Problems · by component

2003 Ford Taurus engine and engine cooling problems

67 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Taurus cite engine and engine cooling, 5% of all 1,223 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
67
5% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID CONTAINER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2014Engine and engine coolingODI 10650397
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SIDE STREET WHEN THE CAR QUIT MOVING FORWARD. I COASTED TO A STOP AND TRIED REVERSE, AND IT WOULD NOT GO IN THAT DIRECTION EITHER. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I HAD A BABY IN THE CAR AND A TRUNK FULL OF GROCERIES. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED ALL THE FLUIDS. THEY WERE FULL. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CLEAR. THE MAINTENANCE BOOK SAID NOT TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID UNTIL 100,000. MY CAR HAS ONLY 73,000 MILES. THIS CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED. I PAID TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST CAR REPAIR SHOP. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND COULD NOT FIX IT. I THEN HAD TO PAY TO TOW IT TO ANOTHER SHOP THAT INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A CHARACTERISTIC PROBLEM OF A 2003 FORD TAURUS. IF THIS DEFECT IS KNOWN BY FORD'S AND THEY CHOSE TO IGNORE IT AND NOT FIX OUR CARS, I HOPE YOU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE FORD'S FIX IT WITHOUT ME HAVING TO PAY A HUGE BILL WHICH IS HARD ON A LIMITED INCOME. I SAW THIS ADDRESS ON A FACEBOOK PAGE. THE ADDRESS IS: HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/FIGHT-FOR-RECALL-OF-2003-FORD-TAURUS-TRANSMISSION-PROBLEMS/156915101017448. PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS PAGE. YOU WILL SEE THE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS HAPPEN. I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10456074
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE EVEN WHEN HIS FOOT WAS NOT ENGAGING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BY ENGAGING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 184,341. ..UPDATED 04/16/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE DID NOT SLOW DOWN NORMALLY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WOULD MAINTAIN SPEED FOR 15-20 SECONDS AFTER THE ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED. THE ENGINE IDLE WAS SET TOO FAST. UPDATED”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 14, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed controlODI 10451665
“VEHICLE MADE NOISE WHILE DRIVING ON FLAT GROUND. ASKED PASSENGER IF THEY HEARD THE NOISE AND THEY DID NOT. CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 2 MORE MILES. CAR STARTED TO FAIL WHILE DRIVING UPHILL. THE CAR MADE A REVVING SOUND AND THEN STOPPED MOVING. TURNED FLASHERS ON AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SCARED THAT CAR WOULD NOT PARK. TRIED TO CHANGE GEARS AND VEHICLE WENT INTO PARK. STILL SCARED SO HAND BRAKE WAS APPLIED. CALLED FATHER AND UNCLE TO MOVE CAR. CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL. NEXT DAY, CAR WAS TOWED TO RESIDENCE. VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST IN FEBRUARY FOR DIAGNOSIS. HAD TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING TO WORK TO EVEN PAY FOR REPAIR. SCARED TO IMAGINE THE COST. *KB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10446608
“WAS PULLING OUT OF THE CAR GARAGE AND PUT IN REVERSE THE CAR STARTED BACK AND THE ENGINES RPM ROARED UP AND CRASHED IN TO NEIGHBOR TREE WENT ACROSS THE STREET AND CRASHED IN THE OTHER NEIGHBOR TREE AND HOUSE ALL OF THIS IN REVERSE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 1, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainCrash reportedODI 10446166
“2003 FORD TAURUS. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. NO POWER AT ALL. THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT. WE COASTED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY. WE PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE - NOTHING, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE - NOTHING. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. IT WILL COST $2,500.00 TO FIX. THE CAR ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE CARS BUT FAILS TO DO ANY RECALLS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 3, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10442301

Showing 6 of 67 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Engine and engine cooling

Free remedy

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE AIR FILTER PAPER IN THESE VEHICLES CAN SMOLDER OR BURN.

Engine and engine coolingReported Mar 2, 2004NHTSA 04V105000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 8, 2026

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