Selling an old or broken Ford Taurus

Ford built the Taurus for 34 model years, so what goes wrong depends on which one you have. The early cars rot at the rear subframe and break front springs. The later ones lose power steering assist or still carry open recalls. The complaint and recall counts here come from NHTSA's flat files as they stood on October 10, 2026.

Six generations at a glance

NHTSA's file also holds two complaints coded 1985, a year before the first Taurus, so these rows add up to 18,453 of its 18,455. Five recall campaigns reach across two generations and are counted in both rows.

1986-1995: rust underneath, fire under the hood

The first Taurus sold fast. Wikipedia counts over 200,000 in the 1986 model year and over a million by 1989, built in Hapeville, Georgia, and in Chicago. On the cars still around, three problems stand out.

Rear subframe mounts. Recall 93V106 (June 1993) reinforced the rear subframe mounts on 1986-1988 Taurus and Sable cars from salt states, using a corrosion-resistant plate and a new bolt. Its count of about 1.6 million also takes in Lincoln Continentals built from November 1987 to September 1988. Recall 98V323 replaced it in December 1998 and stretched it to 1986-1995 cars from the salt belt, 2,697,000 vehicles in all. NHTSA's notice warns that "if both rear corners drop, steering would become suddenly very difficult."

Fuel line couplings. Recall 87V139 (September 1987) added retainer clips where spring-lock couplings join the fuel lines on 1986 and 1987 cars, part of 3.6 million Fords. A coupling that isn't fully seated can leak fuel.

Fires. First-generation years account for 238 of the 574 complaints that report a fire, and the 1989 is the worst single year with 86. On 1993-1995 cars, recall 07V336 (August 2007) went after a speed control deactivation switch that can "leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn." Passenger car owners were told to have the switch disconnected until fused wiring harnesses arrived. Recall 01V390 added a circuit breaker on 1995 cars whose cooling fan bearings could seize and overheat the motor.

No Taurus year drew more complaints than the 1993: 1,571, with 573 naming the engine and its cooling system. One owner reported a head gasket gone at 70,000 miles.

1996-2007: snapped springs and a speed control mystery

From the 1999 model year the file turns to the front suspension. It is the most-named component every year from 1999 through 2003, peaking at 941 complaints on the 2002. One 2002 owner wrote that a front coil spring broke and blew out a tire on a city street.

Recall 04V332 (July 2004) covered 899,060 cars from 1999-2001, the Taurus among them, in salt-belt states; dealers fitted spring shields. Everywhere else, Ford extended coverage of the front springs "for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first." The recall stops at 2001, yet the 2002 and 2003 drew 1,242 suspension complaints between them.

Speed control is the other pattern. On the 2004, 2005 and 2006 it leads every year: 760 of 1,467 complaints. A 2005 owner said the car sped up from 45 to 65 mph with no foot on the pedal. The file lists no recall for those years' speed control, and the 2005 has no recall campaigns at all.

After a short 2006 model year, Ford stopped selling the sedan to U.S. retail buyers and sold it only to fleets here. Canadian buyers could still get one at retail. Production stopped October 27, 2006, when Ford idled the Atlanta plant.

2008-2019: the Chicago years

For 2008 the Five Hundred took the Taurus name, with a 3.5-liter V6, a 6-speed automatic and optional all-wheel drive. Its two years drew only 403 complaints and one recall.

The sixth generation followed for 2010 and was built in Chicago until March 2019. The 2013 has 590 complaints, and 267 of them name the steering. Recall 15V340 (June 2015) covers loss of electric power steering assist on 2011-2012 Taurus with the 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Taurus with any engine, among 393,623 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. Dealers read the steering module for trouble codes and replace the steering gear free if loss-of-assist codes are stored. If none are found, the module gets a free software update. A 2013 owner wrote that the power steering failed without warning at 60 mph.

Three later recalls deserve a VIN check:

• 20V072 (February 2020): rear toe links can fracture on 2013-2018 Taurus Police Interceptor sedans and SHOs with the Performance Pack, part of 211,207 vehicles.
• 25V695 (October 2025): the rearview camera can show a distorted or blank image on 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 cars, among 1,448,655 vehicles. The fix rolls out in phases. Back-over prevention is the most-named component on the 2015 (56 complaints) and the 2016 (23).
• 25V611 (September 2025): B-pillar door trim can come off while driving on 101,944 Taurus from 2016-2019. Owner letters went out February 20, 2026.

Ford said on April 25, 2018 that it would drop the Taurus, along with the Fiesta, Focus and Fusion.

Complaints and recalls, year by year

A complaint here is one report filed with NHTSA against that model year. Quiet stretches are grouped. The crash and fire columns are complaints in which the owner reported one. A recall that covers several years appears in each row it touches, so that column doesn't add up to 71.

Is it worth fixing?

Do the free part first. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall search. On a 2013, or a 2011-2012 with the 3.5L GTDI engine, recall 15V340 means a free steering gear if the dealer finds loss-of-assist codes and a free software update if not. On a 2015-2019, look for the camera and trim recalls.

Rust is where old cars usually lose the argument. The coil spring extension has run out, and both subframe recalls named only cars sold or registered in the listed salt-belt states. If a shop finds rotted subframe mounts or a broken spring, get the quote in writing and set it against what a running Taurus of that year brings locally. Our failed inspection guide covers that call, and what a junk car is worth explains what moves an offer on a car that sits.

How to sell the Taurus as it sits

1. Note the VIN and the mileage. Then list what's wrong in plain words: no start, rusted subframe, broken spring, slipping transmission, body damage.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it's parked, whether in a driveway, on a side street or at a repair shop, and whether the wheels still turn. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the car whole. If something is already missing, such as the converter or a wheel, mention it, because it changes the offer.
5. Sign the title over at pickup. Whether you keep the plates is set by state law; after you sell lists the rules. If the title is lost, start with the no-title guide.

Related Fords: the Five Hundred, the Freestyle and the Crown Victoria, or browse every Ford we cover.