IllustrationThe inside rear view mirror camera only works on occasion.
2011 Ford Taurus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2011 Ford Taurus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 318.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Taurus 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
380–25K
2125–50K
2450–75K
2375–100K
29100–150K
7150K+
142 reports with mileage · 45 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports
Seats complaints
6 reportsTHE DRIVER SEAT HEATING ELEMENT IS OVER HEATING CAUSING EXTREME HEAT AND BEGINNING TO BURN THE SEAT.
2011 FORD TAURUS FRONT DRIVER'S HEATED SEAT SUDDENLY WAS SO HOT THAT IT HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO PREVENT FROM GETTING BURNED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. THE CAR MENTIONED ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES ON IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND I CONTACTED FORD, BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. THE EXTEN…
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2011 FORD TAURUS FRONT DRIVER'S HEATED SEAT SUDDENLY WAS SO HOT THAT IT HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO PREVENT FROM GETTING BURNED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. THE CAR MENTIONED ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES ON IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND I CONTACTED FORD, BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY RAN OUT LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AGO AND FORD DOES NOT CARE. I AM WONDERING IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE HEATED SEATS, BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT OR SOMEONE GETS BURNED FROM THE SEAT.
MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND TURNED ON THE SEAT HEATER. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED AND BURNED THE BACKS OF HER LEGS. SEVERAL DAYS LATER MY FATHER TURNED IT ON, IT BURNED THROUGH SEVERAL LAYERS OF HIS WINTER CLOTHES AND LEFT A BURN MARK ON THE LEATHER SEAT. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE, AND…
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MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND TURNED ON THE SEAT HEATER. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE SEAT HEATER OVERHEATED AND BURNED THE BACKS OF HER LEGS. SEVERAL DAYS LATER MY FATHER TURNED IT ON, IT BURNED THROUGH SEVERAL LAYERS OF HIS WINTER CLOTHES AND LEFT A BURN MARK ON THE LEATHER SEAT. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE, AND HAS CAUSED BOTH PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE TO THE CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT OVERHEATED. THE SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT AND THE CONTACT'S COAT, CAUSING BURNS TO THE CONTACT'S SKIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT R…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT OVERHEATED. THE SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT AND THE CONTACT'S COAT, CAUSING BURNS TO THE CONTACT'S SKIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,325.
I OWN A 2011 FORD TAURUS WITH HEATED LEATHER SEATS. THE HEATING MECHANISM BEGAN TO GET HOTTER IN SPOTS ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT ON MY DRIVE INTO WORK. I BEGIN TO FEEL A BURNING SENSATION ON MY SKIN AS WELL AS A BURNING SMELL IN THE CAR. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE HEATING VENTS, AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND STEPPING OU…
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I OWN A 2011 FORD TAURUS WITH HEATED LEATHER SEATS. THE HEATING MECHANISM BEGAN TO GET HOTTER IN SPOTS ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT ON MY DRIVE INTO WORK. I BEGIN TO FEEL A BURNING SENSATION ON MY SKIN AS WELL AS A BURNING SMELL IN THE CAR. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE HEATING VENTS, AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND STEPPING OUT I REALIZED IT WAS NOT. WHEN I TOOK OFF MY COAT, I REALIZED THAT THE SEAT HAD BURNED A HOLE IN MY JACKET, MY SWEATER AND I HAD A BURN ON MY SKIN. LOOKING AT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT YOU CAN SEE BURN MARKS AS WELL AS A HOLE WHERE THE HEATING MECHANISM BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND BURNED OUT. *TR
Official recalls
416V247000 · 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.
15V340000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Jun 2, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
15V040000 · Structure:body:door
Jan 28, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
14V285000 · Exterior Lighting
May 29, 2014
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. When used in areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result of water intrusion.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.