2004 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
482 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Ford Taurus, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 27/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Speed control leads the reports, typically around 100,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2004 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“2004 ford taurus accelerating by itself to 4000 rpm...throttle is sticking...looking under hood... Throttle appears to be getting stuck on cruise control cable end that keeps falling off of throttle arm.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Taurus
“I had rented a 2004 ford taurus from enterprise rent-a-car. I needed to get some things out of another car to put into the rental car. I put the taurus into drive and pulled forward to the other car. I placed the car in park, opened the door, took my foot off the brake and started to get out. After…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Taurus
“The whole entire wires under the dashboard caught on fire and almost blew me my kids up in dallas texas, had it total and the mechanic stated that the whole computer system blew the wires out and that it was a manufacturing problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Taurus
“Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph she smelled a burning odor. The contact stopped the vehicle to inspect it and observed that the steering column wires were burnt. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic diagnosed that the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Taurus
“The column shift does not move out of park. The problem has been traced to a faulty brake light switch. While there is a recall - 04v106000 - for this issue, it only goes up to the 2003 model year. My vehicle is a 2004 and has the same problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 394 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 97,039 miles. Half of those reports fall between 64,800 and 132,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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 EQUIPPED WITH POWER ADJUSTABLE SEATS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY WELDED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE UPPER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY ON THE POWER SEATS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
55 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2004 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 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 2004 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2004 Ford Taurus drew 482 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 27/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 2004 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Ford Taurus are speed control (166 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (74), and engine (44).
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Ford Taurus problems around 97,039 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 64,800 and 132,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Ford Taurus have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.