2012 Ford Taurus: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
78
Complaints
5
Recalls
1
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
0
Injuries
28.2
Severity index
Severity index 28.2 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Ford Taurus ranks 117 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 9% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| STEERING | 16 | 20.5% |
| STRUCTURE | 16 | 20.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 15 | 19.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 12 | 15.4% |
| ENGINE | 11 | 14.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 7.7% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 | 5.1% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is STEERING, cited in 16 of 78 complaints (20.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 19 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V040000 | 28/01/2015 | STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 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 s |
| 14V285000 | 29/05/2014 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 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, |
| 15V340000 | 02/06/2015 | STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 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 |
| 16V247000 | 26/04/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 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 |
| 13V109000 | 27/03/2013 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tan |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.