transmission shop and a new transmission was placed in my car. for one week someone had to take me to work and back home and at the end of the week i paid $1500 and got my car back home. during that week i did some research on the internet and discovered other 2003 ford taurus owners were experiencing the same problem i had w/my car. seems ford should do something to solve this problem. *tr

1) events leading up to the failure, none. car had no problems, transmission made no noise, was not slipping, etc... car was well maintained. 2) the failure, how often it occurs, the consequences. the transmission failed on the car at 107,000 miles, no warning, was on the freeway coming home from work, depressed the gas pedal to pass another car and then rpms maxed out. car did nothing in any gears. luckily i was able to merge over 3 lanes and arrive safely to the shoulder. however, had i not had enough speed this most definitely could have cause an accident. 3) what was done to correct the failure? the transmission needed to be replaced. luckily my dad, a former mechanic, was able to put in a used (16,000 miles) transmission for me. this cost me about $700 dollars. while this transmission is still doing fine, car now has 135,000 miles, this gives me no assurance as these transmissions tend to go without warning at low mileage. *tr

I was looking on the nhtsa website with regard to another issue that i had heard about with the 2003 taurus (front end collapse) when i came across this transmission issue. driving in highway passing lane, the car suddenly began to lose momentum. speedometer rapidly began to drop while rpm's went ballistic, then dropped. i was fortunate that i quickly realized the car was coming to a stop that i could not control regardless of how hard i pressed the accelerator. i was barely able to pull over 3 lanes of traffic to make it into the breakdown lane, where it came to a complete halt and could not be moved. not only did i have an issue with my 2003 taurus at 71k miles, we also had to replace the transmission on our 2001 ford f-150 at 110k miles & 2005 ford focus at 80k miles, at a cost of $8300.00. all of these vehicles were purchased new and driven by the same driver. given the number of complaints posted on the nhtsa website, i would think either ford or the national highway transportation safety administration would take responsibility and perform an in depth investigation why so many ford transmissions are failing and issue a notification of these serious issues with this car and the steps to remediate those issues before the issue causes serious injury or death.

Failed torque converter, the shifter changes, but the vehicle does not recognize the reverse or drive option. it remains stationary. *tr

2003 taurus - transmission failed; went to accelerate through busy intersection; no power; had to coast through intersection to get to safer place. car towed; est. 1300-1600- to fix per ford dealer; final cost $1933.50. no warning; no nothing; just would not accelerate; last year it was the strut blowing through the rear end of the wagon for $1500.00 fix; this year $1933.50 for transmission; ford says out of warranty; too bad; it is like having a heart attack and the doctor can't explain why; what an explanation to get from a "reputable dealer". they took my money whether i had a heart attack or not. *tr

I was driving the saturday after thanksgiving 2007, was stopped at a stop sign went to pull away and make a turn then car stopped moving. i was on a two lane road, with cars coming behind me. i started car back up and put into gear, would not move. had towed to work (subaru, lincoln, mercury of beechmont). our tech looked at on monday and told needed a transmission. ford l/m would not help with any cover of the repair. the car had 83,412 miles at that time. i had to put a used transmission in, which is bad and put another transmission in and that one is bad but drivable.... i ford knows there is a problem they should fix it before someone gets hurt or killed. i did call ford co and the rep was not pleasant and really did not want to take me information, they did and nothing was done.. *tr

2003 ford taurus, transmission fails. it dies on the highway with no warning and ford says there is nothing wrong with it. of course now that it is out of warranty they are more than happy to repair my car. started in sept of 07 with 73,000 miles. i have been told by an independent mechanic that it is an electrical problem with the transmission. interesting that he can get the car to show symptoms, but the dealership could never find anything wrong with it, after they had it off and on for 2 months. ford replaced fuel pump and filter and i have been told that is the only thing that is under warranty with ford now. this is strictly negligence on the part of ford. they put a car out there that they know has transmission issues. there should be a recall on these cars. shame on ford. *tr

While driving at 65 mph in busy early am traffic i heard a noise & the car was losing speed. i pushed on accelerator it would not move. barely got off to the side. the car did not work in any gear. only 59000 miles and had been serviced regularly. no abuse. towed to ford dealership in fort mill,sc. told me the car was not under warranty and torque converter was bad plus transmission was likely damaged .have to rebuild whole transmission. called ford motor customer service & asked for some help since the mileage was so low & the car not paid for. after 2 days said nothing they would do. the bill was $3500 plus $250 diagnostic and $80 towing. i am single, had 2 more years to pay on the car. i was just about to let the bank fight it out with ford. i called amoco and they t will fix for approximately . $1650. so i am having it repaired. ford had transmission problems in the cars and trucks for more than a decade. many circulated on the internet with transmission stories. i will never buy another ford. could not believe they wouldn't at least pay for parts. i am going to file complaints against ford everywhere i could . i was going to the local tv station and tell my story. plus i will never miss a day telling everyone i meet or talk with folks countrywide at my job about this experience, and fords lack of concern. i could have been killed . it would have been better for ford to have helped with the cost, than have me as their worst advisory. i will never quit telling my story. i will make a big impact in their already sagging sales. it will take me years to pay this off & could happen again with this transmission type. if ford wants to retain their honor& stop my telling the story, then they can do the honorable thing & help with their mess. i can cost them a lot more than a couple of thousand dollars. *ak

Interstate driving at 65 mph the transmission suddenly failed on 2003 taurus with 53,000 miles. all gears reacted like neutral. towed to transmission shop, and was diagnosed t as torque converter and gasket failures. rebuilt transmission installed at $1500. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the windshield slipped down and she heard a lot of wind noise, rattling, and water leakage. the floor began to rust, the lights flickered, and the cruise control failed due to water damage. the alternator was replaced twice due to water damage. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v087000 (visibility:windshield). the failure mileage was 43,000 and current mileage was 68,000. updated 04-02-08 *bf the vehicle jerks when the consumer drives over 35 mph. the dashboard lights go dim. the vehicle would also stall. the dealer stated it was due to a bad alternator. updated

Stopped at red light, was unable to move car when light turned green. no warning whatsoever. had car towed to local shop who diagnosed as major transmission work needed and suggested i contact ford for assistance. i contacted ford and they advised i take to local ford dealer and they would try to work with me on "financial assistance". dulaney lincoln mercury ford dealer replaced entire transmission. they advised the cost was $3100, ford covered all but $1000 labor portion & tow bills.*jb

As all these other complaints, the transmission failed in my 03 ford taurus. no warning, no lights or whistles. approx. 54,000 miles. sucks, that the best way to describe it. cost 2,700.00 plus towing. never again! one would think in this day and time when the economy is so crappy, ford would want all the business they could get....they know this trans. is a bad one....my next car was going to be a crown vic....but not now..... *tr

Transmission failed in "park" and unagble to shift to any gear. car towed to ford dealership where the brake light switch and connector harness was replaced, part # 3f1z-13480. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's transmission warning light illuminated. the service dealer determined the transmission needed to be replaced. no repairs were made.

As with thousands of other 2003 taurus owners, i also have water leaking into the passenger side compartment from a design/manufacturing flaw. i also replaced the heater fan which i found to be full of water. i am also very, very unhappy with the idea that this is obviously a design flaw and ford won't make it right because they're not having their feet held to the fire by a government agency. but wait, there's more. the automatic transmission on this car has occasionally done what is called a "neutral drop". while starting out from a stop in "drive", the transmission has (on three occasions) not engaged until the engine has reached about 2000 rpm. the resultant effect from this surprise engagement can only be described as the feeling of having someone run into the back of the car. the car was taken to the dealer where it was purchased, tests were run with no error codes found for any transmission malfunctions. apparently the computer's memory is selective. i used to have a wife like that. i've purchased five fords since 1994 and have had serious design/manufacturer problems with all of them. do you think i'll buy another one? i have a long memory, and that's it for me. *nm

No warnings....ford taurus 2003 ses...58,000 miles....transmission failed. i had a remanfactured transmission installed. traded car in for a hyundai the same week. *nm

2003 ford taurus transmission failed at 59,000 miles. we were going down the interstate at 65 mph during the weekend. it was hard to get it towed it being the weekend. cost to repair was $2,000. won't buy ford car again. b *jb

My transmission slips going from drive to neutral and from neutral to drive. car only has less than 50,000 miles on it. back seat belt malfunctions, does not work properly. *nm

My 2003 ford taurus's transmission died as i was driving my sons to school at 45 mph, completely without warning. *nm