Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
My son was driving my 2002 Ford Taurus on 4-15-2014 at approximately 12:00 a.m. He had the cruise control set to 35 MPH. While driving, the cruise control began to accelerate. He tried to disengage the cruise control by hitting the brake. The cruise control would not disengage and the car kept accelerating reaching the speed of about 70mph. As a turn approached he could no longer control the vehicle. He hit a curb and a stop sign before the car came to a stop on the roadway. This was not the first instance with that vehicle and cruise control malfunctions, though this was the only time that the cruise control caused an accident. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene. The vehicle sustained $6005.00 of damage and is a total loss. Which does not include the cost of fixing the cruise control and acceleration issues.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While the contact was drving 30 MPH .the vehicle suddenly shut off without warning. While the contact was attempting to pull to the side of the road the driver side seat broke off from the bottom of it's base causing the contact to crash into a nearby wall.the contact was injured during the crash. A police report was filed for the incident. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact had the brakes, struts, ball joints and instrument panel replaced. The failure and current mileages were 68000.
While driving on a major highway my car stalled. The car began to decrease in speed and shake profoundly. There were no warning lights on to indicate the problem with the car. More pressure was applied to the gas pedal and still no increase in speed. After several attempts to accelerate the car increased to 40 MPH and then continued to decrease in speed. I pulled off to the side of the highway were my car was struck by another vehicle. After the incident the car did start and accelerated as if nothing ever happened.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the door ajar warning indicator illuminated even when the doors were not open. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failures could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Cylinder two misfire. Replaced coil pack, wires and all spark plugs. Problem reoccurring.
I bought my car new in nov 01. I noticed a stale smell and complained to the dealer and they changed a filter. Two days later the smell was back. This month,after a heavy rain, there was 1 1/2 inches of water on my passenger floor and water in my heater blower which within a matter of minutes killed my blower on all positions but high. I called Ford and they said there was no recalls on my vehicle. I did some research and found that my car was manufactured in oct 01 and there was a recall on the windshield. I took the car to the dealership and they told me it was probably not the windshield put a design flaw and they had a kit that would fix the problem and they would put a new blower in. I informed them that I was not going to pay anything for this they said they would contact the rep. …
I was driving and the car just went dead in the middle of the road. Tried starting and smelled fuel. Car towed. Fuel line had come loose and fell off. Then a week later, car stalled on freeway - I was able to coast off. Car started again after 1 1/2 hours. Taken to Ford service dept. I had to slip into neutral and give gas when slowing down or breaking in tandem with using breaks. Dealership said there were no problems. Same week, car stalls on freeway again. I am stopped in rush hour traffic trying to start car. It starts - I make it to work, car stalls in parking lot. Take it again to dealership - they say no problem. 2 weeks later, car stalls on freeway. I had to drive with no air conditioning in order to keep the car from stalling. Again to dealership (3rd time in 3 weeks) and again they say there is no problem. They also tell me air conditioning pulls a lot of gas - ? …
The fan blower motor on my dad's 2003 Ford Taurus se with only 33,000 miles and on my 2002 Ford Taurus ses with 82,000 miles both failed recently. My dad passed away July 7th and I was attempting to seal the car when a prospective buyer mentioned that the fan wasn't working. I checked it out and it work sporadically. I ended up taking it to hiller Ford in franklin wi after talking to Ford - they wanted it diagnosed. The dealer replaced the blower motor, resistor and rain hat which cost $520. The day of my dad's funeral, the blower motor on my car began to work sporadically. I took my car to hiller Ford and authorized the repairs today. The estimate is $429 to replace the blower motor, resistor and a seal. The dealer service manager stated that it appears there is a leak in the post for the windshield and water was getting behind the dash soaking the blower motor unit. …
I have a 2002 Ford Taurus sedan, and while driving about a month ago I pushed gas pedal to accelerate, the throttles became stuck causing the cars engine to speed up to 80 MPH in a 30 MPH speed zone. I had to apply as much pressure to the breaks as I could to control the car, and finally I was able to pull into a gas station, with the engine still racing, put the car into park and turn off the car. I was so afraid I just set in the car for about 10 minutes to collect my thoughts. I open the hood to see if anything had broken or came apart but could not find any unusual. I turn the car back on, the engine was still racing, I looked for the accelerator cable and found it. However, I notice that the small plastic o-ring on the cable used as a stop was caught on the corner of the air intake housing. I pulled back on the cable releasing it. …
I pushed the accelerator into passing gear to go around a vehicle in the passing zone on a hill. When I released the accelerator the car continued to accelerate and on topping the hill we were traveling over 70 MPH. I tapped the accelerator but acceleration continued. Coming down the hill I shifted into neutral and the engine accelerated to over 6000 RPM. I stopped on level ground and shut the engine off. On restart, the engine immediately revved to over 6000 RPM and a transaxle warning icon appeared. By alternately shifting in and out of gear I jerked to an auto body shop. The mechanics knew the problem immediately; broken plastic tabs had allowed the cruise control cable sheath to slip out of the throttle connector. The cable sheath was jammed against the edge of the connector, holding the throttle open. When the sheath was reinserted into the connector, RPM returned to normal. …
Engine complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Ford Taurus, 4% of the model year's 1,426 complaints. The component named most often is engine (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Taurus engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2002 Ford Taurus, though it has 3 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 2002 Ford Taurus engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.