Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Ford Taurus problems
Owners filed 44 complaints about the 2017 Ford Taurus with NHTSA between Aug 2017 and Jul 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (11).
Complaints
44
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system11
- Structure7
- Engine4
- Exterior lighting4
- Steering3
- Suspension3
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Back over prevention2
- Air bags2
- Power train1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Service brakes1
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
5
6
2
3
2
4
1
13
7
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 | 7 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
11 reports1 related recall
“Backup camera is appearing Upside down on display and sometimes inverted. When it gets dark outside, the backup camera has lines appear on the display so you can’t use it when it’s dark. This is a huge safety risk as to having the camera display upside down/inverted/not clear can cause major incidents.”
Structure
7 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V611000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the B-pillar trims were slightly detaching from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.”
Engine
4 reports
“AS I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE IT COMPLTELY SHUT DOWN WHILE IN MOTION WITH NO WARNING, CAUSING STEERING & BRAKES TO LOOSE POWER, THANKFULLY i WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO TURNING WITH GREAT EFFORT. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART REQUIRED TOWING TO SHOP. AFTER INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND UPON RESEARCH FOUND THAT DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE WATER PUMP, WATER WAS MOST LIKELY GOING INTO MY OIL WHICH GOES INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO CEASE UP @ ONLY 134,000 MILES”
Exterior lighting
4 reports
“STARTED WITH THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT OUT. PROGRESSED TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT AND NEEDING REPLACED AND SOMETIMES THE PIG TAILS TO PLUG INTO THE HEADLIGHT NEEDING REPLACED DUE TO THEM MELTING. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. HAVE REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND PIG TAILS THE WEEK OF 5/17/2020 AND AGAIN JUST HAD THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND PIGTAIL REPLACED THE WEEK OF 6/7/2020. CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD "NO ISSUES REPORTED BEFORE". CAN'T BELIEVED WE ARE THE ONLY POLICE DEPT HAVING THIS ISSUE. *TR”
Steering
3 reports1 related recall
“There is a recall on moldings also possible accordinng to recalls by ford the steering could cause a crash which i am having a problem with it hanging up i called ford motor and was told we do not have anything about it I am concerned because i sometimes have to snap the wheel back myself I understand there is a recall on the steering wheel mech.”
Suspension
3 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, she noticed that there was a change in the rear suspension and it felt like a rear tire was deflated. No warning lights had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear driver's side and passenger's side suspension toe links had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,102.”
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.