2011 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
187 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Taurus, alongside 4 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.
10 complaints report injuries (15 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 44 fatal crashes with 17 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 47 | 25% |
| Engine | 40 | 21% |
| Steering | 25 | 13% |
| Power Train | 18 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 6% |
| Structure | 12 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 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 64,000 miles (middle 50% between 20,120 and 100,000 miles), based on 141 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I hit a dirt embankment the seatbelts did not lock and I ended up smashing my head off of my steering wheel and my passenger ended up smashing their head off of my dashboard.”
Seat Belts · filed Dec 15, 2025
“The rear view backup camera visual is located in my rearview mirror it is just a blue screen whenever I put the car in reverse it just one day stopped working I've been waiting for it to be on the recall list and for some reason this year a 2011 is not on the recall list but it should be”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 26, 2025
“Last June I noticed the car constantly shaking. Took it to Goodyear plaza tire in Alexandria mn and they said they didn't find anything wrong and it's normal to have tires feel like they are shaking while driving. The tires are 255/45R19 Then in July of 2025, I wanted a tire rotation and wheels balanced. The mechanic…”
Tires · filed Sep 26, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
49 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 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 2011-2019 Taurus/Police Interceptor Sedan vehicles may exhibit a loose and/or sagging headliner near the high mounted stoplamp. This may be caused by the headliner mounting bracket separating from the headliner. To…
TSB 19-2051 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2019
Some 2011-2019 Taurus/Police Interceptor Sedan vehicles may exhibit a loose and/or sagging headliner near the high mounted stoplamp. This may be caused by the headliner mounting bracket separating from the headliner. To…
TSB 19-2051 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 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
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 2011 Ford Taurus has 4 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 2011 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 64,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.