Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The brake system in our car has not performed properly on wet roads many times. On jan 21st, 2002 and mar 13th, 2002, we asked muzi Ford to fix this problem. They could not find the problem. They reported, it is common to confuse ABS activation with difficulty stopping". In fact, our car is not equipped with ABS. On the morning of jan 17th, 2003, my husband was driving in the slow lane of I-95; the car in front of our car came to a sudden stop. He immediately braked. He was still far away, and the speed was only 45-50 MPH, the road was wet and our cars brake system did not work properly and it hit the front car. There are many problems with our car. …
Daughter was driving down the highway and it was as if it went into neutral. No forward or reverse gears. There was no indication of anything about to happen transmission was not slipping or acting up prior to this. Just glad there was not heavy traffic as this could have been a bad scenario. After research have found this is a very common occurrence on this vehicle. Wondering why Ford has not down something about it. Bought a Ford Taurus because we thought it would be a very safe car for a young driver.
Tires: reported vibration , shimmy and pulling to the left. Took to dealer 6/24/2000 (1829) miles, balanced tires. On 11/14/2000 (9061)miles, 04/23/2001 (12871) balanced tires. Finally, 5/25/2001 (14518) replaced two front tires. Vibration and shimmy stopped but kept pulling to the left. On 10/10/2001 (23876) miles, charged me for alignment, car stopped pulling. Transmission: at approximately 40800 miles car had a noticeable shudder while going in reverse. Took to the dealer and was told it was a cracked casing as noted in TSB 15559 NHTSA number (630095) caused by miss manufacture of a part. Was informed dealer or Ford motor co. Would not assist with repair cost to exceed $1495. Brakes: reported brake problem on 5/25/2001 and 10/10/2001 when it was server, shaking and control problems when stopping. Dealer cut front rotors which was out of spec.- problem is back. …
I was driving my 2000 Ford Taurus se home. At the intersection of columbia and meridian roads south of meridian, idaho I pulled out from columbia and turned north onto a busy meridian road. I heard a clunk and I thought the car had popped out of gear. I coasted to the side of the road and found the car would not go in any gear except reverse. I felt fortunate that I was not rear ended because of the amount of traffic that day. I had the Taurus towed to aamco transmission. Their diagnosis was transmission failure and I had them repair the transmission which included a rebuilt torque converter, new bands, sprag clutch/low clutch, rear sun gear & drum, boost valve, pressure control solenoid, assembly set, filter and fluids. The mileage at the time of the failure was 61,841 and the bill came to $2,162.90 less $100 because I had a coupon. My car has the axod type transmission. …
For no apparent reason, the car was driving fine one moment and then there was no drive in any gear. Total cost for towing and repair was $3086. Transmission shop said reason for failure was failed torque converter. Transmission was rebuilt due to overheating. Transmission cooler was full of torque converter clutch material. I have found 113 incidents of dangerous torque converter failure related complaints in this national highway transportation safety administration (nhsta) database from 1994 through 2005. For a complete discussion see http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/82-maintenance-repair/[phone]-Taurus-wont-shift-into-any-gear.html . These torque converter failures and their related torque converter pump shaft failures create extreme financial hardship on the Taurus owners. …
Combination metal/rubber transmission cooling lines rotted out spraying hot transmisiion fluid through out the engine compartment and onto the hot engine. This failure on my 2000 Ford Taurus wagon with 77,000 miles was a complete surprise as my previous car was a 1992 Ford sable wagon that I sold with 395,000 miles on it and all the major oriiginal components in good working order. I just realized what the difference was. The 1992 sable transmission cooling lines were all steel, not a combination of steel/rubber as in my 2000. The quality has been lowered to save money. Fortunately, I was near my repair shop when the transmission started to die from the loss of fluid and the smoke started coming out from the fluid on the hot engine and exhaust. A little earlier and the car could have died on me in fast moving heavy rush hour traffic on on I-684. …
Traveling at 70 MPH on the interstate, the car just stopped accelerating when pushing the gas pedal. The transmission had simply shut down. The transmission had given us no problems before this time. We brought it to a transmission shop, the torque converter had to be replaced. The cost was $1100. The owner of the shop says he gets in 2 Taurus' a month with the torque converter stripped out. He replaced it with a higher quality torque converter. We contacted Ford, and explained that the car only had 56, 000 miles on it and that a transmission should not fail after only 56,000 miles when it has been maintained and taken care of. Ford refused to help in any way at all. They were not concerned that we were left stranded on the side of the interstate after dark, with no warning that anything was wrong. …
Transaxle warning light came on so I took the car to local Ford service. They said the torque converter was "locked up and wouldn't turn" (even though I was able to drive the car in just fine!). They said the transmission had to be rebuilt. I got their estimate along with estimates from 2 other auto repair shops in town. I choose a transmission shop and had the car towed there. Their estimate was $1000 less than Ford service. The new mechanic said the problem is due to poor design using aluminum parts that can't take the heat. Ford refuses to reimburse me claiming the denial is due to my having the repair done by an independent trans. Shop and not at Ford service which would have cost me $1000 more. I'm denied reimbursement because I mitigated the damages. What ever happened to fairness and common sense?
My 2000 Taurus required a major repair before it was 2 yrs. Old. The trans. Had to be overhauled. The torque converter could not stand the heat per the repair person. Ford co. Was contacted but refused to reimburse me for $1,985. Their reason was because I did not choose to have the work done at a Ford shop. The Ford quote was $1,000 higher than a non-Ford shop. Since when should a customer be punished for mitigating damages? I did have a Ford shop analyze the problem initially, but at that time had no assurance that Ford would reimburse me, so why should I sign up to pay Ford's high repair costs? The aluminum parts being used in the trans. Can't stand heat and therefore fail. Ford needs to admit poor quality and recall them. ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****770821***
Transmission problem: I have had my 2000 Ford Taurus for only 3 years and the car's transmission is no good! The exact mileage on the odometer reads 48,143 miles. I feel that I have been sold a lemon. My husband was driving our car on 10/7/07 while on our trip to atlanta, georgia and the car broke down in the middle of a major highway - jimmy carter boulevard. His life was in danger because another passenger's car almost crashed into the back of our vehicle. The car was running and suddenly stopped. The car note will not be paid off until December '2008. I feel that there definitely needs to be a safety recall on this particular Ford model car. I feel that I will need to make a television appearance on consumer report and make the public aware of this problem.
Transmission complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2000 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2000 Ford Taurus, 8% of the model year's 1,195 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (59 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Taurus transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.