1990 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford Taurus. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
18 complaints report injuries (26 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 78 | 20% |
| Structure | 68 | 18% |
| Steering | 51 | 13% |
| Power Train | 42 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 41 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 41 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 24 | 6% |
| Visibility | 24 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“How do I get ford motor company to honor genuine nhtsa recalls on a 1990 ford taurus wagon??? It currently has complaint # nhtsa 90e043001; nhtsa 98v323000; nhtsa 93v106002; nhtsa 91v34000. I cannot get dealership to replace air bag module defect, seat belt defect or cpu replacement defect. What do I do to get some…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 14, 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford taurus. While driving approximately 15 mph, the contact heard a loud noise underneath the vehicle. Suddenly, the steering wheel locked up. The driver experienced extreme difficulty steering the vehicle, which resulted in greater effort to turn the steering wheel. The driver pulled into…”
Structure · filed Jul 22, 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford taurus. While driving less than 30 mph, the front driver's side air bag deployed without warning or a crash occurring. The contact sustained injuries to her arms, lacerations on her face and arms, and a large burn on her lip. The manufacturer sent an inspector to investigate the air bag…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 6, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR
Defect Petition DP96014 · opened Nov 14, 1996 · open
- ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIE RODS
Defect Petition DP95004 · opened Aug 8, 1995 · closed Aug 30, 1995
- BROKEN TIE RODS
Engineering Analysis EA94008 · opened Feb 16, 1994 · closed Feb 27, 1995
- POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93100 · opened Dec 2, 1993 · closed Jun 30, 1994
- UNDERBODY FUEL LINE FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93065 · opened Jul 15, 1993 · closed Nov 30, 1993
- BROKEN TIE RODS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93058 · opened Jun 15, 1993 · closed Feb 16, 1994
- SUB-FRM/UNIBODY ABSOR.FAIL
Engineering Analysis EA92040 · opened Nov 30, 1992 · closed Jun 30, 1993 · led to recall 93V106002
- POWER STEERING LEAKS/FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE92044 · opened Apr 27, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
Technical service bulletins
67 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
Transfer service tips for the front wiper motor mount bracket and depressed park output arm. *tt
02107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2002
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
This information is a supplement to the wiper system service information provided in the workshop manuals. This service information is intended as an aid to assist in diagnosis and repair of erratic wiper system…
011201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Service tip information on revised oil pan gasket replacement procedure. *tt
99183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Ford Taurus in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Ford Taurus?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.