Safety Recalls & Notices
We found 17 safety recalls for the 2001 Ford Taurus. Recalls are sourced from both NHTSA (US) and Transport Canada databases. Contact your authorized Ford dealer to schedule free repairs.
On certain vehicles, the front coil springs may fracture when operated in high corrosion areas (where salt is used on the roadways in winter). The potential for corrosion causing a spring to fracture increases with the number of kilometres and years in service on the vehicle. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire causing a rupture resulting in a rapid air loss. Correction: For vehicles sold in or are currently registered in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, dealers will install protective spring shields as specified in recall campaign 04S17. In addition, Ford will notify nationwide all 1999 to 2001 Taurus and Sable owners of a Customer Satisfaction Program 04M04 in which Ford will provide additional repair coverage for replacement of fractured front coil springs for a period of 10 years from the original date of sale of the vehicle, or up to 240 000 kilometres, whichever occurs first.
On certain vehicles, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring may render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. If the switch and/or wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not activate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of park. If they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be activated. This could also cause the battery to discharge. Correction: Dealer will install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly.
On certain vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals, the manufacturing process of the subject Taurus adjustable pedal assembly resulted in variability in lateral pedal spacing ranging from 41mm to 85mm. Discussions with drivers of vehicles with adjustable pedals disclosed that some were unfamiliar with the feature. Decreased brake to accelerator pedal spacing may increase the risk of simultaneous application of the brake and accelerator pedals which may cause a collision, injuries or death. Correction: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedal measured. If the spacing is found to be less than 50mm, the dealer will adjust the pedals to increase the distance between them to greater than 50mm.
Certain passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, smoke or, potentially, ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced.
On certain vehicles, the seat belt buckle tongue may not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle. In the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicle occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles.
On certain vehicles, the adjustable pedal assembly may have excess grease that could potentially enter the stop lamp switch and contaminate the contacts. This could lead to a build up of carbon, and potentially a short circuit. A short circuit could either cause the stop lamps to remain on, or cause a loss of stop lamp function. Correction: Brake lamp switch will be replaced and excess grease will be wiped off the adjustable pedal assembly.
Certain vehicles equipped with deck lid mounted rear spoilers do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. With the ignition key in the run or start positions, and the hazard lights turned on, the spoiler mounted centre high mounted stop lamp is activated at a reduced intensity without depressing the brake pedal. In addition, under these same circumstances, the brake-shift interlock can be circumvented. Correction: Dealers will install a jumper/resistor assembly at the spoiler.
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.
A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD FRACTURE DUE TO CORROSION ASSOCIATED WITH SALT USED ON THE ROADWAYS DURING THE WINTER. A FRACTURED SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE.
IF THIS OCCURS, THE TIRE MAY RUPTURE RESULTING IN A RAPID AIR LOSS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS. IN ADDITION, FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS IN ALL OTHER STATES, FOR FRACTURE ONLY, UP TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. IF THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 150,000 MILES, THIS COVERAGE WILL LAST UNTIL JULY 31, 2005. IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. AN INTERIM NOTICE WAS SENT TO OWNERS ON AUGUST 2, 2004. PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2000-2001 MY VEHICLES AND OWNERS WERE SENT A LETTER ON JANUARY 10, 2005, ADVISING THEM TO BRING IN THEIR VEHICLES FOR REPAIR PARTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE 1999 MY VEHICLES BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2005 AND OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE NOTIFIED THEN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING. THIS MALFUNCTIONING COULD RENDER THE STOP LAMPS INOPERABLE OR CAUSE THEM TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE CONFUSION TO A FOLLOWING DRIVER, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
IN ADDITION, IF THE SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTUATE AND THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF "PARK" IF THEY FAIL IN THE CLOSED POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN ON, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THE SPEED CONTROL TO BE ACTIVATED. THIS COULD ALSO CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DISCHARGE.
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH AND ASSOCIATED WIRING ASSEMBLY AND INSTALL A NEWLY DESIGNED STOP LAMP SWITCH AND WIRE ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON APRIL 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
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