Ford Taurus Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Ford Taurus model year from 1990 to 2019, benchmarked against each other with 22,225 federal complaints, 68 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 1993–1996, 1999–2003. These years top the Taurus's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2006–2012, 2014–2018 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Taurus's own worst year — full methodology.

Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Ford Taurus.

DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR DP96014 opened November 14, 1996 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

CFAS SENT A FOLLOW-UP LETTER ON DECEMBER 12, 1996, TO CHANGE THE INTENT OF THE PETITION TO AIRBAG AGGRESSIVITY AND DEPLOYMENT VARIABILITY.NHTSA RECEIVED THE LETTER ON 12/12/96; ACCORDINGLY, THE PETITION DUE DAY WAS CHANGED TO APRIL 12, 1997.CFAS PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO…

Model years named: 1990, 1991, 1992

An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

22,225Complaints on file
68Recall campaigns
30Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Engine tops the Ford Taurus file with 3,457 complaints, concentrated in the 1993, 1995 model years, most often reported around 76,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2019 Few reports 17 2 — 1
2018 Better year 65 4 Body & structure 4
2017 Better year 53 4 Electrical 2
2016 Better year 103 4 Driver assistance 6
2015 Better year 349 6 Fuel system 16
2014 Better year 296 5 Fuel system 13
2013 Typical 753 9 Steering 33
2012 Better year 100 5 Electrical 4
2011 Better year 251 4 Electrical 13
2010 Better year 280 3 Engine 15
2009 Better year 77 0 Engine 5
2008 Better year 240 1 Transmission & drivetrain 13
2007 Better year 196 1 Speed control 9
2006 Better year 415 3 Speed control 19
2005 Below average 1,005 1 Speed control 46
2004 Typical 482 2 Speed control 27
2003 Avoid 1,524 4 Suspension 71
2002 Avoid 1,759 4 Suspension 81
2001 Avoid 1,264 10 Suspension 68
2000 Avoid 1,497 8 Suspension 79
1999 Avoid 1,100 7 Suspension 56
1998 Below average 680 4 Speed control 39
1997 Below average 1,003 5 Transmission & drivetrain 50
1996 Avoid 1,132 8 Engine 56
1995 Avoid 1,597 6 Transmission & drivetrain 77
1994 Avoid 1,284 5 Engine 60
1993 Avoid 2,206 8 Engine 100
1992 Below average 1,009 6 Engine 51
1991 Below average 946 5 Transmission & drivetrain 43
1990 Typical 542 8 Engine 28

Technical service bulletins

Beyond complaints and recalls, 2,802 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

Browse the Ford Taurus TSB list by year →

Questions buyers ask

What Ford Taurus years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 1993–1996, 1999–2003 as the Ford Taurus years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Ford Taurus problem?

Engine tops the Ford Taurus file with 3,457 complaints, concentrated in the 1993, 1995 model years, most often reported around 76,000 miles.

What are the best Ford Taurus years to buy used?

The quietest Ford Taurus years in federal records are 2006–2012, 2014–2018 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Ford Taurus only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.