The water pump failed on this engine. Prior to failure, there were no warning signs or alarms. . The only warning we received was a low oil level warning and once received, the engine was immediately shut off and towed to a mechanic. The mechanic stated the engine has metal shaving in the oil and he recommends replacing the engine. It had 144,000 miles on it and was routinely maintained. Ford needs to be accountable to its customers for the terrible design and placement of the internal water pump. Customers should not be on the hook for a total engine replacement cost.
Ford Taurus engine failure problems
280 of the 16,903 owner complaints about the Ford Taurus describe engine failure, most of them for the 1993 model year.
- owner complaints
- 280
- worst model year
- 1993
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,000
- 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
Overheating 38Steering lock-up 36Stalling 23Power steering loss 19Loss of power 18Check engine light 15Fire or smoke 12Knocking 9
Trouble codes mentioned
U3000 1P0306 1P0302 1P0300 1
What owners say
Components Involved: Engine Block Mounting Boss, Intermediate Shaft Bracket (Service Part # DB5Z-3K305-CA), Factory Bolt (OEM # W500131-S437) Incident Overview: During a low-speed (about 5mph) lateral impact to the front-right wheel against a curb, expected sacrificial suspension damage occurred (snapped CV axle, separated lower ball joint). However, lateral force transferred through the passenger-side intermediate shaft directly into its carrier bearing mounting bracket. Instead of the cast mounting bracket (DB5Z-3K305-B) absorbing the force or breaking, the lateral stress sheared the cast mounting boss entirely off the engine block. Engineering Flaw & Dimensions: This design presents a critical flaw in the crash load path and failure hierarchy: Improper Leverage: The 84mm thick cast bracket acts as a rigid lever against a small, brittle ~17mm cast engine block boss. Inverted Material Sacrificing: The over-engineered bracket survives the impact, transferring fatal structural damage to the non-replaceable engine block instead of acting as a sacrificial fuse. Inadequate Thread Engagement: The factory 95mm flange bolt (W500131-S437) only utilizes 11mm of thread inside the raised boss, completely ignoring 1 to 2 inches of threading available deeper within the engine block casting. This shallow engagement concentrates all shearing stress directly at the weakest protrusion. Consumer Burden: This localized failure condemns the engine block, requiring a full engine replacement under standard dealership repair procedures. This creates a severe and disproportionate financial burden for what should be a straightforward suspension and driveline collision repair. Conclusion: I request an investigation into this structural vulnerability. The intermediate shaft bracket mounting location acts as a critical weak point, actively transferring lateral impact energy into the block and causing premature, catastrophic structural engine failure.
Bushing of the driver side rear toe link (aka lateral link, toe arm, etc.) separated, causing the rest of the toe link to disconnect from the tire. Images are available but the original part has been taken by the mechanic. Bushing likely failed from corrosion, though this vehicle only spent 4 of its 10 years in a heavily salted environment. The toe link is also intended to last the life of the vehicle and is not mentioned in the recommended maintenance per the vehicle manual. After the toe link separated control of the vehicle was lost. This occurred at a low speed (~25 mph) in a residential area so there were no injuries or property damaged. Service center has confirmed toe link failure. The vehicle and component have not been inspected by any other party. There were no signs of issue prior to the failure. A previous mechanic had indicated that the toe link was seized and could not be adjusted for an alignment but did not recommend replacement. There was no abnormal tire wear or handling of the vehicle prior to the failure. Though this could have been prevented through maintenance, there were no indicators of a failure besides the seized bolt mentioned by the mechanic. May indicate a wider issue similar to Ford's previous toe link problems.
The contact's mother owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, several unknown warning lights illuminated when turning off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the dashboard. In addition, the gear shifter had seized in park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had several previous ongoing failures. The contact stated that the failure started shortly after the vehicle was purchased in 2013. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts, and the battery was replaced by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that soon after the battery replacement, while attempting to make a U-turn, the steering wheel seized with the “Power Steering Assist" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated that a Mobile mechanic arrived at the scene and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be reset after the battery was replaced. The contact stated that five days after the vehicle was reset, the failure recurred. The contact called the same Mobile mechanic who had performed the reset and was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that there was a slight hesitation upon shifting the transmission into drive. The contact stated that the gear selector seized, and the vehicle was no longer able to shift out of park. Additionally, the brake lights were no longer operable. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
This 2018 Ford Taurus had a water pump fail. This vehicle has a water pump inside the engine instead of attached to the outside of the engine like usual. When it fails, coolant fluid gets inside of the engine and ruins it. Normally, when a water pump fails, coolant would leak but not inside of the engine. This is a design flaw. This 2018 Taurus was bought new and maintained with excellence at Ford dealerships. This is a loss of worth of $6000 to me. The dealership states it would cost $10000 to replace the engine so it is not worth fixing. We will be getting rid of it so there will be nothing available for inspection especially since you would have to take the engine apart to get at it. Safety was not a concern. I am reporting this to you at the suggestion of Ford Customer Relations. Interestingly, today the service advisor at the dealership said he had 2 other Tauruses at the dealership at this same time with the same water pump failure/engine destruction. It seems unlikely that this is a coincidence. There should be a recall so that others do not suffer. A warning light did come on. AAA was called and the vehicle was towed to the dealership.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact drove to the residence, where the steering wheel seized. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence. The mechanic determined that the electric power steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while in reverse(R) and reversing down a driveway at approximately 2 MPH, the power steering module fault warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized, and the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel to the left or right. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 20-25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 162,892.
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 engine failure
Which Ford Taurus years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1993 (42 complaints), 1995 (32 complaints) and 1996 (29 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine failure on the Ford Taurus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,000 (median of 41 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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