2011 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
251 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Ford Taurus, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 13/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 51,401 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2011 Ford Taurus has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2011 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“Dash lights go dim for about 15 min then go bright again dealer can't find anything wrong”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Taurus
“Failed Water Pump, water pump isn’t sending coolant through the mail engine so it’s overheating and engine light is on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Taurus
“Power steering. Wheel is hard to turn when turning. Sitting and driving there is no power steering.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 183 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 61,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,120 and 89,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland,…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673.…
Technical service bulletins
49 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2011 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 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 2011 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2011 Ford Taurus drew 251 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 13/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 2011 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Ford Taurus are electrical (62 complaints), engine (49), and steering (25).
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Ford Taurus problems around 61,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,120 and 89,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Ford Taurus have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 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.