2015 Ford Taurus: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2015 Ford Taurus
On the 2015 Ford Taurus, the failure owners report most often is fuel pump failure, and the reports cluster around 80,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other powertrain problem, reported by a median of 10,000 miles. Overall it scores 70 out of 100, high risk for a 2015.
High risk for a 2015 — 174th riskiest of the 273 2015 vehicles we can rate. 352 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 49 named failure modes on the 2015 Ford Taurus, and the three most-reported carry 28% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Fuel pump failure leads with 40 reports, about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 62k to 95,000 miles.
Other steering problem follows with 31 reports, usually reported between 40k to 85,000 miles.
No-start or intermittent start failure follows with 26 reports, usually reported between 52k to 85,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into fuel (68), engine (56) and steering (47).
At what mileage it happens
223 of the reports on the 2015 Ford Taurus came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 61,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 39% by 50,000 miles, 79% by 100,000 miles and 98% 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 13% of the dated reports.
29% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: other powertrain problem around 10k, other speed control problem around 19k, other engine problem around 37k and other driver assistance problem around 47k.
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 49. 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
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 17 mention a crash and 9 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 4.07, 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: fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600, other steering problem at $350–$2,400, no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
25% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 40 | 31 | 62k | 80k | 96k | 0.6 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 31 | 22 | 40k | 59k | 87k | 0.4 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 26 | 21 | 52k | 67k | 85k | 0.4 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 24 | 18 | 12k | 37k | 61k | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 24 | 17 | 38k | 70k | 89k | 0.3 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 18 | 9 | 70k | 111k | 133k | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 17 | 9 | 8k | 10k | 40k | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 11 | 9 | 55k | 62k | 81k | 0.2 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 11 | 8 | 20k | 47k | 72k | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 10 | 4 | — | 96k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 9 | 8 | 11k | 19k | 37k | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 7 | 4 | — | 34k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 7 | 6 | — | 28k | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 7 | 3 | — | 109k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 6 | 4 | — | 94k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 5 | 5 | — | 70k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 5 | 2 | — | 40k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 2 | — | 9k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 4 | 2 | — | 39k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 4 | 4 | — | 4k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 4 | 1 | — | 72k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 3 | 2 | — | 125k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 124k | — | 0.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 3 | 3 | — | 30k | — | 0.0 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 1 | — | 72k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 2 | 1 | — | 125k | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 13k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 178k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 76k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 48k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Automatic braking for no reason | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $0–$1,500 | Critical |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 140k | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 26 | 14 | 9k | 31k | 52k | 0.4 | — | 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 2015 Ford Taurus draws about 4.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 84th percentile of complaint rates among 2015 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 72,432 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2015 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.
Fuel pump failure
I purchased a 2015 ford taurus with 34,000 miles on it the beginning of october 2015. About a month ago I had a problem with the vehicle stalling out and then not starting. I spoke to someone at the local ford dealership and was told to reset the fuel pump relay. After doing that the car cranked fine. I did online research of the vehicle and discovered that the 2013 to 2015 fuel pump relay on many of the same vehicles have been recalled. I searched my VIN number and found that my particular vehicle was not a part of the recall. In my research I also found out that this particular part shuts off the fuel supply in the event of an accident to prevent fire or explosion. And also that usually this part lasts throughout the lifetime of a vehicle unless it is faulty. Two days ago the car stalled and again will not crank I tried to reset the fuel pump relay again but it will still not grea to prevent fire or explosion. And also that usually this part lasts throughout the lifetime of a vehicle unless it is faulty. Two days ago the car stalled and again will not crank I tried to reset the fuel pump relay again but it will still not crank…
Takata recall my 2015 ford taurus keep giving me the same problems after I went to a ford dealer and purchased the fuel pump module and replace it 3 weeks later the car stall with me while I was driving on the thruway. In this matter I truly think that its unsafe to drive a vehicle with that type of problem, and it happen not just once but three times the vehicle is only 2 years old
Other steering problem
I purchased a 2015 ford taurus in july of 2015 brand new only 3 mile on the vehicle. I notice that after the first oil change and tire rotation I noticed something different about the front passenger side wheel. On the second maintenance visit I advise the intake person that the front passenger wheel sound like something was loss. After the service I was given the paperwork that stated every thing was fine. Well on 3/14/2016 while driving down the smoothly paved busy street the steering wheel began to shake followed by a loud thump and next thing you know the car had flipped across three lanes and landed up side down. I called ford dealership I purchase the car from and was told by one of the salesmen after telling him what happen that, "that was a defect" and I need to get a lawyer. All I want is the someone from ford motor the inspect the car. The crazy part is the axle, bracket, and suspension are covered under my power train warranty but because my car flipped I was told I had to file a claim with my insurance even though the the front axle, bracket and wheel broke off the car causing it to flip. The metal frame even broke…
The car was at a stop light when the steering power assist completely failed. I was still able to steer the car with much greater effort. The dashboard indicated a "steering fault service soon", and "traction control fault service soon" error message.
No-start or intermittent start failure
Ford issued a recall of the 2013-2015 taurus, but only with the turbo-charged engine. Recall is for fuel pump modules. The car can stop receiving fuel or not start altogether. Once it stops receiving fuel, it will not start. This can happen while driving. Although my vehicle is not turbo charged, it happened to me on my 2015 ford taurus with the 3.5 l engine. 2 weeks ago, it refused to start. Dealership, rountree ford in shreveport, could not figure out what happened. Took a shot in the dark and replace the fuel pump relays. Wrong answer. Last week, while driving, it shut down in downtown little rock while I was driving it. Fortunately, I was able to get it to the curb, but it would not restart. Dealership, north point ford is now fixing it. Said it was the fuel pump, although the safety bulletin says fuel pump module. I am out 2 towing fees as well as car rental 2 weeks in a row. Not good. Ford, recall all 3.5 liter ford taurus because it is not just turbo charged!! *tr updated 7/9/18*jb *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 ford taurus. Upon attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 80,100. *tt
Recalls on the 2015 model year
NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2015 Ford Taurus, affecting an estimated 93,189 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 back over prevention: sensing system: camera, power train:axle assembly:axle shaft, suspension:rear and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump. 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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
1,448,655 vehicles 2025-10-13- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs)…
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
15,587 vehicles 2020-11-10- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft may fail.
- Consequence
- The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the link shaft bracket, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners received an interim notification detailing safety risk December 8, 2020. A second letter will be mailed when parts become available in January 2021. The recall began February 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
SUSPENSION:REAR
211,207 vehicles 2020-02-10- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
- Consequence
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
77,502 vehicles 2016-08-25- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.
- Consequence
- A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING
203 vehicles 2015-09-28- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured on July 24, 2015. During vehicle production, the fuel tank attachment bolts may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the fuel tank straps may fracture and the fuel tank could separate from the vehicle.
- Consequence
- If the fuel tank separates from the vehicle, a fuel leak may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the fuel tank attachment bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S26.
PARKING BRAKE
7,165 vehicles 2015-07-24- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Consequence
- If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.
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 2015 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
Where 2015 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2015 — 174th riskiest of the 273 2015 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
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 2015 itself at 70.
If the model year is negotiable, 2019, 2002, 2003 and 2001 score lower than 2015 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 2013–2019 generation specifically, 2019 is the strongest year at 56 and 2013 the weakest at 72.
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 2013-2019 generation, 2019 Ford Taurus scores best at 56 and 2013 Ford Taurus worst at 72.
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 powertrain problem from about 8k, other speed control problem from about 11k, other engine problem from about 12k and other driver assistance problem from about 20k.
On a 2015 Ford Taurus with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other powertrain 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.
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.
What this page cannot tell you
352 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 352 reports, 223 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 63% 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 2015 Ford Taurus?
The most-reported failures are fuel pump failure (40 reports, median 80,000 miles), other steering problem (31 reports, median 60,000 miles) and no-start or intermittent start failure (26 reports, median 65,000 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 2015 Ford Taurus problems start?
Other powertrain problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 10,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 10,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 61,000 miles.
Is the 2015 Ford Taurus reliable?
It scores 70 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 174th riskiest of the 273 2015 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2015 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 2013–2019 generation, 2019 scores best at 56 out of 100 and 2013 worst at 72. 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