1991 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
649 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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 (23 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 260 | 40% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 116 | 18% |
| Steering | 76 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 71 | 11% |
| Structure | 62 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 55 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 44 | 7% |
| Suspension | 27 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 4% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3% |
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
“My 1991 non sho ford taurus was parked in the driveway for 1 day. I walked out to my car in the early morning to take it to work. I put the key into the ignition and shifted the car into reverse. It was at this moment, that the car accelerated and I ended up going in reverse down the street without brakes at a very…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Oct 28, 2012
“1991 ford taurus. Consumer writes regarding a recall on the airbag module *tgw the consumer stated the air bag module failed for the second time. *jb”
Air Bags · filed Oct 15, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving forward and would not shift into reverse gear. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The vehicle had not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileages…”
Power Train · filed Oct 13, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUDIO SYSTEM FIRES
Investigation SQ98008 · opened May 4, 1998 · closed May 8, 1998
- DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR
Defect Petition DP96014 · opened Nov 14, 1996 · open
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA96024 · opened Sep 30, 1996 · closed Apr 15, 1997 · led to recall 97V019000
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE96033 · opened May 2, 1996 · closed Sep 30, 1996 · led to recall 97V019000
- 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
- FAILURE OF WHEEL STUDS
Preliminary Evaluation PE93070 · opened Jul 27, 1993 · closed Nov 22, 1993
Technical service bulletins
71 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 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
This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised mechanical hood lamp switch. *tt
01194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
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 on additional parts required when replacing transfer case on vehicles equippped with ax4s transaxle. *tt
14811 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 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
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 1991 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 1991 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.