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...
1.8
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,800 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving at approximately 40 mph the steering wheel became difficult maneuver and control. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated the front sub frame was corroded, causing the lower control arm to detach from the subframe. The vehicle had not been repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000. Updated 9/13/11 updated 09/28/11
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being inspected for regular maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the sub frame was severely corroded. The dealer advised the contact not to drive the vehicle and to have the sub frame replaced immediately before doing so. The manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 94,000.
The front driver side spring coil broke causing a large gash in the tire and instant deflation. Had been parked in the driveway and shifted into reverse. Pressed the gas pedal and the tire seemed to explode with a loud sound and debris. I understand that earlier models of the Ford Taurus have been recalled (breaking coil springs recall no. 04V332000) and fixed but the recall has not been extended to newer models. The problem still exists, the danger still exists and the cost to fix the problem still exists.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the subframe was loose. The contact stated that the vehicle and the steering wheel shake when driving at speeds of 60 mph or greater. The vehicle is experiencing the same failure as noted in NHTSA recall # 98V323000 (structure:frame and members). The manufacturer stated that the recall repair was previously remedied. The contact took the vehicle to the Ford dealer who stated that the recall repair was not remedied. The engine size was unknown. The current mileage is 136,000 and failure mileage was 133,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mt. Clare, WV, USA