2009 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 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.
7 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 7 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 18 | 28% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 10 | 16% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 9% |
| Engine | 6 | 9% |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 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 34,500 miles (middle 50% between 5,141 and 75,660 miles), based on 50 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Every couple weeks when driving slowly around a corner, the brakes will all of a sudden come on & stop my car. If I had anyone behind me, I would have had several collisions, by now. My mechanic has looked at the brakes, wheels, etc., & cannot find the problem. I am VERY concerned about this defect. PLEASE HELP!”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 7, 2023
“Car shop replaced front suspension struts 1/23/19. I told owner that made the clunking noise ever worse. Kevin said well, your car needs lower control arms, bushings, &engine mount. Had that done by same car shop on 9/16/2019. I told Kevin that did not take care of clunking noise. I took car to an auto shop where I…”
Suspension · filed Aug 9, 2022
“On 4 separate occassions, my 2009 Ford Taurus limited automatic transmission dropped out of gear while I was accelerating slowly away from a stop The times they have occurred Is from a stop sign into traffic. It dropped out of gear at about 5 mph and made a growling noise. . I put my foot on the brake. When I started…”
Power Train · filed Apr 22, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
14 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
Some 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles may exhibit inoperative or…
SSM 48070 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2019
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Some 2007-2016 edge/mkx/flex/mkt/mkz/mks/taurus/taurus police/explorer/explorer police equipped with all wheel drive (awd) and built on or before 30-jun-2016 may exhibit a ticking and/or knocking noise coming from the…
SSM 46412 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2017
Replacing the original equipment sync/navigation system with either an aftermarket sync/navigation kit or modifying original sync/navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 46332 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 24, 2017
Some 2008-2017 ford/mercury/lincoln vehicles equipped with sync may generate a vhr that identifies a concern with the brakes and suspension category indicating service is required due to a brake system warning lamp…
SSM 46132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2016
Some 2008-2017 ford/mercury/lincoln vehicles equipped with sync may generate a vhr that identifies a concern with the brakes and suspension category indicating service is required due to a brake system warning lamp…
SSM 46132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2016
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
Lincoln/ford: on some vehicles and trucks, there is a popping, squealing, binding or grinding noise come from power seats when moving backwards or forward. Model 2009-2015 f-150, taurus, flex, mkt, mks, f-super duty…
ASI-44531 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2014
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 2009 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 2009 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 34,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.