Your vehicle report

1999 Ford Taurus

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
874
Received Oct 1998 to Nov 2020
Official recalls listed
5
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Coil springs break and puncture tires148 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Seat belt fails to latch or retract52 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Power steering rack leaks fluid49 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #04V332000On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.
  • Recall #99V250000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The seat belt retractor may have a pin shaft in the switchable elr/alr mechanism that is incorrectly formed. In some circumstances, the switching mechanism could become nonfunctional, preventing the seat belt webbing from being extracted from the retractor. It is also possible that malfunction of the mechanism could prevent the belt from being switched into the alr mode. The elr mechanism is not affected by this condition.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 61 crashes, 16 fires, 69 people injured, 4 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 20 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

4 more problems

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

3 more problems

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1999 Ford Taurus
129
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19983
199970
200085
2001101
2002121
2003118
2004129
200587
200623
200728
200824
200916
201011
201111
201216
201310
20145
20157
20162
20174
20180
20192
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total874

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Coil springs break and puncture tires14817%–NHTSA recall #04V332000
Seat belt fails to latch or retract525.9%–NHTSA recall #98V198000, #99V250000
Power steering rack leaks fluid495.6%–
Unintended acceleration despite braking404.6%–NHTSA recall #98V204000
Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines333.8%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes323.7%–
Tires blow out or tread separates293.3%–
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips293.3%–
Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail252.9%–
Front brake rotors warp and wear early232.6%–
Transmission fails or loses power while driving232.6%–
Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed212.4%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring171.9%–
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline161.8%–
Headlights dim or fail at night151.7%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving141.6%–
Power steering cuts out while driving141.6%–
Head gasket leaks coolant into engine141.6%–
Cruise control fails to disengage121.4%–
Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed111.3%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #04V332000July 15, 2004899,060 vehicles affected

    suspension: front: springs: coil springs

    On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.

    If this occurs, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, Ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2005. If either front coil spring fractures, dealers will replace both front springs at no charge to the owner. An interim notice was sent to owners on august 2, 2004. Parts are now available for the 2000-2001 my vehicles and owners were sent a letter on january 10, 2005, advising them to bring in their vehicles for repair parts are expected to be available for the 1999 my vehicles by the end of february 2005 and owners of these vehicles will be notified then. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.

  • NHTSA recall #99V250000September 20, 199925,306 vehicles affected

    seat belts: front: anchorage

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The seat belt retractor may have a pin shaft in the switchable elr/alr mechanism that is incorrectly formed. In some circumstances, the switching mechanism could become nonfunctional, preventing the seat belt webbing from being extracted from the retractor. It is also possible that malfunction of the mechanism could prevent the belt from being switched into the alr mode. The elr mechanism is not affected by this condition.

    If the mechanism malfunctions and does not allow the webbing to be extracted, the lap and shoulder belt could not be worn by a vehicle occupant. In the event that the mechanism does not allow the alr mode to be engaged, the operator may be unable to properly install a child seat in that seating position.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the lap and shoulder belt assemblies. Assemblies with julian date codes of 200 through 223 are suspect and will be replaced.

  • NHTSA recall #98V288000November 9, 19981,800 vehicles affected

    power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equpped with the "california" emissions package. An incorrect transmission oil cooler line was installed. The line contacts the anti-lock braking system module support bracket and over time, Can wear and develop a leak.

    Transmission fluid leakage onto the exhaust manifold or catalytic converter Can result in a fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install the appropriate transmission oil cooler line.

  • NHTSA recall #98V204000September 1, 19986,000 vehicles affected

    vehicle speed control

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A dash insulator retainer clip was not fully assembled to the accelerator cable dash fitting. The clip Can disengage from the accelerator cable and fall into the accelerator pedal arm pivot area.

    If this condition occurs, the engine may not fully return to idle. Also, the insulator may not stay in the intended location and could interfere with the accelerator cable.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect these vehicles to ensure proper installation of the accelerator cable clip, and re-install if needed.

  • NHTSA recall #98V198000August 25, 19987,000 vehicles affected

    seat belts: front: anchorage

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual seat tracks. The front seat belt buckle attaching stud may have been improperly heat treated. This heat treatment may have resulted in cracks developing in the stud.

    If the stud is cracked, in the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Ford Taurus.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN