2003 Ford Taurus Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2003 Ford Taurus most often report front coil springs breaking and puncturing tires, and transmission failures in which the vehicle loses drive with little or no warning. A cluster of complaints also describes water leaking into the blower case, which disables the heater/defroster fan, along with brake-light switch problems and corrosion of the front subframe. Many reports involve cars with well over 60,000 miles, though some failures appear at lower mileage.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front/rear coil spring breaks and punctures tire

   • 293 complaints (24%)
   • median 85,500 mi at 7.3 yrs old (279 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $750 (median of 37 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2020

   Owners describe a loud bang or pop, then a flat tire or a car that cannot be driven, often while backing out of a driveway or parking at low speed. Inspection typically shows a fractured front coil spring, sometimes both, with a sharp end cutting into the tire sidewall. Several say the dealer told them no recall applied to their vehicle and that repairs were at their own expense; springs are commonly replaced in pairs along with struts and tires. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 135,000 miles, frequently at low speed in driveways and parking lots.

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect all four coil springs and the strut assemblies for cracks or corrosion, especially on a car kept in a rust-belt climate. Ask whether any springs, struts or tires were replaced and keep an eye on tire sidewalls for cuts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Coil spring broke while backing out of my garage - which blew out my front tire. I had to purchase a new tire and then have my car towed to my mechanic. He replaced coil springs on both sides and as a result of broken coil spring it broke another part which cost an additiona $69.00.”

   NHTSA complaint #10322774, filed 2010-03, 62,000 miles

   “Left front coil spring broke while pulling out of parking spot, puncturing the side wall of tire( 30k mi left on tire) now have to replace both coil spring(only come in pairs, by new tire. Dam lucky I wasn't on express way doing 65. My car is a 2003 Ford Taurus 98k mi.”

   NHTSA complaint #10266314, filed 2009-04, 98,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission loses drive (pump or torque converter)

   • 311 complaints (25%)
   • median 86,299 mi at 8.8 yrs old (284 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 50 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2022

   Complaints describe the car suddenly acting as if it is in neutral while driving, or refusing to move in drive or reverse after being started, usually with no warning light beforehand. Mechanics quoted in the reports most often point to a failed transmission pump or a stripped torque converter, and several owners had the transmission rebuilt or replaced. A related group of reports describes harsh engagement, lunging or failure to accelerate when the pedal is pressed. Spread from about 44,000 to 175,000 miles, with many reports in the 70,000-100,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from cold through several gear changes and check that it engages drive and reverse promptly with no delay or slipping. Ask for transmission service records and whether the fluid and filter have been changed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving and all of a sudden my car would not go anywhere even though the engine was running. I took it to my mechanic who had the car towed to a reputable transmission shop in town. When I went to talk to the mechanic he said he already knew what it was. He said that he had a multitude of this make and model that had the same exact problem. He said it was a design flaw in the transmission that allows the torque convertor to strip without any warning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10630002, filed 2014-09, 44,441 miles

   “I was on I-95 n speed 65 MPH. My car revved to 4-5 RPM and I noticed that even as I was pressing on the accelerator that the car was not gaining speed but decelerating. I pulled over on the shoulder an coasted to a stop. The car wasn't/didn't over heat, there was no dashboard lights that came on to warn me. I had no warning of any transmission problems before. I turned off the car and turn the car back on which worked just fine I went to put the car in drive and it wouldn't go anywhere. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10353606, filed 2010-09, 60,120 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Water leak into blower case, heater fan and resistor

   • 214 complaints (18%)
   • median 57,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (179 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $416 (median of 28 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2017

   Owners report water pooling on the passenger-side floor after rain or a car wash, followed by the blower motor working only on high speed or not at all, which leaves the defroster and A/C ineffective. Dealers and mechanics are described as replacing the blower motor and resistor and sealing or replacing the cowl; some owners say the problem returned and that the repair was not covered under warranty. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 95,000 miles, typically after heavy rain or washing.

   Recall 03V0870002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the passenger-side carpet and under-dash area for dampness or water stains after rain, and run the blower through all speeds. Ask whether the cowl seal, blower motor or resistor has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Blower motor failure due to water leaking into blower case on my 2003 Ford Taurus, I took my car to the Ford dealer to get the blower repaired or replaced. After they replaced the blower, they told me that it wasn't covered under my 6 yr/ 75000 mi. Bumper to bumper warranty because of water leaking into the blower case. I'm going to fight this because Ford co. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10180869, filed 2007-01, 57,123 miles

   “2003 Ford Taurus had leaking under passenger dashboard. Took vehicle to dealership to get it fixed for $155. The blower motor stopped working except on high. I read that other people had this problem with the 2003 Ford Taurus. Now I was going to be out more money to replace the blower and/or blower resistor. This was an apparent design flaw and should be recalled.”

   NHTSA complaint #10191373, filed 2007-05, 79,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Brake lights stay on or fail, shifter stuck in Park

   • 71 complaints (6%)
   • median 104,748 mi at 10.6 yrs old (58 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2022

   Complaints describe brake lights that stay lit after the car is shut off and drain the battery, or brake lights that do not come on at all. Some owners also report the shifter will not move out of park unless the brake pedal is pumped, and a shop diagnosis of the brake light switch or its wiring. Several owners link the symptom to the brake light switch recall and say their vehicle was not covered by it. Filed across a wide mileage range, from about 69,000 to 189,000 miles.

   Recall 04V106000

   What to check: With the car off, check that the brake lights are not glowing, and with the car running confirm the brake lights come on and the shifter releases from park. Ask whether the brake light switch and wiring were replaced under the recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I woke up on 7/19/14 to find my 2003 Ford tauruses battery dead. This seemed strange since the battery was new and the alternator was in great shape. Not sure why my battery was dead, I jumped the car and drove somewhere. When I parked my car, I noticed the brake lights continued to illuminate after shutting the engine off. I tried tapping on the brakes, but the brake lights continued to illuminate. I researched the issue and found a Ford recall (04s12) for 2003 Ford Taurus that said brake lights would stay on all the time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10615148, filed 2014-07, 96,976 miles

   “The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, the brake lamp became inoperable intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 189,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10749966, filed 2015-08, 189,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Rusted front subframe and lower control arm

   • 109 complaints (9%)
   • median 81,302 mi at 7.4 yrs old (99 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2020

   Owners in rust-prone areas describe steering that suddenly becomes hard to control, with a mechanic finding the front subframe corroded and the lower control arm separating from it. Others report water leaking into the passenger footwell and corroding nearby components, and door latches sticking open in cold weather so the doors will not stay shut. Repairs described include subframe and control arm work and latch replacement. Most reports come in above roughly 70,000 miles, often on cars driven in winter-road-salt climates.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the car put on a lift and inspect the front subframe, control arms and rocker panels for rust-through, especially on a northern car. Check that all four doors latch securely and open smoothly in cold weather.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased my 2003 Ford Taurus from carmax in baltimore, md in sept 2006 after trading in my 2000 Ford ranger. The Taurus was a rental car in nj before being sold to carmax. Since I purchased the car, I have had to replace the battery, starter, blower motor relay, transmission gasket and now the air compressor, power steering pump and belt needs to be replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10223115, filed 2008-04, 68,812 miles

   “On october 23 2019, I retained mavis discount tire to inspect my new york state registered 2003 Ford Taurus. Mavis discount tire passed the vehicle, determining the vehicles condition complied with ny state safety standard of roadworthiness. 12/12/2019, after repairing the transmission at gorilla auto works, I was informed of a serious structural situation, control arm assembly severely deteriorated . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11302236, filed 2020-01, 74,029 miles

Buying note. If you are considering this model year, budget for a thorough pre-purchase inspection of the coil springs, subframe and transmission, since those are the areas owners most often describe needing major work. Service records for transmission and cooling-system work, plus confirmed brake-light recall completion, are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.