Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2018 | 7 | 13% | 44,000 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 7% | 72,000 miles |
| 2016 | 5 | 6% | 60,000 miles |
| 2015 | 11 | 4% | 87,000 miles |
| 2014 | 8 | 3% | 50,000 miles |
| 2013 | 25 | 4% | 109,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 3% | 102,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 3% | 20,000 miles |
| 2008 | 10 | 6% | 56,000 miles |
| 2007 | 4 | 3% | 163,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 1% | 116,000 miles |
| 2005 | 7 | 1% | 20,000 miles |
| 2004 | 10 | 3% | 109,000 miles |
| 2003 | 313 | 26% | 85,000 miles |
| 2002 | 962 | 67% | 85,000 miles |
| 2001 | 515 | 50% | 71,000 miles |
| 2000 | 443 | 37% | 75,000 miles |
| 1999 | 180 | 21% | 70,000 miles |
| 1998 | 59 | 11% | 85,000 miles |
| 1997 | 28 | 4% | 97,000 miles |
| 1996 | 60 | 7% | 98,000 miles |
| 1995 | 69 | 6% | 91,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear end of the vehicle shifted while depressing the brake pedal hard. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who informed the contact there was a recall for the failure. The contact called the dealer however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not part of the recall. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact lost control of the vehicle upon depression of the brake pedal without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the failure was caused by a fractured rear suspension toe link. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension) which he linked to the failure however, his vehicle was not included in the recall. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact had taken the vehicle to an unknown dealer for an oil change and the contact was informed that all four tires showed significant tread wear and needed to be replaced. An alignment check was also performed on the vehicle and it was discovered that the rear tires were out of alignment. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension) which he linked to the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 17,202.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, she noticed that there was a change in the rear suspension and it felt like a rear tire was deflated. No warning lights had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear driver's side and passenger's side suspension toe links had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,102.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed over a dip in the roadway, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger's side wheel had shifted inward. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear passenger's side suspension toe link had fractured, and the rear driver's side suspension toe link was also failing, and both needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 102,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver and was not turning as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hit a pothole and started shaking while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the wheel bearing; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the rear end of the vehicle was shaking significantly, almost causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that she could only drive at slower speeds in order to not lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was test driven. The dealer diagnosed that the rear toe links were severely damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension). …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic for routine maintenance, and it was determined that the rear suspension toe link had failed and prematurely worn down the rear tires. The contact was advised by the local independent mechanic that the failure might be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension). The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Related recalls (2)
Suspension › Rear
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020.
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the…
Remedy: Dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, Ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles,…
NHTSA investigations
Front suspension spring
There is no summary currently available
Front suspension coil spring fracture
Odi possesses 130 vehicle owners questionnaires (voq) alleging front suspension coil spring failure in the subject (model year 1999-2000) vehicles.an additional 11 voqs concerning my 2001 vehicles have been found, bringing the total to 141.more than 75% of these reports allege that the broken spring damaged or punctured the adjacent tire.all of these reports originated in the salt belt states located in the…
Front suspension coil spring fracture
A total of 161 front suspension spring failures are known to odi and Ford from all sources, 59 of these leading to tire damage.these failures are concentrated in the corrosion states, where 253,814 subject vehicles were sold.warranty and consumer complaint data show that the subject fleet experienced a spring fracture rate of 0.009% at 30,000 miles and 0.03% at 60,000 miles.these rates are very low when compared to…
Rear coil spring fracture
The office of defect investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation, pe05-054, based on 131 vehicle owner questionnaires related to alleged rear coil spring fractures.since opening the investigation there have been an additional sixty-three (63) complaints alleging rear coil spring fracture.an analysis of the vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) submitted to odi reveals that 42% of the complainants allege that the…
Rear coil spring fracture
Odi's analysis identified a high complaint rate for the rear coil springs in the salt belt states (approximately 250 per 100,000 vehicles).approximately 59 percent of the complaints alleged that the coil spring failure caused damage to the adjacent rear tire, with about half of these (30 percent of total complaints) alleging that the damage resulted in air loss.because air loss from a rear tire can result in changes…
Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
To date, ODI is aware of 2,401 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect. In addition, ODI is aware of 1,411 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect. In total, ODI is aware of 3,645 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Taurus years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (962), 2001 (515), 2000 (443), 2003 (313) and 1999 (180) model years. Suspension complaints make up 67% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Ford Taurus suspension problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 20V-072 (rear, Feb 10, 2020); 04V-332 (coil springs, Jul 15, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Taurus suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles; 16% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › springs › coil springs (909 mentions), followed by the front (588).
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.