CSR

Ford · NHTSA safety record

2016 Ford Taurus

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

79

Complaints

4

Crashes

1

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2016 Ford Taurus have filed 79 safety complaints with NHTSA between July 2016 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is back-over prevention, named in 24 of them (30%). The typical failure was reported at 56,000 miles, the median across the 45 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (4)

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V695000 · October 13, 2025

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
The risk
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,448,655 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM

25V611000 · September 12, 2025

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Taurus vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
The risk
Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will repair or replace the B-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S91.

Ford Motor Company · up to 101,944 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

20V072000 · February 10, 2020

The defect
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.
The risk
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
The 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. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

Ford Motor Company · up to 211,207 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

16V925000 · December 22, 2016

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
The risk
An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,163 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 79.

BACK OVER PREVENTION 24 30%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14 18%
ENGINE 12 15%
STEERING 9 11%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 8%
STRUCTURE 6 8%
SUSPENSION 5 6%
AIR BAGS 4 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 5%
POWER TRAIN 3 4%
SEAT BELTS 3 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 19.

2016 2025 2026
2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

1 injured · crash · towed · 29,000 miles

I WAS APPROACHING A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AND WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES THE CAR ACTUALLY ACCELERATED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I PROCEEDED ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND AS I WAS TURNING INTO A STRIP MALL THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AGAIN. THIS TIME OUT OF CONTROL. I WHEN THROUGH THE TURN AND HIT A LARGE CURB AND THEN RAN INTO THE GUARD RAIL. I RIPPED THE GUARD RAIL OFF AND STILL PROCEEDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 150 FEET ON THE GRASS BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME.

NHTSA complaint 11282783. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I turned left after stopping at a four-way stop sign intersection. I crashed into a parked car waiting its turn but I did not see until I was upon it and it was too late to swerve away. My car's air bags inflated. My wrist was broken. My car was declared totaled by my insurer although I could not have been speeding since I had just stopped at the four-way stop sign, waited my turn, and turned my car left onto a street that runs slightly downhill. I am still trying to comprehend how my wrist on my right hand was broken since both of my hands were on the steering wheel at the point of impact but a trip to the emergency room proved my suddenly limp and suddenly pain-filled arm meant I had

NHTSA complaint 11476768, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · crash · towed

Steering didn't work correctly which led to brakes not doing what I needed which led to slamming into a cement edge at a freeway exit or entrance. Seat belts locked up. Air bags did not deploy. Front passenger tire flat. Car towed next day. Ford dealership did NOTHING even when it was discovered Ford sold us a car with a FLAT spare tire (donut). Dealership said no recalls, but coverup or fixed but not correctly previously? Car purchased used. Ford dealership said to go to body shop. Body shop couldn't do anything unless we paid $6,000.00 to get the seat belts replaced. That's 1/3 the price financed for the car!!!! Safety put at risk: flat spare tire & seat belts locked up. The dealership

NHTSA complaint 11651282, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

fire · 18,260 miles

I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DUE TO A STRONG SMELL OF PROPANE/NATURAL GAS. THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT THE SMELL WAS REALLY BAD BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT SHE COULDN'T GET ME IN UNTIL TUESDAY. I BUCKLED MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR SEAT AND LEFT THE DEALERSHIP/SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE WRITE STATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB OUT ON THE CAR AND IT COULD BE A POSSIBLE LEAK IN THE PTU. BUT SHOULD BE THAT BIG OF DEAL. WE STARTED TO TRAVEL HOME THE CAR STALLED, ON A HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT ABOUT 60 MILES PER HOUR, AND THERE WAS A LOUD POP, I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY SISTER WHO WAS TRAVELING BEHIND US WHO TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE AND TO PULL OVER. I STOPPED

NHTSA complaint 10990946, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I own a 2016 Ford Taurus Limited that is covered under Ford Safety Recall 25SA9 / NHTSA Recall 25V-695 for the rearview camera. I received the recall notification in October 2025 stating that a remedy was not yet available and that I would receive another notification once parts became available. Nearly 10 months later, I contacted my local Ford dealership to schedule the recall repair. I was informed that they still do not have the required parts and that no nearby Ford dealerships have them available. I also contacted Ford’s customer service line, but the automated system simply states there are no updates available for this recall. My vehicle is experiencing the exact safety defect

NHTSA complaint 11755923, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE

156,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V611000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the passenger’s side B-Pillar trim became loosened. The failure progressed and, upon further inspection, the passenger’s side B-Pillar trim detached, and the driver’s side B-Pillar trim became loosened. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

NHTSA complaint 11753126. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My backup camera rarely works and sometimes is upside down. It cuts in and out while backing up. There is a recall from Oct 2025 but still no fix.

NHTSA complaint 11750840. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V611000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled with the understanding that parts had been ordered; however, while contacting the dealer a second time, it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issues. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint 11750232. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

60,000 miles

The contact's wife owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact's wife was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the rearview camera displayed a blank image intermittently and eventually became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint 11748795. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

29,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image would appear blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealers confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide a remedy for the recall The approximate

NHTSA complaint 11738034, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Taurus

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 12 2
2018 46 4
2017 44 4
2015 265 6
2014 228 5
2013 581 9
2012 78 5
2011 187 4 1
2010 204 3 2

Other 2016 Ford models

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst