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 2003 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2003 tauruses windshield leaks. I checked the recalls and it shows a recall #03c03 for my car, but when I enter my VIN#[redacted] and it show zero for recalls. I'm not the first owner of the vehicle ,but that shouldn't matter in a this case. When my wife or I are driving the car in the rain the water is leaking into the car. I would appreciate it if someone could help me with this citation. Thank you.
2003 Ford Taurus wagon. There are serious safety issues that need to be addressed by a recall: water leaking through the cabin air filter area into cabin compartment and seizing and overheating heating resistor and heater blower motor. My Ford dealer told me there were no recalls for these problems on my car which is no longer under warranty the water leaking through the cabin air filter area into the cabin compartment in many 2001-3 Taurus's have caused their heater blower motors to bind or seize which also burns out the blower resistor. It also eventually causes mold to form in the heater area and under the dampened carpeting. After noting a burning smell several times in my car's cabin after starting my heater fan, my heater defroster blower at first would not work- only to work a bit later-until it finally ceased to work completely. …
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. …
Tl*- the contact noticed water leaking on the passenger's side floorboard of his 2003 Ford Taurus. The contact noticed more water when it rained or when the vehicle was wet. The dealership informed the contact that there was a water leak due to there being no deflector over the pollen filter. The dealership made the repair, and there has not been any more leaks. The contact stated that the air conditioner fan had stopped working . He took the vehicle to a mechanic, and was informed that the resister switch needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the resister switch. The air conditioner resister switch failed again approximately two months later. The contact stated that the mechanic informed him the blower motor needed to be replaced due to rust from the previous leaks. The vehicle currently had 61000 miles. …
I currently own a 2003 Ford Taurus sedan. Twice in the last 2 or 3 years I noticed water on the carpet on the front passenger side of the vehicle. Well, over the last few weeks the blower motor started acting abnormally. Finally, on February 23, 2009, I had to take the car to a local dealer to have the blower motor, a resistor bank, a piece of cowl top plastic and some weatherproof gasket replaced. I learned just prior to taking the vehicle in that there was a "TSB" about this same problem for a range of vehicles built between 2001 and 2003. The cost of these repairs was $237.00 in labor and approximately $200.00 in parts. I am annoyed and irritated that Ford motor company still can't learn how to make cars, test them as long as they do, build them and then I experience this particular problem that they already knew about, six years after purchasing the vehicle brand new. …
I own a 2003 Ford Taurus that began having water leaks that kept shorting out the vehicles blower motor resistor. These events occurred between 12/10/2010 to 05/24/2011 during which at my expense two resistors were installed. After a short period they continued to fail as did the blower motor. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership and was told that I had water damage that caused the blower motor to fail. A new blower motor plus new cowl insulation was in stalled at a cost of $468.42.the two resistors I previously had installed cost $80.00 parts and labor. I did an internet search and found this to be a common problem with my automotive model and Ford should had a recall and fixed this factory defect. I feel I should be reimbursed by Ford motor company. I have heard that this repair should fall under Ford recall 03V087000 but the dealership says no. …
I have two vehicles and rarely drive my newer car in the rain. I took my newer car on vacation and was returning home when it started to rain. A couple days afterwards I was headed to work when my car started to fog up. I turned on the defrost fans and could barely hear the motor running. I turned to high where it ran for about 1 minute before completely failing. I figured that maybe my blower was failing. I searched on the internet and found that this is not an unusual problem with the 2003 Taurus and is a known problem (recall number 03V087000 and complaint 10184014). From what I am hearing, water is leaking into the blower unit and causing it to fail. The blower is in a completely useless due to this leak. I have called the dealership and they said it would be about $500 to fix. This is ridiculous for a design flaw in the manufacturing process. …
I own a 2003 Ford Taurus ses. It has always had a front window water leak, however in the last few months the leak has made the vehicle impossible to drive when the weather is inclement. The VIN of this Taurus is [redacted]. Today I had the windshield removed and the glass installer told me that the reason the windshield leaked is that there was no adhesive at both of the bottom corners of the glass, and that this allowed the water to enter the cabin area. It was so bad that during the last few weeks, there would be water dripping from the lower parts of the dash board and the water had filled the heater fan housing, frozen and made the fan totally inoperable. This is definitely a safely issue as the fan was totally inoperable and would not allow the de-fogging of the windshield. Updated 07/17/2012
I have just purchased a 03 Taurus which leaked water onto the passenger floor board also causing my ac blower motor to short out. When it is raining, humid or later when it gets cold there will be no way to keep the windshield clear of interior condensation or frost. This will make driving dangerous if caught in a storm. I have been able to get Ford to act even though a related recall existed under 03V087000. I have found many others with this problem. I have read the descriptions related to recall number 03V087000 and Ford TSB 04-15-3. I also see there is an existing complaint number to NHTSA: 10184014. The water leaks during storms regardless of whether the car is driving or sitting still. The fan first would only run on high speed and now won't run at all. This is an known design defect and I am frustrated that I can't get it remedied by Ford.
[regarding Taurus/sable for water leak and ac blower defect; silent recall; TSB 03-15-6; related recall existing under 03V087000, & possibly also compliance recall 03c03] - also see complaint #10184014 certified car, 2003 Ford Taurus ses, 47,000 miles have recently (11/7/09) gotten water on passenger floor, & now see that this is a common problem & design defect. Now my blower mower has started an unusual sound as well, & this is obviously related. I was told that this sound is water sloshing around & will rust my blower motor, making that yet another repair. Have been told that Ford will not pay for repair - but have found many instances online where Ford did indeed pay 80% of this exact same repair. This is a defect & there are hundreds of complaints about the Taurus water problem all over online, yet Ford chooses to ignore.
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 2003 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 84 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2003 Ford Taurus, 7% of the model year's 1,223 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (33 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 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 2003 Ford Taurus window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 3% 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.