2000 Ford Taurus Problems: Suspension (1,160 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2000 Ford Taurus is Suspension (36% of 1,160 owner reports). There are 8 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-16 1,160 complaints · 8 recalls
What problems show up on the 2000 Ford Taurus?
416 of 1,160 filings named Suspension (36% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (85 reports).
There are 8 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights, Glass / wipers / cameras, Brakes, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1999 has 849 reports on file; this year has 1,160. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Suspension 416 complaints · 35.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 100
- Fires 25
- Injuries 81
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 416 | 35.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 85 | 7.3% | 15 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 81 | 7.0% | 3 crashes · 5 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 78 | 6.7% | 50 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 77 | 6.6% | 5 crashes · 1 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 73 | 6.3% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 69 | 6.0% | 11 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 50 | 4.3% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 44 | 3.8% | 2 crashes · 11 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 929 | 80.1% | 67 crashes · 14 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 00V242000 was reported 240 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V048000 was reported 416 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V075000 was reported 428 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V078000 was reported 428 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V258000 was reported 419 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 02V266000 was reported 786 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 04V106000 was reported 1,514 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 04V332000 was reported 1,490 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 74 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 00V242000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V075000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V078000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V258000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V266000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V106000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V332000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE02035 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE03002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA03010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ03008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RP03001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE04044 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE05054 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA06002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE12033 |
Safety Recalls (8)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights, Glass / wipers / cameras, Brakes, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 00V242000
Safety recall 00V242000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- EXCESSIVE LOADING CAN CAUSE TIRE AND VEHICLE DAMAGE THAT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL LABEL WITH THE CORRECT INFORMATION, ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR AFFIXING THE LABEL ADJACENT TO THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN OCTOBER 20, 2000. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
-
Recall campaign 01V048000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD, THE CHMSL SHALL BE ACTIVATED ONLY UPON APPPLICATION OF THE SERVICE BRAKES. ALSO, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH, IF THE SHIFT LEVER CAN BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A JUMPER/RESISTOR ASSEMBLY AT THE SPOILER THAT PROVIDES AN ELECTRICAL RESISTOR TO GROUND AND CORRECTS THE CHMSL AND BRAKE-SHIFT INTERLOCK CONDITIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
-
Recall campaign 01V075000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- THIS WOULD CAUSE DIFFICULTY FOR THE DRIVER TO ACTIVATE THE HEADLAMPS, WHICH COULD AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH KNOB. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 9, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
-
Recall campaign 01V078000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- A SHORT CIRCUIT COULD LEAD TO EITHER THE BRAKE LAMPS STAYING ON, OR TO A LOSS OF BRAKE LAMP FUNCTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH AND WIPE DOWN THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO REMOVE EXCESS GREASE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 22, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
-
Recall campaign 01V258000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE WIPER MOTOR. MOTORS BUILT WITH THE SUSPECT TIME FRAME WILL HAVE THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COVER REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 02V266000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THIS COULD RESULT IN A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCING AN "UNINTENDED VEHICLE SPEED INCREASE" OR A PERCEIVED "UNABLE TO STOP" CONDITION.
- Remedy:
- OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED AS TO THE PROPER WAY TO SET THE POSITION OF THE PEDALS AND TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS MEASURED. IF THE SPACING IS FOUND TO BE LESS THAN 50 MM, THE DEALER WILL ADJUST THE PEDALS TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM TO GREATER THAN 50 MM. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN OCTOBER 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 04V106000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- IN ADDITION, IF THE SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTUATE AND THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF "PARK" IF THEY FAIL IN THE CLOSED POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN ON, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THE SPEED CONTROL TO BE ACTIVATED. THIS COULD ALSO CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DISCHARGE.
- Remedy:
- 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. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
-
Recall campaign 04V332000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, THE TIRE MAY RUPTURE RESULTING IN A RAPID AIR LOSS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SPRING SHIELDS. IN ADDITION, FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS IN ALL OTHER STATES, FOR FRACTURE ONLY, UP TO 10 YEARS OF SERVICE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. IF THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 150,000 MILES, THIS COVERAGE WILL LAST UNTIL JULY 31, 2005. IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. AN INTERIM NOTICE WAS SENT TO OWNERS ON AUGUST 2, 2004. PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2000-2001 MY VEHICLES AND OWNERS WERE SENT A LETTER ON JANUARY 10, 2005, ADVISING THEM TO BRING IN THEIR VEHICLES FOR REPAIR PARTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE 1999 MY VEHICLES BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2005 AND OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE NOTIFIED THEN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-16
Showing 10 of 1,160 complaints · page 1 of 47
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle Has A Heavy Power Steering Fluid Leak!!! Will Be Taking It To The Shop To Diagnose The Concern!!! I Was Checking To See If There Were Any Campaigns Or Recalls Reported!!!
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Someone pulled out in front of me as I was slowing down to make a left turn. I T-boned their vehicle while going 35mph, resulting in a total loss for my 2000 Ford Taurus. (This was in 2018 so it was not a new car). My driver steering wheel airbag DID NOT deploy. I was wearing my seat belt. I still have chest pains when I sneeze and cough, even 4 years later (in November 2022, at time of writing), and in the last year (2021) received a cortisone shot in my left shoulder. I was offered a neck brace in the ambulance and was prescribed an arm sling in the hospital. I was diagnosed with whiplash. I believe I was given pain medication. Someone from the NHTSA in Indiana contacted me and we spoke briefly about it that week, so this may have been previously reported to this agency. I only found out this week that the 2000 Ford Taurus had a history of airbag issues, which is why I bring this up now. I think the car has already been scrapped, so no chance of examination unfortunately. As above, my safety was in jeopardy. Had I been going faster, I could have died. (Apparently someone DID die from a faulty Taurus front airbag.) I, to this day, have chest pain down to my elbows when I sneeze or cough. My doctor says it's a musculoskeletal strain. Ford has not issued recalls for airbags. The vehicle was declared totaled on scene by the police officer and then towed by a towing service. The towing service said the undeployed airbag was "a ticking time bomb" and really unsafe to attempt to repair. I sent pictures to the at-fault driver's insurance, so it was also inspected by insurance. I do not remember any seeing warning messages. I would have checked any unfamiliar warnings or dash lights. Side note: For number of injured, I think I was the only one to take an ambulance. At-fault driver first hesitated to call 911, but eventually did. There were two people in his car, including himself: driver, and passenger in front seat.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN, MY TRANSMISSION DISENGAGES & MY ENGINE RPM'S INCREASE UNTIL I RECOVER FROM THE TURN.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
IT PRESENTED A SERIES OF MISSED FIRED AND OVER HEATING ON THE ROAD , AFTER DRIVING AROUND 150 MILES , THE ENGINE LEAKING OIL AND IT LOSS POWER MAKE IT ON SAFE TO DRIVE . THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS ICED UP LIKE A FRIDGE AND LESS COOLING IN AN OVER WHOLE LOOK THE CAR NEED SAFETY CONTROL AND ALL OF THIS CAN CLEARLY SEEN ON THE CITY ROAD WAY .
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO SHUT OFF, WHICH REQUIRED THE BATTERY CABLE TO BE DISCONNECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THE EVENT THAT THE DAY TIME RUNNING LAMPS, HIGH BEAMS, AND FOG LIGHTS SHORT OUT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
JUNE 2018 PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET BY MY GRANDDAUGHTER, NO THERE NO SIGNS OF A COLLISION. IT WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
PART OF THE ENGINE, TOP PORTION CLOSEST TO THE FIREWALL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET NEAR MY RESIDENCE IN LANCASTER, CA. I NOTICED THE SMOKE EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I CAME TO A STOP AT THE STOP LIGHT.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE UNSAFE AIRBAGS AND THEY SEEMED TO FEEL AS IF IT WAS NO BIG DEAL AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX MY AIRBAGS.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL, I HAVE A BAD NOIZ IN THE MOTOR AND MY SUSPENSION IS BAD
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RETURNING FROM LAKE GEORGE WE EXPERIENCED A LOUD RATTLING ,SHAKING NOISE. WITHIN SECONDS THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE PULLED OVER TO A SAFE SPOT AND WERE TOWED TO SUPERIOR AUTO ON 19TH ST. IN BROOKLYN. AWAITING PART SEARCH!?!
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2000 Ford Taurus?
Owners named Suspension most often — 416 of 1,160 reports (36%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2000 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA lists 8 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights, Glass / wipers / cameras, Brakes, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2000 Ford Taurus?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.