2018 Ford Taurus: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 46 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is back over prevention (23% of complaints); the 2019 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Oct 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V611000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the front driver's side door B-pillar trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2026
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 65,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 99,000. The contact stated that the seller's father was a dealer and had advised that the issue would be corrected; however, the contact was concerned about further fraudulent business practices.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“Rear toe links have a lot of slack resulting in rear drifting on uneven/slippery ground. This results in poor handling and fishtailing making it significantly harder to maintain control of the vehicle. Extreme caution required during slippery road conditions as the car will start to fishtail on it's own and requires constant corrective steering.”Owner report · Suspension · Jan 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blank or distorted image while reversing. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Nov 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V611000 (Structure); however, the parts to complete the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V611000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that upon further inspection, the front driver's side B-pillar trim was loose. Several local dealers were contacted on several occasions. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2025
“Rear camera just went inverted and rear assist lines are not displayed. Dealer has not been contacted. This is a safety hazard while backing up. I have had no other issues.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2025
“The rear view camera is not working properly. It blinks at times and then the view of the rear is upside down. This happens when I put the car in reverse.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 108,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2025
“Rear back up camera when in reverse my screen will blink black then be normal. It will sometimes go blue or just stay black or camera not available it sometimes have half screen. It has not been inspected nor any faulty lights warnings besides one or 2 times of camera unavailable. I know there are some recalls on other vehicles with this issue but the Taurus SHO.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 6 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Taurus vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the B-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S91.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford Taurus vehicles equipped with mechanical key ignition systems. The keys for these vehicles may be able to be removed from the ignition when transmission is not in the PARK position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter assembly, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C02.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2018 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
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 2018 Ford Taurus reliable?
NHTSA has 46 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2018 Ford Taurus. The most complained-about area is back over prevention (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2018 Ford Taurus problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 60,000 miles or less.
Does the 2018 Ford Taurus have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning structure:exterior trim. 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.