2013 Ford Taurus Problems: Steering (582 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 Ford Taurus is Steering (47% of 582 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 582 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2013 Ford Taurus?
273 of 582 filings named Steering (47% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Fuel system (85 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, Steering, Fuel system, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 273 complaints · 46.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 20
- Fires 6
- Injuries 25
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 273 | 46.9% | 7 crashes · 1 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 85 | 14.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 48 | 8.3% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 33 | 5.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 20 | 3.4% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 19 | 3.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 12 | 2.1% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 10 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 8 | 1.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 76 | 13.1% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 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 15V040000 was reported 502 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V340000 was reported 946 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V621000 was reported 1,129 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V072000 was reported 2,447 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V227000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V270000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V285000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V393000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V040000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V340000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V812000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V621000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V072000 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, Steering, Fuel system, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 13V227000
Safety recall 13V227000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.
-
Recall campaign 13V270000
Safety recall 13V270000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S07. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 14V285000
Safety recall 14V285000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- 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's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
-
Recall campaign 14V393000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.
-
Recall campaign 15V040000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy:
- 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 customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
-
Recall campaign 15V340000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- 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 be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
-
Recall campaign 15V812000
Safety recall 15V812000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.
-
Recall campaign 16V621000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.
-
Recall campaign 20V072000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
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 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 582 complaints · page 1 of 24
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The power steering system is continually giving Power Steering Assist Failure and Service Advance Trac. The code U3000 was identified by Ford technician. This code is found in a Ford recall 15S18, my VIN is not included in this recall. The power steering quits working while the car is driving. The problem was confirmed through codes U3000 and Coo51 by Ed Morse Ford in Lebanon, MO. There was no accident to involve police or insurance representatives. Warning messages are mentioned above.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Mechanic told us while replacing the suspension that the steering rack has to be replaced.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Back up camera goes upside down or unavailable.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car regularly starts without pressing the brake down first. The car has they key but says no key detected and drives with or without it. This is a push start ignition car.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the electric power steering suddenly failed without prior warning. The steering pulled sharply to the right, but the driver managed to maintain control and steered the vehicle safely into a soft dirt field on the side of the road. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The backup Camera goes upside down. The car hesitates when accelerated when needing a boost like getting on freeway Parking brake won’t catch. This is 2nd time and needs to be fixed again
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car wouldn't start or even turn over. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk as the car broke down in the middle of nowhere, on a curve and a hill, smack dab in the middle of the road, cellphone, internet service and 911 was spotty at best, it was around midnight. I finally got through to call my Mother's insurance company for a tow truck, waited 3 hours, tow truck did not show, so I called the number given to me. The man that answered, was highly intoxicated and slurring his words. I finally got through to 911 and they called my preference of towing company, that arrived in 1.5 hours. I had to wait nearly 6 hours for a tow truck to arrive, not 1 vehicle passed by the entire time. Thankfully I arrived at my destination a little after daylight, unharmed. Yes, there were a plethora of lights that came on, to include, tire pressure, starting system failure, engine coolant. We had the vehicle at Baldwin Ford in [XXX] and most recently at Bud Shell Fors in [XXX] . This all started after someone tried to starve my Father in law to death on or about March 2024. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving under normal conditions, the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer, and significant physical strength was needed to turn the steering wheel. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); and associated the failure with the recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM FAULT UNABLE TO BLEED UP FUEL TANK VACUUM. POOR QUALITY PAINT AND INTERIOR.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used force to steer to the right or left. The message "Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at high speeds, there were no issues with the operation of the power steering functionality. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer in Orem, where it was confirmed that the power steering had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). However, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 Ford Taurus?
Owners named Steering most often — 273 of 582 reports (47%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, Steering, Fuel system, 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 2013 Ford Taurus?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. 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 2026-08-21
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 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.