1990 Ford Taurus: problems, recalls and reliability
8 recalls and 381 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is structure (15% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Dec 1998
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“How do I get ford motor company to honor genuine NHTSA recalls on a 1990 ford taurus wagon??? It currently has complaint # NHTSA 90e043001; NHTSA 98v323000; NHTSA 93v106002; NHTSA 91v34000. I cannot get dealership to replace air bag module defect, seat belt defect or cpu replacement defect. What do I do to get some action on these issues???? *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1990 ford taurus. While driving less than 30 mph, the front driver's side air bag deployed without warning or a crash occurring. The contact sustained injuries to her arms, lacerations on her face and arms, and a large burn on her lip. The manufacturer sent an inspector to investigate the air bag failure. The failure and current mileages were unknown. Updated 5/5/09 *cn updated 05/07/09.*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2009
“I had a loose ignition on my 1990 ford taurus in which I could remove my key while it was still running I had this changed while I was having other work done on the car and less then a week later I had a very expensive paperweight because after they placed a new ignition into my car it caught fire while I was driving it burning out all the wiring and destroying the wires connected to my battery. I towed the car to the ford dealer and I had to lay out even more money for them to tell me there is nothing they can do about it. There have never been any fires or recalls and that was that. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2008
Show 7 more owner reports
“Check engine lights came on stayed on. Air bag light came on flashes 9 times pauses and then flashes 9 times repeats. Cruise control stops working. *jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2006
“The belts were replaced due to recall campaign# 92v113000 at 88k miles. At 120k miles, the driver side latch mechanism became stiff, then the outer sleeve had come apart. The sleeve was placed back into place and the belt was back functioning properly. *ak *sc *jb”Owner report · Seat Belts · Apr 2005
“Owner was driving and pulled out of a parking lot at approximately 5 mph, applied the brakes, and the vehicle continued to accelerate. Owner had to avoid several possible accidents by putting the vehicle in park in order to get the vehicle to stop. However, owner's vehicle did hit another vehicle. Owner contacted the manufacturer, and was informed that there were no recalls relating to this defect. *ak”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Feb 2005
“Whole back end of car failed and had to have it all replaced. The bolts broke causing the rest of the back end to totally fail and brake. Had to have it all replaced including the bolts, rear suspension linkage, both shocks, and rear axle. We paid out of our own pocket for this to tune of 800. And now to do all of this the car is now acting like it is either having problems with the fuel system or the replaced catalytic converter is going out.*ak”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2004
“Seat belt would not secure found 8 other recall items from a canadian recall web site that were not on any u.s. Recall sites. *ak”Owner report · Seat Belts · Sep 2004
“Vehicle was involved in a collision due to loss of brake fluid from the left front brake valve. Manufacturer was contacted.*ak”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Aug 2004
“While driving 10 mph sub frame bolts snapped. As a result, steering failed. A recall was issued. However, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN. *ak”Owner report · Steering · May 2004
When filing, owners marked a crash in 29 of these complaints and injuries in 26 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 8 campaigns
THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.
Remedy: REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.
AN INCORRECT TRANSISTOR MAY CAUSE AUTOLAMP SYSTEM LIGHT SENSOR MODULE MALFUNCTION.
Remedy: REPLACE LIGHT SENSOR MODULES.
THE ARC WELDS ON THE SWAY BAR BRACKET, WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE STRUT RESERVE TUBE, DID NOT FUSE PROPERLY.
Remedy: MONROE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STRUT FREE OF CHARGE.
CHILDREN CAN ACCIDENTALLY LOCK THEMSELVES IN THE FOOTWELL AREA OF THE REAR-FACING THIRD SEAT, OR IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN STATION WAGONS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPTIONAL THIRD SEAT. ONCE THE COMPARTMENT IS CLOSED IT CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE.
Remedy: REPLACE THE SELF-LATCHING ASSEMBLY CURRENTLY USED IN THE REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT WITH A LATCH ASSEMBLY THAT CAN ONLY BE CLOSED WITH A KEY.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGNIA, AND WISCONSIN. THE REAR LOWER SUBFRAME MOUNT PLATE NUT CAN EXPERIENCE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING IF SUBJECTED TO LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALTS. THIS CAN RESULT IN FRACTURE AND LOSS OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE SUBFRAME MOUNT ATTACHMENT. DETACHMENT OF THE BODY MOUNTS AT THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME, WHICH SUPPORTS THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, ALLOWS THE REAR CORNERS OF THE SUBFRAME TO DROP.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL SUBFRAME REAR MOUNT BOLTS, REINFORCEMENT PLATES, AND PLATE NUTS.
THE RIGID MOUNTED SAFETY BELT BUCKLES ARE DEFECTIVE IN THREE WAYS. FIRST, A FASTENED SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT UNLATCH WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON IS DEPRESSED. THIS RESULTS FROM INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUCKLE EJECTOR FINGER AND THE BUCKLE TONGUE WINDOW. THE SECOND DEFECT IS THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY NOT LATCH. THE THIRD POSSIBLE DEFECT IS THAT THE TONGUE MAY BE RETAINED BY THE BUCKLE, BUT IT MAY NOT BE LATCHED SUFFICIENTLY TO PROVIDE OCCUPANT PROTECTION.
Remedy: FORD WILL REPLACE THE RIGID MOUNTED SAFETY BELT BUCKLES WITH END RELEASE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES DESIGNED TO PREVENT LATCH PROBLEMS.
FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SEVERE CORROSION IF OPERATED IN AREAS WHERE CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE ARE USED EXTENSIVELY.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WITH FULL CAST FRONT BRAKE ROTORS.
WHEELS MAY CONTAIN CRACKS THAT COULD PROPOGATE IN RAISED PORTION OF WHEEL CENTER.
Remedy: REPLACE WHEELS WITH WHEELS OF A REVISED DESIGN.
How other years compare
Check your exact Taurus 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 1990 Ford Taurus reliable?
NHTSA has 381 owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns on record for the 1990 Ford Taurus. The most complained-about area is structure (15% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1990 Ford Taurus problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 100,000 miles or less.
Does the 1990 Ford Taurus have open recalls?
8 recall campaigns have 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.