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Latches, locks and linkagesPart report

2004 Ford Taurus Latches, locks and linkages Problems

Complaints
7about this part
Share
2%of 375 total for the year
Median mileage
75,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2004 Ford Taurus, 2% of the 375 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 75,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When it gets cold outside, the door latch becomes stuck and the door will not latch and close properly and the door flies open. The passenger door latch will do the same thing. So you have to drive holding the door shut until the door latch/sensor decides to unfreeze. This is a serious safety hazard because you may think the door is shut because the sensor light goes off and then you start to drive and the door flies open. If you look online, several model years from 1997 and up of the Taurus have experienced the same thing as well as the mercury sable and a few other older Ford models. …”

NHTSA complaint #10679633, filed 2015-01, 182,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in below freezing temperatures, the driver's side door would not close. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnosis of the failure or repairs. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The contact stated that the failure would occur intermittently in extremely cold temperatures. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. Updated 02/08/11 updated 03/03/11”

NHTSA complaint #10370540, filed 2010-12, 60,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Latches, locks and linkages: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201712%
201421%
201310%
201010%
200912%
200610%
200541%
200472%
200350%
200210%
2001101%
2000101%
199951%
199871%
199741%
1996121%
199591%
1994131%
199350%
199230%
199171%
199041%
198941%
198821%
198633%

Other parts of the 2004 Ford Taurus

Vehicle speed control
164 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
72 complaints
Brakes
26 complaints
Electrical system
26 complaints
Engine
25 complaints
Air bags
21 complaints
Engine cooling
19 complaints
Body and structure
17 complaints
Fuel system
16 complaints
Other or unknown
15 complaints
Steering
13 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
12 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Ford Taurus

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology