Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Backing out of parking space resulting to damage to both vehicles . Brake\gas pedals. Position of driver ( body turned) relative to pedals while backing car can allow drivers foot to be in contact with both pedals. Increased pressure on the brake can allow increased pressure on the gas pedal allowing the vehicle to continue in a reversed direction . Can strike a person or object resulting in injury or damage. Subject car is a station wagon and appears to have lower seating \configuration than a sedan .
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that three days after the vehicle was purchased it was inspected and the inspector stated that the rear suspension and the brakes were defective. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic to have the brakes as well as the tires replaced. The contact stated that the dealer sold her an unsafe vehicle that could have caused a crash to occur. While driving 25 MPH down a hill, the contact stated that the brakes began to malfunction. The vehicle would not stop and continued driving through an intersection. The contact crashed the vehicle into a wall causing injuries to her knee and neck. The contact was taken to a hospital and was treated for her injuries. The contact was unable to walk due to the crash. The contact stated the dealer sold her a vehicle that had faulty brakes. The failure mileage was 63,000. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The accelerator pedal also depressed to the floorboard. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle would not stop. The vehicle crashed into a communication box, went air bourne, and came to a stop after landing. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 02V266000 (service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages) that May be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 9/10/12
Late September early October I received a letter from Bosch about a recall on brake pads I had gotten from pepboys. I work for a school district in utah and we do most of the work our self. So I called them and they told me they would call back to tell me what I need to do for this recall. After 2 weeks and no call, I called them, they put me on hold and never got back. I called again a few days later and was transfered to a voice mail box that was full and not taking messages. This car is sitting here for a month and we are not able to use it because of this recall. The shims on the back of the pads comes off and cuts into the rotors. One side has done this and the other is just starting to cut into the rotor. What I would like to know is there anything I can do to get them to speed up with this.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to accelerate independently. The contact attempted applied extreme pressure to the brakes but the vehicle did not stop until crashing into a concrete parking bar. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where the brake pads were replaced and the rotors were resurfaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileages were 101,000.....updated 10/11/12 updated 10/17/2012
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. When the brake pedal was depressed, the brake lights failed to illuminate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake light switch was malfunctioning, but was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V106000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 233,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard, but the vehicle would not immediately slow down or stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the braking system was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.
My 2002 Ford Taurus suddenly would not shift out of park. My back driver side brake light won't work. I look it up and saw a recall but when I called the dealership they said there wasn't a recall on my car. Please help
I own a 2002 Ford Taurus and when I took the car in for brake service my mechanic discovered that 3 of 4 coil springs were broken. The left rear spring spun and cut a gouge in a tire with less than 100 miles on it. There is no recall on this item so for replacement of the springs I was socked with a $400 bill. I researched the problem and discovered this has been a problem with these springs for several years. See below associated press tue, oct. 04, 2005 washington - the government is investigating whether the rear coil spring can fracture and punch a hole in the rear tires of some models of the Ford Taurus and Mercury sable, federal auto safety officials said Tuesday. The national highway traffic safety administration said it opened a preliminary investigation into the 2000-2001 models of the Taurus and sable sedans after receiving 131 complaints about broken coil springs. …
Was out driving and running errands when I started noticing when I stopped at a light,no matter how much pressure I applied to my brake pedal it seemed my engine was either idling high or there was a problem with with my brake system. In the times this has happened I have been unable to control the functioning of the brake system and deemed as the owner driving the car to be unsafe and refuse to drive a vehicle that I feel is not safe for me or the highway. Since this has happened I have looked at numerous other accounts of the same things happening to other peoples cars and not only mine.I have been unsuccessful getting this defect to be known by Ford motor company but have found several reports of the problem on the NHTSA website ! I have been unable to get Ford to do anything about addressing this problem. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous application of both the brake and accelerator pedals could result in an increase in engine RPM.
Remedy: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured.
NHTSA investigations
Brake/accelerator pedal application
Ms. Rodman reported that after her vehicle was inspected for the recall, her mother experienced a sudden acceleration and crashed the sable into a light pole.previously NHTSA had conducted an investigation for this issue (pe02-035) that resulted in the recall (02v-266) of 369,000 my 2000-2002 taurus and sable vehicles equipped with adjustable brake and accelerator pedals to insure that the separation between the…
Brake complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Ford Taurus, 3% of the model year's 1,426 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Taurus brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-266 (pedals and linkages, Oct 2, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Taurus brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to brakes 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.