1999 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
874 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Taurus, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
46 complaints report injuries (69 injured, 4 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 26 fatal crashes with 25 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 180 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 109 | 12% |
| Steering | 106 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 99 | 11% |
| Power Train | 91 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 81 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 60 | 7% |
| Visibility | 58 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 51 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 40 | 5% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,000 miles (middle 50% between 48,254 and 100,000 miles), based on 333 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The headlights have had condensation inside for several months. With torrential rains two weeks ago, the passenger side headlight took on an inch and a half of water inside the cover, and the driver side had increased condensation to obscure the whole cover. The car is commonly parked outside my apartment (urban area)…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Nov 25, 2020
“Tl* the contact's friend owns a 1999 ford taurus. While driving various speeds, the contact's friend heard knocking noises coming from the engine compartment. The contact was unaware if there were any warning indicators illuminated. The contact's friend took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, but the failure…”
Engine · filed Sep 16, 2019
“I would say 7 times out of 10 while driving in my car the driver side seat belt randomly pops unbuckled or if I reach for something it unbuckles. It is a little scary to be honest. Sometimes when I break the slightest pressure cause it to fail”
Seat Belts · filed Jul 23, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE04044 · opened May 24, 2004 · closed Aug 16, 2004 · led to recall 04V332000
- FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE02080 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Apr 29, 2003
Technical service bulletins
178 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
Safety recall 04S17 - Front coil springs - requests for recall service action
TSB160068 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
For 1999-2001 Taurus or Sable vehicles Safety Recall 04S17 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the front coil springs could potentially fracture. A…
16-0068 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
Mercury/ford: safety recall regarding front coil springs can fracture on vehicles operating for extended periods in high corrosion areas. Model 1999-01 taurus, sable. *pe
TSB-14-0165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2014
Mercury/ford: front coil springs can fracture, after operating, for an extended period of time, in high corrosion areas, move move past spring seat and contact rupture front tire, resulting rapid air loss. Model…
TSB-14-0149 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2014
Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission…
CSP-08B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2008
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Surge, idle roll, rough idle only when the engine cooling fans are operating. *tt
18614 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt
04189 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
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
The 1999 Ford Taurus has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1999 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.