2000 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,497 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Ford Taurus, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 9 defect investigations. It scores 79/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 74,186 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2000 Ford Taurus sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006–2012, 2014–2018.
Avoid
Where 2000 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“(1) recall on the front coil springs but not the rear springs . (2) l rear coil spring broke and cut into the rear tire causing a blow out .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
“Brake switch had a loose wire per gateway lincoln/mercury mechanic and was replaced under warranty. Driver could not shift out of park. No brake lights were operational. Fortunately this did not occur while driving or vehicle would have been stranded in the road or potential rear end collision from…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
“While driving consumer would simultaneously depress the brake/accelerator pedals. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
“Low coolant light came on, but car did not overheat, but antifreeze did leak out of heater block. Took car to dealer... Heater block threaded incorrectly to engine. Now told i need a whole new engine! I have only had car for a month!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
“Transmission come and goes when it want to any equipment recalls on 2000 ford taurus”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
“The consumer applied the brakes and the pedal had gone to the floor, as the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle was stopped by pulling the emergency brake. The dealer stated that they were unable to find the problem. Recall# 02v266000 mr scc”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 731 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,784 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS. IN ADDITION, FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS IN ALL OTHER STATES, FOR FRACTURE ONLY, UP TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE OR…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING. THIS MALFUNCTIONING COULD RENDER THE STOP LAMPS INOPERABLE OR CAUSE THEM TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE CONFUSION…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH AND ASSOCIATED WIRING ASSEMBLY AND INSTALL A NEWLY DESIGNED STOP LAMP SWITCH AND WIRE ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON APRIL 5, 2004.…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ADJUSTABLE PADELS ARE BEING RECALLED IN ORDER TO ADJUST THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS TO A MINIMUM OF 50 MM OF LATERAL SEPARATION. SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION OF BOTH THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS COULD RESULT IN…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED AS TO THE PROPER WAY TO SET THE POSITION OF THE PEDALS AND TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS MEASURED. IF THE…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER CARS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. A SWITCH LOCATED IN THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COULD MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEAT, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF INTERMITTENT WIPER…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE WIPER MOTOR. MOTORS BUILT WITH THE SUSPECT TIME FRAME WILL HAVE THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COVER REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 2001. OWNERS…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ADJUSTABLE PEDALS. IF THE GREASE FROM THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY ENTERS THE STOP LAMP SWITCH, IT CAN CONTAMINATE THE CONTACTS LEADING TO CARBON BUILD UP, AND POTENTIALLY, A SHORT CIRCUIT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH AND WIPE DOWN THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO REMOVE EXCESS GREASE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 22, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. DUE TO THE USE OF INCORRECT MATERIAL BY A SUPPLIER, THE HEADLAMP SWITCH KNOB CAN FRACTURE AND SEPARATE FROM THE HEADLAMP SWITCH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH KNOB. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 9, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER SEDANS WITH FACTORY OR DEALER-INSTALLED DECK LID SPOILERS WITH LED CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMPS (CHMSL). VEHICLES PRODUCED WITH SPOILERS WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31, 2000; AND VEHICLES WITH SPOILERS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A JUMPER/RESISTOR ASSEMBLY AT THE SPOILER THAT PROVIDES AN ELECTRICAL RESISTOR TO GROUND AND CORRECTS THE CHMSL AND BRAKE-SHIFT INTERLOCK CONDITIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE "VEHICLE CAPACITY WEIGHT" AND "DESIGNATED SEATING CAPACITY" INFORMATION WAS NOT PRINTED ON THE SAFETY CERTIFICATION LABELS AFFIXED TO THESE VEHICLES. ON AFFECTED SABLE SEDAN VEHICLES, THE "VEHICLES CAPACITY…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL LABEL WITH THE CORRECT INFORMATION, ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR AFFIXING THE LABEL ADJACENT TO THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V332000.
Led to recall campaign 04V106000.
Led to recall campaign 02V266000.
Technical service bulletins
184 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2000 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2000 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 2000 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2000 Ford Taurus drew 1,497 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 79/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 2000 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2000 Ford Taurus are suspension (483 complaints), electrical (164), and brakes & stability (120).
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2000 Ford Taurus problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,784 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2000 Ford Taurus have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 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.