Problems · by component

2011 Ford Taurus engine problems

40 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Taurus cite engine, 21% of all 187 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
40
21% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Driving on access rd. Car stalled in middle of traffic. Glad I was not driving on highway. Lucky several drivers helped push car into a gas station. Saw water leak under car. There were no codes or indicators of over heating. Let car cool off. Noticed water in coolant reservoir. still was able to add 1 gal and half of water. Car turned on, drove it home which is about 3 miles. Water leak near the oil pan and block. After a long cooling period, noticed 3 hairline cracks on the bottom part of block. Cracked block Checked oil and noticed the oil was real thin and milky. Signs of water pump failure. Car is sitting on driveway. Only option is to replace the 156k miles engine. Cost is very expensive. Don't have money to fix. There should be a recall for this issue. Very dangerous.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2025EngineODI 11688951
“The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that an independent mechanic drained the oil and became aware that there was coolant mixed in with the engine oil. The contact diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,900.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2025Engine and engine cooling, EngineODI 11646686
“The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the camshaft, cam phasers, and connecting rod bearings. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 106,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 3, 2024EngineODI 11612419
“The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty water pump causing coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer replaced the engine; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer twice, and the engine was replaced for the second and third time. The failure persisted. The vehicle was then towed to Colorado Auto Finders (12351 E Arapahoe Rd, Centennial, CO 80112), where the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. The failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to two separate independent mechanics, who diagnosed the vehicle with DTC Codes: P0300, P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected), and P0306 (Cylinder 6 Misfire Detected). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 105,213.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 12, 2024Engine, Engine and engine coolingODI 11576974
“Had my Ford for less than 6 months, and has 80,000 miles on it. Looks brand new, in excellent shape and yet on the way home from the grocery store, it began overheating. The tempature gage shot up and the engine started cutting out. We pulled over and the vehicle was smoking. We started adding water and coasting down the mountain until we could get home. Called several mechanics and find out that this is a common problem with our year and model. Every person we've consulted has quoted us $3,000 to repair the water pump. We have been told that the excessive charge is because when Ford built this model, the water pump was placed inside the engine. The entire engine has to be taken out of the car in order to replace the water pump. Most mechanics around us don't even have the machine that is needed to remove the engine. Ford is backed up for months on repairs. Our vehicle has been sitting for two summers because we cannot afford this $3,000 repair for a water pump! We are making payments on a car that can't be driven. Something needs to be done about this. The more I dig and research, the more complaints for this very issue I find. We need help!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2023EngineODI 11556665
“My 2011 Ford Taurus has had so many repairs out of pocket expenses and if I purchased another warranty package doubt it would cover my issues past and present. 69,000 th miles. Throttle bottle and pedal replacement $ 852.79 replaced on February 14, 2023. Mechanic tried to fix it but the error code is the large blue wrench and check engine light still on. Have to bring it in at the end of the month to my Ford Dealer as they are so booked up and I have read all the Ford recalls. When I start the car the break pedal is to the floor, it revs up and when I place the shift in drive it wants to take off by itself at a rapid speed. I then shut the car off and it makes a big thump. It takes me three tries to start it up again but looses power where I have to put my emergency flashes on. This incident is so dangerous. Ford should have done a recall there are so many complaints ! I was going to disconnect my battery and connect it again to see if that works but I don’t want to erase the codes. My Ford dealership is so busy that they could only give me an appointment at the end of the month. As I stated my vehicle is inoperable as it sits until the end of the month to get serviced again.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2023Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineODI 11510109

Showing 6 of 40 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

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

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

Other 2011 Taurus problem areas