2002 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
1,426 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford Taurus, alongside 3 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.
40 complaints report injuries (44 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 46 fatal crashes with 36 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 | 962 | 67% |
| Visibility | 98 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 76 | 5% |
| Structure | 54 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 53 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 47 | 3% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 3% |
| Power Train | 39 | 3% |
| Tires | 38 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 32 | 2% |
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 81,000 miles (middle 50% between 58,000 and 108,927 miles), based on 1,220 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Backing out of parking space resulting to damage to both vehicles . Brake\gas pedals. Position of driver ( body turned) relative to pedals while backing car can allow drivers foot to be in contact with both pedals. Increased pressure on the brake can allow increased pressure on the gas pedal allowing the vehicle to…”
Power Train · filed Dec 10, 2025
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. The contact stated that the brake light started to flash while driving however, there was no brake malfunction. The vehicle was taken to auburn automotive (500 s. Opdyke rd, waterford, mi 48328, (248) 332-9300) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the undercarriage of…”
Suspension · filed Dec 11, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the front and rear driver's side coil springs fractured. The contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contact nor informed of the…”
Suspension · filed Jun 15, 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
- Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
Engineering Analysis EA08018 · opened Aug 28, 2008 · closed Jun 30, 2011
- 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
Technical service bulletins
96 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 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
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
Camshaft tick noise - 3.0l 4v engine only. *tt
04208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
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
Power window concerns - service tip. *tt
05227 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Power lock concerns - service tip. *tt
05224 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp coming on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0171, p0172, p0174 and/or p0175 (fuel system too rich or lean). *tt
18719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 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 2002 Ford Taurus has 3 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 2002 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 81,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.