AtWhatMileage
Model year report

2000 Ford Taurus: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2000 Ford Taurus

On the 2000 Ford Taurus, the failure owners report most often is strut, shock or spring failure, and the reports cluster around 72,000 miles. The earliest to appear is parking brake failure, reported by a median of 30,000 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2000.

High risk for a 2000 — 135th riskiest of the 327 2000 vehicles we can rate. 1,497 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

The failures owners actually file about

Owners have reported 71 named failure modes on the 2000 Ford Taurus, and the three most-reported carry 35% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Strut, shock or spring failure leads with 258 reports, about 1.7 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 55k to 98,000 miles.

Other suspension problem follows with 193 reports, usually reported between 53k to 101,000 miles.

Other engine problem follows with 72 reports, usually reported between 56k to 90,000 miles. 7 of those reports mention a fire.

By system, the reports fall mostly into suspension (464), brakes (129) and engine (111).

When these failures get reported

735 of the reports on the 2000 Ford Taurus came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 70,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 27% by 50,000 miles, 74% by 100,000 miles and 95% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 10 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 60,000 and 70,000 miles, which alone holds 12% of the dated reports.

13% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

In the order they tend to show up: parking brake failure around 32k, other brake problem around 48k, tail light, brake light or signal failure around 51k and complete transmission failure around 58k.

Median
  1. Strut, shock or spring failure 72k
  2. Other suspension problem 76k
  3. Other engine problem 68k
  4. Other speed control problem 100k
  5. Other powertrain problem 64k
  6. Other brake problem 48k
  7. Other lighting problem 60k
  8. Other electrical problem 100k
  9. Fuel pump failure 67k
  10. Other wheel or tire problem 72k
  11. Seat belt or retractor failure 63k
  12. Other body or interior problem 72k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 71. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage
half by 70k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 10 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

  • Line share of reports filed by that mileage
  • Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 98 mention a crash, 39 a fire, 50 an injury and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.26, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: strut, shock or spring failure at $500–$2,000, other suspension problem at $350–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and other speed control problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

16% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode System Reports With reading 25th Median 75th Per 1,000 Typical repair Severity
Strut, shock or spring failure suspension 258 210 55k 72k 98k 1.7 $500–$2,000 Moderate
Other suspension problem suspension 193 139 53k 76k 101k 1.3 $350–$2,000 Moderate
Other engine problem engine 72 19 56k 68k 90k 0.5 $300–$4,000 High
Other speed control problem adas 62 20 81k 100k 141k 0.4 $250–$2,000 Critical
Other powertrain problem transmission 60 24 48k 64k 102k 0.4 $400–$4,500 High
Other brake problem brakes 46 16 23k 48k 72k 0.3 $300–$1,800 High
Other lighting problem lighting 42 13 20k 60k 100k 0.3 $120–$1,200 Moderate
Other electrical problem electrical 41 15 44k 100k 130k 0.3 $250–$2,000 Moderate
Fuel pump failure fuel 37 9 61k 67k 67k 0.2 $600–$2,600 High
Other wheel or tire problem wheels 36 12 26k 72k 86k 0.2 $200–$1,500 High
Seat belt or retractor failure airbag 33 15 58k 63k 99k 0.2 $200–$900 High
Other body or interior problem body 33 18 47k 72k 97k 0.2 $200–$2,000 Moderate
Tail light, brake light or signal failure lighting 32 12 45k 51k 71k 0.2 $100–$900 Moderate
ABS module or sensor failure brakes 30 7 — 60k — 0.2 $500–$2,400 High
Cruise control failure adas 26 15 34k 74k 91k 0.2 $200–$1,400 High
Tire blowout or tread separation wheels 23 7 — 77k — 0.2 $200–$1,500 Critical
Other fuel system problem fuel 23 7 — 160k — 0.2 $300–$2,200 High
Other visibility problem glass 22 6 — 98k — 0.1 $150–$1,400 Moderate
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash airbag 21 7 — 51k — 0.1 $1,000–$5,000 Critical
Premature brake pad or rotor wear brakes 20 7 — 25k — 0.1 $300–$1,400 Moderate
No-start or intermittent start failure engine 17 4 — 80k — 0.1 $200–$1,800 Moderate
Complete transmission failure transmission 17 10 45k 58k 118k 0.1 $2,800–$8,000 Critical
Loss of braking brakes 16 6 — 121k — 0.1 $400–$3,000 Critical
Headlight failure or clouding lighting 15 10 67k 80k 90k 0.1 $150–$1,800 Moderate
Wiper or washer failure glass 13 5 — 66k — 0.1 $120–$800 Moderate
CV axle or driveshaft failure drivetrain 12 9 56k 75k 75k 0.1 $450–$2,200 High
Fuel leak or fuel odor fuel 12 3 — 40k — 0.1 $300–$2,500 Critical
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault airbag 12 2 — 39k — 0.1 $300–$1,600 High
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure steering 12 4 — 96k — 0.1 $700–$2,600 High
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure suspension 12 7 — 76k — 0.1 $400–$2,200 High
Other steering problem steering 12 4 — 54k — 0.1 $350–$2,400 High
Wiring harness or short circuit electrical 11 1 — 68k — 0.1 $400–$3,500 High
Overheating cooling 10 5 — 74k — 0.1 $400–$3,500 High
Parking brake failure brakes 9 8 32k 32k 35k 0.1 $250–$1,300 Moderate
Rust or structural corrosion body 9 4 — 104k — 0.1 $500–$6,000 High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure electrical 8 6 — 50k — 0.1 $700–$3,000 High
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure electrical 8 4 — 70k — 0.1 $250–$1,500 High
Other seat belt problem airbag 8 0 — — — 0.1 $200–$900 High
Stalling while driving engine 7 3 — 44k — 0.0 $300–$2,500 Critical
Torque converter failure transmission 7 6 — 55k — 0.0 $1,100–$3,200 High
Brake line, hose or caliper failure brakes 7 3 — 42k — 0.0 $250–$1,600 Critical
Oil leak engine 6 4 — 120k — 0.0 $250–$2,200 Moderate
Radiator or coolant leak cooling 6 0 — — — 0.0 $350–$1,900 High
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure transmission 6 2 — 67k — 0.0 $250–$1,400 High
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure fuel 6 5 — 40k — 0.0 $300–$1,200 Moderate
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure fuel 6 1 — 90k — 0.0 $250–$1,800 Moderate
Heater core failure cooling 5 3 — 95k — 0.0 $700–$2,400 Moderate
Engine sensor failure electrical 4 0 — — — 0.0 $180–$900 Moderate
Airbag inflator rupture airbag 4 0 — — — 0.0 $0–$0 Critical
Door latch or handle failure body 4 2 — 120k — 0.0 $250–$1,200 High
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin emissions 4 2 — 38k — 0.0 $250–$2,000 High
Misfire or rough idle engine 3 3 — 77k — 0.0 $250–$1,600 Moderate
Intake carbon buildup engine 3 0 — — — 0.0 $400–$1,200 Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure electrical 3 1 — 32k — 0.0 $450–$1,600 High
Steering column or shaft failure steering 3 1 — 127k — 0.0 $600–$2,500 Critical
Head gasket failure engine 2 1 — 80k — 0.0 $1,400–$4,000 Critical
Wheel, stud or lug nut failure wheels 2 1 — 47k — 0.0 $150–$1,500 Critical
Air conditioning failure hvac 2 1 — 133k — 0.0 $400–$2,800 Moderate
Blower motor or climate control failure hvac 2 2 — 64k — 0.0 $250–$1,200 Moderate
Complete engine failure or seizure engine 1 0 — — — 0.0 $4,500–$12,000 Critical
Cooling fan failure cooling 1 1 — 100k — 0.0 $350–$1,300 Moderate
Transmission will not engage a gear transmission 1 1 — 59k — 0.0 $1,500–$6,000 Critical
Wheel bearing or hub failure drivetrain 1 0 — — — 0.0 $350–$1,200 Moderate
Instrument cluster or gauge failure infotainment 1 0 — — — 0.0 $350–$1,400 Moderate
Master cylinder or brake booster failure brakes 1 0 — — — 0.0 $450–$2,200 Critical
Power steering pump or fluid leak steering 1 0 — — — 0.0 $350–$1,600 Moderate
Alignment fault and uneven tire wear suspension 1 0 — — — 0.0 $150–$1,200 Moderate
Sunroof failure or glass breakage body 1 0 — — — 0.0 $700–$4,500 High
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure body 1 1 — 40 — 0.0 $250–$1,500 Moderate
Catalytic converter failure emissions 1 0 — — — 0.0 $900–$3,500 Moderate
Other driver assistance problem adas 1 1 — 100k — 0.0 $250–$1,800 High
Unclassified problem other 70 20 47k 87k 103k 0.5 — Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2000 Ford Taurus draws about 10.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2000 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 149,843 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2000 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Strut, shock or spring failure

I have a ford tarus 2000, with 41,000 miles, my wife went to drive the car and before she started the car -the car was stationary- there was an explosive sound in the front due to the left front tire blowing out. I raised the car with a jack and found the coil spring had broken apart and was embedded in the tire. Had someone been driving the car at 70 MPH it is quite likely the car would have rolled over. If a spring failure does happen while the car is at driving velocity and causes the car to wreck in one way or another, the broken spring will be seen as a result of the crash and not as the cause of the crash. The ford people told me there is no recall and that they are allowed 1% failure rate before a recall is initiated. The spring is very critical to steering and to allow 10,000 failures, a possible 10,000 fatalities per million is unacceptable. *jb

41,000 miles NHTSA complaint 404054 filed 2003-04-23

My wife was leaving work and upon setting in the car hear a load noise, on investigation by a aaa mechanic the front coil spring on the driver's side had broken and punctured the tire. The plastic linkage connecting the anti-sway bar was also broken. If the car had been moving it would have wrecked and possibly rolled. I thought this had been fixed on earlier models of the taurus, I know there was a recall to put anti-puncture protection from broken springs. *nlm

66,250 miles NHTSA complaint 406240 filed 2003-05-06

Other suspension problem

I have owned my 2002 ford taurus for 32 months. During this time, I have hade the the brake pedal switch replaced twice, new rear struts, replaced airbag system. The car is now back at ford to have a new transaxel installed. There have been more than $5,000 in repairs to this car which has just over 60,000 miles.

60,000 miles NHTSA complaint 387669 filed 2003-01-03

Tires: reported vibration , shimmy and pulling to the left. Took to dealer 6/24/2000 (1829) miles, balanced tires. On 11/14/2000 (9061)miles, 04/23/2001 (12871) balanced tires. Finally, 5/25/2001 (14518) replaced two front tires. Vibration and shimmy stopped but kept pulling to the left. On 10/10/2001 (23876) miles, charged me for alignment, car stopped pulling. Transmission: at approximately 40800 miles car had a noticeable shudder while going in reverse. Took to the dealer and was told it was a cracked casing as noted in tsb 15559 NHTSA number (630095) caused by miss manufacture of a part. Was informed dealer or ford motor co. Would not assist with repair cost to exceed $1495. Brakes: reported brake problem on 5/25/2001 and 10/10/2001 when it was server, shaking and control problems when stopping. Dealer cut front rotors which was out of spec.- problem is back. Fuel: have smelled gas in my car many times. Bought to dealers attention and of course could not find anything. Car is to have 18 gal. Tank but runs out of gas before that. Gas gauge reads empty at 12 gal. And was told it was built to be that way. Several complaints filed…

23,876 miles NHTSA complaint 404635 filed 2003-04-28

Other engine problem

While driving, the engine shut off, and the power steering failed. Dealer notified. *ak the vehicle stalled on declaration and stalled when slowing down to turn into the driveway. The had to put the gear shift back into idle and turn the key to start. *scc *jb

9,165 miles NHTSA complaint 421342 filed 2003-07-29

One morning car was started and an explosion came from engine compartment. The explosion resulted in destruction of the upper intake manifold and EGR regulator. Cause of explosion is unknown. *jb

100,000 miles NHTSA complaint 485494 filed 2004-07-19

Recalls on the 2000 model year

NHTSA has issued 8 recall campaigns covering the 2000 Ford Taurus, affecting an estimated 526,309 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover suspension:front:springs:coil springs, exterior lighting:brake lights:switch, service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages and visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

04V332000

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

899,060 vehicles 2004-07-15
Defect
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, 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, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.
Consequence
If this occurs, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2005. If either front coil spring fractures, dealers will replace both front springs at no charge to the owner. An interim notice was sent to owners on august 2, 2004. Parts are now available for the 2000-2001 my vehicles and owners were…
04V106000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

938,789 vehicles 2004-03-02
Defect
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.
Consequence
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.
Remedy
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.
02V266000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

369,614 vehicles 2002-10-02
Defect
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine RPM.
Consequence
This could result in a customer experiencing an "unintended vehicle speed increase" or a perceived "unable to stop" condition.
Remedy
Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured. If the spacing is found to be less than 50 mm, the dealer will adjust the pedals to increase the distance between them to greater than 50 mm. Owner notification began october 28, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
01V258000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

1,083,000 vehicles 2001-08-08
Defect
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the…
Consequence
Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. 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 at 1-866-436-7332.
01V075000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH

74,000 vehicles 2001-03-12
Defect
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. Due to the use of incorrect material by a supplier, the headlamp switch knob can fracture and separate from the headlamp switch.
Consequence
This would cause difficulty for the driver to activate the headlamps, which could affect driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the headlamp switch knob. Owner notification began april 9, 2001. 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 at 1-800-392-3673.
01V078000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS:SWITCH

157,000 vehicles 2001-03-12
Defect
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. If the grease from the adjustable pedal assembly enters the stop lamp switch, it can contaminate the contacts leading to carbon build up, and potentially, a short circuit.
Consequence
A short circuit could lead to either the brake lamps staying on, or to a loss of brake lamp function, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch and wipe down the adjustable pedal assembly to remove excess grease. Owner notification began march 22, 2001. 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 at 1-800-392-3673.
01V048000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS

28,000 vehicles 2001-02-28
Defect
Vehicle description: passenger sedans with factory or dealer-installed deck lid spoilers with LED center high mounted stop lamps (chmsl). Vehicles produced with spoilers were manufactured from march 1 through october 31, 2000; and vehicles with spoilers installed by dealers were manufactured from january 1 thorough december 30, 2000. With the ignition switch in the start or run positions and the hazard warning lights operating, the chmsl can illuminate (at reduced intensity) even though the service brakes have not been applied. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss…
Consequence
Under the requirements of the standard, the chmsl shall be activated only upon appplication of the service brakes. Also, the vehicle could roll increasing the risk of a crash, if the shift lever can be shifted out of park without depressing the brake pedal.
Remedy
Dealers will install a jumper/resistor assembly at the spoiler that provides an electrical resistor to ground and corrects the chmsl and brake-shift interlock conditions. Owner notification began march 19, 2001. 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 at 1-800-392-3673.
00V242000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

167,000 vehicles 2000-08-24
Defect
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The "vehicle capacity weight" and "designated seating capacity" information was not printed on the safety certification labels affixed to these vehicles. On affected sable sedan vehicles, the "vehicles capacity weight" (and also the luggage load) information printed on this label is incorrect - sable wagon luggage load was incorrectly used for the sable sedan. These vehicles do not comply with the label requirements of fmvss no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Consequence
Excessive loading can cause tire and vehicle damage that could result in a crash.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a supplemental label with the correct information, along with instructions for affixing the label adjacent to the vehicle certification label. Owner notification began october 20, 2000. 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 at 1-800-392-3673.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2000 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2000 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

  • Left fewer and less serious reports
  • Right more, or worse
  • Marker this vehicle

Better and worse years of the same car

High risk for a 2000 — 135th riskiest of the 327 2000 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.

Across the 24 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2019 comes out best at 56 and 2010 worst at 76, with 2000 itself at 68.

If the model year is negotiable, 2019, 2002 and 2003 score lower than 2000 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 1996–2003 generation specifically, 2002 is the strongest year at 62 and 1997 the weakest at 71.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 1996-2003 generation, 2002 Ford Taurus scores best at 62 and 1997 Ford Taurus worst at 71.

What to look at before buying one

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other lighting problem from about 20k, other brake problem from about 23k, other wheel or tire problem from about 26k and parking brake failure from about 32k.

On a 2000 Ford Taurus with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other lighting problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

The limits of complaint data

1,497 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 1,497 reports, 735 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 49% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Ford Taurus?

The most-reported failures are strut, shock or spring failure (258 reports, median 72,000 miles), other suspension problem (193 reports, median 76,000 miles) and other engine problem (72 reports, median 70,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2000 Ford Taurus problems start?

Parking brake failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 30,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 30,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 70,000 miles.

Is the 2000 Ford Taurus reliable?

It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 135th riskiest of the 327 2000 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2000 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Ford Taurus is best?

Within the 1996–2003 generation, 2002 scores best at 62 out of 100 and 1997 worst at 71. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed