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 2004 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The whole entire wires under the dashboard caught on fire and almost blew me my kids up in dallas texas, had it total and the mechanic stated that the whole computer system blew the wires out and that it was a manufacturing problem.
Vehicle started stalling at expressway speeds, most notably when pulling a hill or during acceleration. This progressed to stalling at idle and low RPM speeds, and eventually LED to surging and the inability to keep the vehicle running. This problem LED to the vacuum boost for the power brakes failing which caused the power brakes to fail unexpectedly and the vehicle would not stop, hit my garage and caused $3000 damage to my home, and $1000 worth of body damage to the front of the vehicle. Took the vehicle to 2 different Ford dealers. First one stated that it was the fuel pump and pressure regulator, replacing these did nothing but cost $800. Second one discovered that the plastic upper intake manifold was cracked at the EGR valve and pcv valve locations leading to the engine running too lean. …
The problem is the cruise control cable can come a loose from the throttle body when the accelerator is pressed. When the driver releases the accelerator, if the cruise control cable has come loose, the fitting at the end of it can get jammed in the cam that rotates the throttle plate, and it won allow the throttle to close, causing the engine RPM to stay high. This can happen randomly. It May happen while driving, and it can be duplicated when the car is in park. Several other people have had this concern. I "googled" throttle sticking on 04 Taurus, and came back with several hits, including some shadetree fixes. I feel this should be a recall as it can lead to a crash if the brakes arent powerful enough to overcome the engine's power output or the driver doesnt think to turn the ignition off (or they turn the key too far and lock the steering too) and/or engine/transmission damage.
I was driving down a county road going 50 MPH when I tried to brake the car kept accelerating and the rpms were high. I tried to brake but it was as if my brakes were out but I know they were fine. I kept speeding up so I hit the emergency brake and pushed brake put it in neitral but the rpms seemed to go higher. I quickly just put it in park while still moving n rpms high. Csar made a loud sound and jerked to a stop gave me whip lash there was no casrs on the road I was in the country. But as I stopped I just parked tryiung to figure out what to do . Was very shaken up so I had to park for awhile. After about 30 minutes of parking and calling everyone about my near death experience I started it up and drove 10 MPH hoime. Had it looked at by a self employed mechanic I know.
My 2004 Ford Taurus accelerated on its own quite a few times. After goggling the problem I saw that there had been a recall. I called Ford & was told my car wasn't included in the recall. They also told me to get it fixed because it could be dangerous. I know that because I was almost in a few accidents because of the sudden acceleration. I'd have to pull over, if not at a red light or stop sign, put the car in park & hit the accelerator a few times. I actually had to turn the car off & back on once to get the rpms down. I had the cruise control cable totally removed. The cruise hadn't worked in yrs. My mom owned the car before I did. I'd like to know why my Taurus wasn't in the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Taurus. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal became stuck to the floorboard. The vehicle continued to accelerate when the brake pedal was depressed. In addition, the vehicle was idling while in park. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The technician repaired the fuel injection, cabin air filter, idle control valve, and the butterfly valve. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,272.
Drove car about 4 miles. No problems. When parked it was smoking real bad under hood then caught on fire. Fireman said it was electrical. It gave no warning. As I looked on this website I have seen that I am not the only person that has had this happen. My car is totaled and I am without a vehicle. Now what will Ford do about that? I could have been killed. Thank god I wasn't.
Dt: the consumer had a 2004 Ford Taurus that was purchased on 4/1/05. On 6/25/05, 10 minutes after the oil was changed the vehicle caught on fire down the road from the dealer. The insurance investigator said the fire started because the dealer didn't put the oil cap back on properly.
This has happened over the past two days. The first time was at a freeway speed of 65 MPH and the second time happened on a side street at a speed of 40 MPH. As I released the gas peddle the car maintained the speed or accelerated on it's own. Updated 12/08/2017
I have engine code p0430, I change all converters, all 02 sensors still keep getting same code. My guess is upper intake manifold, which should last the life of the car. I can us a little help getting the part. Thank you
Engine complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Ford Taurus, 12% of the model year's 375 complaints. The component named most often is engine (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Taurus engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Ford Taurus, though it has 1 recall 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 2004 Ford Taurus engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 4 fires and 0 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.