2008 Ford Taurus X: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 153 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (27% of complaints); the 2009 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 153 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus X. While the contact's daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's daughter was able unable to pull over but was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing spark plugs, coolant, and radiator replaced. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2021
“The dash warning lights all come on and the speedometer and gas gauge go to zero. I have had the car since september 2017 and it only had one previous owner! This is a scary problem because the car will not accelerate when this occurs. Has anyone had this problem and figured out how to fix? Also there's a loud knocking noise sometimes that sounds like is coming from under the dashboard. This is not the first or even tenth time this has happened. To many to remember all the dates!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2021
“Transmission stuck in high gear while in motion. Can't accelerate from stop to maintain speed. Power cycle fixed. Intermittent issue.”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2020
Show 7 more owner reports
“Had to shell out $528.06 to replace both the 'input & output shift senors' in the vehicle. Repair involved removing the valve body on the transmission for access. Majority of the cost involve the labor to reach this area on trans. A month earlier trans locked up in low gear, dash lights were flashing? Shut off engine & restarted. Ran ok then. Safety issue! Recall is in order!”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2020
“Within 24 hours, twice the car suddenly displayed "empy" fuel guage and having zero miles on the range estimator despite having roughly half a tank of gas. One time, shortly after displaying "empty" despite having half a tank, the car cut off at highway speeds.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jul 2020
“Car shut off 3 minutes after starting it. I restart it then it shut off again after 5 minutes. Drove the about hour and half no problem. 2 hours later drove car a few blocks shut off again luckily I was pulling back up to my house. Now I'm scared to drive the vehicle. Please help.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Jan 2020
“A fuel sensor failed recently for the third time in 3 years. Each time there was more than half a tank of gasoline onboard. The most recent occurrence caused the engine to stop completely while on a freeway traveling at 55 mph.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Oct 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus x. While driving approximately 65 mph in traffic, the contact attempted to slow the vehicle down, but the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed. The vehicle was finally able to stop. The failure began on approximately july 3, 2019 and was occurring daily. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 202,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus x. The contact stated that the defroster for the windows malfunctioned, which impaired his visibility while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 64,000.”Owner report · Visibility · Feb 2019
“When vehicle gets between 40-45 mph, will not gear up properly and will not run correctly. Only does this intermittently, and you have to stop the car, unhook battery cable, give it a minute, hook it back up and it will run fine until the next time it does it- which could be days, weeks, even months.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Feb 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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 event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2008 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Taurus X by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Ford Taurus X reliable?
NHTSA has 153 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2008 Ford Taurus X. The most complained-about area is steering (27% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Taurus X problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 64,000 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Ford Taurus X have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.