After my Focus' tranny disintegrated on the highway, the trans place I took it to said that the trans in the Taurus was pretty flakey, and it was the first Focus he'd seen in the shop.
Aside from hearing what sounds like screws in a blender when your tranny went, it sounds like what happened with my Focus. Drive and reverse acted like neutral until it red-lined for a second, then it would catch and throw the car forward about 5-10', then the wheels would lock and you'd have to start over. The tow truck guy didn't believe me until he tried to put it up on the flatbed.
Repair on mine was pretty bad as it chewed up all the gears but second and cracked the case.
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