Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. When it rains, water leaks into the passenger compartment, which May have caused the blower to malfunction. While driving 55 MPH, the air conditioner began to lose power and went from high to low; however, the control knob was still set on high. Once he arrived home, the air conditioner failed completely. The contact turned off and then turned the air conditioner back on and the power level went back to high. Approximately five minutes later, the power was reduced again to low. The air conditioner failed completely once again and the contact smelled burning wires. The air conditioner failed to come back on after this failure; however, all the other components still functioned properly. He took the vehicle to a local mechanic after several months and was informed that everything was working properly, except for the air conditioner blower motor. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving at any speed, the blower motor emitted smoke from under the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the resister blower motor was getting damaged with water from the crow and under the air cabin filter where the installation of the cabin air filter. The technician informed the contact that the vehicle need to be taken to a dealer to have the installation replaced. The vehicle was repaired twice; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact noticed a leak underneath the dashboard on the passenger side floorboard. She also detected smoke and then the air conditioner failed. The mechanic stated that blower motor was leaking and it was replaced. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 91,000 and failure mileage was approximately 80,000. Updated 3/5/08 the consumer stated the mechanic replaced the blower motor but the blower resistor was not repaired but the mechanic stated both were rusted from water damage. Updated 03/05/08
Our 2003 Ford Taurus started to leak from somewhere. The floors became wet when it rained. We took the car to the Ford dealership and they fixed"the problem. This happened 3 more times each time they claimed to have fixed the problem. We were left without a car for a week the last time ,and still we have problems with the car. The water damage has left my car with a foul smell and has shorted out our blower for the second time. Ford in waterbury ct has given up on the car and claimed that they cannot find where the water is coming from. This happened over the course of about 1 1/2 years. Since this time our warranty has ran out and the problem is not fixed. We are aware of recall # 03V087000, but we are not sure if this is part of it. I have researched the internet to find many descriptions of Ford models 2001-2003 with this same problem. …
2003 Ford Taurus has problems with transmission, engine backfiring, hood latch is broken, and seat bracket fell off. The tires were continuously going flat. Six flats occurred while the consumer was on a trip, the transmission was slipping and would jerk in traffic, the engine would back fire intermittently and stalled on one occasion, the seat bracket was replaced by the dealer but failed again (the seat bracket was incorrectly installed from the start), the engine also displayed knocking and had taken about 9 visits before the problem was corrected, it was discovered that a valve was sticking out. The A/C did not cool, the consumer smelled coolant which leaked inside the vehicle. …
I purchased an 03 Ford Taurus 5 months ago from a Ford dealership in pa. Upon the winter season's arrival, I turned on my heat to hear a loud squeaking noise. I took my car to a repair shop where I was told that my blower motor was full of water due to a faulty cowl on the car. I was told that Ford was aware of this defect, and that it was semi common, but that Ford was not going to cover it under a recall. I was also informed that I would have to pay 500.00 to replace the cowl, the blower motor and a resistor. I called Ford to voice my anger about the situation and their response was there were basically not enough complaints and that it was not serious enough to warrant a recall. I disagree. I drive my 1 year old daughter around in the car. …
During a snow fall, my wife had just started her 2003 Taurus and turned the heater/defroster motor on high. She cleaned snow off the exterior windows and when she re-entered the car, the blower was not running; it would not run at any speed. She had to drive home with no heater/defroster working. She had no choice because she had to get home. This type failure has occurred on many taurse's. Service bulletin 031506 has been issued and Ford has redesigned the replacement blower, a tacit admission that the original design was faulty. When the Ford dealer called me with description and cost of repairs I specifically asked if a TSB had been issued, the Ford dealership told me no TSB had been issued. The car was 6 weeks out of warranty and the repairs cost me $450. …
I have a 2003 Ford Taurus and every time it's setting out in a moderate to heavy rain the right front floorboard gets saturated with water. I've had to replace the blower resistor twice and the blower motor once and the motor in it now is going out. Why isn't Ford being held responsible for the repairs and costs affiliated with this manufacturing defect and the costs incurred on those of us unfortunate enough to have purchased one of them? Due to this issue I nearly had an accident on 03/08/10 when my windshield fogged during a rainstorm and I lost almost all visibility. If I hadn't known the area very well plus 25 years of law enforcement driving I very well could have been seriously injured or killed. NHTSA needs to act on this asap before someone is killed. My name is [redacted] and I can be contacted at [redacted], in mesa, arizona. …
I found this web site ( ttp://forums.carreview.com/show thread.php?t=2030 ) while looking for information on how to change the heater fan blower resister on my 2003 Ford Taurus. What was described on this site is exactly what happened to me a couple months ago. My wife noticed a puddle of water on the passenger's side front of the car. Not long later the fan for the heater went out. The above mentioned site said that a Ford admitted design defect allowed water to get into the heater system and causes the blower to go out. This is definitely a safety issue because I can't drive my car when it is cold because the front window will fog up and I can't safely see out the window. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. The defroster blower motor failed to operate while driving. The contact was forced to clear the windows manually. The failure occurred suddenly and with no warning indicators. Ford motor company was aware of this failure, and issued technical service bulletin (TSB)#13-031506 to the dealer, indicating that water could get into the blower motor. Ford stated that the failure was not a safety issue worthy of a recall. Additionally, the contacts warranty expired. The vehicle will be diagnosed by the dealer on March 30, 2007. The contact was aware of the safety risk involved due to the lack of visibility while driving. The current and failure mileage were 16,300. The contact has provided the invoices for the repair and further states he wants to be reimbursed for repairs which is totaling $182.00. Update 4/23/07
AC & Heater complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2003 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 138 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2003 Ford Taurus, 11% of the model year's 1,223 complaints. The component named most often is defroster/defogger/hvac system › fan/motor (86 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Taurus ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2003 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 2003 Ford Taurus ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 2 injuries to a/c & heater 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.