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 1995 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This past Sunday, on June 11, 2017 I was driving home from a graduation party and there was a loud "pow" once I accelerated from a stop. My steering was very stiff (as if I was driving an ancient large truck with no power steering, also my exhaust system at least partially came undun. I was able to get the crippled car to our regular repair shop, who told me that I had a subframe rust-collapse. I had talked to a shadetree mechanic friend, who said that it wasn't an actual subframe collapse, but the next layer up, the engine cradle whose sleeves are no thicker steel than the unibody sheetmetal. One of the sleeves rusted through. Supposedly the engine cradle sleeves are removable/or the cradle itself. My mechanic friend and the tow fellow that brought my car back to my home, both said that what happened is quite rare, they never heard of such an incident. …
Tl contact owns a 1995 Ford Taurus. While driving 5 to 10 miles per hour there was a loud banging noise and within a few minutes the engine fell on the ground. He was able to continue driving a short distance as the parts began to fall off of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. A mechanic stated that the engine mounts on the rear corner of the sub frame fell off and the repair cost was $617 . He contacted Ford and they stated that they wouldn't offer any assistance since the VIN was not included in recall 98V323000, structure, frame and members. The failure and current mileages were 138000. Updated 12/30/09. Also, the power steering was inoperative. Updated 12/30/09.
I bought this car used last July. In October I noticed that when I took a left hand turn the steering wheel would stick and I would have to pull it to get it straight. I took it to be fixed but they could not find a problem. This problem has been going on since then. Three days ago I took my kids out for ice cream and we got into an accident. This time the steering wheel locked completely, I could not move it and we slammed into another car. Nobody believed me, it took alot of searching to find out that it was the bushings or something like that. Although I bought this car used it has given me nothing but trouble.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Ford Taurus. While accelerating, the contact stated that the steering wheel would abnormally turn at a 45 degree angle. The dealer stated that there was corrosion and a detachment of bolts in the rear corners of the subframe. The manufacturer was notified but denied any assistance with repairs to the failure because the vehicle was not associated with the NHTSA campaign id number: 98V323000 (structure:frame and members) recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 128,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while reversing from a parking space, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was advised that the under carriage needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
The speedometer head has been replaced 4 times. Once under warranty, once on an extended warranty and 2 times at my expense. All four times used Ford replacement parts and the 1st 3 repairs used Ford mechanics. As the car is less than 5 yrs old and under 89000 miles, it seems extraordinary that it would require replacing the speedometer head every 12 months. This is not normal. The Ford dealer and the customer service dept of Ford motor company says, thanks for the information. We will replace it if you will pay all costs. I do not feel that this is notmal. The power steering pump is extremely loud. Ford dealer says yes, is loud, works find. They will eplace at my expense and it " will be quiet for a while" that is the nature of a Taurus...I do not feel this is accurate or acceptable
While driving at 70 MPH on a busy interstate vehicle stalled and went out. Consumer had to drift to the side of the road because power steering also went out, unti l vehicle cooled off. Consumer then started vehicle, went a couple of miles, and the same thing happened again. Consumer feels this problem only happens when it is hot outside. This is a safety hazard because when this happens it could happen anywhere, and May cause an accident. A mechanic adviced that a fuel pump be replaced because it could over heat and shut down in hot weather. The driver did not accept the advice and the fuel pump is doing fine.
Problem with steering was a real issue, after 3 pumps, dlr replaced rack & pump, fixed problem. Wiper issue is infrequent, but scary; when in intermittant mode, the wipers sometimes stop wiping until I rotate the 'wiping speed knob' a few times to off & max. Also sometimes they will not go down after I shut the wipers off, they will stay in the 'wipers on, but not wiping' position about 3 inches above the normal spot until the car dries out. Then, as I am travelling down the road, they will go down fully.
Replaced original speedometer at 44,979 miles, and again at 80,980 miles. Speedometer needle would fluctuate and get buried at 90 MPH and driver wouldn't know how fast they were going. The original part should never have needed to be replaced, much less twice in only 80,980 miles. Contacted Ford, they refused to do anything about it, and we had to pay for parts and repairs for both replacements. First replacement of $295, second (2 years later) was $500. Same dealer.
Consumer called complaining about having problems with power steering leaking. Also stated that has contacted and stated that there was a recall on the engine. Engine was replaced and that is when started having problems with the power steering leaking of the vehicle. Dealer wont fixed the problem unless the consumer pays for the work. The vehicle has had three different engines on the vehicle. Ts
Steering complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1995 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the steering of the 1995 Ford Taurus, 3% of the model year's 1,205 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Ford Taurus steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1995 Ford Taurus, though it has 5 recalls 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 1995 Ford Taurus steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 128,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.