Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2010AVOIDSerious complaints 2.6× usual, mostly steering and engine
180 serious complaints of 204, the most about steering (41) and engine (37); per car on the road, 2.6× this model's usual year. 3 recalls.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2010 ford taurus. While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle lost steering ability and "service power steering" appeared on the message center. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. Once the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the contact was able to drive home.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Aug 2019
“The contact owns a 2010 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 mph, the check engine waring indicator illuminated and the temperature gauge moved to hot. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact open the hood and noticed that it was leaking coolant at the water pump.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Apr 2017
204 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 20–22 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2010 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl; 3.5L 6-cyl turbo · Drive: 4WD, AWD, FWD
2010 Taurus trims
| Limited AWD | Limited FWD | SE FWD | SEL AWD | SEL FWD | SHO AWD |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Ford reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Ford aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 19–21 mpg | 5 of 5 | 2 | 16 | Back over prevention (7) | Yes |
| 2018 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 19–21 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 49 | Back over prevention (12) | Yes |
| 2017 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 240 hp 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 19–23 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 44 | Electrical system (11) | Yes |
| 2016 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 240 hp 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 19–23 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 81 | Back over prevention (26) | No |
| 2015 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 240 hp 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 20–26 mpg | 5 of 5 | 6 | 277 | Back over prevention (58) | No |
| 2014 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 240 hp 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 20–26 mpg | 5 of 5 | 5 | 235 | Steering (67) | No |
| 2013 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 237 hp 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 20–25 mpg | 5 of 5 | 9 | 590 | Steering (296) | No |
| 2012 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 263–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 263–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 20–22 mpg | 4 of 5 | 5 | 79 | Steering (17) | No |
| 2011 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 263–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 263–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 20–22 mpg | 4 of 5 | 4 | 187 | Electrical system (47) | No |
| 2010 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 4WD, AWD, FWD | 20–22 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 204 | Steering (41) | No |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Apple lists CarPlay for: Taurus 2017–2019 (Apple).
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 2 | 16 |
| 2019 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 2 | 16 |
| 2018 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 49 |
| 2018 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 49 |
| 2017 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 44 |
| 2017 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 44 |
| 2016 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 81 |
| 2016 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 4 | 81 |
| 2015 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 6 | 277 |
| 2015 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 6 | 277 |
| 2014 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 5 | 235 |
| 2014 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 5 | 235 |
| 2013 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 5 | Optional | No | 9 | 590 |
| 2013 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | No | 9 | 590 |
| 2012 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 4 | No | No | 5 | 79 |
| 2012 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 5 | 79 |
| 2011 | Ford Taurus 4 DR AWD | 4 | No | No | 4 | 187 |
| 2011 | Ford Taurus 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 4 | 187 |
| 2010 | Ford Taurus 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 204 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
19 |
| 2019 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2019 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2019 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2018 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
19 |
| 2018 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2018 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2018 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2017 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
19 |
| 2017 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2017 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–23 |
| 2017 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2016 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
19 |
| 2016 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2016 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–23 |
| 2016 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2015 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
20–21 |
| 2015 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2015 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
23–26 |
| 2015 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2014 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
20–21 |
| 2014 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2014 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
23–26 |
| 2014 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2013 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
20–21 |
| 2013 | Taurus AWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2013 | Taurus FWD | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
22–25 |
| 2013 | Taurus FWD FFV | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 22 |
| 2012 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
20 |
| 2012 | Taurus FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–22 |
| 2011 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
20 |
| 2011 | Taurus FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–22 |
| 2010 | Taurus AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
20 |
| 2010 | Taurus FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
21–22 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.