2011 Ford TAURUS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Ford TAURUS has 251 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (20% of all complaints), specifically: tl*the contact owns a 2011 ford taurus. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle coasted to a stop and upon restart, the contact was able to continue driving. the failure occurred once again. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but they were unable to diagnose t. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 11 crash reports 4 injuries

251

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

49 complaints

20%

• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND UPON RESTART, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE T
• ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, MY 2011 FORD TAURUS' ENGINE STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED ONCE IN REVERSE WHILE BACKING UP WITH 3300 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, AND TWICE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. THE MOST RECENT STOPPAGES HAPPENED AFTER I WENT OVER A RAILROAD CROSSING; THUS RATTLING T
• THE START ENGINE BUTTON CUTS THE ENGINE OFF IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY HIT IT. IT IS RIGHT BESIDE THE RADIO ON/OFF BUTTON SO IS VERY EASY TO HIT BY MISTAKE. IF YOU ARE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE AND ACCIDENTALLY HIT IT YOU ARE LEFT WITH NO ENGINE POWER, NO POWER BRAKES AND NO POWER STEERING. SOMEO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND UPON RESTART, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

48 complaints

19%

• WAS ON THE WAY TO A LOCAL TOWN ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HOME,WHEN MY 2011 FORD TAURUS JUST CUT OFF. LIGHT CAME ON TO PRESS BRAKE PEDAL TO START CAR. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL PRESSED BUTTON AND CAR STARTED BACK UP. DIDN'T HAVE ANYMORE TROUBLE SO FAR. *TR
• THIS CAR AFTER SIX MONTHS OF AGE IT STARTED TO SHUT ITSELF OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVING ALONG, IGNITION JUST TURNS OFF, A LIGHT SAYS SHIFT TO PARK. THE DEALER CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE CAR HAS DID THIS FIVE TIMES AND DEALER PUT A DEVICE ON IT TO RECORD THIS "IF IT DOES IT
• 2011 FORD TAURUS STALLS OUT AT HIGH SPEEDS OR LOW SPEEDS, ANYTIME FOOT IS NOT ON ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND ONCE EVEN WHILE BACKING UP. FORD SERVICE SAYS THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY, WHICH DOESN'T SET IDLE SPEED HIGH ENOUGH. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 10-21-6 FOR CODES P 2

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“WAS ON THE WAY TO A LOCAL TOWN ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HOME,WHEN MY 2011 FORD TAURUS JUST CUT OFF. LIGHT CAME ON TO PRESS BRAKE PEDAL TO START CAR. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL PRESSED BUTTON AND CAR STARTED BACK UP. DIDN'T HAVE ANYMORE TROUBLE SO FAR. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

25 complaints

10%

• CLEARWATER FLORIDA 2013 VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH.I WATCHED AS THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE TURNED INTO THE OFF POSITION. THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STEER THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. OCTOBER 8, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM WHILE
• THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING. THERE IS NO POWER STEERING AND NO NOTHING. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND EACH TIME THE CAR STARTS RIGHT BACK UP NO PROBLEMS BUT I AM AFRAID OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON ONE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“CLEARWATER FLORIDA 2013 VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH.I WATCHED AS THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE TURNED INTO THE OFF POSITION. THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STEER THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. OCTOBER 8, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM WHILE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

18 complaints

• I WAS DRIVING ON THE N.J. TPKE. AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE PUSH BUTTON START BUTTON. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE DASH SAID SHIFT INTO PARK. I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP, SHIFTED INTO PARK, BUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON. YOU CAN'T OPEN THE TRUNK WI
• I HAVE 2 PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION. ONE IS FROM A STOP. THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE FOR A SECOND OR TWO WHEN STEPPING ON GAS. THIS HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES. SECOND PROBLEM HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE SO FAR. WAS MERGING ON TO HIGHWAY SO I ACCELERATED, THEN
• TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES WHILE STOPPED. REAR BACKUP CAMERA COMES ON WHILE DRIVING FORWARD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FORD HAS ISSUED TSB BUT MY DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF IT AND DID NOT REPAIR UNTIL I TOOK THEM A COPY OF THE TSB 10-21-2. VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“I WAS DRIVING ON THE N.J. TPKE. AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE PUSH BUTTON START BUTTON. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE DASH SAID SHIFT INTO PARK. I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP, SHIFTED INTO PARK, BUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON. YOU CAN'T OPEN THE TRUNK WI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

15 complaints

• HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH AHEAD TO BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING THAT'S OVER 200 FEET AHEAD. ONLY WAY YOU CAN SEE FARTHER IS TO USE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ALL THE TIME. YOU CANT SEE CURVES COMING UP OR DEER STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD NOTHING. THEY JUST DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE C
• THE START ENGINE BUTTON CUTS THE ENGINE OFF IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY HIT IT. IT IS RIGHT BESIDE THE RADIO ON/OFF BUTTON SO IS VERY EASY TO HIT BY MISTAKE. IF YOU ARE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE AND ACCIDENTALLY HIT IT YOU ARE LEFT WITH NO ENGINE POWER, NO POWER BRAKES AND NO POWER STEERING. SOMEO
• MY 2001 TAURUS SES DURING COLD AND/OR SNOWY/RAINY MONTHS DOORS FREEZE UP CONSTANTLY. VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO CAR. WHEN I FINALLY MANAGE TO GET IN I HAVE TO DRIVE HOLDING ONTO THE DOOR BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RESHUT AS THE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY BECOMES LODGED AND DOOR WILL NOT LATCH. I HAVE INSPECTED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH AHEAD TO BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING THAT'S OVER 200 FEET AHEAD. ONLY WAY YOU CAN SEE FARTHER IS TO USE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ALL THE TIME. YOU CANT SEE CURVES COMING UP OR DEER STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD NOTHING. THEY JUST DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE C”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 251 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND UPON RESTART, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: WAS ON THE WAY TO A LOCAL TOWN ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HOME,WHEN MY 2011 FORD TAURUS JUST CUT OFF. LIGHT CAME ON TO PRESS BRAKE PEDAL TO START CAR. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL PRESSED BUTTON AND CAR STARTED BACK UP. DIDN'T HAVE ANYMORE TROUBLE SO FAR. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: CLEARWATER FLORIDA 2013 VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH.I WATCHED AS THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE TURNED INTO THE OFF POSITION. THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STEER THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. OCTOBER 8, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM WHILE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: I WAS DRIVING ON THE N.J. TPKE. AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE PUSH BUTTON START BUTTON. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE DASH SAID SHIFT INTO PARK. I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP, SHIFTED INTO PARK, BUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON. YOU CAN'T OPEN THE TRUNK WI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)