2012 Ford Taurus: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2012 Ford Taurus
On the 2012 Ford Taurus, the failure owners report most often is other body or interior problem, with 17 reports on file. The earliest to appear is other steering problem, reported by a median of 105,000 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2012.
High risk for a 2012 — 213th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. 100 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 25 named failure modes on the 2012 Ford Taurus, and the three most-reported carry 39% of everything filed.
Other body or interior problem leads with 17 reports and about 0.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other steering problem follows with 14 reports, usually reported between 77k to 120,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 8 reports, median 40,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (18), steering (16) and electrical (11).
At what mileage it happens
69 of the reports on the 2012 Ford Taurus came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 42,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 51% by 50,000 miles, 80% by 100,000 miles and 93% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 1 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 23% of the dated reports.
46% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
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 25. 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 1 report 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
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 1 mentions a crash and 3 a fire. 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 3.47, 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: other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, other steering problem at $350–$2,400, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other lighting problem at $120–$1,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
14% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other body or interior problem | body | 17 | 4 | — | 50k | — | 0.5 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 14 | 8 | 77k | 105k | 120k | 0.4 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 8 | 7 | — | 38k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 8 | 7 | — | 8k | — | 0.2 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 7 | 7 | — | 50k | — | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 86k | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 24 | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 35k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 3 | 2 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 88k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 78k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 21k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 2 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 51k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 90k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 1 | 1 | — | 106k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 7 | 5 | — | 30k | — | 0.2 | — | 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 2012 Ford Taurus draws about 2.7 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 82nd percentile of complaint rates among 2012 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 36,685 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2012 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.
Other body or interior problem
After about 6,000 miles we began to notice that the right hand side blis sensor and signal light indicating a vehicle is in the blind spot when no vehicle or other object are within the area. Often the light will remain on for several minutes. Additionally, occasionally started to give false warnings when no cross traffic was in the area. Now vehicles can be as close as five feet before the cross traffic alert will signal traffic. Upon original purchase the cta worked as described. Online official ford documentation cites the blis will work only for vehicles and not people, infrastructure, bicycles, etc. Cross traffic alert will pick up vehicles approaching from 65 feet away but not when approaching vehicles are moving faster than 15 MPH. Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiwhcl1vs4s and http://media.ford.com/images/10031/blis.pdf we've take the taurus to the purchase dealer who keeps saying the system is working as seen by a tech walking behind the car effectively only testing the reverse sensor system but they will not test for cross traffic or blind spot situations and they keep saying that cannot fix something they cannot see as…
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford taurus. The contact stated that the hydraulics failed on the hood and the trunk of the vehicle. The rear trunk almost fell down on the contact while retrieving items from the trunk. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 16,500. *tr
Other steering problem
I was driving on i279 around 6:15am on july1, 2014. My speed was approximately 60mph. All of a sudden a message appeared on the screen saying there was a power steering system failure. At that point I immediately lost all power to the steering wheel. It was very difficult to maintain a straight course and fortunately I didn't have very far to go until I could pull over and stop. This is very dangerous. Shortly thereafter the advance traction control symbol appeared on the screen also. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford taurus. While driving at various speeds, the traction assist warning indicator illuminated continuously. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it diagnosed that the steering wheel rotation sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The brake pedal was depressed in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Other electrical problem
The keyless start/stop button is obscured by the steering wheel and can be inadvertently touched while keeping attention to road and traffic.the button in our car is extremely sensitive and does not require a deliberate push to turn the engine off. While driving I was trying to adjust the air discharge vent control, that is located directly above the start/stop button.when I pressed down on the vent control my hand slipped and the heel of my hand must have contacted the start/stop button. I was unaware the engine was off until I realized the car was slowing and I had no power. No power steering and no turn signals to let traffic know I needed to move over.fortunately, I was able to coast to the shoulder of the road. Had I have been 50 ft. Further, there would have been no shoulder to move onto. I had no idea what had caused this event until a few days later.while traveling on I-90 in a 3 lane area at 65 MPH, in the center lane, my husband inadvertently hit the start/stop button while trying to turn on the radio.there is only a 3 1/2 inch gap, center to center of these two buttons.he was not aware he had turned off the engine until…
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford taurus sel. The contact stated that the radio became inoperable. Additionally, the heater setting could not be adjusted on the driver' side and there was no air blowing through the passenger's side vents. The air conditioner and window defrosters had also failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the circuit board and an unknown sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
Recalls on the 2012 model year
NHTSA has issued 5 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Ford Taurus, affecting an estimated 88,745 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 air bags:frontal, steering:electric power assist system, structure:body:door and exterior lighting. 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
695 vehicles 2016-04-26- 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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- 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.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
393,623 vehicles 2015-06-02- 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 engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
- 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 are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
194,889 vehicles 2015-01-28- 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 after actuation.
- 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 for this recall is 15S02.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
183,425 vehicles 2014-05-29- 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 areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result…
- 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 program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
3,037 vehicles 2013-03-27- 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 impact. The tanks may also leak.
- 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 Center 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 2012 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 2012 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2012 — 213th riskiest of the 271 2012 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 2012 itself at 68.
If the model year is negotiable, 2019, 2002 and 2003 score lower than 2012 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 2008–2012 generation specifically, 2012 is the strongest year at 68 and 2010 the weakest at 76.
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 2008-2012 generation, 2012 Ford Taurus scores best at 68 and 2010 Ford Taurus worst at 76.
What the numbers say to check
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 steering problem from about 77k.
On a 2012 Ford Taurus with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other steering 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.
What this page cannot tell you
100 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 100 reports, 69 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 69% 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 2012 Ford Taurus?
The most-reported failures are other body or interior problem (17 reports, median 50,000 miles), other steering problem (14 reports, median 105,000 miles) and other electrical problem (8 reports, median 40,000 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 2012 Ford Taurus problems start?
Other steering problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 105,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 75,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 42,500 miles.
Is the 2012 Ford Taurus reliable?
It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 213th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2012 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 2008–2012 generation, 2012 scores best at 68 out of 100 and 2010 worst at 76. 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