2006 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
318 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford Taurus, alongside 2 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.
8 complaints report injuries (12 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 51 fatal crashes with 53 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 176 | 55% |
| Power Train | 32 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 25 | 8% |
| Engine | 24 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 21 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 5% |
| Structure | 15 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 86,500 miles (middle 50% between 66,344 and 120,000 miles), based on 270 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Intermittent accelerator sticking. After lifting foot from accelerator to prepare for braking/stopping the car continues to accelerate. Safety is at risk in traffic and intersections. There is online documentation related to previous NHTSA investigations. Ford and the local dealership has stated that there is not a…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 11, 2024
“The contact owns a 2006 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power before stalling. The vehicle continued to roll forward before the driver was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop…”
Power Train · filed Jun 14, 2023
“Vehicle is now on 2nd transmission the original transmission failed around 60000 miles Ford originally put a brand new transmission in it for previous owner documentation was provided when we purchased the vehicle since move unknown where it's at now but this transmission has only 67000 miles on it experiencing same…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 11, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Stuck throttle
Preliminary Evaluation PE12005 · opened Mar 7, 2012 · closed Oct 22, 2012
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 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
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Extended warranty coverage for vehicles with hard start when operating on e85 fuel, powertrain control module (pcm) calibration. Warranty extended for 10 years or 100,000 miles which ever comes first. Sample consumer…
0607 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2006
Flex fuel - long crank/hard start. *tt
0655 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Spark knock, hesitation above 3000 rpm, loss of power, misfire, and possible engine damage due to detonation and pre-ignition - 3.0l-2v vulcan gas/ffv. *tt
052218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
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
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
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 2006 Ford Taurus has 2 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 2006 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 86,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.