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2008 Ford Taurus XProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 153 owner complaints about the 2008 Ford Taurus X, most often about the steering. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-247 the manufacturer reports only 84% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Ford Taurus X
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 84%Owner complaints15310 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage71kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 17, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Ford Taurus X has problems

153 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering421
Power train410
Vehicle speed control262
Structure154
Electrical system101
Suspension91
Service brakes72
Engine61
Engine and engine cooling60
16 other systems393

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2008 Ford Taurus X recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

84%repaired · 2017 Q3

Air bags: frontal

Recall 16V-247 · Apr 26, 2016 · 695 vehicles · 586 repaired

Risk. An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

71kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 40 steering complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
4under 30k miles28under 100k miles12100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Power train

9 owners mentioned a cost

$600median

Middle half: $400 – $3,900

Steering

8 owners mentioned a cost

$1,050median

Middle half: $1,000 – $1,450

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Taurus X year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Taurus X median. How we score

'08'09
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Ford Taurus X safety ratings

2008 Ford Taurus X 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Ford Taurus X frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2008 Ford Taurus X side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (13.3% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Ford Taurus X, and the recalls they led to.

  1. TIRE VALVE CRACKINGPE08060 · closed Apr 9, 2009
    No recall
In owners' words

What Taurus X owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD STRAIGHT, OUR CAR MADE A POP SOUND AND SUDDENLY LURCHED AND STEERING WAS IMPAIRED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THE ENGINE CRADLE/FRONT SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH INTERNALLY CAUSING THE SWAY BAR TO BREAK AWAY AND IT HAD PERFORATED AROUND THE MOUNT…
Complaint 11389333 · Jan 21, 2021 · 100,274 miles
I WAS DRIVING HOME ON CITY STREETS WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. CAR BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN, EVEN USING ALL MY STRENGTH. I COULD NOT HAVE REACTED TO ANY OBSTACLE THAT SUDDENLY PRESENTED ITSELF, AND I COULD HARDLY MAKE TURNS, EVEN AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. IT WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Complaint 11145308 · Nov 5, 2018 · 136,000 miles
STEER HARD RIGHT AND LEFT AT SLOW SPEED IN CITY DRIVING. AT FIRST IT STEERS HARD THEN SMOOTH AND YOU CAN OVER STEER. THE STEERING RACK HAS BEEN REPLACED & STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED AS WELL. HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM.GETTING WORSE
Complaint 11081594 · Mar 27, 2018 · 125,000 miles

Own a 2008 Taurus X?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.