2006 Ford Taurus
The Verdict
The 2006 Ford Taurus has 318 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (173 complaints) and engine (59 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 42/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Ford Taurus, consider the 2019 model year which has 96% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2019 has 96% fewer complaints
View the 2019 Ford Taurus dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 2
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT FOR ONE SPECIFIC FLEET CUSTOMER WERE MODIFIED FOR OPTIONAL HANDS-FREE CELLULAR PHONE OPERATING CAPABILITY. TO PROVIDE THIS FUNCTIONALITY, A SPECIAL OVERLAY WIRE HA...
Risk
THE PADI LAMP WILL FAIL TO ILLUMINATE AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP IN THE CLUSTER WILL STAY ILLUMINATED.
Remedy
THE FLEET CUSTOMER WAS NOTIFIED AND ALL VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 28, 2006.
Reported Oct 4, 2006
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, PASSENGER CARS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITHOUT GREASE BEING APPLIED TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR.
Risk
AFTER A PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS USE ON THE HIGH SPEED SETTING, LACK OF GREASE ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR MAY CAUSE THE GEAR TO DISTORT OR FRACTURE DURING OPERATION RESULTING IN A LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION....
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WIPER MOTOR FOR THE PRESENCE OF GREASE AND GREASE THE WIPER MOTOR GEARS IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673 OR ...
Reported Sep 11, 2005
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 663 | 95 | 195 | 166 | 91 |
| 2001 | 702 | 89 | 113 | 88 | 52 |
| 2002 | 1186 | 46 | 104 | 88 | 46 |
| 2003 | 636 | 36 | 141 | 111 | 299 |
| 2004 | 187 | 19 | 47 | 55 | 67 |
| 2005 | 462 | 26 | 43 | 138 | 103 |
| 2006 | 173 | 23 | 37 | 59 | 26 |
| 2007 | 63 | 6 | 30 | 37 | 13 |
| 2008 | 71 | 8 | 23 | 37 | 35 |
| 2009 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 5 |
| 2010 | 71 | 30 | 19 | 52 | 28 |
| 2011 | 60 | 11 | 50 | 50 | 16 |
| 2012 | 35 | 4 | 24 | 14 | 1 |
| 2013 | 333 | 5 | 52 | 166 | 29 |
| 2014 | 94 | 9 | 34 | 86 | 10 |
| 2015 | 123 | 2 | 24 | 94 | 12 |
| 2016 | 43 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 1 |
| 2017 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 |
| 2018 | 25 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
Intermittent accelerator sticking. After lifting foot from accelerator to prepare for braking/stopping the car continues to accelerate. Safety is at risk in traffic and intersections. There is online documentation related to previous NHTSA investigations. Ford and the local dealership has stated that there is not a defined recall. Although there may not be a “recall” this is certainly a safety problem!!
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power before stalling. The vehicle continued to roll forward before the driver was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the contact stated that failure reoccurred three additional times. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the braking system. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Vehicle is now on 2nd transmission the original transmission failed around 60000 miles Ford originally put a brand new transmission in it for previous owner documentation was provided when we purchased the vehicle since move unknown where it's at now but this transmission has only 67000 miles on it experiencing same problems sometimes it will slip between 2nd and 3rd year other times it will slip between 1st and 2nd year sometimes they won't let it go over drive other times he gets stuck In overdrive no rhyme no reason for why it does what it does it just seems to do what it wants when it was but it really sucks when you're on the highway driving 75 mile an hour and decided to come out of overdrive and get stuck in 2nd gear so you have to slow down in front of everybody and it kind of forces you to do so that could easily get someone killed Going from 75 mile an hour to stuck in 2nd year limited speed very quickly with no brake lights Original transmission apparently has something to do with the torque converter or non hearted metals I'm not exactly sure because we were not in possession of owning the vehicle when it was replaced
Throttle stuck and vehicle accelerated out of control. Had to brake hard and turn off engine to prevent crash. Speed Control Cable disconnected from cruise control. It has been repaired since the incident. Yes, was reproduced by the tow truck driver as well as at a service center. No warnings, only high engine revving noise as it happened, high RPMs and high speed noticeable on dashboard as my car's acceleration stuck. Case #FCAS37586176 reported to Ford company.
Splines on Torque converter stripped out causing vehicle to just rev up and slow down to a stop. Car never moved again, had I been going up a large hill or something this could have been VERY VERY bad, because it wasn't until I was stopped that I realized it was the transmission having problems. After a bit of research and $500 in parts. I did the work myself. I find that the material inside of the torque converter is way softer than that on the input shaft causing the torque converter to strip out? How do they not have to fix that? This has been going on for over a decade! Why does someone have to die before they are responsible for something they know has a problem!
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to slow down as needed while depressing the brake to make a left turn. The contact stopped the vehicle and shifted the gear shifter to park; however, while parked the RPM rose to 5,000 RPM. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 169,530.
Car engine accelerate on own. Tac meter shows over 3,000 RPM when I put it in neutral. I have to tap the accelerator and it goes back to normal. This happens about once a week now. I was slowing down for a stoplight and it happened. Brakes were not enough. Almost hit a car. Only by throwing into neutral allowed me to gain control and stop. My mechanic couldn’t find anything. I cannot allow anyone else to drive this as I am the only one familiar to handle it. I’ll probably sell it on a trade. I’ve read dozens of reports of this but no recall. I am surprised. If I get into an accident I have a lawyer handle it Here are others https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/taurus/cruise-control-problems.php
Fatal accident involving the Death of a loved one
I was in an accident on Nov12,2021 and the air bag did not deploy. My front end was completely damaged.
THE THROTTLE STICKS OPEN AND THE ENGINE REVS HIGH MAKING IT HARD TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE IS HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN BECAUSE OF A FAULTY ATTACHMENT TO THE THROTTLE CONTROL. THIS IS A KNOWN AND WIDE PROBLEM. PEOPLE ARE BANDAGING THE PROBLEM WITH BACK YARD FIXES THAT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS. NOT FIRST TIME.
PERIODICALLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON. ALSO, PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AJAR ON DASHBOARD ON ALL THE TIME WHICH MAKES DOME LIGHT STAY ON AND DRAIN BATTERY.
PROBLEM WITH WINDOWS GOING BACK UP I REPLACED THE MAIN SWITCH FOR ALL WINDOWS BUT STILL DID NOT WORK TOOK AGAIN TO ELECTRICIAN AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE MAIN FUSE BOX UNDER DRIVERS SEAT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED .
VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WHEN OPERATING WHILE IN MOTION
IN COLD WEATHER THE DOOR LATCHES FREEZE AND WILL NOT LATCH THIS IS THE SECOND 2006 FORD TAURUS I HAVE OWNED THAT HAS DONE THIS. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES ATLEAST 20
VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS IT INCREASES TO 40-60 MPH HIGH RPM IN NEUTRAL OR PARK WHILE DRIVING IT INCREASES SPEED ON ITS OWN. NEARLY REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR AT LIGHT TODAY AS I TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE IT JUMPED TO 20 MPH CAR HAS 68,000 MILES WELL MAINTAINED
WHILE DRIVING OVER 45MPH THE ACCELERATOR STICKS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES . IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE I WAS TRYING TO PARK AT WORK.
I WAS DRIVING ON A 2-LANE HIGHWAY WITH A RELATIVELY STEEP DOWNHILL GRADE. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THAT IT WAS JUST ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY, BUT I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE THROTTLE MUST BE OPEN SINCE I WAS QUICKLY ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS ABOVE 65MPH, AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THE ACCELERATION WERE DUE ONLY TO THE HILL. I SAW A PLACE UP AHEAD TO PULL OVER, BUT I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY HARD IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK VERY QUICKLY AND TURNED IT OFF SINCE THE ENGINE WAS RACING. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SMOKE COMING FROM MY FRONT BRAKES, WHICH WAS VERY DISCONCERTING. I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD COME UNFASTENED AND HAD CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO STICK OPEN. THIS SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS AND I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DISCONNECTED THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND DEALER STATED COTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000. *TT
WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR THE THROTTLE CABLE GOT STUCK WITH THE CRUISE CABLE AND THE RPM RAISED TO 5000 AND DOESN'T COME DOWN. I SWITCHED THE GEARS BACK TO 1ST AND BROUGHT IT TO SLOW DOWN. LUCKILY THERE WERE NOT MUCH TRAFFIC OTHERWISE THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO FORD AND THEY INITIALLY DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUS. BUT AFTER I PUT IN WRITING TO BOB ALLEN FORD IN OVERLAND PARK THEY MENTIONED THAT A SERVICE MANAGER WILL CALL TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE FURTHER. I ASKED THEM IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS AND THEY ASKED FOR THE VIN NUMBER AND THEY SAID THERE ARE NONE. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=Z1U1FGABDW4
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD TAURUS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK OPTIMO H727 TIRES, SIZE: 215/60R16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEEL BELTS PUNCTURED THE SIDE OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S TIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRILL SHOCK TOWER MOUNT WAS MISALIGNED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE MADE A HOWLING SOUND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE TIRE WAS REPLACED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. BALISE MOTOR SALES IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE SHOCK TOWER MOUNT NEEDED TO BE DRILLED IN ORDER TO PERFORM A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT TO PREVENT PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT REPLACE THE STRUTS. THE VIN AND DOT NUMBER WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 31,000.
318 total