Ford Taurus Problems by Year
NHTSA has 12,711 owner complaints and 52 safety recalls on file for the Ford Taurus, across 25 model years (1995–2019). The 2002 model year has the most complaints (1,426). The most reported problem area overall is suspension.
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Ford Taurus years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Taurus year: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2002 Taurus: 1,426 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2003 Taurus: 1,223 complaints, 3 recalls
- 1995 Taurus: 1,205 complaints, 5 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2019 Taurus: 17 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2017 Taurus: 44 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2018 Taurus: 50 complaints, 4 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Ford Taurus problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 2,734 | 24 | 41 |
| Power Train problems | 1,895 | 24 | 58 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 1,800 | 22 | 184 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 1,312 | 25 | 23 |
| Steering problems | 995 | 24 | 50 |
| Electrical System problems | 888 | 25 | 16 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 683 | 17 | 93 |
| Visibility problems | 643 | 21 | 3 |
| Air Bags problems | 615 | 24 | 422 |
| Structure problems | 549 | 24 | 18 |
| Engine problems | 434 | 25 | 12 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 370 | 25 | 7 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 328 | 19 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 308 | 20 | 3 |
| Tires problems | 285 | 19 | 12 |
| Seat Belts problems | 254 | 18 | 48 |
| Service Brakes problems | 195 | 23 | 33 |
| Equipment problems | 179 | 16 | 6 |
| Back Over Prevention problems | 128 | 10 | 4 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 81 | 17 | 2 |
| Seats | 74 | 21 | 16 |
| Wheels | 73 | 18 | 15 |
| Interior Lighting | 55 | 10 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 54 | 14 | 3 |
| Visibility/wiper | 35 | 14 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 31 | 10 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 24 | 10 | 2 |
| Child Seat | 16 | 11 | 1 |
| Lane Departure | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| Parking Brake | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Traction Control System | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Ford Taurus problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2015: back over prevention (60) · fuel/propulsion system (53) · steering (50)
- 2014: steering (64) · fuel/propulsion system (55)
- 2013: steering (295) · fuel/propulsion system (96) · engine (70) · electrical system (59)
- 2007: vehicle speed control (55)
- 2006: vehicle speed control (176)
- 2005: vehicle speed control (529) · power train (123) · engine (68)
- 2004: vehicle speed control (164) · power train (72)
- 2003: power train (316) · suspension (313) · visibility (191) · structure (111) · electrical system (97) · vehicle speed control (88) · engine and engine cooling (67)
- 2002: suspension (962) · visibility (98) · vehicle speed control (76) · structure (54) · engine and engine cooling (53)
- 2001: suspension (515) · vehicle speed control (99) · service brakes, hydraulic (86) · air bags (66) · engine and engine cooling (60) · power train (58)
- 2000: suspension (443) · engine and engine cooling (103) · power train (99) · service brakes, hydraulic (97) · air bags (88) · exterior lighting (87) · vehicle speed control (87) · electrical system (62) · fuel system, gasoline (59) · tires (57)
- 1999: suspension (180) · vehicle speed control (109) · steering (106) · service brakes, hydraulic (99) · power train (91) · engine and engine cooling (81) · seat belts (60) · visibility (58) · electrical system (51)
- 1998: vehicle speed control (111) · service brakes, hydraulic (74) · power train (69) · engine and engine cooling (62) · suspension (59)
- 1997: power train (214) · engine and engine cooling (145) · service brakes, hydraulic (67) · electrical system (62) · steering (59) · vehicle speed control (58) · visibility (57)
- 1996: engine and engine cooling (214) · power train (182) · steering (101) · service brakes, hydraulic (66) · suspension (60) · electrical system (57) · visibility (55)
- 1995: power train (394) · engine and engine cooling (352) · electrical system (95) · vehicle speed control (85) · service brakes, hydraulic (84) · suspension (69) · air bags (55) · structure (55) · fuel system, gasoline (52)
All Ford Taurus model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Taurus | 17 | 2 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Taurus | 50 | 4 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 Taurus | 44 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2016 Taurus | 83 | 4 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2015 Taurus | 278 | 6 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 Taurus | 229 | 5 | 5★ | Steering | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2013 Taurus | 585 | 9 | 5★ | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 2012 Taurus | 79 | 5 | 4★ | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2011 Taurus | 187 | 4 | 4★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2010 Taurus | 204 | 3 | — | Steering | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Taurus | 64 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Taurus | 175 | 1 | — | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Taurus | 149 | 0 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2006 Taurus | 318 | 2 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2005 Taurus | 774 | 0 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Taurus | 375 | 1 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | More complaints than other years |
| 2003 Taurus | 1,223 | 3 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Taurus | 1,426 | 3 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2001 Taurus | 1,037 | 9 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2000 Taurus | 1,195 | 8 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 Taurus | 874 | 5 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1998 Taurus | 545 | 2 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | More complaints than other years |
| 1997 Taurus | 770 | 3 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1996 Taurus | 825 | 6 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1995 Taurus | 1,205 | 5 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
More from Ford: all Ford models · Ford VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Taurus years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1995 (1,205), 1996 (825), 1997 (770), 1999 (874), 2000 (1,195), 2001 (1,037), 2002 (1,426), 2003 (1,223), 2005 (774) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Taurus year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Taurus?
Suspension, with 2,734 complaints across 24 model years.
How many recalls does the Ford Taurus have?
52 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.