2000 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
1,195 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Ford Taurus, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. 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.
62 complaints report injuries (81 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 41 fatal crashes with 31 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 | 443 | 37% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 103 | 9% |
| Power Train | 99 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 97 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 88 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 87 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 87 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 62 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 59 | 5% |
| Tires | 57 | 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 50,000 and 99,112 miles), based on 613 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle Has A Heavy Power Steering Fluid Leak!!! Will Be Taking It To The Shop To Diagnose The Concern!!! I Was Checking To See If There Were Any Campaigns Or Recalls Reported!!!”
Steering · filed May 6, 2024
“Someone pulled out in front of me as I was slowing down to make a left turn. I T-boned their vehicle while going 35mph, resulting in a total loss for my 2000 Ford Taurus. (This was in 2018 so it was not a new car). My driver steering wheel airbag DID NOT deploy. I was wearing my seat belt. I still have chest pains…”
Air Bags · filed Nov 25, 2022
“When I make a left turn, my transmission disengages & my engine rpm's increase until I recover from the turn.”
Power Train · filed Jul 29, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Speed control cable damage
Preliminary Evaluation PE12033 · opened Oct 24, 2012 · closed Jun 26, 2013
- REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURE
Engineering Analysis EA06002 · opened Jan 24, 2006 · closed Feb 5, 2007
- REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05054 · opened Sep 27, 2005 · closed Jan 24, 2006
- FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE04044 · opened May 24, 2004 · closed Aug 16, 2004 · led to recall 04V332000
- BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATION
Investigation RP03001 · opened Oct 31, 2003 · closed Mar 23, 2004
- BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
Recall Query RQ03008 · opened Oct 23, 2003 · closed Mar 5, 2004 · led to recall 04V106000
- FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASH
Engineering Analysis EA03010 · opened Jul 2, 2003 · closed Jun 23, 2004
- FRONTAL AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT IN CRASH
Preliminary Evaluation PE03002 · opened Jan 6, 2003 · closed Jul 2, 2003
Technical service bulletins
184 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled…
TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2020
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
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: see document search button for owner letter. Speed control cable is susceptible to damage and can disconnect during hood maintenance and also interfere with full throttle return to idle after releasing accelerator…
CSP-13B04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2013
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
Buck/jerk and miss during drive cycle above 3000 rpm - no dtc - 3.0l 2v gas and ffv engine. *tt
052212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
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 2000 Ford Taurus has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2000 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.