2001 FORD TAURUS — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,017 complaints · 10 recalls
Most-reported system: SUSPENSION (486 complaints · 47.8%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 89
  • Fires 15
  • Injuries 74
  • Deaths 5
Compare with 2000 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution SUSPENSION appears in 486 of 1,017 owner complaints (47.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. SUSPENSION: 486 complaints, 47.8% of reports SUSPENSION 486 · 47.8% · 6 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 89 complaints, 8.8% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 89 · 8.8% · 17 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 77 complaints, 7.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 77 · 7.6% · 12 crash reports AIR BAGS: 58 complaints, 5.7% of reports AIR BAGS 58 · 5.7% · 38 crash reports ENGINE: 52 complaints, 5.1% of reports ENGINE 52 · 5.1% · 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 43 complaints, 4.2% of reports POWER TRAIN 43 · 4.2% · 3 crash reports VISIBILITY: 32 complaints, 3.2% of reports VISIBILITY 32 · 3.2% · 1 fire reports STRUCTURE: 28 complaints, 2.8% of reports STRUCTURE 28 · 2.8% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 26 complaints, 2.6% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 26 · 2.6% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 781 complaints, 76.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 781 · 76.8% · 61 crash reports 11 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
SUSPENSION 486 47.8% 6 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 89 8.8% 17 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 77 7.6% 12 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 58 5.7% 38 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 52 5.1% 0 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 43 4.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 32 3.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
STRUCTURE 28 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 26 2.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 781 76.8% 61 crashes · 11 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 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.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2000; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2000. 2000-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2001-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2001-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2002-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2002-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2002-Q3: 19 owner reports 19 2002-Q4: 30 owner reports 30 2003-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2003-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2003-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 2003-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2004-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2004-Q3: 51 owner reports 51 2004-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2005-Q1: 38 owner reports 38 2005-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2005-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2005-Q4: 34 owner reports 34 2006-Q1: 47 owner reports 47 2006-Q2: 36 owner reports 36 2006-Q3: 33 owner reports 33 2006-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2007-Q1: 27 owner reports 27 2007-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2007-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2007-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2008-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2008-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 2008-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2008-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2009-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2009-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2009-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2009-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2010-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2010-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2010-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2012-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2000 Apr 2025 Recall campaign 00V240000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V240000 Recall campaign 00V396000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V396000 Recall campaign 01V048000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V048000 Recall campaign 01V078000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V078000 Recall campaign 01V144000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V144000 Recall campaign 01V258000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V258000 Recall campaign 02V266000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V266000 Recall campaign 04V106000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V106000 Recall campaign 04V332000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V332000 Recall campaign 16E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 16E026000 Investigation PE02035 ● Investigation PE02035 Investigation PE03002 ● Investigation PE03002 Investigation EA03010 ● Investigation EA03010 Investigation RQ03008 ● Investigation RQ03008 Investigation RP03001 ● Investigation RP03001 Investigation PE05054 ● Investigation PE05054 Investigation EA06002 ● Investigation EA06002 Investigation PE12033 ● Investigation PE12033
  • Campaign 00V396000 was reported 4 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 01V144000 was reported 37 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 01V258000 was reported 100 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 02V266000 was reported 541 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 04V106000 was reported 955 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 04V332000 was reported 1,053 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16E026000 was reported 5,471 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2000-Q3 Owner reports 1
2000-Q4 Owner reports 3
2001-Q1 Owner reports 5
2001-Q2 Owner reports 11
2001-Q3 Owner reports 12
2001-Q4 Owner reports 13
2002-Q1 Owner reports 18
2002-Q2 Owner reports 22
2002-Q3 Owner reports 19
2002-Q4 Owner reports 30
2003-Q1 Owner reports 13
2003-Q2 Owner reports 18
2003-Q3 Owner reports 26
2003-Q4 Owner reports 11
2004-Q1 Owner reports 21
2004-Q2 Owner reports 13
2004-Q3 Owner reports 51
2004-Q4 Owner reports 25
2005-Q1 Owner reports 38
2005-Q2 Owner reports 29
2005-Q3 Owner reports 21
2005-Q4 Owner reports 34
2006-Q1 Owner reports 47
2006-Q2 Owner reports 36
2006-Q3 Owner reports 33
2006-Q4 Owner reports 23
2007-Q1 Owner reports 27
2007-Q2 Owner reports 28
2007-Q3 Owner reports 24
2007-Q4 Owner reports 15
2008-Q1 Owner reports 30
2008-Q2 Owner reports 25
2008-Q3 Owner reports 25
2008-Q4 Owner reports 12
2009-Q1 Owner reports 19
2009-Q2 Owner reports 17
2009-Q3 Owner reports 18
2009-Q4 Owner reports 8
2010-Q1 Owner reports 21
2010-Q2 Owner reports 19
2010-Q3 Owner reports 13
2010-Q4 Owner reports 4
2011-Q1 Owner reports 7
2011-Q2 Owner reports 7
2011-Q3 Owner reports 6
2011-Q4 Owner reports 6
2012-Q1 Owner reports 15
2012-Q2 Owner reports 10
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q4 Owner reports 9
2013-Q1 Owner reports 6
2013-Q2 Owner reports 9
2013-Q3 Owner reports 4
2013-Q4 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 7
2014-Q3 Owner reports 5
2014-Q4 Owner reports 5
2015-Q1 Owner reports 6
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 3
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 5
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 00V240000
Recall campaign 1 00V396000
Recall campaign 1 01V048000
Recall campaign 1 01V078000
Recall campaign 1 01V144000
Recall campaign 1 01V258000
Recall campaign 1 02V266000
Recall campaign 1 04V106000
Recall campaign 1 04V332000
Recall campaign 1 16E026000
Defect investigation 1 PE02035
Defect investigation 1 PE03002
Defect investigation 1 EA03010
Defect investigation 1 RQ03008
Defect investigation 1 RP03001
Defect investigation 1 PE05054
Defect investigation 1 EA06002
Defect investigation 1 PE12033
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (10)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V240000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    THE ANCHOR MAY NOT HOLD THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN POSITION DURING AN ACCIDENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT OF THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND RE-INSTALL THE BRACKET NUT USING A TORQUE RETENTION MATERIAL (RED LOCTITE). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 11, 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V396000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE CHILD.
    Remedy:
    OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH OWNER GUIDE INSERTS REVISED TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR AFFIXING THESE INSERTS TO THEIR OWNER GUIDES. CUSTOMERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT IF THEY PREFER, THEIR DEALER WILL AFFIX THE INSERTS TO THEIR OWNER GUIDES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V048000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V078000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V144000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 4, 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V258000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02V266000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 04V106000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 04V332000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1017 complaints · page 1 of 41

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources