All 5 rear seatbelts have cracked plastic around the metal piece that buckles in.
2008 Ford Taurus X
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Taurus X years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
137 reports with mileage · 16 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
153 reportsThis has happened since we purchased the car. when driving down the road out of the blue the wrench light on the dash turns on and the car loses all power!! Dangerous! So dangerous. i have spoken with other foes tauras x owners and they too have the same issue. When it happens i pull over and shut the car off and wait a bit.. I …
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This has happened since we purchased the car. when driving down the road out of the blue the wrench light on the dash turns on and the car loses all power!! Dangerous! So dangerous. i have spoken with other foes tauras x owners and they too have the same issue. When it happens i pull over and shut the car off and wait a bit.. I turn it back on and the wrench light is off BUT CAR WONT SHIFT INTO GEAR!! it's very hard to get the shifter to move. when it does move it's a loud CLUNK CLUNk sound like u just dropped the transmission on the ground!! This is happening more often then not now. Hundreds of thousands of people who own this vehicle have complaints about the same issue. NO one can figure out the issue! Some say a sensor, yet a sensor would not make my transmission clunk like that! A lot say it's the control arm and ford has had the wrong control arm installed in all there does tauras x"s 2007 and 2009. My car has 77,609 miles on it. it's been doing this for the past 40,000 miles! I'm truely scared to drive this car aspecially in the winter!! FORD YOU already have been told and are well aware of this issue ! Fix it or get sued by tens of thousands of us all petitioning to do so and all together as a group. so buckle up Ford!
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus X. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's daughter was able unable to pull over but was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle …
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The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus X. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's daughter was able unable to pull over but was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing spark plugs, coolant, and radiator replaced. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
I bought this vehicle used from a lot. It had 2 previous owners and came with all the service history. I first noticed the vehicle seemed like it didn’t want to go into overdrive . It would get to about 70 mph which would have the rpm’s at 3k! The 2nd time or so that we got it to these speeds (on interstate) the vehicle suddenl…
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I bought this vehicle used from a lot. It had 2 previous owners and came with all the service history. I first noticed the vehicle seemed like it didn’t want to go into overdrive . It would get to about 70 mph which would have the rpm’s at 3k! The 2nd time or so that we got it to these speeds (on interstate) the vehicle suddenly clunked , steering wheel jerked , vehicle lost power - I had my 2 children in the vehicle and I was pregnant. We had to pull over immediately . After sitting side the road for a few , it crunk up and we rode out . Only for it to happen 2 more times. And this is not the only thing effected by this . Not long after I got it , I started noticing a hard shift / clunk / slam when going into gear and especially when the vehicle has just tried to downshift and I pressed the gas again . Due to this , I’m unable to tell when and if we can pull out into traffic and such. I must time it good in order to not risk getting T boned etc. Also, with 3 kids in tow , a vehicle slamming their necks and heads is dangerous and scary. So , I’ve had some work done on . Trying to help my issue. Apparently my issue is the same as a lot of others . Which is an intermittent issue . And apparently no matter if all the passed recalls were addressed. Or if the owners of the vehicle serviced it often and currant . Or if the pcm was reflashed , replaced etc - the Ford Taurus X will continue to have these issues . And these issues seem to be the same issues that were addressed in the ford recall in 2020 ( which didn’t include the Taurus X) and previous recalls . This drivertrain transmission has been an issue for the Taurus X since forever . Please check into this. Last thing we need is whiplash or life flights from this .
THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ALL COME ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE GO TO ZERO. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE SEPTEMBER 2017 AND IT ONLY HAD ONE PREVIOUS OWNER! THIS IS A SCARY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIX? ALSO THERE'S A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE SOM…
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THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ALL COME ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE GO TO ZERO. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE SEPTEMBER 2017 AND IT ONLY HAD ONE PREVIOUS OWNER! THIS IS A SCARY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THIS OCCURS. HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIX? ALSO THERE'S A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE SOMETIMES THAT SOUNDS LIKE IS COMING FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST OR EVEN TENTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. TO MANY TO REMEMBER ALL THE DATES!
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD STRAIGHT, OUR CAR MADE A POP SOUND AND SUDDENLY LURCHED AND STEERING WAS IMPAIRED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THE ENGINE CRADLE/FRONT SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH INTERNALLY CAUSING THE SWAY BAR TO BREAK AWAY AND IT HAD PERFORATED AROUND THE MOUNT FOR THE CONTROL ARM. WE WERE …
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DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD STRAIGHT, OUR CAR MADE A POP SOUND AND SUDDENLY LURCHED AND STEERING WAS IMPAIRED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THE ENGINE CRADLE/FRONT SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH INTERNALLY CAUSING THE SWAY BAR TO BREAK AWAY AND IT HAD PERFORATED AROUND THE MOUNT FOR THE CONTROL ARM. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THE CONTROL ARM DIDN'T COMPLETELY DROP OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. FAILURE IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE FORD ESCAPE SUBFRAME RECALL. DEALER TECHNICIAN SAID HE HAS REPLACED A LOT OF THESE ENGINE CRADLES IN THE TAURUS X'S FOR THE SAME FAILURE (SOME WORSE THAN OURS, COMPLETELY RUSTED IN HALF ETC.). LACK OF SUFFICIENT PAINT INSIDE OF THE CRADLES CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THERE ARE ACCIDENTS REPORTED FOR THIS CONCERN. I HAVE REQUESTED THE ENGINE CRADLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER IT IS REMOVED FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE.
TRANSMISSION STUCK IN HIGH GEAR WHILE IN MOTION. CAN'T ACCELERATE FROM STOP TO MAINTAIN SPEED. POWER CYCLE FIXED. INTERMITTENT ISSUE.
HAD TO SHELL OUT $528.06 TO REPLACE BOTH THE 'INPUT & OUTPUT SHIFT SENORS' IN THE VEHICLE. REPAIR INVOLVED REMOVING THE VALVE BODY ON THE TRANSMISSION FOR ACCESS. MAJORITY OF THE COST INVOLVE THE LABOR TO REACH THIS AREA ON TRANS. A MONTH EARLIER TRANS LOCKED UP IN LOW GEAR, DASH LIGHTS WERE FLASHING? SHUT OFF ENGINE & RESTARTED…
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HAD TO SHELL OUT $528.06 TO REPLACE BOTH THE 'INPUT & OUTPUT SHIFT SENORS' IN THE VEHICLE. REPAIR INVOLVED REMOVING THE VALVE BODY ON THE TRANSMISSION FOR ACCESS. MAJORITY OF THE COST INVOLVE THE LABOR TO REACH THIS AREA ON TRANS. A MONTH EARLIER TRANS LOCKED UP IN LOW GEAR, DASH LIGHTS WERE FLASHING? SHUT OFF ENGINE & RESTARTED. RAN OK THEN. SAFETY ISSUE! RECALL IS IN ORDER!
WITHIN 24 HOURS, TWICE THE CAR SUDDENLY DISPLAYED "EMPY" FUEL GUAGE AND HAVING ZERO MILES ON THE RANGE ESTIMATOR DESPITE HAVING ROUGHLY HALF A TANK OF GAS. ONE TIME, SHORTLY AFTER DISPLAYING "EMPTY" DESPITE HAVING HALF A TANK, THE CAR CUT OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND WONT CHANGE GEARS
Official recalls
116V247000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 26, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking
Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO
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