Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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. The contact stated that the service engine soon light illuminated on the instrument panel. A mechanic replaced the oxygen sensor; however, the light still illuminated. The contact was informed that there was a misfire on the #6 cylinder. In addition, there was a lot of smoke when the vehicle was started. He took the vehicle to a mechanic and they stated that the possible cause of the failure was antifreeze entering the motor. The mechanic also suggested that there was a potential issue with the head gasket, which would cost between $1,500-$2,500 to repair. Also, the vehicle would not decelerate if the contact removed her foot from the accelerator pedal; therefore, he would have to apply the brakes instead. The mechanic informed him that the vehicle would coast due to the cruise control. …
I owned a 1999 Taurus and drove it for approximately seven years without major problems. I performed the normal maintenance on the vehicle and it was in good working order. On septebmer 20, 2006 the vehicle caught on fire. The car was parked in front of my house. The source of the fire appeared to be the front right area of the engine component. The vehicle is completely destroyed and is now in a junk yard. The local fire department was called to the scene and put the fire out. There were no injuries, and minor damage to the grass due to the heat of the fire.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus. The contact noticed smoke rising from under the hood. He activated the headlights so that he could see more clearly. When he dimmed the headlights, the vehicle stopped smoking. The contact stated that the headlights flickered when he purchased the vehicle. The current mileage was 112,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. Remailed evoq 10/15/07
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that there was smoke rising from the fuse box under the instrument panel. The contact safely extinguished the fire and did not notify police. There were no injuries. The dealer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also not notified. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I have owned the vehicle for fourteen months. As I was parking in front om apartment, my right front tire bumped the curve and triggered my air bags, which in turn exploded and caused $3,000 in damage. The Ford certified dealer in my area was unable to find a reason for the airbags to go off. And when I called Ford the lady on the phone told me that she had never heard of such a thing. She said she had heard of people complaining that the airbag did not deploy when they felt it should, but not the airbag deploying from a <1mph impact of a tire into a curb. Ford insisted they could not help me. This has really been hard on me considering my insurance company was hesitant to cover the incident because according to them no collision occured for the airbags to deploy. However, my insurance company finally accepted claim. …
At 30,000 miles I had to replace my transmission on my new car due to the plastic parts that they are made out of. I had extended warranty so they charged me $100.00.... I also had to replace the steering column due to the car not me causing the problem. I paid $100.00 then also. I don't think I should have paid a penny either time. These are the car's problem's and it should have been recalled. They never told me of a recall. Not even the Ford I bought it from would tell me of any recall's. By law they should notify me, and tell me if I ask. I was in a wreck once in this car and I floored the car to avoid a head on collision. The front wheel drive pulled me forward and once I was hit the engine died and I was in a tail spin. The only thing that save us from being crushed by this truck, was me pulling up out of the way by my speed. But the engine being shut off could have killed us. …
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.
1999 Ford Taurus is suffering from electrical problems. The vehicle would shut off with no warning, the locks on both doors were off and would have to be played with to get them to open at times, the headlights were inoperative, also the dash lights were inoperative behind the gas gauge/radio/heating/ac/clock/and speedometer, the RPM gauge was delayed at start, the passenger door made noises when opened and closed, the wipers were intermittent, the turn signals were intermittent, the brake light had come on, the vehicle would not start in the morning but would start at night, the vehicle was sluggish and had poor gas mileage. The vehicle was taken in due to defective relays which were replaced. The VIN# on the vehicle and the VIN# on the sticker were different.
Intermittantly the windshield wipers activate when the brake pedal is pushed! I have owned the car for three years. Usually by turning the wiper switch on then off, it would stop. Today that had no affect on the wipers. I drove the car for about 2.5 hours today. The wipers came on for a total of about twenty minutes . I am taking the car to Ford tomorrow. I talked with the service specialist today. He stated this was not an uncommon problem over several models of Ford vehicles. The multifunction switch malfunctions. Why was there no service bulletin issued? Further, why would pressing the brake pedal activate the wipers? They are two separate systems!
My wife drove our 1999 Ford Taurus se to the store and when she went to leave the key would not fit in the ignition switch. After numerous attempts she finally got the key in but it would not turn the ignition switch. Her and my kids where stranded in town close to home. But with me being deployed it could have been a lot worse. I need to know if there has been any other issues with the ignition switches going bad on this type of car. I cant see a ignition switch going bad on such a fairly new car. And the cost and hassle you have to go through to get the switch ,key and the key programmed is outrages.
Electrical complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Ford Taurus, 6% of the model year's 874 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Taurus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system 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.