Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford Taurus, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control164
- Power train72
- Electrical system26
- Engine25
- Air bags21
- Engine and engine cooling19
- Service brakes18
- Structure17
- Unknown or other14
- Steering13
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 25 injuries and 2 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 48 2004 Taurus vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 42 people died inside them, and 6 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Ford Taurus failed the safety check 3.00% of the time — 36% more often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 104,072 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
1 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 11.6–12.5 L/100 km (about 19–20 mpg US), CO₂ 267–288 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taurus # · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.3 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
| Taurus · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.9 | 9.7 | 12.0 |
| Taurus Wagon # · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.6 | 9.9 | 12.0 |
| Taurus Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 14.4 | 10.3 | 12.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2004 Ford Taurus.
| 2004237 9 Jul 2004 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the power seat track may contain fewer welds than specified between the track recliner bracket and the lower support bracket. This conditi… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER ADJUSTABLE SEATS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY WELDED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2004 Ford Taurus: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10177863 | 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 recommended. |
| 10156863 | 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 |
| 10155551 | 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 |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10022203 | EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR VEHICLES WITH HARD START WHEN OPERATING ON E85 FUEL, POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) CALIBRATION. WARRANTY EXTENDED FOR 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. SAMPLE CONSUMER LETTER ATTACHED. *KB |
| 10019913 | FLEX FUEL - LONG CRANK/HARD START. *TT |
| 10019807 | TENTHS DIGIT NOT DISPLAYED ON ODOMETER AFTER 10,000 MILES/KILOMETERS. *TT |
| 10019382 | CAMSHAFT TICK NOISE - 3.0L 4V ENGINE ONLY. *TT |
| 10018749 | SPARK KNOCK, HESITATION ABOVE 3000 RPM, LOSS OF POWER, MISFIRE, AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO DETONATION AND PRE-IGNITION - 3.0L-2V VULCAN GAS/FFV. *TT |
| 10018745 | WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT |
| 10018742 | POWER WINDOW CONCERNS - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10018738 | POWER LOCK CONCERNS - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10017916 | SURGE, IDLE ROLL, ROUGH IDLE ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE COOLING FANS ARE OPERATING. *TT |
| 10016815 | VARIOUS DRIVEABILITY CONDITIONS-3.0L 2V AND FLEX FUEL ENGINE. *SC |
| 10016808 | ERRATIC FLUID LEVEL READING ON TRANSAXLE DIPSTICK-LEAKS-4F50N, AX4N, AX4S TRANSAXLE. *SC |
| 10014663 | RKE INOPERATIVE. *EH |
| 10014264 | NO CRANK - BATTERY DISCHARGED ON 3.0L 4V ENGINE. *TT |
| 10014165 | ALUMINUM CORROSION - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013397 | ACCELERATION PEDAL VIBRATION. *EH UPDATES. *TT |
| 10013395 | GRUNTING NOISE FROM FRONT POWER WINDOW GLASS IS POWERED TO THE FULL UP POSITION. *EH |
| 10013116 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT |
| 10012969 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0133, P1131 OR P2195. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Stuck throttle
ENGINE STALLING FFV
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation