Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Drivers door not latching. Have had to drive on a highway to purchase wd40 to try and get my door shut. I have also had an issue with my lights flashing. And who plugs a phone into a car charger for 2 hours and it doesn't charge. It never used to do that. Door wouldn't shut while sitting in driving and when driving in city and highway. Lights flickered while driving on highway. Phone wouldn't charge while on highway. I have to dig the two receipts out from the wd40 purchase. It is going in today for an oil change and they want to look at my door which will cost an additional $85 on top of the oil change.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that during rainy weather, the passenger side of the vehicle filled up with water behind the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a rain hat extension kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. Updated 1/12/16
First of all my wife came out to the car after work to find out she had a dead battery. I jump started the car and she drove it home. I then replaced the battery, thinking it was about four years old and it might need to be replaced. She then drove it home. Five days later she noticed that the blower motor wasn't working. I checked the fuses and they were OK. I then called the Ford dealer and told them what was going on. They made an appointment to look at the car and discovered the blower compartment was filled with water causing the blower motor to short out. When the blower motor shorted out it also caused a drain on the battery, which caused the dead battery. I asked the service tech if I had the motor replaced would I have the same problem four years down the road again? …
2001 Ford Taurus has premature and excessive corrosion. Transmission leak taken in for repair and shock of nearly depleted lip on the frame holding motor in place. One good bump and what was left of the lip would have given way dropping the motor and I would have lost my 21 year old son, possibly my handicapped 23 year old son, their friends or girlfriends that often travel in this car. I have kept the parts. We are still in the repair mode as the rear stabilizers are also in corrosion and need replaced. Car will also need realignment afterwards. I too have been told of the failure on the minivans for same things. I understand other Ford products have been coming in for the same parts failing. I have a young inexperienced driver that I believed would be more safe in your product. My children are my life!!!! …
While driving my 2001 Ford Taurus ses today at city speeds (30 MPH) I heard a very loud metallic clanking sound. I drove straight home and we put the car on the lift to inspect. We found the front left coil spring was broken from what appears to be rust/corrosion. We live in illinois & called Ford to see about the recall (04V332-4235) and how to go about repairing this. The agent checked our VIN and told us that our car did not qualify for this recall despite having been produced in the chicago manufacturing plant, which is one of the plants involved in the recall. Our tire was very close to being shredded by the broken spring and could have caused a very serious accident. I believe our car should be a part of this recall and stated to the Ford agent that I was dissatisfied by the apparent runaround I was receiving. …
Hello, I own a 2001 Ford Taurus and ever since the beginning of this summer, I have noticed that the driver's side floor board is constantly damp. I don't know if this dampness is coming from when it rains outside or if it has something to do with the A/C drainage hose being clogged. Either way, I find this as a safety concern as major cords are underneath the carpeting and I feel unsafe knowing that water is collecting underneath the carpeting, making those cords wet, which could spark an electrical fire. I really would feel much safer getting this problem fixed but I have no idea where to begin. I truly believe this is a safety concern and would really like to get it fixed, if only I knew where to begin. Thanks for your help with this matter.
There was very little warning to the failure. The vehicle drove fine until one day it developed a clunk in the front that was worse than the several that were already there. About this same time the steering began to feel sloppy as well. When I looked under the car the front sub-frame was rusted to the point where the a-arm disconnected itself from the sub-frame. The front of the a-arm is now floating free. This is the cause of the steering slop. The only way to fix this problem is to replace the entire sub-frame. This is the frame that holds the engine, transmission and suspension to the vehicle. The vehicle is no longer safe to drive.
ABS operated poorly. When the brakes were applied vehicle did not come to a stop immediately. Vehicle moved about 50 feet before stopping after brakes were applied. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and no work was done. They charged the consumer, and kept the vehicle for an extended period. But when the consumer picked up the vehicle, the consumer was assured that the work was done. Then, consumer took the vehicle to Goodyear, and consumer was told that nothing was done to the vehicle. Ak the consumer stated the drivers seat belt did not retract and the passengers front door was hard to open from the outside.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the floor panel on the rear passenger side was completely corroded. The contact also mentioned that water ran down into the windshield and collected under the fan blower, which caused the corrosion. A mechanic stated that the floorboard needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 130,000.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he heard loud noises coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was then inspected by a dealer and they advised him that front sub-frame was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired as the part was not available. The failure and current mileages were approximately 175,000. Updated 05/03/11 updated 12/02/11
Body complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Ford Taurus, 4% of the model year's 1,037 complaints. The component named most often is body (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Taurus body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Ford Taurus, though it has 9 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 2001 Ford Taurus body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure 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.