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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

What owners actually said

187 reports
Mileage unknown · Dec 13, 2023
Electrical SystemSteering

This Sunday, the electrical power steering started acting weird as I was driving home, the steering did some unpredictable stops as I was driving 100km/h and had to take a turn on the road. Almost got into an accident because of that steering sudden failure. I can't imagine if there have been a car on the opposite lane I was gon…

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This Sunday, the electrical power steering started acting weird as I was driving home, the steering did some unpredictable stops as I was driving 100km/h and had to take a turn on the road. Almost got into an accident because of that steering sudden failure. I can't imagine if there have been a car on the opposite lane I was gonna hit that car... I got so afraid I can't believe the steering can actually malfunction all of a sudden like this. I somehow got back home ''safe'' but then steering was dead. Impossible to steer. Dead. Got my taurus 2011 SHO towed to the closest Ford dealer so that they finally call me and say my VIN number is not on the recall even tho there were thousands of Taurus 2011-2013 recalled for that same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11559881

Mileage unknown · Nov 24, 2023
Engine

Had my Ford for less than 6 months, and has 80,000 miles on it. Looks brand new, in excellent shape and yet on the way home from the grocery store, it began overheating. The tempature gage shot up and the engine started cutting out. We pulled over and the vehicle was smoking. We started adding water and coasting down the mountai…

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Had my Ford for less than 6 months, and has 80,000 miles on it. Looks brand new, in excellent shape and yet on the way home from the grocery store, it began overheating. The tempature gage shot up and the engine started cutting out. We pulled over and the vehicle was smoking. We started adding water and coasting down the mountain until we could get home. Called several mechanics and find out that this is a common problem with our year and model. Every person we've consulted has quoted us $3,000 to repair the water pump. We have been told that the excessive charge is because when Ford built this model, the water pump was placed inside the engine. The entire engine has to be taken out of the car in order to replace the water pump. Most mechanics around us don't even have the machine that is needed to remove the engine. Ford is backed up for months on repairs. Our vehicle has been sitting for two summers because we cannot afford this $3,000 repair for a water pump! We are making payments on a car that can't be driven. Something needs to be done about this. The more I dig and research, the more complaints for this very issue I find. We need help!

NHTSA ODI #11556665

Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 2023
Steering

Hello I just bought this car and started experiencing steering problems, it gets very stiff while driving and trying to turn. I was told by a mechanic that this is a recall for my car and I need further help in getting this fixed especially since winter is right around the corner.

NHTSA ODI #11548346

90,000 miles · May 23, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel inadvertently drifted to the left and the right. The electric power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed on the instrument panel indication that the cruise contr…

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The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel inadvertently drifted to the left and the right. The electric power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed on the instrument panel indication that the cruise control system had failed, and the Forward Collision Avoidance system was inoperable. The contact veered off the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and started driving however, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was then informed that he would be transferred to the recall center but was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11523462

102,000 miles · May 22, 2023
Suspension

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while turning around in a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, he heard an abnormal, scraping sound coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger’s side tire was inverted into the wheel well. Due to the failure, the contact had…

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The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while turning around in a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, he heard an abnormal, scraping sound coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger’s side tire was inverted into the wheel well. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact called an independent mechanic to his home where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective toe link caused by corrosion. The mechanic then informed the contact that both toe links needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI #11523218

Mileage unknown · May 2, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The option to adjust the climate control or change the radios is not available in this vehicle anymore. They are currently stuck on defrost and high heat which makes you almost blind when the sweat runs in your eyes. The radio just plays at an uncomfortable volume level. There have been no warnings has to why this happened. It j…

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The option to adjust the climate control or change the radios is not available in this vehicle anymore. They are currently stuck on defrost and high heat which makes you almost blind when the sweat runs in your eyes. The radio just plays at an uncomfortable volume level. There have been no warnings has to why this happened. It just happened all at once, with no way to change it. You try being 160 miles from home with a toddler in car midsummer and your heater blowing on hi heat. This has happened to many people all over, theres no new part being manufactured to replace this broken one, and there's no salvage yards that have one for sale because they have all been bought up. and this issue is still arising in other fords that are only a couple years old. Ford needs to have a recall on this!

NHTSA ODI #11520030

Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2023
Electrical System

Ford needs to recall the throttle body sensor and break pedal for the 2011 Ford Taurus FWD SEL MODEL. Back in the day, there was a cable connecting the accelerator pedal to the throttle. If that cable snapped, well, you were up a certain creek without a paddle. But at least you knew what it was. Nowadays every system in your ve…

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Ford needs to recall the throttle body sensor and break pedal for the 2011 Ford Taurus FWD SEL MODEL. Back in the day, there was a cable connecting the accelerator pedal to the throttle. If that cable snapped, well, you were up a certain creek without a paddle. But at least you knew what it was. Nowadays every system in your vehicle is controlled by some sort of computer, including the ETB (sometimes called an electronic throttle control (ETC)). The ETB uses data from sensors to control the position of the throttle valve, which in turn manages the amount of air entering the engine. Spent well over 809.00 for new TB sensor and break pedal and my car is still not working. It goes into Limp mode and sudden acceleration w o warning. It’s very dangerous. Repair done on Feb 13, 2023 REPLACED Accelerator Pedal SENSOR Fuel Injection Throttle Body

NHTSA ODI #11512602

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes

My 2011 Ford Taurus has had so many repairs out of pocket expenses and if I purchased another warranty package doubt it would cover my issues past and present. 69,000 th miles. Throttle bottle and pedal replacement $ 852.79 replaced on February 14, 2023. Mechanic tried to fix it but the error code is the large blue wrench and ch…

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My 2011 Ford Taurus has had so many repairs out of pocket expenses and if I purchased another warranty package doubt it would cover my issues past and present. 69,000 th miles. Throttle bottle and pedal replacement $ 852.79 replaced on February 14, 2023. Mechanic tried to fix it but the error code is the large blue wrench and check engine light still on. Have to bring it in at the end of the month to my Ford Dealer as they are so booked up and I have read all the Ford recalls. When I start the car the break pedal is to the floor, it revs up and when I place the shift in drive it wants to take off by itself at a rapid speed. I then shut the car off and it makes a big thump. It takes me three tries to start it up again but looses power where I have to put my emergency flashes on. This incident is so dangerous. Ford should have done a recall there are so many complaints ! I was going to disconnect my battery and connect it again to see if that works but I don’t want to erase the codes. My Ford dealership is so busy that they could only give me an appointment at the end of the month. As I stated my vehicle is inoperable as it sits until the end of the month to get serviced again.

NHTSA ODI #11510109

64,000 miles · Feb 14, 2023
EngineVehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling for approximately 1 minute, then the vehicle started revving up with the RPM above 7,000. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal seemed to be stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the …

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The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling for approximately 1 minute, then the vehicle started revving up with the RPM above 7,000. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal seemed to be stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle came to a stop. The check engine warning light was displayed. There was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle. The following day the vehicle was driven to a certified mechanic who replaced the throttle body and accelerator pedal assembly. After returning to the residence and attempting to exit the vehicle with the vehicle idling, the failure recurred. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000. The consumer stated the vehicle broke down and towed to dealer. The computer was updated by the dealer but the vehicle failed once again. The consumer needs a second throttle body replacement.

NHTSA ODI #11507273

69,000 miles · Nov 16, 2022
Electrical SystemPower TrainCrash

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the vehicle had independently surged forward without warning. In all three incidents, the contact either hit another vehicle or an object due to the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle would accelerate upon the depression of t…

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The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the vehicle had independently surged forward without warning. In all three incidents, the contact either hit another vehicle or an object due to the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle would accelerate upon the depression of the brake pedal. The contact stated that all three accidents were minor; the air bags did not deploy and there were no injuries. A police report was filed when the contact hit another vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11493773

Official recalls

4

16V247000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.