Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus SHO. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate and black smoke rose from the engine. As the contact attempted to stop the vehicle, the exterior brake lights failed and nearly caused the vehicle to be rear ended. Before he reached the freeway, the contact noticed fluid leaking from the vehicle. The dealer was called, but was unable to provide any assistance. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 126,000.
Experienced a camshaft related engine failure at 70 MPH in the left lane of a major interstate. Vehicle had to take emergency action to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder while the engine was off and no power assist was available to brakes or steering. Vehicle had been operating for approximately 30 minutes of city driving and 1 hour of highway speeds leading up to the failure. The dealer showed me that the failure was the exact same condition reported on www.v8sho.com. There over 530 documented cases of camshaft to sprocket spleen failures where the pistons then impact stationary valves and destroy the motor. The dealers service manager recommended I contact Ford engineering to advise them of the failure since it did not appear to be a maintenance or wear related issue. …
No failure, the car is a 1998 Ford Taurus SHO. The owner previous of me spent $13000 replacing the engine due to a camshaft sprocket failure in an interference engine. I would like information as to what the NHTSA is going to do about this. I have many sources from a car club with over 400 documented camshaft failures in these cars. That is not even close to the number that have actually had this problem. Hopefully something can be done soon about this problem instead of people who work everyday and their engine blows up and they have to dish out 15000 dollars which Ford denies there is a problem. All you have to do is search the web for Ford Taurus v8 SHO camshaft failures and you will have a very long list.
Brake line corrosion and separation causing failure of the brakes. Resulting in also front sway and link bar damage. No brakes. Front sway bars break when vehicle is turned a certain degree. Front middle of hood on all Taurus seem to lose the paint do to rock or debris being able to bounce on the bumper and hit center. I have seen at least 50 Taurus's missing paint in the same area. Service engine soon light remains on after four trips to a certified Ford dealer. Water holding in engine compartment will crack under extreme outdoor temperatures causing the car to overheat.
Accelerated as normal to 30mph, released the accelerator pedal, and the car kept accelerating up to at least 50mph. Failed to steer 90 degrees left, resulting in the car jumping the curb. Lost control in damp grass, and ran into a tree.
On December 21, 2004 my 1997 Ford Taurus SHO began making a ticking noise. Two days (and about 20 miles) later, the left exhaust camshaft sprocket failed, causing the car to stall and not restart. As a result of the sprocket slipping, the no. 5 cylinder's piston was cracked due to coming in contact with an open valve (this is an interference engine). 15,000 miles ago, the left intake camshaft sprocket failed, resulting in a $2900.00 repair bill from a Ford dealership. Unable to afford the cost of such a repair at this time (not to mention unwilling to deal with the same Ford customer service that wanted me to believe that this hardly ever happens and that I must have done something to cause it the first time), I opted to attempt the procedure myself. After finding and removing the faulty camshaft, I thought my problems were solved until I changed the spark plugs. The no. …
The camshaft in my car failed and caused engine failure. It was a 1996 Ford Taurus SHO. It caused a complete power loss around a corner and I was almost involed in a head on collision. This has been happening to many SHO owners. The repair costs are running me $5000 dollars. This is nothing compared to what it could have done to my family. Please help this not happen again. Ford knows there is a problem. Some May not be as lucky as me.
I have a1996 Ford Taurus SHO v-8,it just turned 80,000 miles and has had all regular service and now the camshaft gear has failed on the camshaft and damaged the engine!I work at a Ford dealer and see this engine failure often. It seems that this is common on the v-8 SHO engine around 75,000-85,000 miles and sometimes there is a ticking noise that is considered a warning sign too get repairs but there was not any warning from my engine. I have done all kinds of research and found that there are lawsuits and numerous complaints and blogs devoted to this exact issue but I don,t have any information available for assistance on these very expensive repairs that are definitely due to a design flaw and I have 18 Ford technicians that are factory trained too back this up!I did not buy this vehicle new so I can,t say it was never abused but after partially disassembling the engine so far it is …
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Taurus SHO years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (24), 1996 (20), 1999 (11) and 1998 (5) model years. Engine complaints make up 80% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Ford Taurus SHO engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Ford Taurus SHO model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Taurus SHO engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles; 16% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (28 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (11).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.