1993 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,206 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1993 Ford Taurus, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 13 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 82,394 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1993 Ford Taurus sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006–2012, 2014–2018.
Avoid
Where 1993 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“Front engine mounts failed and caused the engine to lift out of the engine's bay.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
“The ignition can be turn on without a key, also when key is in you can pull it out”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
“Engine failure from headgasket failure at 116500 miles. Transmission failure at 97000 miles broken clutch piston.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
“Front coil springs failed prior to recall notice causing damage to struts and bushings.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
“Windshield wiper switch and motor replaced due to failure which caused poor visibility in rainstorm.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
“Due to integral design of parking brake corrosion at the rear calipers and rotors.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1993 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 82 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 105,332 miles. Half of those reports fall between 65,000 and 140,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
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.
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATION 573. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF NEW YORK, MICHIGAN,…
Fix: CUSTOMERS WITH VEHICLES THAT HAVE BROKEN SPRINGS ARE TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLE FOR SPRING REPLACEMENT. BOTH SPRINGS WILL BE REPLACED EVEN IF ONLY ONE SPRING IS FRACTURED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF NEW YORK, MICHIGAN, OHIO, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA, MASSACHUSETTS, INDIANA, NEW JERSEY, MAINE, CONNECTICUT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING CATCHER BRACKET WHICH WILL PREVENT A FRACTURED SPRING FROM CONTACTING A TIRE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN FLASH INTERMITTENTLY AS A RESULT OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING. THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS CAN GO OUT FOR BRIEF INTERVALS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT INCORPORATES A CRICUIT BREAKER OF REVISED DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND WIRING, IF NEEDED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.8L ENGINES AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, IOWA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KANSAS, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NORTH…
Fix: DEALERS WILL ADD A BOOT TO THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE.
THESE VEHICLES ARE ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, IOWA, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. THE VEHICLES INVOLVED ARE 1992-1994 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES WITH 3.0L ENGINES; 1994 TEMPO/TOPAZ WITH 2.3L…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ELECTRICAL JUMPER HARNESS CONTAINING AN AUTOMATIC RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE FAN MOTOR LOW SPEED CIRCUITRY FROM OVERHEATING.
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.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROLLERS DESIGNED FOR REAR WHEEL DRIVE CARS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THESE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS..
Fix: REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE ABS CONTROLLER WITH A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE ABS CONTROLLER.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 98V094000.
Led to recall campaign 98I002000.
Led to recall campaign 97V019000.
Led to recall campaign 98V009000.
Led to recall campaign 97V019000.
Technical service bulletins
113 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1993 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1993 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 1993 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 1993 Ford Taurus drew 2,206 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 1993 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 1993 Ford Taurus are engine (760 complaints), electrical (327), and transmission & drivetrain (183).
At what mileage do 1993 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 1993 Ford Taurus problems around 105,332 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 65,000 and 140,000 miles.
Does the 1993 Ford Taurus have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 1993 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.