Engine
3.5L 6-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 152 of 153 complaints with a usable failure date.
Odometer when the failure occurred
Owner-reported mileage at failure, in 20,000-mile bands. Based on 131 of 153 complaints reporting a plausible odometer (500 to 500,000 miles; unverified).
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Steering
42 complaint records1 crash report
"CAR SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN TO THE LEFT ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER STATES STEERING RACK FAILED AND REPLACEMENT. *TR..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse steering parts in the directory →
Power train
41 complaint records
"TRANSMISSION STUCK IN HIGH GEAR WHILE IN MOTION. CAN'T ACCELERATE FROM STOP TO MAINTAIN SPEED. POWER CYCLE FIXED. INTERMITTENT ISSUE...."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →
Speed control
26 complaint records1 fire report1 crash report
"TRANSMISSION STUCK IN HIGH GEAR WHILE IN MOTION. CAN'T ACCELERATE FROM STOP TO MAINTAIN SPEED. POWER CYCLE FIXED. INTERMITTENT ISSUE...."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse speed control parts in the directory →
Federal defect investigations
Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.
| Investigation | Status | Component | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE08060 opened Oct 2008 | closed Apr 2009 | Tires | TIRE VALVE CRACKING ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE... |
Recall campaigns
Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.
| Campaign | Component | Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V247000 | Air Bags | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. | Normally free |
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016186 2016-04-26 | Airbag | 19 | Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 - Occupant Protection in Frontal Impacts. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 54601 Feb 2026 | Electrical System | Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. | |
| SSM 52476 Apr 2024 | Equipment | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. | |
| RFI20210317_810- Mar 2021 | Suspension | This SKU is a Control Arm. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the bushing orientation. If the bushing orientation is incorrect, it will prevent installation of the product. If the problem is not corrected, the product will be unusable. | |
| AS-21769 Mar 2011 | Electrical System | FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION. *RM | |
| TSB-10-16-1 Aug 2010 | Engine And Engine Cooling | FORD: THERE MAY BE A ROUGH IDLE OR MISSES WHILE THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON. THERE ARE MUTLIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED. *RM |
Show 5 more bulletins
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07311 Oct 2007 | Power Train | 6F50 TRANSAXLES BUILT PRIOR TO 1/1/07 - DTC P0715, P0717, P0718, P0720, AND/OR HARSH ENGAGEMENT, NO UPSHIFT, FIFTH GEAR ONLY. *KB UPDATED 2/6/08. *NJ | |
| 20003 Oct 2007 | Power Train | 6F50 TRANSAXLE EQUIPPED VEHICLES WHEN STOPPED ON A HILL IN DRIVE OR REVERSE WITHOUT SERVICE BRAKE APPLIED MAY ROLL (WON'T HOLD). *NJ | |
| SI-20010 Oct 2007 | Equipment | FORD: SOME MULTIPLES VEHICLES REPLACEMENTS MAY REQUIRE REVISED AS BUILT DATA. THE NEW LEVEL SJB SERVICE PART INTRODUCED BETWEEN 10/07 AND 02/08 WILL REQUIRE ENTRY OF AS BUILT DATA. *PE | |
| SI-20016 Oct 2007 | Suspension | FORD/MERCURY: VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NON-METALLIC RUBBERY GRUNT FROM THE FRONT END AT LOW SPEEDS, MOST NOTICEABLY WHILE TURNING INTO/OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. ENGINEERING IS AWARE OF THIS CONCERN AND IS INVESTIGATING. *PE | |
| TSB-07-21-11 Oct 2007 | Power Train | FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN: SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 6F50 TRANSAXLE , WITH ANY OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED (OSS) SENSOR OR TURBINE SHAFT SPEED (TSS) SENSOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE(S) (DTCS) P0715, P0717, P0720, P0721, P0722 AND/OR HARSH ENGAGEMENTS, NO UPSHIFT, FIFTH GEAR ONLY, COULD HAVE... |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Drive one straight highway stretch and one slow parking lot.Wander or a shimmy over bumps at speed, and heavy or dropped assist at low speed, are the two faces of this vehicle's steering cluster. A clunk on turn-in points at the linkage.
- Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
- Test the throttle response and the cruise control on an open road.A surge, a hang in engine speed after lifting off, or cruise that will not set or cancel cleanly are the speed-control complaints on this vehicle.
- Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 1 recall campaign on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Ford Taurus X →