Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus. On May 29, 2008, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. Brake fluid was leaking and burned the pavement in the contact's driveway. The vehicle was towed to an auto garage. The cause of the failure was determined to be brake line corrosion. The garage repaired the front and rear brake lines. The manufacturer is aware of the defect; however, they will not assist with the $285.12 repair cost. The failure mileage was 31,529 and current mileage is 31,869. Updated 7/3/08 the corrosion was caused by water being trapped by a plastic guide that held the brake lines to the underside of the vehicle. Updated
While driving the car at a low speed, deer ran out in front of me and I brake to stop and at that time the car surged and accelerated at a high speed which caused me to lose control of the car and hit a tree head on. I pressed the brakes as hard as I could and the speed would not decelerate. I suffered a large head injury that required 54 staples to close the wound. I spent over a week in the hospital, including an icu stay. This car is dangerous and is causing injuries and possible deaths.
Consumer was driving down a country road in a 1999 Ford Taurus station wagon when the brakes failed with no warning and the pedal went to the floor. Fortunately, consumer was able to coast to a stop with no damage and safely exit the vehicle. The following day the vehicle was driven (using the emergency brake) to the dealer who subsequently determined that the steel tubing of the brake line had rusted through, causing the failure. Having never heard of such a failure in three decades of being involved with automotive repair in a northern climate with salted roads, and in view of the fact that this vehicle spent only a few years in a northern climate prior to moving to a snow-free area, consumer requested and was given the failed brake lines as evidence (still available). Replacing the brake lines cost over $100 in parts and supplies and over $360 in labor, for a total bill of $471.18. …
Total brake failure: having worked on cars for 40+ years and owned many vehicles over the years, it was a surprise to suffer total brake failure without ever having the brake light indicate a failure. For as long as I can remember, all my vehicles had a primary and secondary brake circuit with a pressure differential switch that would latch and light the brake warning light. On several occasions a partial brake failure was caught by the warning light. Master cylinder replacement was performed quickly as driving with one circuit is dangerous. The 1999 Ford Taurus has no brake pressure differential switch, no kidding! If one does not make panic stops as a regular part of driving, it is easier than one would think to have a partial failure go undetected (despite that there must have been extra pedal travel). When the second circuit fails the result is total brake failure without warning. …
Dt: the contact has a 1999 Ford Taurus and has had consistent problems with the car since it was bought new. She has been complaining for the last 48,000 miles for the same things. Most recently last week she took vehicle to the dealer for a leak in the master cylinder, which they repaired. . They cleaned the hubs. She had to push the brakes all the way to get the car to stop. They replaced brake booster, machined rotors, and put new brake pads on. At 1,700 miles had to take vehicle to dealer for a noise she from the brakes. They cleaned the hubs. At 22,466 brakes and serpentine belt were checked. They put a new serpentine belt on at 22,500 miles. Also, had multiple electrical problems with the car. 4 multifunction switches were replaced. In addition, a head lamp control switch was replaced at 17,000 mile, and a new radio put in. The A/C had alo bee worked on twice.
While driving in a small town I experienced a loss in braking. The brake pedal went completely to the floor. I was able to guide the car to the side of the road, and then had it transported to a garage. They found that the master cylinder had failed. And was leaking fluid. This caused failure of the front brakes. On further inspection of the braking system they found that their was a leak in the brake line leading to the rear brakes. This leak was caused by external corrosion of the line. I thought that these lines were stainless steel, and should not have corroded due to salt on the roadway. If the lines are not made of stainless steel, they should be. The failure of the master cylinder and the leak in the line could have resulted in a serious accident, but did not because I was driving at a slow speed. I lost the complete stopping power of the car.
Hit the brakes hard when the person in front of me slammed on his brakes on the expressway and immediately noticed softness in the pedal vastly developing into 98 % loss of braking capacity. Afterwards, noticed leak in one of brake lines running along the left side underbody about midway. Approximately 4-6 months later the same scenario repeated itself with respect to the other brakeline running along the left side. Two weeks ago, the rear brakeline connecting the proportioning valve with the right rear brake hose sprung a leak resulting in loss of braking capabilities. All of these lines ruptured due to rust and or corrosion.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus. The contact's wife attempted to stop the vehicle, but the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The contact placed brake fluid into the brake reservoir and depressed the brake pedal, in which it extended to the floor again. He inspected the undercarriage and noticed that the brake lines were corroded all the way through. In addition, all the fluid he added leaked onto the ground. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 00V075000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components). The current mileage was 57,456 and failure mileage was 57,445.
Total brake system failure I was driving the vehicle at medium speed, and pressed the brakes to slow down at the curve. To my horror the brake pedal went down all the way without slowing the car at all. There was no brake warning light. The brakes came back briefly after pressing a few times, but went off again at the next stop light. The car ran through a red light, but fortunately there was no cross traffic. I pulled over slowing it down and put it into park. We got the car towed to the nearest brakes repair shop. The mechanic has informed us that the cause is an "internal leak in the master cylinder".
Dt: the brake lines tubing rusted from the outside. The brake line failed and the consumer lost braking ability. Had to take a section out. Talked to dealer, they said nothing they could do. This happened on August 26, 2005. Was pulling it into the shed changed the oil and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. The tube assembly was replaced (f8dz-2c287/aa, f6dz-2l568/aa, f8dz-26569/aa). The consumer had the factory parts replaced to prevent further failure. The consumer still has the old part in his possession.
Brake complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 107 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Ford Taurus, 12% of the model year's 874 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Taurus brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 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 1999 Ford Taurus brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to brakes 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.