Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
I have a 1999 Ford Taurus. When the windshield wiper switch is off, sometimes the windshield wipers will come on for no reason. Sometimes this is just once then it will stop. Sometimes it is several times in a row then it will stop. It is most prevalent during the summer, or on hotter days. Although, it has even happened in cold weather. I notice that others have complained about this same problem, but as yet it appears that there is no recall on this apparent defect in the design by Ford. It is clear to me that the switch tolerances do not adequately take account of expansion and contraction over the operating temperature ranges of the vehicle. The problems I describe above have been observed in sacramento, ca, which is not the worst place in the U.S. For severe temperature changes between seasons. …
Car: 1999 Ford Taurus se sedan a problem has started occuring with my front windshield wipers since oct 2004. The wipers are malfunctioning, whereby they come on intermittently even when the wiper-switch is in the off position. I took my car to my dealer ( dillon Ford, 30 tolland turnpike, manchester,ct ) to have this problem examined and fixed. The dealership charged me $75.00 to examine the problem. The technicians reported that they were nto able to reproduce the problem and felt the cause of the problem might be a failed gem module. I ordered a new gem module through the dealership and had my gem module replaced. This cost me about $400.00. The replacement did not fix my problem at all. I still have in my possession my old gem module; the car has the new gem module. …
Purchased '99 Ford Taurus from hertz dealership in July 2000. After a couple of months the windshield wipers would constantly come on when in the off position. Sometimes occurs right after signal has been used but not always. Will occur at random. When taken back to hertz dealership, mechanic informed me that it is a known Ford manufacturing defect and must be fixed by them. When I contacted the Ford dealership, they stated they would only fix the defect without charge if the mileage was under 30,000. At the time, my mileage was approximately 29,995. Constant attempts to have problem resolved by Ford have been unsuccessful. Ford dealership stated that problem with the wiring was not supposed to be on Ford cars but only on vans and trucks. …
I am experiencing a leak (twice) in my 1999 Ford Taurus lx that leaves my passenger side floor soaked and has caused me to replace my blower motor/resistor(once thus far). I do not see a specific recall related to my make and model listed on any Ford site but I have become aware that this is an extremely common experience for Taurus owners. This defect is being passed on to the consumer unfairly, a recall should be ordered. I paid less than us$200 for my replacement parts and labor, but I hear that Ford charges upwards of $500 to fix the leak completely. If I don't have this done, I will likely be replacing parts again and/or will be exposed to mold. Please act. I have been able to find others with the same problem online such as a previous complaint : 10184014 filed concerning recall 03V087000.
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.
When driving my car,the windshield wipers will come on periodically without being turned on.this happens while driving down a road with or without having made a turn. It has happened at least 40 times within the last year.my Ford dealer says they cannot fix it under warranty because they can't make the problem happen,therefore,they can't fix it.this same problem is occurring with a 2nd 1999 Taurus that I own and my son drives.pretty strange coincidence,wouldn't you say?my fear is that when I need the wipers to work someday they will fail completely and not go on at all.
The windshield wipers would come on and go off while driving in inclement weather. The consumer was able to drive to dealer. The mechanic informed the driver that the windshield motor needed to be replaced. Please fill in additional information. Left back window motor fell out of window. Window will not go up or down. Dealership found motor was broken.
Tl* the contact owns 1999 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the windshield wipers failed intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
The dome light would come on and go off intermittently, and the alternator was replaced on 3 separate occasions. The door locks would go up and down and would come on intermittently. The problem was diagnosed as a leaking windshield.
Problems with car since day one. Began with wipers turning on by themselves, spoke to mechanic, said it was nothing to worry about. Then the car kept refusing to switch gears (second to third), the speedometer would quit and car died on side of road several times. Along with this problem, the brakes squealed very loud. Called dealer, would not help, sent me to Ford dealer (dave goulds). Replaced speed sensor, scraped "rust" off brakes and said they May continue to squeal, they do! The car picks up speed from no where, specially when coming from a stop. Very scarey, refuse to let my daughter drive because of it. Now the power steering is making a horrible hum and I have lost power steering on several occaisions. Added fluid, the next day it looked like cocoa bubbling out. I contacted the gould Ford dealership and I have to bring it in tomorrow. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 1999 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 1999 Ford Taurus, 5% of the model year's 874 complaints. The component named most often is windshield wiper/washer (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Taurus window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
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.