Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle stopped accelerating while driving on the highway on a hot day. The driver was forced to pull over to the shoulder. There were no injuries or fatalities. After 15 minutes the vehicle could be restarted and was taken to the dealer. The dealer didn't find anything wrong with the vehicle. Consumer purchased another vehicle and used the Taurus for local use. On another occasion when the consumer accelerated the vehicle lunged forward while in a parking garage.
Dt*: the contact stated the speedometer gauge malfunctioned. The speedometer does not read the correct speed. It failed previously on two other occasions and was repaired. As a result of the failure, the contact covered the speedometer with paper. This made the speedometer gauge not viewable and the speedometer needle does not distract the contact. The vehicle was not taken for inspection and there are no plans to make repairs.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while reversing from a parking space, the power steering failed and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was stated that the under carriage needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Consumer was traveling about 60mph on side streetand gas pedal got stuck without prior warning. Gas pedal was all the way down to the floor. She had control of vehicle and hit guardrail. Consumer thought it was cruise control. Vehicle was totaled. Dealership is aware of problem.
Speedometer works up to speeds of 45. Anything above that the speedometer needle jumps around and makes a constant clicking noise. I received a speeding ticket for this. Looked online for diagnosis and found that everyone has this problem.
Car died in parking lot. After about 7 attempts, car started on its own. Car idled rough and was emitting white exhaust and on way home. Put car into park at each stop light to keep it from dying. Noticed a smell when got home. Thought at first a battery or alternator problem. Drove to dealer next day and they said that it was a faulty headgasket which blew the entire engine. Doing research on your website noticed quite a few of same complaints. A car this young with under 80,000 miles should not need entire engine replacement. Would appreciate so much if an investigation was conducted. We bought car 1 1/2 year ago for 10,000 and can't afford this hefty of a repair, and it should not have had this problem. But others have had it too so I think it is investigation worthy. …
Arriving home, I parked the car in our attached garage. I went into the garage and I noticed the smell of something hot or shorted coming from the engine compartment. I backed the car out of the garage and disconnected the battery. The next day, I reconnected the battery and no longer noticed the smell. I drove it and there was no more odor. The speed control failed to operate, and the speed control deactivation switch was leaking brake fluid on the wiring harness and the 3 amp fuse in the wirng harness was blown, but only after coming close to starting a fire. Ford has a history of safety problems with the speed control deactivation switch leaking brake fluid on the wiring harness and causing fires. This car was recalled in 2007 to install a fused wiring harness with a 3 amp fuse between the switch and the speed control servo where it offered no protection. …
At 45 MPH vehicle lost power from transmission to wheels. It seemed to be slipping, and then it would grab and the vehicle would lurch. At times there was little or no control of the vehicle. Subsequently, the transmission was consistently upshifting late and downshifting early, and sometimes slipping. One repair shop could not determine what was causing the problem. Gene evans Ford quickly determined that a faulty vehicle speed sensor was the cause. (this also caused the cruise control to be inop). They replaced the sensor and the transmission and cruise control have performed flawlessly. The part cost $36.58. Labor was $305.46. The total bill came to $369.60. I consider this to be a safety issue, and I would like Ford to reimburse me for this cost. 6
I own a 95 Ford Taurus with a speedometer that bounces wildly above 50 MPH. I have done some research and found this to be a common problem. I came across a Ford TSB 99-7-9 that has replacement part, when I called I was told the part would cost over $500.00. I contacted Ford customer relations and was told the vehicle was too old and that they would not repair this. My vehicle has 59,000 miles on it and it is in same condition as when I bought it new. I feel that this constitutes safety hazard not knowing what speed the vehicle is traveling. I think that if you investigate this, you will find that it is a very common complaint. That is why I am making record of this.
While in a parking lot consumer was trying to slow down, but instead stepped on gas and brake pedal at same time because pedals were so close together. Contacted dealer. *akattempting to park the vehicle, vehicle accelerated and consumer unable to maintain control crashed into a wall, injuring himself and damaging other parts of the vehicle. Consumer has had previous problems with the accelerator and brake pedal. Once before consumer was parking the car and had to keep foot all the way down on the brake pedal in order for the vehicle to come to a complete stop.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with 3.8l engines and originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, south dakota,…
Remedy: Dealers will add a boot to the speed control cable.
Acceleration complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1995 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 85 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1995 Ford Taurus, 7% of the model year's 1,205 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Ford Taurus acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 97V-025 (vehicle speed control, Feb 26, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Ford Taurus acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.