FaultScore

Worst years for a Ford Taurus

Owners have filed 23,971 complaints about the Ford Taurus with NHTSA across model years 1977 to 2019. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2000 Ford Taurus

1,497 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly suspension.

Cleanest on record

2019 Ford Taurus

17 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Ford Taurus year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2019 A 17 1 0 69,000 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2018 C 65 6 1 50,000 Body & Structure
2017 B 53 1 0 32,000 Electrical System
2016 C 103 10 2 56,482 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2015 B 353 20 1 62,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2014 B 296 21 1 78,965 Fuel & Propulsion
2013 C 755 27 10 83,156 Steering
2012 B 100 1 3 41,493 Steering
2011 C 251 20 2 61,000 Engine & Cooling
2010 C 280 23 6 45,000 Engine & Cooling
2009 C 77 10 1 37,000 Engine & Cooling
2008 C 240 30 11 78,682 Transmission & Drivetrain
2007 A 196 9 0 86,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2006 B 415 29 5 87,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2005 C 1,005 62 13 90,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2004 C 482 48 17 95,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2003 D 1,524 78 20 78,182 Suspension
2002 D 1,759 104 12 80,000 Suspension
2001 D 1,264 115 18 73,000 Suspension
2000 F 1,497 136 40 70,000 Suspension
1999 D 1,100 78 22 70,000 Suspension
1998 C 680 75 17 90,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1997 D 1,003 73 16 81,540 Transmission & Drivetrain
1996 C 1,132 82 18 98,000 Engine & Cooling
1995 D 1,597 71 62 96,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
1994 D 1,284 69 25 95,858 Engine & Cooling
1993 D 2,206 80 58 96,750 Engine & Cooling
1992 1,009 62 26 120,000 Engine & Cooling
1991 946 50 23 93,858 Transmission & Drivetrain
1990 542 32 29 100,000 Engine & Cooling
1989 762 20 100 95,000 Seat Belts
1988 462 18 65 79,000 Electrical System
1987 355 18 54 59,836 Electrical System
1986 150 2 7 Engine & Cooling
1985 2 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1984 4 0 0 Brakes
1983 1 0 0 Seat Belts
1981 2 1 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1977 2 0 0 Tires

What breaks on a Ford Taurus

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 3,716 15.5%

Worst in 1993

Suspension 3,366 14.0%

Worst in 2002

Worst in 1995

Worst in 2005

Electrical System 1,721 7.2%

Worst in 1993

Brakes 1,501 6.3%

Worst in 1993

Steering 1,445 6.0%

Worst in 2013

Body & Structure 1,087 4.5%

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2013

Airbags 890 3.7%

Worst in 2000

Lights 700 2.9%

Worst in 1993

Seat Belts 553 2.3%

Worst in 1989

Worst in 2015

Exactly what failed on a Ford Taurus

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Automatic Transmission 1,667 22.3%
Engine 1,362 18.2%
Coil Springs 1,039 13.9%
Gasoline 702 9.4%
Front 667 8.9%
Frame AND Members 484 6.5%
Coil Springs 471 6.3%
Frontal 434 5.8%
Rear 338 4.5%
Cooling System 304 4.1%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Ford Taurus, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 340 Aug 2026

Ford Taurus problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Ford Taurus

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.