Intermittent accelerator sticking. After lifting foot from accelerator to prepare for braking/stopping the car continues to accelerate. Safety is at risk in traffic and intersections. There is online documentation related to previous the federal safety agency investigations. Ford and the local dealership has stated that there is not a defined recall. Although there may not be a “recall” this is certainly a safety problem!!
The worst 2006 Ford Taurus problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration176
- Engine43
- Transmission32
- Brakes26
- Electrical25
- Airbags21
- Fuel system18
- Body15
- Visibility9
- Lights6
- Tires6
- Steering5
- Driver assistance4
- Seat belts4
- Suspension3
- Locks1
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Ford Taurus
Adaptive cruise 69Sudden acceleration 38No deployment 10Stalling 10Airbag light 8Check engine light 7Jerking 6Water leak 6
Recalls 2
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles built for one specific fleet customer were modified for optional hands-free cellular phone operating capability. To provide this functionality, a special overlay wire harness was installed that inadvertently did not include the circuits for passenger air bag deactivation indicator (padi) lamp function. As a result, these vehicles do not comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.'
- Risk
- The padi lamp will fail to illuminate and the air bag warning lamp in the cluster will stay illuminated.
- Remedy
- The fleet customer was notified and all vehicles have been repaired. The recall began on april 28, 2006.
Recall number 06V119000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
- Risk
- After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1‑800‑521‑4140.
Recall number 05V520000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2006 Ford Taurus
Defect investigations
Stuck throttle
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)12-005 was opened to investigate allegations of speed control cables detaching from the throttle body and subsequently interfering with the throttle closing fully to the idle position in model year (MY) 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles.The speed control cable, throttle body attachment arm (?nail head?) for the speed control cable, cable mounting bracket and cable routing for the MY 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus are common to all MY 2004 through 2006 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles equipped with either the 155 HP 3.0L 2-valve Vulcan engine or the 200 HP 3.0L 4-valve Duratec engine (the ?subject vehicles?). Figures 1 and 2 show the throttle body cam and speed control cable installed and a cable interference condition caused by contact between a detached cable and the ?nail head.?Ford?s assessment of the condition in incident vehicles noted that the interference conditions produced tended to be short in duration as the cable end tended to dislodge itself from the throttle body due to vibration, road loads or engine roll in addition to tapping the acceleration pedal.Ford inspected three incident vehicles and measured maximum throttle openings of 5.8% to 14.9%, resulting in engine speeds ranging from 1600 to 2200 rpm with the transmission selector in Drive.A Ford stack-up analysis of the speed control cable length from the attachment bracket to the throttle body indicated a maximum theoretical throttle opening of 16.4% that could result from the alleged defect. Engineers at the federal safety agency Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) inspected an incident vehicle to evaluate throttle positions and engine speeds that could result from the alleged defect and performed brake testing of a vehicle with the throttle stuck at the worst case throttle opening that could result from the condition.The VRTC vehicle inspection noted that, depending on the orientation of the detached cable end, the amount of throttle opening that could result from interference by a detached speed control cable end varied from 4.8% to 11.3%.VRTC brake testing of a MY 2006 Taurus with a Vulcan engine and the throttle held open at 16% found that, even with multiple brake applications, sufficient vacuum was available for the brake booster assist and the brake pedal efforts required to stop the vehicle did not increase significantly from normal operating conditions. ODI?s analysis of 100 complaints related to the alleged defect found that drivers were generally able to free the interference condition or safely brake to a stop without incident.Approximately one-third (32) reported that the stuck throttle condition was corrected with no action or by tapping the accelerator pedal while the vehicle was still moving, another third (34) reported braking to a stop with the vehicle in Drive prior to correcting the condition, and the remaining third (34) reported that the driver responded to the incident by shifting to Neutral before stopping the vehicle.One complaint alleged that stuck-throttle type symptoms caused the vehicle to pass partially through a traffic light and into an intersection before stopping, however,ODI was unable to contact the owner to verify the cause or relationship to the alleged defect condition.ODI has not identified any crashes related to the alleged defect. Tables 1 and 2 provide a breakdown of complaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect by engine and model year.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation do
PE12005
Technical service bulletins for the 2006 Ford Taurus 13
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected
- Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit...
- The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic...
- Extended warranty coverage for vehicles with hard start when operating on E85 fuel, powertrain control...
- Tenths digit not displayed on odometer after 10,000 miles/kilometers. tt
- Flex fuel - long crank/hard start. tt
- Power lock concerns - service tip. tt
- Power window concerns - service tip. tt
- Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. tt
- Spark knock, hesitation above 3000 RPM, loss of power, misfire, and possible engine damage due to...
2006 Ford Taurus fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17-18 | 25 | 20 |
What 2006 Ford Taurus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power before stalling. The vehicle continued to roll forward before the driver was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the contact stated that failure reoccurred three additional times. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the braking system. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Vehicle is now on 2nd transmission the original transmission failed around 60000 miles Ford originally put a brand new transmission in it for previous owner documentation was provided when we purchased the vehicle since move unknown where it's at now but this transmission has only 67000 miles on it experiencing same problems sometimes it will slip between 2nd and 3rd year other times it will slip between 1st and 2nd year sometimes they won't let it go over drive other times he gets stuck In overdrive no rhyme no reason for why it does what it does it just seems to do what it wants when it was but it really sucks when you're on the highway driving 75 mile an hour and decided to come out of overdrive and get stuck in 2nd gear so you have to slow down in front of everybody and it kind of forces you to do so that could easily get someone killed Going from 75 mile an hour to stuck in 2nd year limited speed very quickly with no brake lights Original transmission apparently has something to do with the torque converter or non hearted metals I'm not exactly sure because we were not in possession of owning the vehicle when it was replaced
Throttle stuck and vehicle accelerated out of control. Had to brake hard and turn off engine to prevent crash. Speed Control Cable disconnected from cruise control. It has been repaired since the incident. Yes, was reproduced by the tow truck driver as well as at a service center. No warnings, only high engine revving noise as it happened, high RPMs and high speed noticeable on dashboard as my car's acceleration stuck. Case #FCAS37586176 reported to Ford company.
Splines on Torque converter stripped out causing vehicle to just rev up and slow down to a stop. Car never moved again, had I been going up a large hill or something this could have been VERY VERY bad, because it wasn't until I was stopped that I realized it was the transmission having problems. After a bit of research and $500 in parts. I did the work myself. I find that the material inside of the torque converter is way softer than that on the input shaft causing the torque converter to strip out? How do they not have to fix that? This has been going on for over a decade! Why does someone have to die before they are responsible for something they know has a problem!
Car engine accelerate on own. Tac meter shows over 3,000 RPM when I put it in neutral. I have to tap the accelerator and it goes back to normal. This happens about once a week now. I was slowing down for a stoplight and it happened. Brakes were not enough. Almost hit a car. Only by throwing into neutral allowed me to gain control and stop. My mechanic couldn’t find anything. I cannot allow anyone else to drive this as I am the only one familiar to handle it. I’ll probably sell it on a trade. I’ve read dozens of reports of this but no recall. I am surprised. If I get into an accident I have a lawyer handle it Here are others https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/taurus/cruise-control-problems.php
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to slow down as needed while depressing the brake to make a left turn. The contact stopped the vehicle and shifted the gear shifter to park; however, while parked the RPM rose to 5,000 RPM. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 169,530.
Fatal accident involving the Death of a loved one
I was in an accident on Nov12,2021 and the air bag did not deploy. My front end was completely damaged.
The throttle sticks open and the engine revs high making it hard to slow down and stop. The cruise control cable is holding the throttle open because of a faulty attachment to the throttle control. This is a known and wide problem. People are bandaging the problem with back yard fixes that can cause accidents. Not first time.
Compare the 2006 Ford Taurus
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2006 Ford Taurus
Is the 2006 Ford Taurus reliable?
Owners have filed 318 complaints about the 2006 Ford Taurus, 1.6 times a typical Taurus model year.
What is the 2006 Ford Taurus year score?
The 2006 Ford Taurus scores 59 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Taurus: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Ford Taurus?
Acceleration and speed control, with 176 complaints, typically around 91,000 miles. Next is engine (43).
How many recalls does the 2006 Ford Taurus have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and visibility.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Ford Taurus get?
Official estimates for the 2006 Ford Taurus range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17-18 city and 25 highway.
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