2003 Ford Taurus
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Ford › Taurus › 2003
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2003 Ford Taurus. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
4 recalls name the 2003 Ford Taurus. Newest first.
Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads…
A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.
On certain vehicles, the air filter paper in these vehicles can smolder or burn.
This can lead to damage to the air induction system on these vehicles and/or an underhood fire.
Dealers will replace the air filter element. owner notification began on march 10, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. this malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or cause them to stay on all the time. this could cause confusion to a following driver, which could lead to a crash.
In addition, if the switch and/or associated wiring fail in the open position, the brake lights will not actuate and the driver will not be able to shift the vehicle out of "park" if they fail in the closed position, the brake lights will remain on, which will not allow the speed control to be activated. this could also cause the battery to discharge.
Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. owner notification IS expected to begin on april 5, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting." the windshields may potentially exhibit increased wind noise, water leakage, and squeaks and rattles.
Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
Dealers will replace these windshields. owner notification began on march 31, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford/mercury at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle was involved in a collision with major front end damage and no airbags deployed. The brakes have been soft or spongy. I have not seen any leaks for the brake issue. I have bled the brakes several times the master was replaced by the original owner.
At times the vehicle accelerates by itself albeit I am not touching the gas pedal. While driving the vehicle at 45 mph, I take my foot off of the accelerator and the vehicle maintains the 45 mph speed or increases speed if I am driving down a hill or any downward gradient regardless of the angle of decent. When I try to stop the vehicle using the foot brake it continues to maintain speed and if I put the shift lever in neutral, while trying to stop, the RPM's increase from approximately 1500 rpm's to 3200 rpm's until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, and then, only after approximately five seconds do the RPM's begin to drop to 1000 rpm's. If I am driving the vehicle with cruise control and cancel the cruise control, the vehicle maintains the cruise control speed indefinitely, literally for miles thereafter. I wanted to give this vehicle to my daughter who has multiple sclerosis but it's too dangerous for her to drive with this acceleration problem. Do you have any recommendations for me???
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when taking the vehicle out of the park(P) after starting the vehicle, which required the brake pedal to be depressed, the contact could not depress the shifter button out of the park. The contact stated that the shift button would not depress. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and turned the vehicle back on but had to pump the brake pedal to shift the vehicle out of the park. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to actuate as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift out of park(P) into gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch or wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
Windshield
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated the vehicle failed to release from the park position. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign number 04V106000 (Exterior Lighting).
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while slowing down would not accelerate when pressing the accelerator pedal and while switching gears the vehicle would lunge forward. the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer forsom lake ford(12755 folsom blvd, forsom lake ca.) was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 175,000.
My interior light stays on while I'm driving, and will stay on 2-3 hours after the engine has stopped.
While driving down the road, if I release the gas pedal, the vehicle will continue to increase in speed. When I am completely stopped at stop sign or stop light, I have to pressed on the brakes really hard to keep the vehicle from surging forward
On october 23 2019, I retained mavis discount tire to inspect my new york state registered 2003 ford taurus. Mavis discount tire passed the vehicle, determining the vehicles condition complied with ny state safety standard of roadworthiness. 12/12/2019, after repairing the transmission at gorilla auto works, I was informed of a serious structural situation, control arm assembly "severely deteriorated". On january 20TH 2020, I again referred the vehicle to caskinete ford carthage new york for further evaluation, at ford motor company standards, as was informed, that the control arm assembly was not repairable, at the present condition, did not meet new york state or federal safety standards, contrary to the original status, and inspection , issued 10/23/2019 mavis discount tire arsenal st. Watertown new york. further evaluations, study revealed, that failure of this condition, underway, at us interstate average speed of traffic, potentially catastrophic incident would result, eminent risk of loss of life. per us agency standards, I have made all reasonable efforts to resolve this complaint with relevant state agencies, dmv. Etc. Additional efforts included relevant new york state political representatives, to include new york state senate. *please note the, possibly intentional omission by mavis staff, of the vehicles mileage. Obtained by other records.
I was backing out of my parking space at work and I heard a loud noise and then fthe air wwnt out of my tire on the front driver side real. Once the tire was removed it revealed a large gash in the side wall of the tire as a result broken coil.
Ford taurus 2003 car safety problem was reported on july 01, 2007.ford taurus 2003, manufactured by ford motor company had a problem with electrical system: ignition:anti-theft controller. Anti-theft system failing, causing vehicle to shut off while driving.
Driver's side front coil spring broke and punctured tire. Vehicle was thankfully parked when this happened. There was a recall no. 04V332000, for 1999-2001 models - curious why it stopped there? Multiple online forums indicate this issue continued past 2001. Photos available if needed.
My brake booster IS causing oil to get in my hose causing my car problems like my engine cutting off while in drive and my car can barely stop when I press the brakes I have to press them literly all the way to the floor.
The accelerator cable gets stuck. Which causes the car to rev at 2000 rpms even when the brakes are applied the car IS trying to take off when waiting at a red light or in motion.
Since owning this auto from 2004 forward, I've been in a few front-end incidents and the air bag never activated.
My battery light goes on a few seconds after the engine starts and I put the car in drive. The light stays on till I turn car off. Replaced battery, replaced starter, had the alternator checked and was told its numbers were good but no one knows why the battery light goes on. Upon further inspection found the wires are melting because of their position on and around the alternator. There IS one, for example, that sits across on top of the alternator and appears to be melting as the unit gets hot. Was told by several mechanics that this has been a manufacturing problem on these cars. Ford has changed the positioning of their alternator wires on later models. It concerns me that this can cause a fire or can affect other connected components. The battery light refuses to turn off.
My car suddenly, and without warning, accelerated and the brake peddle dropped to the floor. the car mat was not on the peddle.
I was driving on the freeway at posted speeds when my car began to slow with the accelerator still pressed, almost getting rear ended I was able to get to the shoulder of the freeway. I realized the car was running but would not go forward or reverse. I had to call a tow truck. I waited three hours for the tow truck to show up and then had it towed 80 miles to my house. I did some research and found that the torque converter splines would fail with no warning. I also did some test to confirm it was the torque converter. there are so many complaints with the same issue and ford motor company has done nothing to recall and fix the problem. does it take someone getting killed first? ford needs to step up and recall to fix this problem before people are killed.
A strange grinding noise was coming from the passenger front tire area which was very noticable trying to back out of driveway, so pulled back in and looked to see what might be wrong. I noticed a burning rubber smell and that the wheel clearance was significantly less on passenger verse driver front tire. Drove up onto ramps to look from beneath and could clearly see the end of the coil poking into the inside edge of the tire with a worn mark all the way around where it was pushing into the rubber. After carefully backing off ramps, it was jacked up and placed on jack stands, at which time it was clearly visible the coil spring was snapped in two. It IS a miracle this was found before my sister drove 70mph on the highway she was about to. This would've certainly caused a blowout and potentially a fire, and at those speeds could've certainly been deadly.
I purchased the car 11/17/2018 from earls credit auto sales in portsmouth on airline blvd ; it rode well until 11/30/2018 when I drove to the barbershop in the greenbrier area of chesapeake va. I went to pull out the parking lot and my car started to shake real heavy and sloppy so I parked it and turnt it off , when I tried to start it up it would not start it kept stalling I called the dealerships auto shop they took the car and held it and claim they were working on it , I picked the car up when it was ready 12/04/2018. It rode fine until 12/14/2018 I went to the barbershop again and as I was leaving backing out my car started to shake heavily again than before I could put the car in drive to pull back in to the parking spot the car just cut off in the middle of the parking lot while a car was to the left of me trying to pull out . I had to get out and push the car in the spot and hurry and rush to push on the break and put the car in park. when I got a tow to the dealerships auto shop I explained this IS my second time here under the same circumstances , I also called the dealership pleading to give the car back and to be refunded I barley got to enjoy or use the beguile without it being a problem . I was told they don't allow refunds and there auto shop will fix the car , so when they said the car was ready on 12/15/2018 it drove well but it the check engine light came on I went to auto zone for a free test and I got a po430 code , I called the auto shop before they closed because they told me on the 14TH all what was wrong was a fuel pump and they replaced it but it has something to do with the catalyst system I been smelling a buring smell coming through my vents for a while but never really knew what it was . The rep on the phone told me it was fine for me to still drive the car and I also I won't be able to get my car worked on till 12/26/2018 . I need help!
Had to replace my torque converter for $1,300 which IS ridiculous considering there IS only 87,000 miles. There has been thousands of complaints. Ford needs to fix this! Wouldn't leave park, had it towed out of my driveway.
Brake lights failed, has adjustable pedals, and when I bought a switch from ford, the insert mentioned a recall 04s12, local ford dealer denied the recall.
Brake light came on after car was sitting for a month while I was ill. car shakes very badly when I put on the brakes. brake fluid IS not low. Car was parked in my driveway.
Keep shutting off randomly while during in the city sitting at a traffic stop. Doesn't start all the time. there's rattling and clunking noise under the front of the vehicle
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
On June 21, 2013, Ford initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 13B04 to address a concern with Speed Control Cable damage in certain model year (MY) 2000 through 2003 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with 3.0L 4V Duratec engines and built at the Chicago assembly plant.In the dealer letter for the program, Ford indicates that the Speed Control Cables on affected vehicles may be susceptible to damage or becoming partially disconnected during under hood vehicle maintenance (e.g., replacing a battery or changing the air filter) and that a damaged Speed Control Cable could interfere with the throttle's full return to idle when the accelerator pedal is released.Ford's program instructs dealers to inspect the Speed Control Cables and replace any with any portion of either collar retention tab missing.Dealers will install a Collar Reinforcement Clip at the Speed Control Cable collar in all vehicles. Figure 1 shows the location of the Speed Control Cable in the engine compartment and the proximity of the battery and air filter.The failure mode of the cable assembly is associated with the plastic collar used to secure the cable to a bracket near the throttle body (Figure 2).Damage to one or both retention tabs used to secure the cable ferrule within the collar may allow the ferrule to become disconnected from the collar when the throttle is opened during accelerator pedal application.Additional examples of Speed Control Cables with damaged collar retention tabs and partial ferrule displacement are shown in Figures 3 through 5.If the displacement pulls the ferrule completely out of the collar, the ferrule end may contact the face of the collar when the accelerator pedal is released and the throttle is returning to idle (Figure 6).This results in a throttle stuck at approximately 26-29% open.Testing conducted at NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center found that brake booster vacuum may become depleted, resulting in reduced brake effectiveness, if the brake is applied repeatedly when the throttle is stuck at this position.Drivers who experienced this condition have reported being surprised that the engine speed did not drop as expected and in some cases misjudged the degree of braking required to slow the vehicle.Some drivers reported difficulty in braking the vehicle and responded by shifting to neutral or turning the engine off.One minor crash occurred when the vehicle contacted a roadside fence post after the driver responded to the stuck throttle by shifting the car to neutral, turning the engine off and coasting to the side of a roadway with no shoulder, resulting in approximately $400 damage to the vehicle.There were four crashes reported which were attributed to increased stopping distance caused by the increased engine power and/or reduced brake effectiveness, including two of the complaints to ODI.In one crash reported to ODI (VOQ 10516101), the subject vehicle allegedly hit the back end of a truck at approximately 40 mph causing about $2000 damage.In the other crash complaint to ODI (VOQ 10501834), the subject vehicle side-swiped a vehicle as the driver was unable to stop in time and attempted to maneuver around a line of vehicles stopped at a traffic light.When the tow truck driver subsequently started the incident vehicle, the engine was still racing and it was verified that the Speed Control Cable ferrule was stuck on the collar.After further investigation, ODI does not consider the crashes reported in VOQs 10456249 and 10159399 to be related to the Speed Control Cable problem.
To date, ODI is aware of 2,401 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect. In addition, ODI is aware of 1,411 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect. In total, ODI is aware of 3,645 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures. ODI is also aware of four minor crashes related to the alleged defect resulting in one minor injury.With greater than eight years of exposure, a large subject vehicle population and approximately 2,052 reported front tire punctures caused by fractured coil springs (at all speeds), there have been no reported severe crashes, deaths or injuries related to the alleged defect. The real world consequences of these defective coil springs have been a small number of minor control problems that resulted in minor damage; suggesting that the effect of the defect on vehicle control is minor.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See the EA08-018 Engineering Analysis Closing Report for more details.
On october 11, 2006, public citizen petitioned odi to investigate reports of engine stalls caused by E85 fuel in certain model year (my) 2003 - 2005 ford taurus flex-fuel vehicles (ffv). Odi's review of the petition and other available data found a low stall rate attributable to E-85 fueling and that the main concerns,prolonged engine start and rough idle during cold engine startup at winter temperatures, were resolved by an engine software update.to ensure that all subject vehicles receive this update, ford initiated a notification campaign to offer free engine computer recalibration.based on this information, this defect petition IS denied. This denial should not be construed as a finding that no safety defect exists.odi reserves the right to reconsider this issue if future data warrant.additional details can be found in the federal register notice posted in the dp06-005 public file.
Ford conducted a recall in march, 2001 to correct a defect affecting the brake light switch in my 2000 through early-2001 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with power adjustable pedals (recall 01v-078).rq03-008 was opened to investigate complaints concerning the remedy and scope of 01v-078.odi's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in recalled vehicles,failures in my 2001-02 vehicles with adjustable pedals that were not included in recall 01v-078, and failures in my 2000 vehicles with fixed pedals.(note: the manufacturer failure data in this resume includes all crashes and injuries, but the complaint information IS limited to my 2001-02 vehicles that were not included in the scope of recall 01v-078.)on march 1, 2004, ford notified nhtsa of a safety defect in my 2000 through early-2003 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals and my 2000 subject vehicles equipped with fixed pedals (recall 04v-106).the notification identified three factors contributing to brake light circuit failures:(1) continuing grease contamination issues that prompted 01v-078; (2) misalignment of the booster rod pin and the brake light switch; and (3) wire assembly fatigue.the first two conditions were limited to vehicles with adjustable pedals and the latter condition affected vehicles with fixed pedals.ford will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the brake light switch and associated wiring replaced with a re-designed brake light switch and wiring assembly.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.