Ford Taurus 2008–2009
5th generation (D3) — renamed Ford Five Hundred
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026317 complaints, 283 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 31,375 and 106,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 3 complaints (1.1%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 6,371
- 25%
- 31,375
- Median
- 62,556
- 75%
- 106,000
- 90%
- 145,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 48 | 17.0% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 49 | 17.3% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 39 | 13.8% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 21 | 7.4% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 50 | 17.7% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 25 | 8.8% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 16 | 5.7% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 20 | 7.1% |
| 160,000–180,000 | 10 | 3.5% |
| 180,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.7% |
| 200,000+ | 3 | 1.1% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 317 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008–2009 Ford Taurus, and 283 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 31,375 and 106,000 miles. The median is 62,556 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (15.5% of complaints, typically around 79,000 miles), throttle and speed control (13.2% of complaints, typically around 73,000 miles), the steering (11.7% of complaints, typically around 46,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Transmission and driveline79,000median 79,341 miles, middle half 36,000 to 109,000
- Throttle and speed control73,000median 73,000 miles, middle half 28,000 to 106,000
- Steering46,000median 46,500 miles, middle half 35,000 to 87,000
- Engine and its cooling system11,000median 10,994 miles, middle half 4,000 to 45,000
- Engine85,000median 85,098 miles, middle half 55,000 to 164,000
- Airbag system86,000median 86,000 miles, middle half 58,000 to 130,000
- Electrical system96,000median 96,000 miles, middle half 83,000 to 153,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and driveline | 49 | 15.5% | 79,000 | 36,000–109,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 42 | 13.2% | 73,000 | 28,000–106,000 |
| Steering | 37 | 11.7% | 46,000 | 35,000–87,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 29 | 9.1% | 11,000 | 4,000–45,000 |
| Engine | 26 | 8.2% | 85,000 | 55,000–164,000 |
| Airbag system | 21 | 6.6% | 86,000 | 58,000–130,000 |
| Electrical system | 17 | 5.4% | 96,000 | 83,000–153,000 |
| Suspension | 13 | 4.1% | 28,000 | 19,000–88,000 |
| Brakes | 13 | 4.1% | 83,000 | 74,000–113,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 12 | 3.8% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 62,556 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 15.5% of complaints (49 reports, 48 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,341 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,603 and 109,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 13.2% of complaints (42 reports, 39 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 73,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,000 and 106,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 11.7% of complaints (37 reports, 35 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 46,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 87,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 9.1% of complaints (29 reports, 28 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 10,994 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,800 and 45,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 8.2% of complaints (26 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,098 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,200 and 164,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 6.6% of complaints (21 reports, 18 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 86,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 130,000 miles.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 317 complaints filed against this generation, 40 reported a crash; 12 reported a fire; 25 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 12.6% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 31,375 and 106,000 miles, with a median of 62,556. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and throttle and speed control are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Throttle and speed control in particular shows a median failure mileage of 73,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Transmission (6f50) 2008–2009
Early 6F50 torque-converter and internal solenoid complaints producing harsh shifts and shudder.
Nameplate Boundary Caution 2008–2009
The severe ZF CFT30 CVT failures associated with this body belong to the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred, which used the CVT; the Taurus-badged 2008-2009 cars do not have it. Do not attribute CVT failures to this generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 240 | 220 |
| 2009 | 77 | 63 |
Recalls (1)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 16V247000 | 2016-06-09 | Air Bags:frontal |
What owners reported
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. While driving approximately 3 MPH the rpms increased and the vehicle would accelerate over 30 MPH. He stated that the failure occurred one week after the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that he immediately drove the vehicle back to the dealer and the computer was…
2008 · 5 miles · Throttle and speed control
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus. The contact stated the vehicle was not moving when it accelerated and shifted into gear with excessive force. The failure also occurred whenever the contact shift from first to second gear. The failure began to occur without warning immediately after the vehicle was purchased.…
2008 · 100 miles · Transmission and driveline
I bought a 2008 Ford Taurus in sep 2008. Over the last three weeks, i have had three incidences of engine surge while stopped and the brakes applied. The first two incidences occurred when the car was cold, shortly after leaving my house. The surge today occurred when the engine was hot. The engine surges to about…
2008 · 490 miles · Throttle and speed control
Not long after purchase of Ford Taurus, when stopping at light/sign the engine would stay revved up to 3000+ RPM -- only very firm (two foot) braking kept at stop -- moved to neutral to correct. Had dealer check (7/9/08) and they said they could find no problem. Has happen 3-4 times since. Fortunately, have been…
2008 · 1,500 miles · Throttle and speed control
Built from 283 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page