Your vehicle report
1999 Ford Taurus
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 874
- Received Oct 1998 to Nov 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Coil springs break and puncture tires148 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract52 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering rack leaks fluid49 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
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.
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 identifiedComplaint 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.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
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.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 70 |
| 2000 | 85 |
| 2001 | 101 |
| 2002 | 121 |
| 2003 | 118 |
| 2004 | 129 |
| 2005 | 87 |
| 2006 | 23 |
| 2007 | 28 |
| 2008 | 24 |
| 2009 | 16 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 11 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 874 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 148 | 17% | – | NHTSA recall #04V332000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 52 | 5.9% | – | NHTSA recall #98V198000, #99V250000 |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 49 | 5.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 40 | 4.6% | – | NHTSA recall #98V204000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 33 | 3.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 32 | 3.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 29 | 3.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 29 | 3.3% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 25 | 2.9% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 23 | 2.6% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 23 | 2.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 21 | 2.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 17 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 16 | 1.8% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 15 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 14 | 1.6% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 14 | 1.6% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 14 | 1.6% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 12 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 11 | 1.3% | – |
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