Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for service at an independent mechanic, while in service with the contact inside the vehicle, the technician asked the contact to shift the gear into reversed to check the rear brake lights. The contact stated that when she shifted into reversed, the vehicle accelerated in reversed, the contact depressed the brake pedal but the brake failed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle went through the business front glass door and came to a stop on a street. The contact did not sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The contact mentioned that she contacted the insurance company for the vehicle and property damage. The vehicle was not yet taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing nor the manufacturer was contacted. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a deer. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing of the air bag failure. Also, while parking the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle would roll and then stop. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the brake failure could not be diagnosed. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
On October 28,2005 I was vacationing in hilton head s.c. I rented a 2005 Ford Taurus from avis rental at the savannah georgia airport. On October 30, at approximately 10:40 am I was proceeding westbound on U.S. 278 toward highway 170. I was traveling approximately 50 - 55 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. At that time a 2002 Kia 4 door came off private property of the st. Gregorey's catholic church across the two westbound lanes. I activated the brakes and swerved to miss the vehicle however we collided. My vehicle hit theirs broadside at my estimate of 25 - 30 MPH at impact. The impact was to the front of my vehicle to the driver's side of their vehicle. At the time of the collision, the anti- lock brakes on my vehicle locked so I was unable to steer out of the path of the Kia. At the time of the collision neither the driver or passenger airbags deployed on my vehicle. …
My daughter-in-law was using the car going approx. 30mph, when she attempted to break, but the car would not slow down and the acceleration remained constant (there was no deceleration until the rpms randomly lowered after flooring the breaks for a considerable period of time) almost causing an accident with the car in front. I then had the car checked out and received throttle body work, totaling approx $450.00 including labor. The condition of the car had not changed, upon arriving at my home there was a strong smell of burnt rubber and smoke rising from the front right hood of the car. I then contacted Ford and was told to get an appointment with a local dealership.
This issue occurred about 4 months ago when driving normally. Then, today we were driving up a hill and it started to accelerate without me pushing the gas pedal. The only way to get it to stop was to put it in park and turn the car off but, kept occurring when I turned the car back on. Putting it in neutral did not work.we were in the middle of our city.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. In addition, the brake pedal failed to respond when depressed. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,401.
I was trying to park the vehicle but when I hit the brakes, it accellorated, then I put it in reverse and it went about 50mph backwards causing me to crash into 2 parked vehicles. It stopped when I put on the emergency brake.
My daughter was driving the car the engine was idled up she turned in the driveway and could not stop the car before it hit a tree. This is the same day I replaced a idle control valve for the third time.
On 10/28/05 I rented a Ford Taurus at the airport in savannah, georgia while vacationing in hilton head, south carolina. On 10/30/05 I was driving westbound in the slow lane on U.S. 278, a four lane highway divided by a 40 -60 ft grass divider in route to beuford s.c. My speed was about 50 -55 MPH with a posted limit of 55 MPH. About 150 feet in front of me, I caught a glimpse of a vehicle (2002 Kia) leaving the driveway of the st. Gregory the great catholic church directly in the path of my vehicle. I applied the brakes hard, swerved to the left in an effort to steer around the vehicle. The brakes of the Taurus locked up and I left about 60 feet of skid marks on the roadway at which time I hit the Kia broadside at the driver's door. I would estimate my speed at the time of the collision to be about 25 - 30 MPH. …
Driving down the road when I accelerated the car continued to accelerate after I took my foot off the gas pedal. This happened to my girlfriend earlier when she drove the car. I was able to stop the acceleration by stomping on the gas pedal twice very hard. My girlfriend had to shift into neutral when it happened to her. This is an ongoing problem with this car and happens randomly at different speeds and conditions. When it happens the engine revs to about 4,000 rpms when shifted into neutral before going to normal. I did some research and discovered that as of March 2012 there were over 395,000 complaints about this and that the NHTSA was investigation. This is a common problem and well documented. I am a Ford fan but am very disappointed this has not been addressed properly especially in the wake of the Toyota recalls for similar problems a few years ago. …
Brake complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Ford Taurus, 5% of the model year's 774 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Taurus brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Ford Taurus. 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 2005 Ford Taurus brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to brakes 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.