2014 Ford Taurus Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2014 Taurus most often describe sudden loss of power steering assist and a failure that leaves the car unable to start, both typically showing up well past 50,000 miles. Fuel pump control module complaints are the single most common theme in the sample, and many owners say the dealer told them their vehicle was not covered by the related fuel pump recall. A backup camera that goes blank or upside down, and coolant loss traced to the water pump, come up repeatedly as well.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel pump control module failure (no-start, stalling)

   • 66 complaints (29%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe a car that cranks but will not start, sometimes after running normally the day before, and in other cases an engine that stalls while driving and then refuses to restart. Dealers and independent shops diagnosed a failed fuel pump control module or driver module and replaced it, sometimes after first replacing the battery or the fuel pump itself. Several owners point to the fuel pump recall and say the dealer told them their VIN was not included. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 140,000 miles, with several cases under 70,000 miles.

   Recall 16V621000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump control module has been replaced and whether the vehicle's VIN is included in recall 16V621000. If the car cranks without starting, have the module checked before replacing the pump.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car is parked in driveway, and without warning, the car will no longer start. Car attempts to start and cranking last for approximately 5 seconds, but nothing happens. Searches online as to the cause lead me to believe this is the fuel pump control module, a faulty part at the center of safety recall 16s31. However my model is not covered under the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11340890, filed 2020-07, 51,000 miles

   “The fuel pump control module is failing, which is causing the engine to not start and or keeps stalling when turning the key. My mechanic gave me the recall and directed me to my nearest Ford dealership, but when given the VIN number they said there is 0 recalls on my vehicle. Therefor this recall is VIN specific and will not cover my repairs. The mechanic did agree this is a problem with the make and model but not specific to my vehicle. Upsetting and confused why my vehicle is not included in this recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11387880, filed 2021-01, 59,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering assist fault, hard steering

   • 59 complaints (26%)
   • median 75,829 mi at 5.8 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,822 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners report a 'power steering assist fault' or 'steering assist fault service required' message followed by a steering wheel that becomes very hard to turn, often at low speed while turning or after starting the car. Some say restarting the car restores assist temporarily. Complaints describe dealers diagnosing a failed steering gear, rack or steering motor and quoting replacement, and several owners note the earlier steering recall did not cover their car. Commonly reported between about 50,000 and 140,000 miles, though a few cases appear below 40,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, listen for steering noise and confirm no assist-fault messages appear. Ask whether the steering gear or rack has been replaced and whether any steering-related service bulletin work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 3/8/23 I was attempting to turn around on a residential street. I put my car in reverse and started turning steering wheel to the right when suddenly there was a loud pop and my steering wheel tighted up and I could barely turn it. IThen when I put in drive it stated rattling everywhere. I almost hit another car trying to turn in a drive cause couldn't turn. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11512101, filed 2023-03, 121,997 miles

   “I just pulled out of a parking space traveling 5 MPH making a sharp turn, suddenly lost all power steering and driver assist failure requires maintenance warning light came on followed by traction control needs servicing. Now it is very difficult to drive at any speed as the vehicle defaulted to manual steering. Lucky I wasn't at high speed. 61000 miles at time of incident”

   NHTSA complaint #11320118, filed 2020-04, 61,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Backup camera blank, upside down or distorted

   • 17 complaints (7%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 6.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the rear-view camera showing a black screen, an upside-down or blue image, or a 'camera unavailable, contact your dealership' message when shifting into reverse. Some say it works intermittently. Dealers identified a failed internal camera part and quoted replacement, and owners note the parking sensors are affected when the image is lost. Reported from roughly 50,000 miles up to about 163,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Put the car in reverse and check the camera image on a cold start and after the car has sat. Ask whether the camera has been replaced and get an estimate for the repair if it is still faulty.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Back up camera glitches either upside down, all black, or blue. Saying visit dealership. This effect the sensors when backing up. Multiple people have this problem with the 6th generation Ford Taurus. When you go to the dealership they tell you it's a $250 part with a additional $50 labor. Ford knows this is a problem, I personally think it should be recalled.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399843, filed 2021-03, 125,000 miles

   “My back up camera works sometimes and sometimes it just displays a black screen or shows a message that says backup camera unavailable, please contact your dealership”

   NHTSA complaint #11362802, filed 2020-10, 75,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Coolant loss and water pump leaks

   • 15 complaints (7%)
   • median 85,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners report the coolant level dropping repeatedly, coolant puddles under the car, and overheating that in some cases led to a stall and loss of power. Shops and dealers diagnosed a failing water pump, and one complaint notes coolant leaking onto the air conditioning compressor. Repairs were quoted but often not completed at the time of the complaint. Typically reported between about 55,000 and 165,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant reservoir level and look for dried coolant residue or stains under the front of the engine. Ask whether the water pump or timing components have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated, lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver coasted to the side of the road, inspected the vehicle, and became aware of coolant leaking underneath the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11496302, filed 2022-12, 163,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant reservoir level was low. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11499988, filed 2023-01, 100,000 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Rear toe link and suspension vibration

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe abnormal vibration while driving and, in some cases, uneven or cupped tire wear; shops traced the vibration to a failed rear toe link or worn control arm and replaced the parts. One owner tied the problem to the rear suspension recall but said the VIN was not included. Reported around 50,000 to 70,000 miles in the sample.

   Recall 20V072000

   What to check: Ask whether the rear toe links have been replaced and whether the car is covered by recall 20V072000. Check rear tire wear for cupping and drive at highway speed to feel for vibration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Occurs every 2000 to 3000 miles when slowing down to stop. As I get near the idle speed (2-3 MPH) with my foot on the brake peddle the engine starts to rev up and pull the car forward. I have to throw the transmission into neutral and the engine RPM's spike up to 5000 to 6000 and then immediately settles out to an idle speed. I had a tuneup done at 100k miles and part of the service was to reset the computer system. The shop ran a full diagnostic. This did not resolve the problem. I'm at about 118k miles now. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11322261, filed 2020-04, 118,000 miles

   “We were returning to our farm from a trip to town. The cruise control was set at the 70mph speed limit. A recent construction project gave us a newly paved road. It was a beautiful sunny day with no wind and temps in the low 80's. We were enjoying the ride and noted what an improvement the newly paved road was. Without warning the tires began squealing and the control characteristics of our Taurus changed dramatically. The steering became labored (I believe from the automated anti lock and traction control systems engageding). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11349174, filed 2020-08, 153,000 miles

Buying note. A 2014 Taurus is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: confirm the status of the fuel pump module recall for the specific VIN, test the power steering and backup camera thoroughly, and check coolant level and rear tire wear. Service records showing recent fuel pump module, steering and water pump work reduce the chance of an expensive surprise.

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.