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 2000 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I contacted Ford in 2011 because my car caught fire while I was driving it and exploded. They wrote me a letter asking for receipts for oil changes at a Ford dealership. I had bought it used from reynolds Ford it had 1 owner. I did have it fixed by people not at Ford and oil changes not at Ford . I bougth a new car but the fire was scary and my liabilty does not pay for it. I recently saw another car on facebook it looked like my car ia sked what kind of car is that they said a 2000 Ford Taurus. I bleive that this should of been recalled when I told them what had happened to me. I was lucky I jumped out right away or I would have burned and thank god I had no children with me. I am reporting this to you. Please let all other Ford Taurus owners know my car had just hit 200,000 miles. I hope no one gets hurt. Ford should have the records of the pictures I sent to them. …
Started to smell burned wires in car. Look under dash and smoke and wires where burned. Brake lights dont work. Reading online and other issue with this car and people where having same issue. When I called dealer they said theres nothing they can do because they are no more recalls on that. But I think this is a safety issue and can cause great danger.
Part of the engine, top portion closest to the firewall on the passenger side of the vehicle, caught on fire while I was driving on a city street near my residence in lancaster, ca. I noticed the smoke emitting from under the hood when I came to a stop at the stop light.
I recently purchased a car in December of 2005 and have $6000 as a current balance. On 05/03/2006 I was cranking up my car when it ignited and caught fire and was completely destroyed before the fire department could get there. I called the Ford customer relation department and explained the situation to them and requested that they replace my car because a 2000 Ford Taurus should not just ignite on fire from cranking it up, and they denied my request. I would very much like for your assistance on this matter or are companies allowed to sell customers defective cars and nothing be done about it. I only had liability insurance on it so the insurance company could not assist me. I informed the dealer from where I purchased it and they also said they could not help me.
My 2000 Ford Taurus ses is having a problem with the radio and windshield wipers.when I start the car in the morning the radio is playing and the windshield wipers are working.as I am driving the car the radio suddenly turns off and the windshield wipers won't work.the radio and windshield wipers won't work for the rest of the day.the next morning when I start the car to go somewhere the radio and windshield wipers are working again.as before,while I am driving the radio goes off and the windshield wipers stop working again and they won't work for the rest of the day.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Ford Taurus. The contact walked to the back of his home where the vehicle was located and noticed that the vehicle was on fire. He was able to extinguish the fire, but no one was injured during the incident. The fire department was called, examined the vehicle, and stated that the fire originated from the dashboard. The contact did not notice any differences in the vehicle beforehand and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the headlights failed to shut off, which required the battery cable to be disconnected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact felt that the vehicle was unsafe to drive in the event that the day time running lamps, high beams, and fog lights short out. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
I have a 2000 Ford Taurus wagon that my spring snapped and sitting on top of my tire. Read that there was a recall, however it is saying it would have had to happen before 2005. I feel it should still be covered by Ford and I am a single mother of 3 and my income is limited. Paying between $600 and $1500 to have repaired is not available to me.
The car burst into flames 30 minutes after it was parked. No one was in the car. The car was not running. The fire was under the hood. When the fire was seen the fire department was called. They arrived shortly and put out the fire. Everything under the hood, and up into the dash was burned and melted. The car was a total loss.
While I was driving with my 13 year old sister in the passenger seat, on the streets,on christmas eve, going about 40 MPH, I started to smell something as if plastic was burning, I turned into a shopping center nearby, but with it being christmas eve, it was so many cars inside the small structured shopping center that when the car began to smoke, I was uncertain if it was my car smoking or someone next to me. I continued to drive to the next open parking space, this guy quickly ran up to my car and told me to and my sister to get out because as I was driving he saw fire balls coming from the under my car. At this point it was clear that it was my car smoking very badly, I turned off the ignition and the front of the car was quickly engulfed in flames with in seconds. We quickly jumped out leaving the keys in the ignition. …
Electrical complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 62 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Ford Taurus, 5% of the model year's 1,195 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Taurus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2000 Ford Taurus, though it has 8 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 2000 Ford Taurus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 15 fires and 10 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.