2005 Ford Taurus

Typical pattern

1.5% of complaints about the 2005 Ford Taurus came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2005 vehicle — around the middle of the 245 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is speed control (538 complaints), typically at 7.8 yr or about 93,200 miles.

Complaints: 999
Median age at failure: 7.8 yr
Median mileage: 90,000 n=903
Crash / fire / tow: 7.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Speed control

538 reports · 93,200 mi

7.8 yr

3.7%

Power train

124 reports · 84,000 mi

7.3 yr

3.2%

Engine

68 reports · 107,000 mi

9.4 yr

2.9%

Engine cooling

40 reports · 72,000 mi

6.8 yr

Fuel / propulsion

29 reports · 102,000 mi

9.1 yr

3.4%

Air bags

28 reports · 64,000 mi

4.8 yr

57.1%

Electrical system

27 reports · 89,000 mi

6.8 yr

22.2%

Service brakes

26 reports · 110,000 mi

9.6 yr

23.1%

Other

25 reports · 95,000 mi

10.1 yr

Structure

22 reports · 89,542 mi

8.1 yr

22.7%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16E026000 2016-04-01

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads

Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shi

A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Structure 43,917 mi 3.0 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED WATER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT WATER WAS LEAKING FROM THE AIR INTAKE HEATER BOX AND THE WEATHER STRIPPING COWL PANEL FAILED. THE COWL PANEL WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,917 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,017.

Structure 53,450 mi 4.6 yr in service

THE PAINT IS BUBBLING AND PEELING ON THE ROOF, FRONT BUMPER AND THE REAR BUMPER. *TR

Structure 89,542 mi 5.3 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD TAURUS. SHE STATED THAT WATER WAS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER STATED THAT SHE WOULD NEED A RAIN CAP EXTENSION INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 89,542. UPDATED 3/17/10 *CN UPDATED 06/17/10*JB

Air bags 11,000 mi 11 mo in service

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. HOWEVER THE SUSPENSION WORKED ERRATICALLY. THERE WAS A TEAR WHERE THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG WAS LOCATED ,AND THE LIGHT INDICATES IT WAS OFF. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNAWARE THAT THERE WAS A TEAR UNDER THE AIRBAG AND WHY IT HAPPENED. ALSO, THEY DID NOT CHECK TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN AIRBAG IN THE VEHICLE.*AK

Other Taurus model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.