2011 Ford Taurus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Taurus years
- Fewer complaints than other years 17th of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Taurus. That ranks 17th out of 25 Taurus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (47 complaints, 25%), typically at around 39,350 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 2 fires, 15 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 187owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Ford Taurus problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 47 | 25% | 39,350 | — | — |
| Engine | 40 | 21% | 80,950 | — | — |
| Steering | 25 | 13% | 99,700 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 10% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 8% | 44,182 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 7% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 7% | 15,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 6% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 6% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 5% | 15,560 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 3% | 46,700 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 3% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 2% | 70,652 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 2% | 26,476 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 10,350 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 83,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Ford Taurus recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Structure:body:door
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Risk: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
Exterior lighting
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 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. When used in areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result of water intrusion.
Risk: This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I hit a dirt embankment the seatbelts did not lock and I ended up smashing my head off of my steering wheel and my passenger ended up smashing their head off of my dashboard.
The rear view backup camera visual is located in my rearview mirror it is just a blue screen whenever I put the car in reverse it just one day stopped working I've been waiting for it to be on the recall list and for some reason this year a 2011 is not on the recall list but it should be
Last June I noticed the car constantly shaking. Took it to Goodyear plaza tire in Alexandria mn and they said they didn't find anything wrong and it's normal to have tires feel like they are shaking while driving. The tires are 255/45R19 Then in July of 2025, I wanted a tire rotation and wheels…
Driving on access rd. Car stalled in middle of traffic. Glad I was not driving on highway. Lucky several drivers helped push car into a gas station. Saw water leak under car. There were no codes or indicators of over heating. Let car cool off. Noticed water in coolant reservoir. still was able to…
2011 Ford Taurus Limited 37'000 miles Original owner Like New Condition. Engine and all systems working perfectly no check engine or other lights showing. I was driving on city street about 25mph and with no warning engine and dash all shut down I had no crank and no dash lights at all. while I…
Other Ford Taurus years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Taurus | 18 | 2 |
| 2018 Taurus | 50 | 4 |
| 2017 Taurus | 44 | 4 |
| 2016 Taurus | 83 | 4 |
| 2015 Taurus | 279 | 6 |
| 2014 Taurus | 229 | 5 |
| 2013 Taurus | 585 | 9 |
| 2012 Taurus | 79 | 5 |
| 2011 | 187 | 4 |
| 2010 Taurus | 204 | 3 |
| 2009 Taurus | 64 | 0 |
| 2008 Taurus | 175 | 1 |
| 2007 Taurus | 149 | 0 |
| 2006 Taurus | 318 | 2 |
| 2005 Taurus | 774 | 0 |
| 2004 Taurus | 375 | 1 |
| 2003 Taurus | 1,223 | 3 |
| 2002 Taurus | 1,426 | 3 |
| 2001 Taurus | 1,037 | 9 |
| 2000 Taurus | 1,195 | 8 |
| 1999 Taurus | 874 | 5 |
| 1998 Taurus | 545 | 2 |
| 1997 Taurus | 770 | 3 |
| 1996 Taurus | 825 | 6 |
| 1995 Taurus | 1,205 | 5 |
See all Ford Taurus problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Ford Taurus?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, steering problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 47 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford Taurus?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 Ford Taurus a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Taurus model years, the 2011 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.