2010 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
204 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 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.
9 complaints report injuries (16 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 32 fatal crashes with 15 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 41 | 20% |
| Engine | 37 | 18% |
| Power Train | 36 | 18% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 13 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 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 51,000 miles (middle 50% between 12,431 and 100,000 miles), based on 167 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Unknown. Car was going 100 mph. Driver, my son , was killed in this car accident. This year make AND model is known for throttle acceleration issues with brake afail override non existent until later models. Case number [XXX] sterling heights police department INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 10, 2025
“The contact owns a 2010 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while making a right turn, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that the "Power Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the…”
Steering · filed Sep 12, 2024
“O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting. Dealership had the vehicle non-recall. Seat belt light appeared and Agent was contacted. System is collected for revisiting my claim.”
Air Bags · filed Feb 25, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
38 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Ford Taurus. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Some 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket. Although oil may collect on the…
SSM 49210 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 25, 2020
Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning…
SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2019
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
On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify…
SSM 47976 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2019
SSM 47948 - 2010-2019 Various Vehicles - Turbocharged Engines - Oil Supply Filter Replacement When Replacing The Turbocharger Or The Turbocharger Oil Supply Tube For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged…
SSM 47948 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2019
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 47797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
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 47797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related concerns, all steps within the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedure must be followed including replacement of all…
SSM 47662 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2018
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 2010 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 2010 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 51,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.