2003 Ford Taurus Problems and Recalls (1,205 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2003 Ford Taurus is Transmission / driveline (24% of 1,205 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-16 1,205 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2003 Ford Taurus?

290 of 1,205 filings named Transmission / driveline (24% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Suspension (289 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Lights, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2002 has 1,407 reports on file; this year has 1,205. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2003 Ford Taurus

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  4. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 290 complaints · 24.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 54
  • Fires 12
  • Injuries 56
  • Deaths 2
All Ford Taurus years →
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.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 290 of 1,205 owner complaints (24.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 290 complaints, 24.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 290 · 24.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 289 complaints, 24.0% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 2 crash reports 2 fire reports 289 · 24.0% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 158 complaints, 13.1% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 158 · 13.1% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 77 complaints, 6.4% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 2 fire reports 77 · 6.4% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 70 complaints, 5.8% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 crash reports 1 fire reports 70 · 5.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 64 complaints, 5.3% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 4 fire reports 64 · 5.3% Engine (ENGINE): 62 complaints, 5.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 62 · 5.2% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 41 complaints, 3.4% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 fire reports 41 · 3.4% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 38 complaints, 3.2% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 31 crash reports 38 · 3.2% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 666 complaints, 55.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 27 crash reports 6 fire reports 666 · 55.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 290 24.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 289 24.0% 2 crashes · 2 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 158 13.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 77 6.4% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 70 5.8% 5 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 64 5.3% 1 crashes · 4 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 62 5.2% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 41 3.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 38 3.2% 31 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 666 55.3% 27 crashes · 6 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2003; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2003. 2003-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2003-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2005-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2005-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2006-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2006-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2006-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2006-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2007-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2007-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2007-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2007-Q4: 24 owner reports 24 2008-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 2008-Q2: 34 owner reports 34 2008-Q3: 39 owner reports 39 2008-Q4: 35 owner reports 35 2009-Q1: 49 owner reports 49 2009-Q2: 34 owner reports 34 2009-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2009-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2010-Q1: 38 owner reports 38 2010-Q2: 46 owner reports 46 2010-Q3: 42 owner reports 42 2010-Q4: 42 owner reports 42 2011-Q1: 52 owner reports 52 2011-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2011-Q3: 27 owner reports 27 2011-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2012-Q1: 65 owner reports 65 2012-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2012-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2012-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2013-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2013-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2013-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2013-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2014-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2014-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2014-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2014-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2015-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2015-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2016-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2003 Jan 2025 Recall campaign 03V087000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V087000 Recall campaign 04V105000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V105000 Recall campaign 04V106000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V106000 Recall campaign 16E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 16E026000 Investigation RQ03008 ● Investigation RQ03008 Investigation DP06005 ● Investigation DP06005 Investigation EA08018 ● Investigation EA08018 Investigation PE12033 ● Investigation PE12033
  • Campaign 16E026000 was reported 4,762 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2003-Q1 Owner reports 1
2003-Q2 Owner reports 6
2003-Q3 Owner reports 14
2003-Q4 Owner reports 6
2004-Q1 Owner reports 12
2004-Q2 Owner reports 12
2004-Q3 Owner reports 14
2004-Q4 Owner reports 9
2005-Q1 Owner reports 8
2005-Q2 Owner reports 13
2005-Q3 Owner reports 13
2005-Q4 Owner reports 18
2006-Q1 Owner reports 19
2006-Q2 Owner reports 10
2006-Q3 Owner reports 14
2006-Q4 Owner reports 17
2007-Q1 Owner reports 23
2007-Q2 Owner reports 32
2007-Q3 Owner reports 20
2007-Q4 Owner reports 24
2008-Q1 Owner reports 33
2008-Q2 Owner reports 34
2008-Q3 Owner reports 39
2008-Q4 Owner reports 35
2009-Q1 Owner reports 49
2009-Q2 Owner reports 34
2009-Q3 Owner reports 20
2009-Q4 Owner reports 23
2010-Q1 Owner reports 38
2010-Q2 Owner reports 46
2010-Q3 Owner reports 42
2010-Q4 Owner reports 42
2011-Q1 Owner reports 52
2011-Q2 Owner reports 32
2011-Q3 Owner reports 27
2011-Q4 Owner reports 17
2012-Q1 Owner reports 65
2012-Q2 Owner reports 19
2012-Q3 Owner reports 20
2012-Q4 Owner reports 26
2013-Q1 Owner reports 16
2013-Q2 Owner reports 20
2013-Q3 Owner reports 22
2013-Q4 Owner reports 11
2014-Q1 Owner reports 9
2014-Q2 Owner reports 14
2014-Q3 Owner reports 11
2014-Q4 Owner reports 10
2015-Q1 Owner reports 13
2015-Q2 Owner reports 6
2015-Q3 Owner reports 13
2015-Q4 Owner reports 11
2016-Q1 Owner reports 8
2016-Q2 Owner reports 5
2016-Q3 Owner reports 13
2016-Q4 Owner reports 6
2017-Q1 Owner reports 4
2017-Q2 Owner reports 4
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 4
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 3
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 03V087000
Recall campaign 1 04V105000
Recall campaign 1 04V106000
Recall campaign 1 16E026000
Defect investigation 1 RQ03008
Defect investigation 1 DP06005
Defect investigation 1 EA08018
Defect investigation 1 PE12033
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Lights, and Brakes.

  1. Recall campaign 03V087000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    POTENTIAL LOSS OF WINDSHIELD RETENTION MAY ALSO REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE WINDSHIELDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2003. 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/MERCURY AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 04V105000

    Safety recall 04V105000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS CAN LEAD TO DAMAGE TO THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES AND/OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR FILTER ELEMENT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 10, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 16E026000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    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 2026-10-16 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 1,205 complaints · page 1 of 49
2025-03-10SERVICE BRAKES
NHTSA ODI 11647520
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle was involved in a collision with major front end damage and no airbags deployed. The brakes have been soft or spongy. I have not seen any leaks for the brake issue. I have bled the brakes several times the master was replaced by the original owner.
2022-07-21FUEL SYSTEM
NHTSA ODI 11475206
CrashFireInjuryDeath
At times the vehicle accelerates by itself albeit I am not touching the gas pedal. While driving the vehicle at 45 mph, I take my foot off of the accelerator and the vehicle maintains the 45 mph speed or increases speed if I am driving down a hill or any downward gradient regardless of the angle of decent. When I try to stop the vehicle using the foot brake it continues to maintain speed and if I put the shift lever in neutral, while trying to stop, the RPM's increase from approximately 1500 rpm's to 3200 rpm's until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, and then, only after approximately five seconds do the RPM's begin to drop to 1000 rpm's. If I am driving the vehicle with cruise control and cancel the cruise control, the vehicle maintains the cruise control speed indefinitely, literally for miles thereafter. I wanted to give this vehicle to my daughter who has multiple sclerosis but it's too dangerous for her to drive with this acceleration problem. Do you have any recommendations for me???
2022-04-28Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11462647
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when taking the vehicle out of the park(P) after starting the vehicle, which required the brake pedal to be depressed, the contact could not depress the shifter button out of the park. The contact stated that the shift button would not depress. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and turned the vehicle back on but had to pump the brake pedal to shift the vehicle out of the park. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
2022-04-14Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11460786
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to actuate as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift out of park(P) into gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch or wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
2022-04-02Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11459324
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Windshield
2021-08-30SERVICE BRAKES
NHTSA ODI 11431068
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated the vehicle failed to release from the park position. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign number 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting).
2020-02-07Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11307742
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND WHILE SWITCHING GEARS THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE LOCAL DEALER FORSOM LAKE FORD(12755 FOLSOM BLVD, FORSOM LAKE CA.) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
2020-02-06Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11307594
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE I'M DRIVING, AND WILL STAY ON 2-3 HOURS AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED.
2020-01-28Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11302448
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IF I RELEASE THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN SPEED. WHEN I AM COMPLETELY STOPPED AT STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT, I HAVE TO PRESSED ON THE BRAKES REALLY HARD TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM SURGING FORWARD

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2003 Ford Taurus?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 290 of 1,205 reports (24%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2003 Ford Taurus?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Lights, and Brakes. 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 2003 Ford Taurus?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-10-04 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
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 2026-10-16 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources