3,035 of the
23,971 complaints filed about the Ford Taurus
are about the transmission —
13% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1995.
3,035
Complaints
13%
Share of all complaints
74
Crashes
11
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
Components Involved: Engine Block Mounting Boss, Intermediate Shaft Bracket (Service Part # DB5Z-3K305-CA), Factory Bolt (OEM # W500131-S437) Incident Overview: During a low-speed (about 5mph) lateral impact to the front-right wheel against a curb, expected sacrificial suspension damage occurred (snapped CV axle, separated lower ball joint). However, lateral force transferred through the passenger-side intermediate shaft directly into its carrier bearing mounting bracket. Instead of the cast mounting bracket (DB5Z-3K305-B) absorbing the force or breaking, the lateral stress sheared the cast mounting boss entirely off the engine block. Engineering Flaw & Dimensions: This design presents a critical flaw in the crash load path and failure hierarchy: Improper Leverage: The 84mm thick cast bracket acts as a rigid lever against a small, brittle ~17mm cast engine block boss. Inverted Material Sacrificing: The over-engineered bracket survives the impact, transferring fatal structural damage to the non-replaceable engine block instead of acting as a sacrificial fuse. Inadequate Thread Engagement: The factory 95mm flange bolt (W500131-S437) only utilizes 11mm of thread inside the raised boss, completely ignoring 1 to 2 inches of threading available deeper within the engine block casting. This shallow engagement concentrates all shearing stress directly at the weakest protrusion. Consumer Burden: This localized failure condemns the engine block, requiring a full engine replacement under standard dealership repair procedures. This creates a severe and disproportionate financial burden for what should be a straightforward suspension and driveline collision repair. Conclusion: I request an investigation into this structural vulnerability. The intermediate shaft bracket mounting location acts as a critical weak point, actively transferring lateral impact energy into the block and causing premature, catastrophic structural engine failure.
NHTSA complaint #11757584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank or inverted while reversing. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to perform the recall repair. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced hesitation and jerking upon acceleration. The failure caused the vehicle to lose speed and the engine to shut off. The vehicle recently failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic shop and a dealer following near-miss accidents. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the powertrain failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11749313 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle on a slightly inclined parking lot, the vehicle started rolling backwards. The contact engaged the electric parking brake, and the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while parking the vehicle on an incline, requiring the electric parking brake to be engaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V141000 (Electrical System, Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with a recall due to the manufacturing date of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11728586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's mother owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, several unknown warning lights illuminated when turning off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the dashboard. In addition, the gear shifter had seized in park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had several previous ongoing failures. The contact stated that the failure started shortly after the vehicle was purchased in 2013. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
NHTSA complaint #11706565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Backing out of parking space resulting to damage to both vehicles . Brake\gas pedals. Position of driver ( body turned) relative to pedals while backing car can allow drivers foot to be in contact with both pedals. Increased pressure on the brake can allow increased pressure on the gas pedal allowing the vehicle to continue in a reversed direction . Can strike a person or object resulting in injury or damage. Subject car is a station wagon and appears to have lower seating \configuration than a sedan .
NHTSA complaint #11704207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Just recently, my power steering started to fail when it’s in ‘S’ gear (I just started using it a few weeks ago). The steering wheel gets catchy and can be difficult to control, especially going around corners. It’s intermittent and it didn’t start until I started to use the ‘S’ gear. I had the power steering checked by a mechanic and they said it’s functioning properly. I do believe my car should be included in this recall before the steering goes out and something catastrophic happens. By the way, now that I’ve stopped using the ‘S’ gear, the glitchy steering issue has subsided.
NHTSA complaint #11677833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while idling at a stop sign or stop light, the vehicle was shaking abnormally and slightly hesitated while attempting to accelerate. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occasionally occurred after driving approximately 500 miles. The failure became more progressive over time. The contact stated that the gear shifter was able to be removed from the socket, causing the contact to have to apply pressure downward while changing gears to keep the shifter in the proper position. While driving at various speeds, the transmission felt like it was going to unexpectedly downshift or change gear. The contact had to hold the gear shifter to prevent the shifter from unintendedly changing gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11665967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that there was a slight hesitation upon shifting the transmission into drive. The contact stated that the gear selector seized, and the vehicle was no longer able to shift out of park. Additionally, the brake lights were no longer operable. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
NHTSA complaint #11654691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the message "Transmission not in Park(P)" was displayed and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to operating normally. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle because the message was no longer displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was returned to the same dealer. The dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
NHTSA complaint #11640297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2014 Ford Taurus SEL transmission when driving and when the shifting begins, the car shudders in 3rd and 4th gear, when it passes the 4 gears, then the vehicle runs smooth. I would like to report this because this is not normal for a transmission to do this. I do not believe it is a Torque converter. Ford Dealership said it was a Torque Converter. I took it to Aamco Transmission and had it looked at and the person that worked on it, he did not believe it was a Torque Converter. I had Aamco to check this and all they did was changed my Transmission Fluid. The problem came back. I believe this is a defect in the Transmission. I did some research and come to believe it is the body valves inside the Transmission causing this problem. I am sure this could be a safety hazard to me while driving. I believe the Transmission could lock up and cause a crash. I will upload the work order. This has been going on since March 2023 and I have no solution to this problem. I wanted to see if you can help with this problem and get it recalled.
NHTSA complaint #11604267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while performing an oil change on the vehicle, she noticed that the front driver's side axle was detaching. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V393000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11568872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Please allow submission of additional information regarding issues with my 2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor. As stated on the previous complaint filed on 1/9/2024, I got my car service at AutoNation Ford Service Center on 12/16/2023, and I brought it back to the service center on Saturday, 12/23/2023 because of the car’s poor performance and engine had laminated on 12/17/2023. I went to pick up the car on Thursday 12/28/2023 in the morning, the Ford representative said the car is fine, and there is nothing wrong with the car. I say thank you and drive off. So, I am driving the car for about 5 minutes, it feels sluggish. Then the engine light comes on, I make a U turn and return the car to AutoNation Ford for service. As things stand now, my car is still AutoNation Ford service center, due to the defects which are causing poor performance while driving the 2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, issues such as: Rough Steering, Bad Ignition Switch, and braking issue. Per my previous statement, I drove the car for about on 12/28/2023, it felt extremely sluggish. The hard shifting in vehicle, and steering wheel was rough . The brakes have more issues than normal. The engine light came on.
NHTSA complaint #11565399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a check engine light on my dash. I have several codes. I have problems with the car like the fuel pump, catalytic converter not functioning efficiently, steering, etc. I know Ford has problems with its cars.
NHTSA complaint #11565376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After exiting thruway after driving 10-15 minutes, car shuts off at a stop sign/traffic light. notice on screen right hand side state transmission not in park. I put car into park then restart vehicle. This has happened three times in last 6 months. Taken to dealer and they cannot reproduce problem or when scanned, no problem shows up.
NHTSA complaint #11557073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving up a ramp at 65 mph, the transmission, brakes, steering, and engine became inoperable, and the vehicle shut down and crashed into the side railing. The vehicle tipped on its side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The child passenger who was using a car seat positioned in the rear passenger seat sustained injuries that left the occupant in a coma, and medical attention was provided. The other occupants in the driver and passenger front seats and the occupant in the driver's rear seat sustained minor cuts but medical attention was not provided. There was no reported fire, police report, or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called but the contact was unable to notify them about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,498.
NHTSA complaint #11556686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact shifted into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated while reversing, she heard an abnormal sound. The check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the power train not being connected to the solenoids. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,367.
NHTSA complaint #11555476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 30-50 MPH, the vehicle was jerking. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he had parked and stopped driving the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 34,720.
NHTSA complaint #11550206 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, she inadvertently removed the key from the ignition while the vehicle was still in drive. The vehicle began to roll, and the contact realized that she had forgotten to shift the vehicle into park. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V141000 (Electrical System, Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 48,000.
NHTSA complaint #11545478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.