CarComplaints.com Notes: Most people need a car that shifts gears & coil springs that don't shred tires. The Taurus fails in that respect.
The 2003 Ford Taurus has major issues with the transmission failing. Typically the 2003 Taurus transmission failure costs $2,000 to fix by about 90k-100k miles. Not good.
Adding insult to injury, the 1999-2003 Taurus also has a huge problem with coil springs breaking which can puncture or even shred tires while driving.
The US government spent THREE YEARS (2008-2011) investigating the 2002-2003 Taurus coil springs. Although Taurus/Sable from earlier years were recalled, ultimately the NHTSA did not force a recall. They determined that because there had been no deaths & very few bad crashes & injuries, the broken coil springs defect was no big deal & not a safety defect. Tell that to all the owners who had close calls...
3.0
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,316 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Calipers front right F reb caliper remove and inspect and overhaul caliper front one side. Brakes were grinding again which required that inspection which I find out that the same area in the brake system needs replaced. Recomd, tie rod inner remove and replace tie rod end one side inner, ball joints lower front left remove and replace F ball joint one side, 2 brake hoses front. Brake rotors front both needed replaced. Suggested tires due to mileage also rubber valve stem. System failure- required. Recd, brake fluid exchange with ABS, and bleed brakes. Ceramic disc brake pads PD598 both front. 03/02/2013 mil 151213. 3rd repair shop, replaced all four tires with warranty brakes and pads along with discs needed replaced for the 4th time. Transmission flush due to leaking fluid. Qt dex 3 proline. Brake drums and shoes replaced. Replaced brake fluid, tie rod end one side inner along with replace of the shaft seal remove and install F axle shaft assembly one side. Tran's seal cr. Cv axle replacement. Ball joint replacement along with wheel cylinder rear both, brake service with rear brake drum. Engine light off/ runs poor diagnostic, replacement of PCV valve assembly, replaced upper and lower intake manifold gasket remove and replaced PCV valve along with tune up package. Relearn engine idle, rear brakes basic pc pkg, dorman rear right wheel and left cylinders. During these 3-4 repair shops cannot fix the cruise control to get the car to stop driving it self when above 30mph along with acceleration, back tail light right side shorts out continually. It is very difficult and very unsafe to control a vehicle that has had more than three or four repair shops try their hardest to fix a problem that apparently has some of these problems. I am with the belief that the brake system along the electrical system within the 2003 Ford Taurus ses DOHC is unsafe for street use in the U.S. due to our standards here of motor safety. When put into gear the transmission jumps loud.
Heat/ac fan blows only on high. Replaced cowl panel and installed rain hat and blower resistor 11/08; blower motor resistor found defective 7/10 and replaced. Heat/ac fan blows only on high today 12/10.
In my 2003 Ford Taurus sel (24V DOHC 3.0L) I experienced a failure of the driver side coil spring on the front assembly. At the time the vehicle was not in motion. I still have the old spring (it has been cut into several pieces to facilitate removing it from the vehicle). In addition to the coil spring destroyed was a Goodyear Eagle GT P215/60R16 95V. This tire has been replace by my tire dealer at no cost to me.
Passenger side floor full of water after it rains, air only blow on high until it recently went completely out. Worse this time radio and wiper blades were affected. A recall is needed to fix this problem.
2003 Ford Taurus, cowl leak. Water leaks into heater and A/C blower motor causing corrosion. Blower motor is inoperable. Inherent problem, but never corrected. Postings of this condition all over the internet. The Ford dealer wants almost $600 to repair. The is a tsb 03-15-6 on this problem.
- Wakefield, RI, USA
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I purchased my 2003 Ford Taurus from carmax in baltimore, md in Sept 2006 after trading in my 2000 Ford Ranger. The Taurus was a rental car in NJ before being sold to carmax. Since I purchased the car, I have had to replace the battery, starter, blower motor relay, transmission gasket and now the air compressor, power steering pump and belt needs to be replaced.
Water was noticed in the floor board on passenger side. A few days later, 2/20/2007, my blower motor went out. I called local Ford dealership and was told to bring it in. Turned out to be a well known water leak problem stemming from a design defect leaks at the base of the windshield. It allows water to get into the blower motor and the rest is history. I paid $324 for the repairs and the replacement cowl still bows so the water can continue to enter with the same results. I returned my car this morning 2 23 07, (the day after picked it up in the dark) to express my dissatisfaction and was told to come back Monday. How can a car manufacturer of 100 years not know what it is going to leak...at the base of the windshield??!! Ford needs to correct this problem. Thanks.
Water leaking on floorboard on the passenger side front, I have taken it in to the dealer 4 times since I purchased this car, the last time was Jan 2004 and I have to take it infor the 5th time on Thursday for the same problem. They replaced the blower moter and charged me $50 dollars for my quality care deductable, and im still having the same problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Apopka, FL, USA