MYRModel Year Report

2001 Ford Taurus

■ Significantly worse — known issue year
2001 Ford Taurus
BUILT 2026-10-10

This year had more than double the complaints of this model's typical year.

This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.

How is this computed?

Complaints
1,037
Recalls
10

Campaigns on file for 2001

Investigations
8

Opened by NHTSA

Top problem
Suspension

55% of complaints

Complaints per year

1981: 2 complaints 1981 1983: 1 complaint 1984: 4 complaints 1985: 2 complaints 1986: 104 complaints 1987: 259 complaints 1987 1988: 341 complaints 1989: 570 complaints 1990: 392 complaints 1991: 659 complaints 1992: 694 complaints 1992 1993: 1,565 complaints 1994: 931 complaints 1995: 1,208 complaints 1996: 825 complaints 1997: 770 complaints 1998: 545 complaints 1999: 874 complaints 2000: 1,195 complaints 2001: 1,037 complaints 2001 1,037 2002: 1,426 complaints 2003: 1,223 complaints 2004: 375 complaints 2005: 774 complaints 2006: 318 complaints 2007: 149 complaints 2007 2008: 175 complaints 2009: 64 complaints 2010: 204 complaints 2011: 187 complaints 2012: 79 complaints 2012 2013: 584 complaints 2014: 229 complaints 2015: 271 complaints 2016: 81 complaints 2017: 44 complaints 2017 2018: 47 complaints 2019: 15 complaints
1981: 2 complaints 1981 1983: 1 complaint 1984: 4 complaints 1985: 2 complaints 1985 1986: 104 complaints 1987: 259 complaints 1988: 341 complaints 1988 1989: 570 complaints 1990: 392 complaints 1991: 659 complaints 1991 1992: 694 complaints 1993: 1,565 complaints 1994: 931 complaints 1994 1995: 1,208 complaints 1996: 825 complaints 1997: 770 complaints 1997 1998: 545 complaints 1999: 874 complaints 2000: 1,195 complaints 2001: 1,037 complaints 2001 1,037 2002: 1,426 complaints 2003: 1,223 complaints 2004: 375 complaints 2005: 774 complaints 2006: 318 complaints 2006 2007: 149 complaints 2008: 175 complaints 2009: 64 complaints 2009 2010: 204 complaints 2011: 187 complaints 2012: 79 complaints 2012 2013: 584 complaints 2014: 229 complaints 2015: 271 complaints 2015 2016: 81 complaints 2017: 44 complaints 2018: 47 complaints 2018 2019: 15 complaints
1981: 2 complaints 1981 1983: 1 complaint 1984: 4 complaints 1984 1985: 2 complaints 1986: 104 complaints 1986 1987: 259 complaints 1988: 341 complaints 1988 1989: 570 complaints 1990: 392 complaints 1990 1991: 659 complaints 1992: 694 complaints 1992 1993: 1,565 complaints 1994: 931 complaints 1994 1995: 1,208 complaints 1996: 825 complaints 1996 1997: 770 complaints 1998: 545 complaints 1998 1999: 874 complaints 2000: 1,195 complaints 2001: 1,037 complaints 2001 1,037 2002: 1,426 complaints 2003: 1,223 complaints 2004: 375 complaints 2004 2005: 774 complaints 2006: 318 complaints 2006 2007: 149 complaints 2008: 175 complaints 2008 2009: 64 complaints 2010: 204 complaints 2010 2011: 187 complaints 2012: 79 complaints 2012 2013: 584 complaints 2014: 229 complaints 2014 2015: 271 complaints 2016: 81 complaints 2016 2017: 44 complaints 2018: 47 complaints 2018 2019: 15 complaints

2001: 1,037 complaints

View as data table
YearComplaints
19812
19831
19844
19852
1986104
1987259
1988341
1989570
1990392
1991659
1992694
19931,565
1994931
19951,208
1996825
1997770
1998545
1999874
20001,195
20011,037
20021,426
20031,223
2004375
2005774
2006318
2007149
2008175
200964
2010204
2011187
201279
2013584
2014229
2015271
201681
201744
201847
201915

Known problem areas

Percentages can add to more than 100% — a complaint can name more than one system.

Suspension

55% · 566 reports

Most commonly citing coil springs and rear.

CRASHINJURYDEATH

Vehicle speed control

10% · 99 reports

Most commonly citing accelerator pedal and cruise control.

CRASHFIREINJURYDEATH
Show complaint excerpts

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle lunged forward and crashed into a coffee shop. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not repaired.

NHTSA ODI report, 2012-03-13

My parents were getting off of the highway and the vehicle would not stop.

NHTSA ODI report, 2012-03-12

Also filed under Service brakes, hydraulic

Consumer was backing out of a garage using idle speed with foot on brake, when vehicle suddenly accelerated backward, consumer was able to regain control by shifting the vehicle into drive and then into reverse, vehicle struck several items in the...

NHTSA ODI report, 2001-06-26

Service brakes

9% · 98 reports

Most commonly citing hydraulic and air.

CRASHINJURYDEATH
Show complaint excerpts

Was informed brake lights were not working, then when I stopped the vehicle and put it in park and restated could not get out of park so installed a new brake switch which worked for less then an hour.

NHTSA ODI report, 2018-06-05

Air bags

6% · 66 reports

Most commonly citing frontal and side/window.

CRASHINJURY
Show complaint excerpts

I was involved in a two vehicle accident. A vehicle pulled out in front of me and I struck his right side with my front. Neither front airbag deployed.…

NHTSA ODI report, 2002-11-01

Consumer states while driving 55MPH had a accident the car spun around 3 times and hit a tree and air bags did not deploy causing injuries.…

NHTSA ODI report, 2002-10-02

Vehicle was involved in an automobile accident hitting another vehicle head on. Entire front of vehicle was impacted, but neither airbags deployed.

NHTSA ODI report, 2001-03-21

Engine and engine cooling

6% · 62 reports

Most commonly citing engine and gasoline.

CRASHFIREINJURY

Safety timeline

10 recalls · 8 investigations · oldest first

To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →

  1. R
    2000-09-11Seat belts00V240000 Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The child safety seat anchor latch (Iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a…

    Remedy: Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (Red loctite). Owner notification began September 11, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  2. ▮
    2001Complaint volume 1,037 complaints filed for this model year.
  3. R
    2001-03-06Equipment00V396000 Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems." The affected…

    Remedy: Owners will be provided with owner guide inserts revised to provide the required information, and instructions for affixing these inserts to their owner guides. Customers will also be advised that…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  4. R
    2001-03-19Exterior lighting01V048000 Vehicle description: passenger sedans with factory or dealer-installed deck lid spoilers with LED center high mounted stop lamps (Chmsl). Vehicles produced with spoilers were manufactured from…

    Remedy: Dealers will install a jumper/resistor assembly at the spoiler that provides an electrical resistor to ground and corrects the chmsl and brake-shift interlock conditions. Owner notification began…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  5. R
    2001-03-22Exterior lighting01V078000 Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. If the grease from the adjustable pedal assembly enters the stop lamp switch, it can contaminate the contacts leading to…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch and wipe down the adjustable pedal assembly to remove excess grease. Owner notification began March 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  6. R
    2001-05-04Seat belts01V144000 Vehicle description: passenger cars. The seat belt buckle tongue may not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began May 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  7. R
    2001-08-20Visibility01V258000 Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and…

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began August 20, 2001.…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  8. I
    2002-03-15Preliminary evaluationClosed 2002-10-22 Brake/accel pedal separation
  9. R
    2002-09-13Service brakes, hydraulic02V266000 Certain passenger vehicles equipped with adjustable padels are being recalled in order to adjust the brake and accelerator pedals to a minimum of 50 mm of lateral separation. Simultaneous…

    Remedy: Owners will be instructed as to the proper way to set the position of the pedals and to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the spacing between the brake and accelerator pedals measured. If the…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  10. I
    2003-01-06Preliminary evaluationClosed 2003-07-02 Frontal air bag non-deployment in crash
  11. I
    2003-07-02Engineering analysisClosed 2004-06-23 Frontal air bag non-deployment in crash
  12. I
    2003-10-23Recall queryClosed 2004-03-05 Brake light switch failure
  13. I
    2003-10-31RPClosed 2004-03-23 Brake/accelerator pedal application
  14. R
    2004-04-05Exterior lighting04V106000 Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled to correct a problem with a malfunctioning stop lamp switch and/or associated wiring. This malfunctioning could render the stop lamps inoperable or…

    Remedy: Dealers will remove the stop lamp switch and associated wiring assembly and install a newly designed stop lamp switch and wire assembly. Owner notification is expected to begin on April 5, 2004.…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  15. R
    2005-01-10Suspension04V332000 On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan…

    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…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  16. I
    2005-09-27Preliminary evaluationClosed 2006-01-24 Rear coil spring fracture
  17. I
    2006-01-24Engineering analysisClosed 2007-02-05 Rear coil spring fracture
  18. I
    2012-10-24Preliminary evaluationClosed 2013-06-26 Speed control cable damage
  19. R
    2016-05-26Service brakes, hydraulic16E026000 Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598,...

    Remedy: Bosch will instruct the owners how to have the affected brake pads replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Bosch customer service at 1-888-715-3616.

    Check if this car was fixed →

Buy-smart checklist

2001 Ford Taurus — pre-purchase inspection

Inspect

  • Suspension: 566 reports on file for this year.
  • Vehicle speed control: 99 reports on file for this year.
  • Service brakes: 98 reports on file for this year.

Verify these recalls were completed

  • Recall 00V240000 · Seat belts
  • Recall 00V396000 · Equipment
  • Recall 01V048000 · Exterior lighting
  • Recall 01V078000 · Exterior lighting
  • Recall 01V144000 · Seat belts
  • Recall 01V258000 · Visibility
  • Recall 02V266000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
  • Recall 04V106000 · Exterior lighting
  • Recall 04V332000 · Suspension
  • Recall 16E026000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
Inspected by ______________ Date ______________

Other years of this model

See all years ranked →

Best years3 years

Worst years3 years

FAQ

Is the 2001 Ford Taurus reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2001 Ford Taurus is rated "significantly worse".
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Taurus?
The most-reported component is suspension, accounting for 55% of complaints on file.
How many recalls does the 2001 Ford Taurus have?
10 recalls on file for this model year.

Data updated 2026-10-09 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.