IllustrationI WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND I WAS TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND I COULD NOT DO SO. FINALLY IT DID TURN. WHILE DRIVING I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY STEERING. I WAS COMING OFF AN EXIT WHICH WAS VERY CURVY AND I ALMOST COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING OF THE CAR. *TR
2008 Ford Taurus
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Ford Taurus do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 318.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Taurus years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
210–25K
4325–50K
2150–75K
3475–100K
32100–150K
11150K+
162 reports with mileage · 13 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports7 fire reports9 injury reports
Steering complaints
35 reportsTRAVELLING HOME FROM MISSOURI TO OKLAHOMA WITH MY SON IN RAINY CONDITIONS I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY TAURUS WAS TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO STEER TO THE RIGHT. THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND IT FELT LIKE THE POWER STEERING HAD BEEN LOST. WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND BECAME UNSAFE. I SLOWED TO ABOUT…
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TRAVELLING HOME FROM MISSOURI TO OKLAHOMA WITH MY SON IN RAINY CONDITIONS I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY TAURUS WAS TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO STEER TO THE RIGHT. THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND IT FELT LIKE THE POWER STEERING HAD BEEN LOST. WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND BECAME UNSAFE. I SLOWED TO ABOUT 45 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD. FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THIS STEERING PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE COMMON TO THIS YEAR TAURUS. THE COST OF REPAIRS, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, AVERAGES ABOVE $1,000. WHAT, IF ANYTHING, IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I DID READ OF ONE REPORT THAT OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM BECAUSE IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE! *JS
WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT AT CITY AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. ONCE THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO NEGOTIATE AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WANTS TO TURN INDEPENDENTLY FARTHER TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING IS UNSTABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *JS
I WAS STARTING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY AND MY STEERING STARTED TO TIGHTEN UP. BY THE TIME I GOT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I COULDN'T TURN LEFT AT ALL. LUCKILY, I COULD STILL TURN RIGHT. BY THE TIME I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY, I COULDN'T STEER AT ALL. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TAURUS. I WAS …
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I WAS STARTING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY AND MY STEERING STARTED TO TIGHTEN UP. BY THE TIME I GOT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I COULDN'T TURN LEFT AT ALL. LUCKILY, I COULD STILL TURN RIGHT. BY THE TIME I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY, I COULDN'T STEER AT ALL. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TAURUS. I WAS QUOTED $1200 FOR REPAIRS. I AM A RETIRED WIDOW LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME, SO I AM UNSURE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. I WILL FILE A COMPLAINT WITH FORD NEXT. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 2012. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING FAILED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING FAILED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND HE HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE TO COMPLETE THE TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ISSUE CONTINUED AFTER HE COMPLETED THE TURN HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND HE HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE TO COMPLETE THE TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ISSUE CONTINUED AFTER HE COMPLETED THE TURN HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE WORM GEAR AND THE POWER ASSIST NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 05/12/14 MA UPDATED 8/8/17*CN
I PURCHASED MY 2008 TAURUS WITH 27,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAD A CLEAN CARFAX REPORT WITH NO ACCIDENTS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I NOTICED A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AT 48,000 MILES, AS I WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT A RESTAURANT, THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $480.00.…
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I PURCHASED MY 2008 TAURUS WITH 27,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAD A CLEAN CARFAX REPORT WITH NO ACCIDENTS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I NOTICED A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AT 48,000 MILES, AS I WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT A RESTAURANT, THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $480.00. I CURRENTLY HAVE 60,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND AM GETTING THE SAME NOISE WITH THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE? *TR
MY STEERING TIGHTENED UP TO THE POINT OF ALMOST BEING LOCKED. I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP SO I WOULD NOT HIT THE CAR IN THE INTERSECTION WHICH I WAS TURNING IN TO. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES SIMILAR TO THIS BUT IT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AND SERIOUS. *TR
STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT TO USE. WHILE DRIVING , STEERING WILL GO FROM NORMAL ABILITY TO TURN STEERING WHEEL TO VERY HARD. NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT! TOOK CAR TO PRIVATE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD STEERING RACK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS COST OVER $1100 TO REPLACE! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN COMPLETING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME SEIZE AND EXHIBIT AND ABNORMAL POP SOUND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN COMPLETING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME SEIZE AND EXHIBIT AND ABNORMAL POP SOUND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. *TR
Official recalls
116V247000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 26, 2016
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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking
Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.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