1990 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
542 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1990 Ford Taurus, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 15 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports.
Typical
Where 1990 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“Have had to have two motor mounts put on and the vehicle is only 5 years old. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
“Body mounts failed prior to recall notice causing rear subframe to drop and loss of steering ability. (recall 98s36) nlm.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
“Steering tie rods came loose from the ends of the steering rack due to thread failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
“Unable to turn ignition on when the vehicle is exposed to excessive hot weather. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
“When the paint began to peel, i chose not to repaint the vehicle due to cost. When the transmission failed, i chose not to repair it due to the cost to repair. When the cruise control stopped working, i chose not to repair due to the cost to repair. If i get the transmission fixed, i intend to have…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
“Frontal collision impact 12:00 position speed 30 mph, driver side air bag did not deploy. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1990 Taurus
Recalls (8)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL SUBFRAME REAR MOUNT BOLTS, REINFORCEMENT PLATES, AND PLATE NUTS.
THE ARC WELDS ON THE SWAY BAR BRACKET, WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE STRUT RESERVE TUBE, DID NOT FUSE PROPERLY.
Fix: MONROE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STRUT FREE OF CHARGE.
THE RIGID MOUNTED SAFETY BELT BUCKLES ARE DEFECTIVE IN THREE WAYS. FIRST, A FASTENED SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT UNLATCH WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON IS DEPRESSED. THIS RESULTS FROM INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUCKLE EJECTOR FINGER AND THE BUCKLE TONGUE WINDOW. THE…
Fix: FORD WILL REPLACE THE RIGID MOUNTED SAFETY BELT BUCKLES WITH END RELEASE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES DESIGNED TO PREVENT LATCH PROBLEMS.
CHILDREN CAN ACCIDENTALLY LOCK THEMSELVES IN THE FOOTWELL AREA OF THE REAR-FACING THIRD SEAT, OR IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN STATION WAGONS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPTIONAL THIRD SEAT. ONCE THE COMPARTMENT IS CLOSED IT CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE.
Fix: REPLACE THE SELF-LATCHING ASSEMBLY CURRENTLY USED IN THE REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT WITH A LATCH ASSEMBLY THAT CAN ONLY BE CLOSED WITH A KEY.
FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED IN AREAS WHERE CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE ARE USED EXTENSIVELY.
Fix: REPLACE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WITH FULL CAST FRONT BRAKE ROTORS.
THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.
Fix: REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.
WHEELS MAY CONTAIN CRACKS THAT COULD PROPOGATE IN RAISED PORTION OF WHEEL CENTER.
Fix: REPLACE WHEELS WITH WHEELS OF A REVISED DESIGN.
AN INCORRECT TRANSISTOR MAY CAUSE AUTOLAMP SYSTEM LIGHT SENSOR MODULE MALFUNCTION.
Fix: REPLACE LIGHT SENSOR MODULES.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
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…
Led to recall campaign 93V106001.
Led to recall campaign 92V065000.
Led to recall campaign 92V113000.
Led to recall campaign 91V134001.
Led to recall campaign 90V159000.
Technical service bulletins
67 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1990 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1990 Taurus TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1990 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 1990 Ford Taurus drew 542 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 1990 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 1990 Ford Taurus are engine (91 complaints), body & structure (70), and steering (57).
Does the 1990 Ford Taurus have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 1990 Ford Taurus. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.