This car has left me stranded multiple times. Took to dealership to find out the fuel pump that had been replaced at 90,000 was dead. Catalytic converter replaced at 125,000. Replaced fuel pump control module, fuel pump and sending unit for the 2nd time in 2014 Ford Taurus SEL AWD with 132,000 miles. Now it is sending a check engine code P0461 which is most likely due to the recent replacement messing with PCM values. The 3.5 DOHC engines should be recalled as well for the fuel system issues along with the other models recalled.
Ford Taurus check engine light comes on
265 of the 16,903 owner complaints about the Ford Taurus describe check engine light, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 265
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 82,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 40Fuel pump 19Won't start 17Jerking 17Loss of power 16Engine failure 15Adaptive cruise 13Overheating 12
Trouble codes mentioned
U0423 1U0415 1U0028 1P2111 1P1237 1P0761 1P0734 1P0606 1P0461 1P0430 1
What owners say
2011 Ford Taurus Limited 37'000 miles Original owner Like New Condition. Engine and all systems working perfectly no check engine or other lights showing. I was driving on city street about 25mph and with no warning engine and dash all shut down I had no crank and no dash lights at all. while I waited for tow truck dash lights did come on and anti theft light was flashing very fast. If I had been driving on Interstate 80 I may have been killed with all the Semi's that are always there. This happened August 7th 2025 It has been at the FORD dealership by my house for 25 work days and all they have done is checked the computer and said no power so replaced comp with rebuilt one and still no power so that is where I'm at. If you have seen this before please tell me ,they have no clue THANKS
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 108,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while turning off the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was a fuel burning odor coming from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the electrical system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was unofficially diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the contact was advised to contact the dealer for assistance. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that an independent mechanic drained the oil and became aware that there was coolant mixed in with the engine oil. The contact diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,900.
Driving 65mph and the steering wheel locked up and the brakes weren’t working as they should. Check engine light came on. Was able to pull off the road. Shut off vehicle for awhile. Then it worked as it should. No repairs at this time but sounds like it will continue to happen.
The engine light came on and was scanned for engine code P0430 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 2). Upon further research, it appears that a catalytic converter has started failing. I was able to clean the catalytic converter, but they are very expensive to replace. Ford issued an extended warranty for this part, but did not issue a recall, despite this being an issue on multiple vehicles. This warranty is 10 years on the Police Interceptor Sedan (Taurus Platform), and 11 years on the Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer Platform). My car's mileage was at approximately 103,000 miles when the light came on. Both warranties extend to 120,000 miles, and my car was two months older than 10 years when this occurred. I contacted Ford through multiple avenues, even writing a letter to Ford Consumer Affairs, and they all declined to extend their warranties to the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan despite the fact that it is identical to the Ford Police Interceptor Utility when it comes to the engine, transmission, PTU, and all components related to those parts, including the catalytic converter. This is a known issue that should have been a recall in the first place, but Ford should at least have the same warranty issued to both cars as the part and failure of said part are identical. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys contacted Ford and told them to extend this warranty to 11 years to match the warranty for the Police Interceptor Utility. I have also attached my letter to Ford Consumer Affairs for reference. [XXX] [XXX] Thanks so much, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving down CR 230 in Wyoming, the situation started if I have to estimate, 7 miles west of Woods Landing, I heard a metal on metal grinding noise from the engine bay, and a loss of power on the throttle. I look at my RPM gauge and notice it is a zero. No check engine light, all electronics working as normal along with the brakes, and I slow the vehicle down to 30 MPH. Shortly after noticing, I get a "Check Brake System" flash on my instrument panel cluster, also the light which illuminates for my parking brake turns on, and I lose power brakes, the brake pedal turned extremely stiff. I immediately look for a pull off zone, but because I had lost brakes I did not want to risk keeping the vehicle moving. I get the vehicle stopped on the side of the road, and instantly put it in park along with the parking brake and shut the vehicle off. The vehicle would not start or crank, just a flash across all of the electronics, the lights go dark, then illuminate again as if normal. This is an extremely dangerous situation, the vehicle had not notified me that the motor had stopped turning; not a check engine light or ring at all, and shortly after that the power brakes stop working. This is very dangerous for motorists because of the lack of notification from the vehicle, and the incredibly weak breaking ability. If the vehicle had been moving at highway speeds, any sort of traffic, I could've ended up injured or dead, and even worse, killed another driver. The vehicle was towed to the nearest town where it would be inspected by a dealership; they reported to have found coolant in the oil and that the vehicle needed a new motor. No other details have been confirmed, and the problem has not been reproduced by the dealership. It is unknown if the dealership inspected the braking system.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V227000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was included, but the vehicle had already been repaired in 2014. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
- Risk
- An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.
Recall number 16V925000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, the air filter paper in these vehicles can smolder or burn.
- Risk
- This can lead to damage to the air induction system on these vehicles and/or an underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the air filter element. Owner notification began on march 10, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V105000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: taurus/sable vehicles equipped with 3.0l and 3.8l engines and mustang vehicles with 3.8l and 5.0l engines. It is possible for the engine cooling fan bearing to seize.
- Risk
- Should this occur, excessive heat could be generated which could melt the fan motor electrical connector. Components inside the cooling fan motor could ignite potentially resulting in an underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the engine cooling fan assembly and install a circuit breaker. If the cooling fan is inoperative, the fan and motor assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began december 28, 2001. 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 at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V390000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
- What is wrong
- These vehicles are originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, iowa, minnesota, nebraska, north dakota, and south dakota. The vehicles involved are 1992-1994 tempo/topaz vehicles with 3.0l engines; 1994 tempo/topaz with 2.3l engines; 1992-1995 taurus/sable with 3.8l engines; 1994-1995 taurus/sable with 3.0l engines and 1992-1994 lincoln continental vehicles with 3.8l engines. During high winds, heavy, blowing and drifting snow, and low temperatures, the engine cooling fan can become blocked or frozen with snow. The fan motor may not rotate and could overheat.
- Risk
- This condition can cause smoke or flames from the fan and/or shroud, the fan electrical wiring, or the fan motor resulting in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an electrical jumper harness containing an automatic resetting circuit breaker to protect the fan motor low speed circuitry from overheating.
Recall number 97V019000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Taurus check engine light
Why does the check engine light come on in the Ford Taurus?
Owners who report it most often also describe engine stalls while driving, fuel pump failure and won't start, and the codes they mention most are U0423, U0415 and U0028.
Which Ford Taurus years have check engine light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (28 complaints), 1996 (20 complaints) and 2000 (17 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the Ford Taurus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 23 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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