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2003 Ford TaurusProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,223 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Taurus, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

2003 Ford Taurus
27
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.8× the Taurus median · #5 of 34 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints1,223113 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage87kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 10, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Ford Taurus has problems

1,223 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
Power train3162
Suspension3136
Visibility1912
Structure1115
Electrical system979
Vehicle speed control887
Engine and engine cooling675
Exterior lighting461
Air bags4639
18 other systems17924

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

3 recalls

2003 Ford Taurus 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.

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 04V-105 · Mar 2, 2004 · 399,926 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN LEAD TO DAMAGE TO THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES AND/OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Brake lights: switch

Recall 04V-106 · Mar 2, 2004 · 938,789 vehicles

Risk. IN ADDITION, IF THE SWITCH AND/OR ASSOCIATED WIRING FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTUATE AND THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Visibility: windshield

Recall 03V-087 · Mar 10, 2003 · 67,894 vehicles

Risk. POTENTIAL LOSS OF WINDSHIELD RETENTION MAY ALSO REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION 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 power train problems start?

87kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 289 power train complaints. 60% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles173under 100k miles116100k 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

35 owners mentioned a cost

$1,933median

Middle half: $1,600 – $2,281

Suspension

34 owners mentioned a cost

$780median

Middle half: $584 – $995

Visibility

27 owners mentioned a cost

$400median

Middle half: $282 – $467

Structure

10 owners mentioned a cost

$504median

Middle half: $368 – $572

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

2003 vs. every other Taurus 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 median. How we score

'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Ford Taurus safety ratings

2003 Ford Taurus 4-DR. Wagon in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Ford Taurus, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE STALLING FFVDP06005 · closed Dec 28, 2007
    No recall
  2. Front Suspension Coil Spring FractureEA08018 · closed Jun 30, 2011
    No recall
  3. Speed control cable damagePE12033 · closed Jun 26, 2013
    No recall
  4. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURERQ03008 · closed Mar 5, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-106
In owners' words

What Taurus owners report

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

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when taking the vehicle out of the park(P) after starting the vehicle, which required the brake pedal to be depressed, the contact could not depress the shifter button out of the park. The contact stated that the shift button would not…
Complaint 11462647 · Apr 28, 2022 · 151,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND WHILE SWITCHING GEARS THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE LOCAL DEALER FORSOM LAKE…
Complaint 11307742 · Feb 7, 2020 · 175,000 miles
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT POSTED SPEEDS WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOW WITH THE ACCELERATOR STILL PRESSED, ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. I REALIZED THE CAR WAS RUNNING BUT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR REVERSE. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. I WAITED THREE HOURS…
Complaint 11185515 · Mar 9, 2019 · 103,000 miles

Own a 2003 Taurus?

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