Your vehicle report
2004 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
- 375
- Received Apr 2004 to Mar 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Coil springs break and puncture tires108 complaints · 29% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking48 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Cruise control fails to disengage28 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V330000Certain passenger vehicles equipped with power adjustable seats may have been inadequately welded.
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: 36 crashes, 13 fires, 25 people injured, 2 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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 22 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 15 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 24 |
| 2011 | 25 |
| 2012 | 89 |
| 2013 | 40 |
| 2014 | 44 |
| 2015 | 16 |
| 2016 | 21 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 375 |
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 | 108 | 29% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 48 | 13% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 28 | 7.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 19 | 5.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 3.7% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 14 | 3.7% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 10 | 2.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Door ajar light stays on when closed | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 0.8% | – |
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 #04V330000July 8, 200424,277 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: power adjust
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with power adjustable seats may have been inadequately welded.
The seat may not perform as intended during a crash which could increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the upper support assembly on the power seats. The recall began on july 20, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
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 2004 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