Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Ford Taurus X owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was out running errands and backing in to park my 2008 Ford Taurus x, it became very difficult to turn the steering wheel in either direction. The steering was very stiff and required a good bit of effort. I immediately called the dealership repair shop and was instructed to bring in the car for evaluation. Ford determined that I needed to replace the steering column (rack & pinion) as well as the power steering pump & reservoir. Prior to the initial complete power steering failure in December of 2014, I had complained to Ford numerous times about the steering and had had the rack & pinion unit & power steering pumps replaced (at 100268 miles) in February of 2013! In December 2014 they quoted an astronomical price to again repair my car, at which point, I took it elsewhere and ordered the parts on-line. …
Experienced intermittent "shudder" in steering system when cornering and/or maneuvering into parking spaces; this condition progressively got worse and finally, there was a sudden total loss of power assist to the steering system almost resulting in loss of control of the vehicle. Noticed large puddle of atf/power steering fluid under vehicle when parked. Upon inspection, discovered that power steering reservoir was empty and the steering rack housing had leaking seal where main steering shaft entered housing leading to catastrophic failure of the steering rack assembly. This is the second time the steering rack catastrophically failed on this vehicle (see: NHTSA id number: 10468922; date complaint filed: 08/02/2012; date of incident: 07/30/2012; component(s): steering). Brought vehicle in to Ford dealer (brondes Ford, maumee, oh) for service. …
Driving down the road straight, our car made a pop sound and suddenly lurched and steering was impaired. Car was taken to the nearest dealership where they found the engine cradle/front sub frame had rusted through internally causing the sway bar to break away and it had perforated around the mount for the control arm. We were extremely fortunate the control arm didn't completely drop out causing an accident. Failure is almost identical to the Ford escape subframe recall. Dealer technician said he has replaced a lot of these engine cradles in the Taurus x's for the same failure (some worse than ours, completely rusted in half etc.). Lack of sufficient paint inside of the cradles causing premature failure is a major safety concern. I would not be surprised if there are accidents reported for this concern. …
Power steering has now failed twice once in 2012 and now in 2017. Complete rack & pinion was replaced in 2012 with 34800 miles, 2nd failure is now 1/22/2017 at 108000 miles. Now replacing steering rack and return line. 1st case exiting highway at 70 MPH could not turn wheel or turn right. Could only make left turns. 2nd case leaking fluid and making noise while driving around town. 1st was very scary, thought we would crashing exiting express way. Call Ford cs and they would not do anything due to 4 years but less than 360000 miles. 2nd was less scary but did not have control of vehicle and took 5 days to get service by a local repair shop, to far to drive to a Ford dealer. Not very happy with this happening twice and very expensive over $3000 out of pocket expenses for this vehicle.
When trying to make a ninety degree turn right or left into a parking space or pulling out while making a turn, I lose power steering and only have manual steering. I almost hit a car or the corner of the road/building as using all my strength, I cannot make a sharp turn. I have to back up and make wide turns. I am not driving this car much as afraid I will lose steering at a higher speed. It has become very difficult to pull into a parking lot to park at slow speeds as I completely lose the power assisted power steering and I have trouble steering in manual mode--can barely turn the wheel using all my strength at 1 mile per hour. I learned that Ford has recalled thousands of cars for this recently and online blogs show there have been complaints about the power steering for this model.
2008 Ford Taurus x 135000 miles vehicle started being difficult to turn either way. My wife and 4 kids were almost in an accident because of it. All fluid levels were good. Changed out the rack and pinion and the power steering pump and the problem is still occurring. It occurs mostly at low speeds, but also occurs at higher speeds. This is obviously a huge issue because there are multiple reports online of other people having the same issue. We obviously need to be able to steer to drive and also quickly avoid any hazards on the road and we can't do that because of this issue.
When turning from either a parked or stopped position the steering feels as though it is stuck in whatever direction I am steering and I have to help the steering go back into a straight position this I feel is a huge safety issue because I not only drive this vehicle back and forth to work I also have children that ride in it as well. Needs to be addressed and fixed at the manufacturers expense if not and there is an accident that results in a fatality there is a huge lawsuit coming your way Ford
While driving on a secondary road the vehicle's power steering system stopped working making it very difficult to maintain control. After getting the car off the road I shut off the engine and checked the power steering belts and fluid. Both were fine. When I restarted the vehicle the steering seemed to be working properly again so I drove home. The steering worked fine until about a block from my house when it failed again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford Taurus x. While driving 70 MPH, the power steering failed. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced due to a hose within the steering column prematurely deteriorating without warning. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
While driving approximately 35 miles an hour I lost my power steering. My vehicle steers very hard and is extremely hard while trying to park car. Right turns are harder than left turns. The vehicle is hard to maneuver around sharp turns and corners. Mechanic diagnosed it as a bad rack and pinion (steering gear) and is a safety hazard concern.
Steering complaints in other Taurus X years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Ford Taurus X?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Ford Taurus X, 27% of the model year's 153 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford Taurus X steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2008 Ford Taurus X, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Taurus X steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.