Which Ford Taurus years should you avoid?

2013, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Ford Taurus model year measured over an identical 60-month window.

What is the best year for the Ford Taurus?

2018 is the best-scoring Ford Taurus model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Ford Taurus have?

19 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Ford Taurus model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Ford Taurus years to avoid

Across 9 scored model years, the 2013 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Ford Taurus Full report

Grade 2010–2018

2013 vs model median 1.8×

Model median3× median

Fuel System 37

Steering 30

Engine 25

Avoid

2013 · 2015

Best

2017 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Ford Taurus
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.32×	111	C
2011	1.14×	96	C
2012	0.49×	52	B
2013	1.82×	183	F
2014	1.00×	90	C
2015	1.37×	120	D
2016	0.22×	22	B
2017	0.15×	21	A
2018	0.12×	13	A

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 F 183 reports · median 56,500 mi

Fuel System 37

The contact owns a 2013 ford taurus. The contact stated that he attempted to have the vehicle repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 13v227000 (fuel system, gasoline) but was informed that the parts were not… owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Steering 30

Entering street from parking area, power steering assist failed. Warning on dash stated electronic steering failed. With difficulty, steered car to side of road. Turned car off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 25

I drove my 2013 ford taurus approximately 4 miles to my home. After cutting the car off I noticed smoke billowing from under the hood. I restarted the car to back out from under my carport. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 9 fire · 9 injuries

2015 D 120 reports · median 42,868 mi

Fuel System 27

While I was merging into traffic onto an interstate, during rush hour, the car quit accelerating. Suddenly, there was no ability to control engine speed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Steering 22

I was fully stopped and turning left at a stop light on a city street, the light was green, I waited for traffic to clear. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 19

The contact owns a 2015 ford taurus. After driving the vehicle, a strong abnormal odor emitted from the hood. When the contact opened the hood, the steam was so hot that he could not touch the radiator hose. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

10 crash · 9 injuries

The best year for the Taurus

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring Taurus model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.9 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2018	0.12×	13	A
2017	0.15×	21	A
2016	0.22×	22	B

Recalls

19 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
25V695000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2015–2018	1,448,655
15V340000	STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM	2011–2013	393,623
13V227000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE	2013	390,783
20V072000	SUSPENSION:REAR	2013–2018	211,207
15V040000	STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR	2010–2013	194,889
14V285000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	2010–2014	183,425
25V611000	STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM	2016–2018	101,944
14V393000	POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT	2013, 2014	83,250
16V621000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP	2013–2015	77,502
20V692000	POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT	2014, 2015	15,587
13V270000	LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	2013	12,569
15V464000	PARKING BRAKE	2015	7,165

+ 7 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 56,500 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Ford Taurus years should you avoid?: 2013, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Ford Taurus model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Ford Taurus?: 2018 is the best-scoring Ford Taurus model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Ford Taurus have?: 19 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Ford Taurus model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 Taurus

Complaints in window: 183
Severity-weighted: 282.5
Model median (weighted): 155
vs model median: 1.82×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 9
Open investigations: 0

Score 39.4 F