2012 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
100 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Ford Taurus, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 4/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 38,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Ford Taurus has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Taurus years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several different warning lights were intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where she was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Taurus
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 62 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,963 and 90,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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.…
Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may…
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Ford Taurus. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2012 Ford Taurus drew 100 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 4/100, scored against the model's worst year (1993).
What are the most common 2012 Ford Taurus problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Ford Taurus are electrical (27 complaints), body & structure (16), and steering (16).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Taurus problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Ford Taurus problems around 50,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,963 and 90,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Ford Taurus have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.