2003 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,524 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Ford Taurus, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 71/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 85,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2003 Ford Taurus sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006–2012, 2014–2018.
Avoid
Where 2003 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“The suspension coil spring fractured and punctured the tire next to it, causing the tire to explode.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
“Power traim: transmission while i was driving the car would not move when i stepped on the gas peddle”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
“Leaking water on the passenger side floor, blower motor quit working floor is starting to mold multiple work bags saturated with moldy water. Told to reference existing recall 03v087000 and complaint 10184014”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
“My interior light stays on while i'm driving, and will stay on 2-3 hours after the engine has stopped.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
“The fan on my 2003 ford taurus stopped working and when i took it to the garage they found that the fan and the resistor had shorted out because there was a crack in the cowl near the fire wall-i had to have a new fan,resistor, and the crack sealed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
“The accelerator cable gets stuck. Which causes the car to rev at 2000 rpms even when the brakes are applied the car is trying to take off when waiting at a red light or in motion.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,282 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 79,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 54,366 and 109,593 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop…
Fix: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
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.…
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE AIR FILTER PAPER IN THESE VEHICLES CAN SMOLDER OR BURN.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR FILTER ELEMENT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 10, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 212, "WINDSHIELD MOUNTING." THE WINDSHIELDS MAY POTENTIALLY EXHIBIT INCREASED WIND NOISE, WATER LEAKAGE, AND SQUEAKS AND RATTLES.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE WINDSHIELDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V106000.
Technical service bulletins
64 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and visibility & wipers — are on file for the 2003 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 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 2003 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2003 Ford Taurus drew 1,524 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 71/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 2003 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Ford Taurus are suspension (331 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (319), and visibility & wipers (211).
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Ford Taurus problems around 79,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 54,366 and 109,593 miles.
Does the 2003 Ford Taurus have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.