Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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 own a 2005 Ford Taurus sel. It's been a piece of junk since the day I bought it.when I first bought it,it was burning off front tires every 2000 miles,it was aligned by the dealer twice,ended up having to take it to a friends tire shop,we [I'm a motorcycle builer/welder..] ended up cutting the welds on the shock mount and moved it.the gas mileage is aweful,but now,after 96,000 miles,the transmission started acting up.it was changed every 30,000 miles,always looked like mud.two weeks after it started slipping,my wife was coming home late from work on a secluded,dark,really busy highway,out of the blue,the transmission just completely stopped working,she had to drive it into a ditch,or get killed,luckily,the car wasn't damaged badly otherwise. …
My 2005 Ford Taurus has a stripped torque converter spline after I inspected it closely. I believe this to be a design flaw because it seems to be a very common problem with this year, make and model of this vehicle. It is also common in other similar Ford models. It is a safety hazard because the torque converter spline can strip out without warning, leaving the vehicle without any power to the drive wheels. This can be especially hazard in an intersection when a light turns red, on at high speed on a highway, which would risk a high-speed rear end collision. Ford has not issued a recall for this common defect. There are many instances of this same failure on the internet by other owners.the vehicle lost all power to the wheels as I was in an intersection making a left turn at low speed on a city street. …
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. …
Was heading home from fishing to have easter dinner with the family I was in the right lane going to pass a truck on the express way to the left lane, when I went to give it gas to go around him, I got nothing like the car was in neutral, rpms went up and I started slowing down .no noise no nothing so I sat on the side of the road for 2 hours waiting for a tow to get it home. Since it was easter Sunday I had no where to tow it too. I've been doing some research and looks like a torque converter not 100 percent sure until I dig into it. But I did buy this car used and have not had a problem in 2 years, got the extended warranty and what do you know I was 1600 miles over the limit so no warranty. I'm dam well not going to pay for this and ill be calling the finance company to come get it still making payments, cause if it going to cost me 1800 to fix it, no way cars only worth 2500.
Driving on a high-speed highway, when without warning (no check engine light or any other notification), the transmission quit working. I was left unable to accelerate or even maintain my speed; and I had to coast to a stop on an exit ramp as the portion of highway that I was on did not have shoulders on either side. It was very dangerous. The traffic behind me was just as ill-prepared for this sudden deceleration, and I was powerless to do anything other than steer to relative safety. It appears that the torque converter's splines are not properly designed and this is a common occurrence on this specific make, model and year. This defect should be attended to, especially so that there is no injury or loss of life in the future.
Upon returning to the Taurus in a parking lot, the transmission did not engage. The gear shift moved as freely as it normally does, but the vehicle would not go into either reverse or drive. I had to have it towed across town. Our mechanic told me today that the torque converter was stripped and had to be replaced and that metal particles from the stripped out pieces had to be cleaned out. Total cost will be about $1800. Mechanic said this is a common issue with tauruses and windstars of that time, and a look at the complaints on this page confirms it. Disappointing that Ford will not recall for what is obviously a widespread problem. My incident occurred at 88K miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving 15 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The brake pedal was applied and the gear shifter was engaged in park; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate. In addition, the revolutions per minute increased to high and the cruise control failed to operate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called the local dealer (rowe westbrook, 91 main street, westbrook, me 04092, [phone]) and was referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was 127,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the transmission exhibited intermittent hesitation. Also, while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled without warning and restarted normally. The failure became progressively worse. The failure recurred numerous times. Most recently, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power train control module would need to be replaced. The part was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired four times but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,847.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Taurus. While driving at 40 MPH, the check transmission warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned that the vehicle hesitated to stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was transmission failure. The vehicle transmission module was reprogrammed however the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 169,904.
Transmission complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 123 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Ford Taurus, 16% of the model year's 774 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (44 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Taurus transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.