2012 Ford Taurus problems & reliability
78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Taurus, alongside 5 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Ford Taurus vehicles were involved in 38 fatal crashes with 18 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 | 16 | 21% |
| Structure | 16 | 21% |
| Electrical System | 15 | 19% |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 15% |
| Engine | 11 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 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 50,500 miles (middle 50% between 25,250 and 101,502 miles), based on 46 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My steering all of a sudden was stiff and I can barely turn at low speeds. Not safe due to uncontrolled steering. I replaced the pump thinking that would fix it, and it did not. I’m taking it to a dealer after the holiday weekend. No warnings at all.”
Steering · filed Apr 19, 2025
“The steering shut down and I could not steer the vehicle in a Holiday parking lot and I almost hit a pedestrian. My engine and oil light came on. I had to shut the car off and turn it back on and it worked again. This is the second time this has happened to me!”
Steering · filed Feb 5, 2024
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who found that the power steering pressure was low. The vehicle was…”
Steering · filed Jun 23, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 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
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
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
For Ford and Lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not necessary to replace the complete battery cable harness (14300 and 14301) for this concern. Positive battery cable…
SSM 48123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 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 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
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 2012 Ford Taurus has 5 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 2012 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 50,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.