Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle's windshield was loosening on the upper passenger side. The contact noticed that the windshield was coming out of the molding. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle was parked and locked for 8 hours when a noise was heard. The consumer viewed the front of the vehicle on fire. The insurance and fire investigators thought that maybe the fire started in the windshield wiper motor.
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. …
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. …
Heater fan blower only worked on highest speed only. I found out from a service technician that the problem was not a control switch, but was a resistor network p/n f6dz 19a706 aa. I replaced the part and problem was fixed (temporarily). Same problem returned 5 months later (9/26/08). More inquiring at the dealer revealed the problem source. Water leaking through a hole near cabin air filter. Technical service bulletin TSB 04-15-3 explains the remedy and repair instructions. Replaced resistor for second time and installed weatherstrip 4f1z 54022a54 aa, and panel 4f1z 54018a16 baa and applied silicone sealant in the leak hole. Did not replace the blower motor at this time since it seemed to be working. Now 1/25/09 the resistor failed for the 3rd time. …
Since I bought my Ford in July 2003 I've been complaining about my windshield being defective, the windshield itself has little chips in it (a manufacturer defect in the glass) and I've always complained to my Ford dealer about highway noise. 9 years later the "noise" has gotten so bad that I'm afraid that if I hit a pot hole hard enough that my windshield will fall out! Also the bottom right corner of my windshield has gotten so bad that I had to stuff tissues to reduce the rattling of my windshield. After doing extensive research on recalls for my car I've found one recall for the exact problem I've been having all these years. Please tell me that I can still have my windshield replaced. It's coming to the point that I am afraid to drive my car. Ford recall number 03c03, dated March 03, 2003 from NHTSA. …
Occasionally, after heavy rain, the passenger side floor of my Taurus would be soaked. This went on for a few years. During the winter of 2007, the blower motor stopped functioning due to the leak. When the blower motor stopped working I was on the highway and could not defrost my windows. This was especially dangerous because of the snowy and icy conditions. Not only was I unable to defrost the inside of my windshield, but I also could not prevent ice from forming on the outside of my windshield. It was an extremely dangerous situation and I had to exit the highway. The window cowl under the windshield and various parts of the blower motor were replaced. This did stop the leak. My Taurus is a 2002, but I have seen this problem in the 2000 to 2005 models. It is unacceptable that NHTSA has not investigated this and issued a recall. …
Dt: 2002 Ford Taurus, the consumer stated she purchased the vehicle used. She did a car fax report before buying the vehicle and all the maintenance that had been done was done by the Ford motor company. This car has Ford motor parts on it. When it rains it leaks into the passenger floor board. The water was about one inch deep in the floor board yesterday. The consumer called the dealer where she purchased the vehicle from and they said there was no recall. The consumer had her insurance company to see if there was any recalls. They told the consumer there was the recall number is 03V087000. This recall was on the windshield, leaking. There were also two other recalls numbers 04V106000 service brakes wiring and 02V266000 brake pedal. The consumer wanted to know why her vehicle was not included in the recall.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that after purchasing 4 new tires he noticed that while driving the front drivers side became flat. The vehicle was towed to a tire dealer who advised him that the front coil springs had punctured the tire causing the flat. The front drivers side coil spring was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there were no recalls on his vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Updated 06/16/11 the consumer stated he was in the garage. When he shifted the vehicle in reverse, the left front tire exploded. The consumer took the vehicle took Goodyear where they infromed him the both coil springs needed to be replaced. Also, the drivers side window would not go up or down and anti-lock brakes were not working. Updated 11/16/11
Reference Ford TSB #04-15-3. I have a 2002 Ford Taurus ses with only 39,000 miles on the odometer and the blower motor had to be replaced because of water leaking from the bottom of the windshield into the blower motor. I was told by a local Ford dealer that there is a recall #03V087000 on this problem, but it expired in 2007, so I had no choice but to purchase a new motor for $133.97, Ford part #1f1z-19805-aa. This is evidently an ongoing problem. The internet site I visited had 7 pages of complaints about this same situation. This becomes a safety issue because visibility is impaired due to the fact that now you do not have any window defrosters. I am writing this complaint mainly to see if Ford won't extend the above mentioned recall notice.
Related recalls
Visibility › Windshield
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting." the windshields May potentially exhibit increased wind noise, water leakage, and squeaks and rattles.
Remedy: Dealers will replace these windshields. Owner notification began on March 31, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Window & Wiper complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2002 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 64 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2002 Ford Taurus, 4% of the model year's 1,426 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Taurus window & wiper problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-087 (windshield, Mar 10, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Taurus window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.