2002 Ford Taurus problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs (342) · Suspension:front (233) · Suspension (125)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Taurus model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
1,228 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:pads 2016-04-01 · campaign 16E026000 · 49,635 vehicles
Defect: Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Tau
Risk: A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
Service bulletins (96)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure 2020-07-13 · TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. some 2000 and newer ford/lincoln/mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. panel replacement is
Structure 2019-02-07 · TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2000 and newer ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. panel replacement is recommended. follow the service procedure steps to correct the condition
Structure 2019-02-07 · TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2000 and newer ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. panel replacement is recommended. follow the service procedure steps to correct the condition
Vehicle Speed Control:cables 2013-06-21 · CSP-13B04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford: see document search button for owner letter. speed control cable is susceptible to damage and can disconnect during hood maintenance and also interfere with full throttle return to idle after releasing accelerator pedal. models 2000-2003 taurus, sable. *pe
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine 2006-01-01 · 04208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
camshaft tick noise - 3.0l 4v engine only. *tt
Engine And Engine Cooling 2005-11-14 · 052212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
buck/jerk and miss during drive cycle above 3000 rpm - no dtc - 3.0l 2v gas and ffv engine. *tt
Showing the 6 most recent of 96 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-10 · Fuel/Propulsion System“cylinder two misfire. replaced coil pack, wires and all spark plugs. problem reoccurring.…”
2025-12-10 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“ backing out of parking space resulting to damage to both vehicles . brake\gas pedals. position of driver ( body turned) relative to pedals while backing car can allow drivers foot to be in contact with both pedals. increased pressure on the brake can allow increased pressure on the gas pedal allowing the vehicle to continue in a reversed dire…”
2020-12-11 · Suspension“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the brake light started to flash while driving however, there was no brake malfunction. the vehicle was taken to auburn automotive (500 s. opdyke rd, waterford, mi 48328, (248) 332-9300) to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the undercarriage of the vehicle was extremely rust…”
2020-06-15 · Suspension · 60,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the front and rear driver's side coil springs fractured. the contact drove to the residence. the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contact nor informed of the failure. the failure mileage was appro…”
2019-07-18 · Visibility:windshield · 129,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle's windshield was loosening on the upper passenger side. the contact noticed that the windshield was coming out of the molding. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 129,000.…”
2019-02-01 · Exterior Lighting“takata recall: i bought a car from a man less than 5 months ago and i slowly started to notice some things. i started out with 3 windows working instead of four which i was not told. my driver side window doesn't even work and it stopped about a moth ago. a week before that my airbag light comes on, my brother was actuallly the one driving when th…”
2018-09-28 · Vehicle Speed Control · 126,139 mi · 💥 crash“on 14 oct 2017, the subject vehicle had just been serviced. on the drive home, the throttle cable became stuck causing the car to not stop accelerating. the driver was able to exit the highway and stopped the car by crashing into a dumpster/fence at a service station.…”
2018-08-06 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch · 110,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. in addition, the door ajar warning indicator illuminated even when the doors were not open. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failures could not be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufa…”
2018-03-04 · Suspension · 62,000 mi“front passenger coil spring broke causing a blowout on the tire in motion on a city street…”
2018-02-17 · Vehicle Speed Control · 236,000 mi“driving at a speed of about 25 mph ,my car suddenly revved up and sped up without my pressing the gas. i nearly rear-ended a car in front of me. i pressed on my brake as hard as i could but it did not help much .i downshifted to 3rd gear but still not much help. finally it returned to normal speed. i was too scared and did not see how high the rpm…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.