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I have a 2002 Ford Taurus with DOHC and about 35k miles.  About 3 weeks ago, it started doing what I can only call "hiccupping".  It does it when the car's in park or when I'm stopped at a light.  It also mostly only does it when the AC is on, but it'll do it after a long while regardless.  If I'm at a light, and put the car in Neutral and give it just a little gas (so the rpm's aproach 1k rather than the idling 700 or so) it stops.  We've changed the fuel filter and air filter just to remove those variables.  

Are you sure you are not feeling the AC compressor kicking on?

Gary  

Nah, it'll "hiccup" for hours if I let it.  It sputs about 20 times a minute when it's either stopped or in park with the AC on and it's enough to make the care noticibly shake.  With the AC off, after the car's been running for awhile, it'll start to do it, but less violently.  I figured it was a fuel/power problem that gets amplified when the AC's on since it uses so much juice.  

Somebody said something the the ABS brakes possibly being the problem, but that sounds wierd to me, as it does it in Park and neutral also...  

Try some Sea-Foam. It might help it.

Gary  

I have 2002 Taurus SES and I had the same exact problem.  They changed the spark plugs and spark plug wires and it hasn't done it since.  

Gary???? Seafoam....a/c compressor....do you think the guy's an idot?

It's the coil pack, go to any autozone, have them read the diognastic to determine which cylinder is misfiring.

Believe me it's the coil pack  

A misfire resulting from a bad coil {as mentioned} a plug wire
arcing to ground or a fouled plug itself.