Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
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).
Vehicle was involved in a collision with major front end damage and no airbags deployed. The brakes have been soft or spongy. I have not seen any leaks for the brake issue. I have bled the brakes several times the master was replaced by the original owner.
Vehicle was traveling southbound in the outside lane of a 4 lane hwy. Vehicle changed lanes abruptly and went left of the center of roadway entering into the nourthbound lanes of traffic, continuing in a southbound direction, the vehicle departed the east side and collided with the end portion of a guardrail. The inside portion of the right front tire caught the outside of gaurdrail causing the car to straddle the top of the rail until the undercarriage of the car caught on a post of the rail causing the car to slide sideways until the left side tires dug into the ground and flipped the car completely over where it continued to travel south, rolling over again, colliding with a wood post then finally coming to rest on it's tires facing northwest. No airbags deployed at any point of the collision. Gearshift was between neutral and overdrive.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle's speed rapidly increased without warning. The contact lost control of the vehicle, drove into a grass field over a dip in the field which caused the vehicle to roll over and Land upside down. While flipped upside down, the engine continued to rev until the vehicle was powered off. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact and two passengers sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact attempted to pull down the visor and the vehicle crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The passenger side air bag deployed, but the driver side air bag did not deploy. There was no warning indicator illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the failure would be investigated. The failure mileage was 187,979.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle in front crashed into the vehicle in front of them. As a result, that vehicle moved backwards due to the impact and crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an impound facility. The insurance company determined that the vehicle was destroyed. It was unknown if the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the side of another vehicle the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, the tibia, and femur. Medical attention was required. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was not available. Updated 05/10/17
Complaint air bags contact owns 2003 Ford Taurus sel with 40,000 miles at time of failure. While driving alone at est. 35 MPH vehicle contact looked down momentarily and crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The passenger side air bag deployed the drivers side did not. The empty passenger seat had a warning light illuminated that said airbag not on. A police report was filed. Contact received injury to thumb and abdomen from contact with steering wheel. The manufacturer will be notified.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Taurus. While driving 40 MPH, another vehicle failed to yield at a stop sign and crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained shoulder and head injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic lot where the body damage was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,050. Updated 08/16/16 updated 08/17/16.
I was recently involved in a front end collision. I was driving a 2002 Ford Taurus se. I was driving on the freeway doing about 55 MPH. A chain reaction of accidents started and I was unable to stop in time to avoid rear ending the car in front of me. Approximate speed at the time of impact was 50 MPH. The entire front driver side of the car was destroyed. The problem is the passenger air bag deployed. There was no one sitting in the passenger seat. The driver side did not deploy. I hit the steering wheel hard. The car has been totaled. The chp office, body shop manager, and the insurance adjuster have all said the air bag should have deployed. I was not seriously injured, I.e. Nothing was broken, and therefore didn''t seek any medical attention. Short of bruising, soreness, and a couple of scrapes I was fine. …
An on coming car lost control and swerved into my daughters lane of traffic. My daughter was unable to stop in time and t-boned the other car. Upon impact, the other car was split in 2. My daughters airbags never deployed. All I want to know is why her airbags never deployed. When I call the Ford motor company they told me because "no one was seriously injured or killed they would not look into the matter." thankfully everyone walked away. My daughter has a concussion and bruised ribs from the accident. Ford motor company told me the only way they would consider looking at the vehicle is if I bought the vehicle from our insurance company (our insurance totaled the vehicle because of the excessive damage) and then had the vehicle towed to an authorized Ford dealer.
Airbag complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2003 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Ford Taurus, 4% of the model year's 1,223 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Taurus airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags 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 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 38 crashes, 0 fires and 43 injuries and 2 deaths to air bags 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.