2011 FORD TAURUS Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I hit a dirt embankment the seatbelts did not lock and I ended up smashing my head off of my steering wheel and my passenger ended up smashing their head off of my dashboard.

Crash 1 injured

The rear view backup camera visual is located in my rearview mirror it is just a blue screen whenever I put the car in reverse it just one day stopped working I've been waiting for it to be on the recall list and for some reason this year a 2011 is not on the recall list but it should be

Last June I noticed the car constantly shaking. Took it to Goodyear plaza tire in Alexandria mn and they said they didn't find anything wrong and it's normal to have tires feel like they are shaking while driving. The tires are 255/45R19 Then in July of 2025, I wanted a tire rotation and wheels balanced. The mechanic says they can't because the tread is almost gone and I'd have 5000 left before I could get new tires. About 2000 miles later I noticed the tread separating from the wires on 3 of the 4 tires. They have been kept properly inflated and rotated every 5000 to 6000 miles. Usually every other oil change. Again I was told it's normal since the tires mostly last 30,000 miles and is rated for 40,000. I don't think it's right.

Driving on access rd. Car stalled in middle of traffic. Glad I was not driving on highway. Lucky several drivers helped push car into a gas station. Saw water leak under car. There were no codes or indicators of over heating. Let car cool off. Noticed water in coolant reservoir. still was able to add 1 gal and half of water. Car turned on, drove it home which is about 3 miles. Water leak near the oil pan and block. After a long cooling period, noticed 3 hairline cracks on the bottom part of block. Cracked block Checked oil and noticed the oil was real thin and milky. Signs of water pump failure. Car is sitting on driveway. Only option is to replace the 156k miles engine. Cost is very expensive. Don't have money to fix. There should be a recall for this issue. Very dangerous.

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

The inside rear view mirror camera only works on occasion.

The water pump failed on my Taurus, leaking coolant my into the engine, causing irrepairable damage

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. 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: 15V340000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 199,000.

Rear tow link nut in the frame rusted out and I can't get the bushing out of the frame. No way to install new tow link if the old one is cut out.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while idling at a stop sign or stop light, the vehicle was shaking abnormally and slightly hesitated while attempting to accelerate. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occasionally occurred after driving approximately 500 miles. The failure became more progressive over time. The contact stated that the gear shifter was able to be removed from the socket, causing the contact to have to apply pressure downward while changing gears to keep the shifter in the proper position. While driving at various speeds, the transmission felt like it was going to unexpectedly downshift or change gear. The contact had to hold the gear shifter to prevent the shifter from unintendedly changing gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

After my battery died, my 2011 Ford Taurus defaulted my only working key to a ‘MyKey’ with volume limits, seatbelt mutes, and other safety limitations. I cannot undo it without spending over $200 to fix an issue caused by your faulty system design. This creates a safety issue and financial burden that Ford should be responsible for.

While driving down the road, a loud humming started to get loud from the front of my car. Then loud clunking/dragging noises. My car started to slow down and the noises got louder. I had to turn on my hazards and slowly drive back home block by block. There is nothing visibly dragging. But I now have to get my car towed from home as it’s not safe to drive. This isn’t the first time this car has had issues with the steering hub, suspension, tie rods, ball joints, control arms, sway bar, etc. I have had to fix and replace that entire area a multitude of times since I’ve had this car.

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 contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that an independent mechanic drained the oil and became aware that there was coolant mixed in with the engine oil. The contact diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,900.

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. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the camshaft, cam phasers, and connecting rod bearings. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Had several wheel alignments car would read straight but is not straight I have all new front extension work done my car is still going out of control going into different lanes while I’m going g straight I took it to the ford dealership they can’t even find the problem

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty water pump causing coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer replaced the engine; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer twice, and the engine was replaced for the second and third time. The failure persisted. The vehicle was then towed to Colorado Auto Finders (12351 E Arapahoe Rd, Centennial, CO 80112), where the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. The failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to two separate independent mechanics, who diagnosed the vehicle with DTC Codes: P0300, P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected), and P0306 (Cylinder 6 Misfire Detected). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 105,213.

Backup camera is malfunctioning. Most of time no image.Momentary image on reverse in cold weather, almost no image warm weather. Occasional blue screen for a moment.06

Car went from park position to reverse jumped gear?

Crash 1 injured 1 deaths

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.

Had my Ford for less than 6 months, and has 80,000 miles on it. Looks brand new, in excellent shape and yet on the way home from the grocery store, it began overheating. The tempature gage shot up and the engine started cutting out. We pulled over and the vehicle was smoking. We started adding water and coasting down the mountain until we could get home. Called several mechanics and find out that this is a common problem with our year and model. Every person we've consulted has quoted us $3,000 to repair the water pump. We have been told that the excessive charge is because when Ford built this model, the water pump was placed inside the engine. The entire engine has to be taken out of the car in order to replace the water pump. Most mechanics around us don't even have the machine that is needed to remove the engine. Ford is backed up for months on repairs. Our vehicle has been sitting for two summers because we cannot afford this $3,000 repair for a water pump! We are making payments on a car that can't be driven. Something needs to be done about this. The more I dig and research, the more complaints for this very issue I find. We need help!

Hello I just bought this car and started experiencing steering problems, it gets very stiff while driving and trying to turn. I was told by a mechanic that this is a recall for my car and I need further help in getting this fixed especially since winter is right around the corner.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel inadvertently drifted to the left and the right. The electric power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed on the instrument panel indication that the cruise control system had failed, and the Forward Collision Avoidance system was inoperable. The contact veered off the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and started driving however, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was then informed that he would be transferred to the recall center but was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while turning around in a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, he heard an abnormal, scraping sound coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger’s side tire was inverted into the wheel well. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact called an independent mechanic to his home where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective toe link caused by corrosion. The mechanic then informed the contact that both toe links needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

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!

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

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 ! I was going to disconnect my battery and connect it again to see if that works but I don’t want to erase the codes. My Ford dealership is so busy that they could only give me an appointment at the end of the month. As I stated my vehicle is inoperable as it sits until the end of the month to get serviced again.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling for approximately 1 minute, then the vehicle started revving up with the RPM above 7,000. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal seemed to be stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle came to a stop. The check engine warning light was displayed. There was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle. The following day the vehicle was driven to a certified mechanic who replaced the throttle body and accelerator pedal assembly. After returning to the residence and attempting to exit the vehicle with the vehicle idling, the failure recurred. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000. The consumer stated the vehicle broke down and towed to dealer. The computer was updated by the dealer but the vehicle failed once again. The consumer needs a second throttle body replacement.

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.

Crash

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.

Crash

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.