2002 Ford Taurus: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2002 Ford Taurus
On the 2002 Ford Taurus, the failure owners report most often is strut, shock or spring failure, and the reports cluster around 85,000 miles. The earliest to appear is seat belt or retractor failure, reported by a median of 20,000 miles. Overall it scores 62 out of 100, high risk for a 2002.
High risk for a 2002 — 274th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. 1,759 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2002 Ford Taurus
Owners have reported 61 named failure modes on the 2002 Ford Taurus, and the three most-reported carry 65% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Strut, shock or spring failure leads with 761 reports, about 6.5 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 63k to 108,000 miles.
Other suspension problem follows with 313 reports, usually reported between 63k to 105,000 miles.
Blower motor or climate control failure follows with 74 reports, usually reported between 46k to 80,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into suspension (1,087), adas (84) and hvac (78).
At what mileage it happens
1,518 of the reports on the 2002 Ford Taurus came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 80,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 19% by 50,000 miles, 68% by 100,000 miles and 94% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 7 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 70,000 and 80,000 miles, which alone holds 11% of the dated reports.
9% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
In the order they tend to show up: seat belt or retractor failure around 20k, radiator or coolant leak around 30k, airbag failed to deploy in a crash around 32k and other electrical problem around 45k.
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 61. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 7 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, 87 mention a crash, 11 a fire and 52 an injury. 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 3.20, 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, blower motor or climate control failure at $250–$1,200 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.
7% 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
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strut, shock or spring failure | suspension | 761 | 705 | 63k | 85k | 108k | 6.5 | $500–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 313 | 287 | 63k | 82k | 105k | 2.7 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Blower motor or climate control failure | hvac | 74 | 65 | 46k | 60k | 79k | 0.6 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 49 | 35 | 48k | 98k | 117k | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 49 | 36 | 43k | 65k | 90k | 0.4 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 39 | 30 | 47k | 63k | 107k | 0.3 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 32 | 31 | 100k | 130k | 157k | 0.3 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 32 | 24 | 40k | 69k | 84k | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 25 | 19 | 43k | 86k | 108k | 0.2 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 23 | 11 | 25k | 32k | 105k | 0.2 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 21 | 14 | 102k | 109k | 119k | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 20 | 19 | 34k | 74k | 103k | 0.2 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 20 | 15 | 32k | 45k | 106k | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 19 | 11 | 19k | 20k | 69k | 0.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 19 | 14 | 24k | 57k | 115k | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 16 | 10 | 106k | 146k | 191k | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Heater core failure | cooling | 14 | 14 | 43k | 74k | 88k | 0.1 | $700–$2,400 | Moderate |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 14 | 14 | 79k | 102k | 116k | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 14 | 13 | 99k | 108k | 143k | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 13 | 11 | 90k | 103k | 106k | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 11 | 11 | 5k | 30k | 30k | 0.1 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 11 | 9 | 87k | 107k | 141k | 0.1 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 9 | 7 | — | 71k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 8 | 6 | — | 75k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 8 | 5 | — | 57k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 7 | 6 | — | 64k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 7 | 4 | — | 44k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other steering problem | steering | 7 | 4 | — | 133k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 6 | 2 | — | 62k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 6 | 4 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 6 | 5 | — | 33k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 6 | 4 | — | 3k | — | 0.1 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 5 | 4 | — | 72k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 5 | 3 | — | 118k | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 5 | 5 | — | 78k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 4 | 4 | — | 90 | — | 0.0 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 4 | 4 | — | 56k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 4 | 3 | — | 22k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 4 | 2 | — | 83k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other seat belt problem | airbag | 4 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 98k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 43k | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 3 | — | 35k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 2 | 2 | — | 166k | — | 0.0 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 2 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 144k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 61k | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 2 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Interior water leak | body | 2 | 2 | — | 47k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Moderate |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 57k | — | 0.0 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,800–$7,000 | High |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 150k | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 93k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cooling fan failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 115k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| DPF, EGR or DEF system failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 49k | — | 0.0 | $800–$5,000 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 30 | 19 | 60k | 71k | 98k | 0.3 | — | 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 2002 Ford Taurus draws about 15 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2002 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 117,348 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2002 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
My 2002 ford taurus front driver side coil spring broke and punctured my front driver side tire. I just returned from a short trip and heard a loud "bang" after the car had been sitting for 10-15 minutes. The result was a deflated front tire and I could see the sharp point of the spring had punctured the tire. I contacted ford customer service who advised they would not cover the repair because the vehicle was outside of warranty. Had to replace both coil springs (they only come in sets of two), struts, and sway bar links, and one tire at cost of $631.80. Old parts are available and in my possession. I heard there was a recall on '99-2001 models but feel my 2002 model matches the exact description of the recall just announced for this problem.*ak
I have 2002 ford taurus, the driver side front spring on the strut broke and went through the inner side of the tire. I just pulled into a parking lot after getting off the expressway, when the front spring broke in half and went through the driverside tire. The parts that had to be replaced were both springs and driver side tire. 1999 through 2001 ford taurus have a recall for this same problem. I was told by the dealer that the parts are indenical to the parts on the 2002 taurus, but the 2002 are not on the recall. I told the dealer to make sure to save me the parts. I believe that if ford's doesn't recall these cars, that many people will die because of it. I was lucky I was stopped when it broke. Thank you, gary. *ak
Other suspension problem
Sagging of rear suspension. The first time I noticed this problem was when I took the family on a ski trip 2 months after purchase. Anytime after that I go on a trip, with 200 lbs worth of weight for the three rear passengers and three suitcases that barely weight another 200 lbs. This so called family car which I purchased for safe traveling with my family and which is advertised as a safe family car is a misnomer. Reason: the rear suspension immediately sags low with the weight I mentioned. I've taken it to two dealers three times and the service advisors states the rear suspension is normal. I've driven and owned many cars before and I never had such a problem (although I had seen that problem in the old k cars with chrysler.) point: in an emergency maneuver I believe it would become a dangerous situation with this condition . The car drives unstable, takes bumps really bad, and in slight highway turns over 45 MPH, the car is hard to control; all due to this extra weight. Please advise me. *tt
I had a flat tire 6/12/2005. Here the perimeter of the tire was ?sliced due to bad drivers side spring. My car is a 2002ford taurus veh id#[xxx]. My brother in law had the same problem w his ?2000 taurus but the front spring. The dealer said his was covered under a gov warranty but mine was not covered. The car was towed to the dealership and we had a$233 bill to repair something that could have been fatal. Immediately after the repair the car started making a loud knocking noise and car was back in dealership 6/21 fro $400. Repairs to replace both rear struts. This car only has 42,000 miles on itl. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Blower motor or climate control failure
The blower motor on my 2002 ford taurus works intermittently. The ford dealer claims there is nothing wrong since the blower worked when the car was in the shop. When it happend again the dealer told me that there was a bad "motor. *ak resistor" and replaced it. Now after the car was sitting for 3 days in the drive way the blower motor quit again. The dealer tells me there is nothing they can do unless it happens when the car is in the shop and they can duplicate the problem. Without the blower neither the A/C nor the heater will work and depending on the weather the windows will fog up creating and unsafe driving condition.
Just purchased the car and have(water in the blower case or on the passenger side floor, an inoperative climate control blower motor, a motor that operates on high speed only), have not had car repaired yet but did call ford for complaint.*ak
Recalls on the 2002 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Ford Taurus, affecting an estimated 197,832 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 service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads, exterior lighting:brake lights:switch, visibility:windshield and service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages. 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.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
49,635 vehicles 2016-04-01- Defect
- 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, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII…
- Consequence
- A damaged or broken brake disc may reduce a vehicle's braking power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
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.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
67,894 vehicles 2003-03-10- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Potential loss of windshield retention may also reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
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.
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 2002 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.
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
How 2002 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2002 — 274th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
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 2002 itself at 62.
If the model year is negotiable, 2019 scores lower than 2002 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.
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.
Where to spend the inspection money
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: radiator or coolant leak from about 5k, seat belt or retractor failure from about 19k, other powertrain problem from about 24k and airbag failed to deploy in a crash from about 25k.
On a 2002 Ford Taurus with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether radiator or coolant leak 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.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
Where these figures stop being useful
1,759 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 1,759 reports, 1,518 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 86% 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".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
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 2002 Ford Taurus?
The most-reported failures are strut, shock or spring failure (761 reports, median 85,000 miles), other suspension problem (313 reports, median 82,000 miles) and blower motor or climate control failure (74 reports, median 60,000 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 2002 Ford Taurus problems start?
Seat belt or retractor failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 20,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 20,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 80,000 miles.
Is the 2002 Ford Taurus reliable?
It scores 62 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 274th riskiest of the 329 2002 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2002 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