2012 Ford Taurus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Taurus years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 21st of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Taurus. That ranks 21st out of 25 Taurus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (17 complaints, 22%), typically at around 96,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 3 fires. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 79owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 17 | 22% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 20% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 16 | 20% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 15% | 6,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 14% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 8% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 5% | 41,493 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 4% | 100 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 3% | 11,225 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 3% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% | 5,012 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 24 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Ford Taurus recalls (5)
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.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength in the event of an impact. The tanks may also leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
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.
Complete power steering failure p07ae:09-c8 after recall complete 6/29/26
My steering all of a sudden was stiff and I can barely turn at low speeds. Not safe due to uncontrolled steering. I replaced the pump thinking that would fix it, and it did not. Iâm taking it to a dealer after the holiday weekend. No warnings at all.
Unknown
The steering shut down and I could not steer the vehicle in a Holiday parking lot and I almost hit a pedestrian. My engine and oil light came on. I had to shut the car off and turn it back on and it worked again. This is the second time this has happened to me!
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who found that the power steering pressure was low…
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 | 79 | 5 |
| 2011 Taurus | 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 2012 Ford Taurus?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, structure problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 17 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Taurus?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has far 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.