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2013 Ford Taurus

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Ford Taurus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 318.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

426 reports with mileage · 157 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 295 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports6 fire reports17 injury reports

What owners actually said

583 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with power steering failure. The manufacturer was made…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with power steering failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11450842

148,000 miles · Dec 17, 2021
Traction Control System

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the "Service Advance Trac" warning message was displayed. The vehicle then lost motive power. The failure occurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaire…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the "Service Advance Trac" warning message was displayed. The vehicle then lost motive power. The failure occurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

NHTSA ODI #11444147

Mileage unknown · Dec 9, 2021
SteeringCrashInjury

The power steering assist and traction control have failed. The vehicle is available for inspection at any time. The safety of myself and passengers as well as other drivers on the road were affected by the failure to properly control the vehicle due to the power steering assist and traction control failing. The problem has be…

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The power steering assist and traction control have failed. The vehicle is available for inspection at any time. The safety of myself and passengers as well as other drivers on the road were affected by the failure to properly control the vehicle due to the power steering assist and traction control failing. The problem has been reported, reproduced and confirmed by Ford Motor Company. Ford is refusing to diagnose or remedy the failure with the excuse that the recall 15s18 (NHTSA Campaign: 15v340000) is VIN-specific even though Ford’s website states: “ 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 vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer but they are demanding $150 JUST to diagnose the issue. If it is as simple as reprogramming the vehicle’s software, they said it would cost another $150 to do so. Warning lamp and message about the power steering assist failing occurred right before the hardware malfunction/failure which was on December 2nd 2021 with 106,200 miles on the vehicle. Somehow the VIN for my vehicle wasn’t included in the initial recall by Ford EVEN THOUGH it meets all the specifications of the make/model of the vehicles AS WELL AS the date range and factory location of manufacture of the vehicles included in this recall, Ford has refused to fix their defect.

NHTSA ODI #11443230

Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2021
Steering

Sensor in seat belt fails air bag light comes on air bags won't deploy there is hundreds of complaints on forums about this issue ford knows about it amd said they will not issue a recall steering and suspension yo hear loud popping steering locks up due to rack and pinion failure the popping is faulty upper strut mounts ford is…

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Sensor in seat belt fails air bag light comes on air bags won't deploy there is hundreds of complaints on forums about this issue ford knows about it amd said they will not issue a recall steering and suspension yo hear loud popping steering locks up due to rack and pinion failure the popping is faulty upper strut mounts ford is also aware of this there is thousands of reports all over the forums ford refuses to even look into it saying its not a dangerous concern steering will lock up tight at speeds of 70mph no gaining control of it

NHTSA ODI #11443059

85,000 miles · Oct 7, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that she started the vehicle and the steering wheel was locked. The power steering assists warning light is illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed since the power steering was working properly while the vehicle was at the indepen…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that she started the vehicle and the steering wheel was locked. The power steering assists warning light is illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed since the power steering was working properly while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic. The contact stated the failure reoccurred upon starting the vehicle. The contact stated with assistance, she was able to forcefully steer the vehicle while driving to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #11435891

Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2021
Electrical SystemSteering

On 9/26/21, I was driving my 2013 Ford Taurus on the highway, when suddenly lost power steering. Two error messages immediately appeared on the dashboard: "Service Advancetrac" and "Power Steering Fault". I managed to pull the car over safely, however this was an extremely dangerous situation that could have led to an accident. …

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On 9/26/21, I was driving my 2013 Ford Taurus on the highway, when suddenly lost power steering. Two error messages immediately appeared on the dashboard: "Service Advancetrac" and "Power Steering Fault". I managed to pull the car over safely, however this was an extremely dangerous situation that could have led to an accident. The car was brought to Watertown Ford, 26 Seyon Street, Waltham MA, 02453. The Ford technician confirmed that multiple diagnostic codes were present (related to the steering rack and PCSM - power steering control module), and indicated that the power steering rack needed to be replaced at a cost of $2,700. Upon further research, I noticed that Ford opened a recall program for 2013 Ford Taurus models pertaining to this exact issue. I called Ford, but was informed that my VIN number was not included in the recall, and did not receive an explanation why. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18. NHTSA Campiagn Number is 15V605000. I'm shocked that this was not covered under Ford's recall program, and that I was forced to pay $2,700 in order to have a completely new power steering rack installed. I'm quite fearful that this will occur again in the future. I have attached the invoice from Watertown Ford for reference.

NHTSA ODI #11435854

Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2021
Steering

In my 2013 Ford Taurus (Mfd 02/2012) I experienced loss of power steering while pulling out of Costco and I went to a parking spot and tried to rotate the steering in the stationary car to check what happened. After rotating the steering wheel a couple of times the power steering came back but now there is a clicking sound while…

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In my 2013 Ford Taurus (Mfd 02/2012) I experienced loss of power steering while pulling out of Costco and I went to a parking spot and tried to rotate the steering in the stationary car to check what happened. After rotating the steering wheel a couple of times the power steering came back but now there is a clicking sound while rotating the steering on both sides. I researched online for recalls and found Recall No. 15S18 for this issue. I am the 2nd owner of this vehicle since 2016 and I had the vehicle checked for the recall when I had purchased it. At that time no error code was found. Since my vehicle was checked once the recall does not show up for my Vin number but now I have the actual issue. I contacted Ford on Facebook (since their chat does not work) and they told me to contact the dealer. I contacted the Ford Dealer (Frontier Ford) and the customer service told me someone will contact me . I waited one day and checked back with them and they told me that they need to check if they have the part for the Recall. It has been another day but no one contacted me. I contacted another dealer (Sunnyvale Ford) and their customer service looked up my Vin number and told me that no un repaired recalls for my vehicle. The recall does not show up because it was there when I bought the car in 2016 and I had them check it but at that time there was nothing found. If you google online or check on YouTube there are a lot of people having this issue. One Video on YouTube made by an engineer shows the problem existed since 2011 and that it is due to heating and that Ford was always aware of the issue. Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szHMXwcp9fo&authuser=0 I hope someone can step in and have Ford fix this Recall issue

NHTSA ODI #11435796

112,000 miles · Oct 6, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed to operate as needed with the power steering assist fault message on the instrument panel. The contact stated that initially, the power steering assist would return upon restart; however, recently, the failure …

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed to operate as needed with the power steering assist fault message on the instrument panel. The contact stated that initially, the power steering assist would return upon restart; however, recently, the failure persisted despite the restart. The contact then had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who found an error code for the power steering. The mechanic then called the manufacturer who informed him that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The mechanic then referred her to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ODI #11435758

Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his son was driving at highway speeds, the power assists fault warning light illuminated the instrument panel as the power steering assist failed to operate. His son initially pulled to the side of the road and had to use excessive force to reach his destination.…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his son was driving at highway speeds, the power assists fault warning light illuminated the instrument panel as the power steering assist failed to operate. His son initially pulled to the side of the road and had to use excessive force to reach his destination. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11435674

177,000 miles · Sep 21, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was stiff and would not turn. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as an electric power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware …

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was stiff and would not turn. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as an electric power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was included in a recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.

NHTSA ODI #11433776

Official recalls

9

20V072000 · Suspension:rear

Feb 10, 2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

16V621000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Aug 25, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.

15V812000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Dec 2, 2015

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Explorer Police Utility, Taurus, Taurus Police Interceptor, Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.

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.

14V393000 · Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft

Jul 2, 2014

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.

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.

13V270000 · Latches/locks/linkages

Jun 26, 2013

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured November 29, 2012, through December 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, with sufficient door openings and closings, the child safety locks may change from an activated position to a deactivated position without notice.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S07. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

13V227000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

May 31, 2013

Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.

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.