Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 Ford Taurus problems

Owners filed 1,195 complaints about the 2000 Ford Taurus with NHTSA between Dec 1999 and May 2024. The most-cited component is suspension (442).

Complaints
1,195
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
102
Reported by owners
Fires
25
Reported by owners
Injuries
81
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension442
  2. Engine and engine cooling102
  3. Power train97
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic95
  5. Air bags88
  6. Exterior lighting86
  7. Vehicle speed control84
  8. Electrical system61
  9. Tires60
  10. Fuel system, gasoline58
  11. Visibility41
  12. Seat belts39
  13. Structure32
  14. Steering29

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19991
200088
2001132
2002119
2003132
2004200
2005124
200679
200794
200873
200929
201033
201119
201222
201312
201410
20156
201610
20175
20180
20193
20202
20210
20221
20230
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

442 reports6 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V332000 (SUSPENSION), BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED. AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRUTS WERE BENT WITH EXTENSIVE CORROSION ON THE SPRING COILS AND STRUTS. THE DEALER FAILED TO INDICATE IF THEY WOULD PROVIDE THE RECALL REPAIR FOR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2017SuspensionODI 10984452

Engine and engine cooling

102 reports4 crashes7 fires
“SINCE 2004, I HAD TO HAVE MY ENGINE REBUILT IN 2009 THE COST WAS 1,700, DUE TO FAILURE IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM"PROBABLE CAUSE WAS THE COOLANT SYSTEM ERODED', AND STILL HAVE COOLANT ISSUES, THE REPAIRS ON THE COOLANT WAS ALMOST 700. AFTER THOSE REPAIRS WERE CONDUCTED, I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO GRAND PRAIRIE FORD, BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. GRAND PRAIRIE FORD PRESENTED ME A REPAIR LIST STATING AT THAT POINT MY CAR NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND WOULD COST ANOTHER 3,000 TO REPAIR. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO EAGLE TRANSMISSION IN IRVING, TEXAS. THE MANAGER TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND IN FACT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ERROR AND THAT THE BRAIN WOULD HAVE TO BE RECALIBRATED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO GRAND PRAIRIE FORD TO HAVE THE BRAIN RECALIBRATED. THE CAR AT THAT POINT DROVE OFF THEIR LOT JUST FINE. GRAND PRAIRIE FORD WOULD NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER ON WHY THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THAT I NEEDED PARTS WHEN IN FACT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THEM. THEY DID STATE THEY REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS DUE TO THE RECALL. MY DRIVER SEAT BELT DISENGAGES STILL WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIRES SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR DUE TO SUSPENSION ISSUES'BALL JOINTS,TIRE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2012Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10454232

Power train

97 reports6 crashes1 fire
“DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT WAS AS IF IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL. NO FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING ABOUT TO HAPPEN TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SLIPPING OR ACTING UP PRIOR TO THIS. JUST GLAD THERE WAS NOT HEAVY TRAFFIC AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD SCENARIO. AFTER RESEARCH HAVE FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THIS VEHICLE. WONDERING WHY FORD HAS NOT DOWN SOMETHING ABOUT IT. BOUGHT A FORD TAURUS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A VERY SAFE CAR FOR A YOUNG DRIVER.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2016Power trainODI 10836780

Service brakes, hydraulic

95 reports18 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH DOWNHILL WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE, SHE HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND DRIVE OVER THE SIDEWALK, CRASHING INTO A SIGN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO FILED A REPORT ON THE CONTACT'S BEHALF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 187,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 29, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 10453485

Air bags

88 reports56 crashes1 fire
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 25, 2022Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11494852

Exterior lighting

86 reports2 crashes1 fire4 related recalls
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2019Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11233778
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.