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 2005 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was on my way to work. When I came to the stop sign to turn on the main road. I felt my car jerk. I thought it was weird and kept driving anyways. Then I noticed the resistance was gone from the gas pedal and it went straight to the floor. So I came to the stop light and kept my foot on the brake. When the light turned green and I had let go of the brakes. My car was accelerating on its own. I had to keep pumping the brakes so I wouldn't crash or hurt anyone. I managed to pull into a mechanic's shop and asked for help. The mechanic told me that it was my cruise control and that it wasn't disengaging. So he had to disconnect it from my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated as the rpms increased. The contact was able to move out of traffic, stop the vehicle, and shift into park; however, the rpms were still high. The contact turned off the engine and restarted the vehicle, but the rpms remained high. The contact repeated the steps three times before driving the vehicle while slightly depressing the brake pedal. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a cruise control cable failure that was causing the throttle to stay open and inadvertently accelerating the vehicle. The contact stated that the repairs were unknown, but the independent mechanic informed her that he placed an unknown substance on the cable to keep it in place. …
I saw a recall notice in the news: 06n07 7807 for my vehicle powertrain control module PCM recalibrating for the flex fuel. I never received any notices by usps and have lived at the same address since 1984. I had the Taurus into two different Ford dealerships for service and no one mentioned the recall. As I am retired military my vehicles are always kept in top condition for travel at anytime. I was refused service on the Taurus ( tow different Ford dealership had completed work on the Taurus, without taking care of the recall) the service rep stated that the time for repair had passed. No wonder Ford motor company stock is down in the time passed, (I have service bills that show that two different Ford dealerships and I do have starting problems with the e85 fuel. I am wondering if other consumers have the same problem with the lack of notices for recall. …
While in park, rpms surge at 2000 until shifting into drive or reverse. While driving, barely touching the gas pedal the car gains speed quickly without having to use the pedals, have to keep my foot on the brakes the entire time to keep it steady - its accelerating by itself and takes a lot of effort to keep it stopped. Almost caused me to crash 3 times today out of the blue, once while at a red light with foot on brakes the rpms ran up to 3000 and tried to drive through the brakes, and twice while on city streets it accelerated from 20 to 50 in seconds, causing me to nearly miss a vehicle in front of me. Why my model VIN isn't included in the recall I don't know, because looking at everything online regarding the 05 Taurus my car has all the same issues, which weren't disclosed to me upon purchase because the original owner had no idea. Current mileage 186K.
This vehicle was in motion on a busy street. It slowed down,sputtered,and would not move.it was in gear (d) drive. I was able to coast it off the main street to safety.the engine light and the check transmission alerts were on. Accelerator seemed stuck as well. There are only 77,000 miles. I am told that the transmission is gone. There are more that 170 complaints concerning this car. Ford needs to take responsibility and repair these transmissions. Some owners have been on the highway. I was fortunate,I was only on a busy street. Turning was also difficult. NHTSA please do something before someone is killed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently to 55 MPH. The contact applied the brake pedal on multiple occasions; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the cruise control cable became disconnected from the throttle linkage which locked the speedometer at 55 MPH. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 196,560.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While operating the vehicle, the engine would suddenly rev very high and the RPM's increased without the driver pressing the accelerator pedal. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition coil, idler air control valve, and oxygen sensor were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,000.
My car will accelerate on its own without me pressing the gas. This happens at least 4 times a week while I am driving and happens when I am driving between 20 and 50 MPH. I can make the engine rev/acceleration stop by quickly tapping on the gas pedal. I have had the cruise control disconnected because my mechanic thought this was part of the problem but the random sef-acceleration has continued and seems to be getting more frequent. This has been going on off and on for a few years but has increased in frequency over the past few months.
As I tried to slow for a traffic light, the car continued to accelerate. I managed to bring it to a stop with the brake, but the engine continued to rev and I could barely keep it from lurching forward. I tapped on the accelerator and the engine went back to normal. At the next light, it did it again. This time I put the car in park and the engine revved to 4000 RPM. I turned the car off, but when I turned it back on, the engine was still at 4000 RPM. I tapped on the accelerator a couple of times and it went back to normal again.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle caught fire and burned. The vehicle was parked for over an hour prior to the fire. The fire department made an assessment and report of the fire and determined it could have started around the engine compartment due to the massive damage sustained to the engine. The insurance company investigated the vehicle and deemed it totaled in a written report.
Engine complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 107 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Ford Taurus, 14% of the model year's 774 complaints. The component named most often is engine (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Taurus engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 2 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.