Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the vehicle had independently surged forward without warning. In all three incidents, the contact either hit another vehicle or an object due to the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle would accelerate upon the depression of the brake pedal. The contact stated that all three accidents were minor; the air bags did not deploy and there were no injuries. A police report was filed when the contact hit another vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started rolling backward. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle however, the vehicle lost its brakes and the power steering assist functionality. The contact was able to apply the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact had attempted to restart the vehicle and observed that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic had diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the anti-theft system had caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. …
My 2011 Ford Taurus has had so many repairs out of pocket expenses and if I purchased another warranty package doubt it would cover my issues past and present. 69,000 th miles. Throttle bottle and pedal replacement $ 852.79 replaced on February 14, 2023. Mechanic tried to fix it but the error code is the large blue wrench and check engine light still on. Have to bring it in at the end of the month to my Ford Dealer as they are so booked up and I have read all the Ford recalls. When I start the car the break pedal is to the floor, it revs up and when I place the shift in drive it wants to take off by itself at a rapid speed. I then shut the car off and it makes a big thump. It takes me three tries to start it up again but looses power where I have to put my emergency flashes on. This incident is so dangerous. Ford should have done a recall there are so many complaints ! …
2011 Ford Taurus SEL at 100,000 miles the a/c started blowing out of the defrost at 90 degrees and on high, none of the controls worked for the A/C, radio, clock etc.. The front interface module went out. I was told by Ford no new replacements available they are discontinued and so far I've bought and replaced 3 used ones in the past 2 years myself. I was also told they would need reprogrammed (THEY DONT NEED REPROGRAMMED) buy the dealership about 400.00 and 300.00 to install a used part after I found one and bought it and brought it to them. The new parts should be available for you as long as long you own your vehicle you shouldn't have to buy used ones that are going to go out to.. The car has locked the doors car on me twice now with the key in the ignition on their own I left it unlocked. The excessive heat also cracked my windshield that I had to replace. …
Ford needs to recall the throttle body sensor and break pedal for the 2011 Ford Taurus FWD SEL MODEL. Back in the day, there was a cable connecting the accelerator pedal to the throttle. If that cable snapped, well, you were up a certain creek without a paddle. But at least you knew what it was. Nowadays every system in your vehicle is controlled by some sort of computer, including the ETB (sometimes called an electronic throttle control (ETC)). The ETB uses data from sensors to control the position of the throttle valve, which in turn manages the amount of air entering the engine. Spent well over 809.00 for new TB sensor and break pedal and my car is still not working. It goes into Limp mode and sudden acceleration w o warning. It's very dangerous. Repair done on Feb 13, 2023 REPLACED Accelerator Pedal SENSOR Fuel Injection Throttle Body
The option to adjust the climate control or change the radios is not available in this vehicle anymore. They are currently stuck on defrost and high heat which makes you almost blind when the sweat runs in your eyes. The radio just plays at an uncomfortable volume level. There have been no warnings has to why this happened. It just happened all at once, with no way to change it. You try being 160 miles from home with a toddler in car midsummer and your heater blowing on hi heat. This has happened to many people all over, theres no new part being manufactured to replace this broken one, and there's no salvage yards that have one for sale because they have all been bought up. and this issue is still arising in other fords that are only a couple years old. Ford needs to have a recall on this!
2011 Ford Taurus Limited 37'000 miles Original owner Like New Condition. Engine and all systems working perfectly no check engine or other lights showing. I was driving on city street about 25mph and with no warning engine and dash all shut down I had no crank and no dash lights at all. while I waited for tow truck dash lights did come on and anti theft light was flashing very fast. If I had been driving on Interstate 80 I may have been killed with all the Semi's that are always there. This happened August 7th 2025 It has been at the FORD dealership by my house for 25 work days and all they have done is checked the computer and said no power so replaced comp with rebuilt one and still no power so that is where I'm at. If you have seen this before please tell me ,they have no clue THANKS
This Sunday, the electrical power steering started acting weird as I was driving home, the steering did some unpredictable stops as I was driving 100km/h and had to take a turn on the road. Almost got into an accident because of that steering sudden failure. I can't imagine if there have been a car on the opposite lane I was gonna hit that car... I got so afraid I can't believe the steering can actually malfunction all of a sudden like this. I somehow got back home ''safe'' but then steering was dead. Impossible to steer. Dead. Got my taurus 2011 SHO towed to the closest Ford dealer so that they finally call me and say my VIN number is not on the recall even tho there were thousands of Taurus 2011-2013 recalled for that same issue.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while turning off the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was a fuel burning odor coming from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the electrical system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
The throttle body threw a code. My car lost "power' and stalled. It went into limp mode. Became inoperable. My four year old, his dad, and my safety was at risk due to this happening on a rural road on a hill. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere and an hour and a half away from home. The dealership replaced the throttle bottle, accelerator pedal, reprogrammed it, and it still will not function normally. I am out of a car and that is not okay. They only warning sign there was happened to be a wrench and that's it.
Electrical complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Ford Taurus, 25% of the model year's 187 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Taurus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2011 Ford Taurus, though it has 4 recalls 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 2011 Ford Taurus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles, and 34% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system 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.