2008 Ford Taurus: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 175 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (22% 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 175 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact shifted into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated while reversing, she heard an abnormal sound. The check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the power train not being connected to the solenoids. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,367.”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2023
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for an inspection, the dealer advised him to stop driving the vehicle due to corrosion of the subframe, caliper, steering arm, brakes, and a hole in the catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Oct 2022
“only regular maintenence < drove to desination and parked car and car set on fire , at first it was smoking so we called the fire department and by the time they got there the flames were 10 ft high and the whole front was burnt and melted my car ia junk now , before this all gauges worked jst fine and nothing un-ordinary stuff going on”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2022
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“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle swayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Feb 2021
“This has happened about 3 times in the last 2 yrs but while sitting at a light my car suddenly went forward. It didn't go.to far. Maybe a ft or 2 but was enough to scare me. My foot was on the brake. It will also get stuck in gears and lose power on the road. No check engine light is on as of now. One light did come on today while sitting at a light and without notice my car would not go. It was the power throttle/transmission light. I turned the car off and then back on and it drove fine all the way home. It did jerk once. The gear shifting and loss of power happens when I am driving on the highway.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Oct 2020
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the subframe was completely rusted through. The vehicle was towed and diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.”Owner report · Structure · Jun 2020
“The car looses power. The rpm go up but speedometer doesn't move. Dash shows dashes. When you stop and cut the car off and turn it back on it slams into gear. After waiting a few minutes the car drives fine”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2020
“The car looses power. The rpm go up but speedometer doesn't move. Dash shows dashes. When you stop and cut the car off and turn it back on it slams into gear. After waiting a few minutes the car drives fine. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2020
“2008 taurus, bought new 11/7/7, 33 miles. 11/12/13 repair ' 31,682 miles ' rack and pinion steering started to fail while driving. Replaced for $889.82, not under warranty; ford covered none of the cost. 1/2/20 repair ' 65,691 miles ' rack and pinion steering failed again immediately after a 30-mile drive. Replaced for $954.87 plus tax. Ford covered none of the cost.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2020
“My 79 year old father-in-law was in a traffic accident yesterday september 5, 2019. He was at a stop sign in the city of portsmouth ohio. Upon taking off from a stop he was hit not by one car but two cars. My father in law has had this car since 2009 and they have always taken care of it. They only have this car. Anyway when he hit none of the air bags deployed, none. He hit the steering wheel so hard that we thought he was having a heart attack.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 19 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - 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.
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 2008 Ford Taurus reliable?
NHTSA has 175 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2008 Ford Taurus. The most complained-about area is power train (22% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Taurus problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 69,000 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Ford Taurus 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.