2012 FORD TAURUS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
100
Owner Complaints
5
Recalls
3
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 FORD TAURUS
The 2012 FORD TAURUS has received a total of 100 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Steering (16 complaints), Electrical System (15 complaints), and Structurebody (13 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 FORD TAURUS
NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2012 FORD TAURUS, potentially affecting up to 775,669 vehicles.
Recall 16V247000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
| 695 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 15V340000 — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
| 393,623 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available...
Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes...
View full details →Recall 15V040000 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
| 194,889 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position...
Consequence: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number...
View full details →Recall 14V285000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 183,425 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. When used in...
Consequence: This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under...
View full details →Recall 13V109000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
| 3,037 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength in the event of an...
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 FORD TAURUS
100 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 FORD TAURUS. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingheadlights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilityglass Siderear | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
My steering all of a sudden was stiff and I can barely turn at low speeds. Not safe due to uncontrolled steering. I replaced the pump thinking that would fix it, and it did not. I’m taking it to a dealer after the holiday weekend. No warnings at all.
UNKNOWN
The steering shut down and I could not steer the vehicle in a Holiday parking lot and I almost hit a pedestrian. My engine and oil light came on. I had to shut the car off and turn it back on and it worked again. This is the second time this has happened to me!
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who found that the power steering pressure was low. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several different warning lights were intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where she was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, and the contact was provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Safety Rating for the 2012 FORD TAURUS
The 2012 FORD TAURUS received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 FORD TAURUS
Ford Motor Company has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 FORD TAURUS. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
14R01 — EQUIPMENT
FORD: SOME 2010 TO 2014 FORD TAURUS AND 2013 TO 2014 POLICE INCEPTOR SEDAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM 2010 TO 2014 ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE 14S08 LICENSE PLATE LAMP ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT SAFETY RECALL. *TA
TSB-13-5-14 — WHEELS:HUB
FORD/LINCOLN: ON SOME VEHICLES, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP OR SHIFTING BETWEEN DRIVE/REVERSE AND/OR REVERSE/DRIVE, A NOISE IS HEARD LIKE POP, TING, CLICK, COMING FROM FRONT WHEEL AREA. MODELS 2011-2013 TAURUS, EXPLORER, FLEX, MKS, MKT. *PE
CSP-12B43 — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
FORD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED WITH INCORRECT BODY CONTROL MODULE (BSM) CALIBRATION RESULTING IN DEGRADED AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE WITH LACK OF COOLING AND SLOW TO COOL. MODEL 2013 TAURUS. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 FORD TAURUS
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD TAURUS
- 2007 FORD TAURUS — 196 complaints
- 2008 FORD TAURUS — 240 complaints
- 2009 FORD TAURUS — 77 complaints
- 2010 FORD TAURUS — 274 complaints
- 2011 FORD TAURUS — 251 complaints
- 2012 FORD TAURUS (current)
- 2013 FORD TAURUS — 746 complaints
- 2014 FORD TAURUS — 292 complaints
- 2015 FORD TAURUS — 306 complaints
- 2016 FORD TAURUS — 93 complaints
- 2017 FORD TAURUS — 49 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints
- FORD MUSTANG — 11,551 total complaints