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2011 Ford Taurus
4 recall campaigns and 133 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2011 Ford Taurus; the recalls concern air bags, steering and structure.
The component named most often is electrical system: 170.5 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 132.1 per 1,000 across all 2011 model-year vehicles and against 70.8 per 1,000 for the Ford Taurus line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 438.0 complaints per model year across the 39 Ford Taurus model years on this register; 9 complaints reported a crash and 2 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2015 (25); the most recent in the file is dated 26 Apr 2019.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 16C06).
Defect, as filed: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 15S18).
Defect, as filed: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Consequence: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 15S02).
Defect, as filed: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. When used in areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result of water intrusion.
Consequence: This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 14S08).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2011 Ford Taurus (black) against all 2011 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2011 | Taurus line | All 2011 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 170.5 | 70.8 | 132.1 |
| Engine | 153.4 | 14.1 | 118.1 |
| Power Train | 90.9 | 131.5 | 91.7 |
| Exterior Lighting | 73.9 | 27.2 | 31.1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 68.2 | 92 | 44.6 |
| Steering | 68.2 | 49 | 100.1 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 30 | 170.5 | 70.8 | 132.1 |
| Engine | 27 | 153.4 | 14.1 | 118.1 |
| Power Train | 16 | 90.9 | 131.5 | 91.7 |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 73.9 | 27.2 | 31.1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 68.2 | 92 | 44.6 |
| Steering | 12 | 68.2 | 49 | 100.1 |
| Structure | 11 | 62.5 | 46.5 | 42.2 |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 56.8 | 7.2 | 43.7 |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 51.1 | 17.9 | 56.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 39.8 | 144.3 | 16.1 |
| Air Bags | 7 | 39.8 | 37.6 | 124.4 |
| Seats | 5 | 28.4 | 5.9 | 10.9 |
| Visibility | 3 | 17 | 45.8 | 10.3 |
| Wheels | 3 | 17 | 4.8 | 11.6 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 3 | 17 | 1.9 | 26.3 |
| Tires | 2 | 11.4 | 17.4 | 11 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 44.2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5.7 | 54.8 | 7.2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 | 5.7 | 1.2 | 13.2 |
| Suspension | 1 | 5.7 | 146 | 24.1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5.7 | 23.1 | 9.9 |
133 unique complaints, 176 component mentions; 12 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
No NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation action in the current file names this model year.
Other Ford Taurus model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1981 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1983 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1986 | 8 | 101 | 8,923,200 |
| 1987 | 8 | 255 | 8,919,345 |
| 1988 | 5 | 333 | 5,564,000 |
| 1989 | 5 | 562 | 4,519,000 |
| 1990 | 6 | 381 | 4,245,112 |
| 1991 | 4 | 649 | 3,888,700 |
| 1992 | 5 | 681 | 3,640,200 |
| 1993 | 6 | 1,557 | 3,772,112 |
| 1994 | 4 | 923 | 3,490,900 |
| 1995 | 5 | 1,205 | 3,681,660 |
| 1996 | 6 | 825 | 561,600 |
| 1997 | 3 | 769 | 711,800 |
| 1998 | 2 | 544 | 578,800 |
| 1999 | 5 | 871 | 939,166 |
| 2000 | 8 | 1,189 | 3,716,463 |
| 2001 | 9 | 1,030 | 3,980,991 |
| 2002 | 3 | 1,421 | 1,376,297 |
| 2003 | 3 | 1,205 | 1,406,609 |
| 2004 | 1 | 365 | 24,277 |
| 2005 | 0 | 752 | — |
| 2006 | 2 | 304 | 199,961 |
| 2007 | 0 | 140 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 158 | 695 |
| 2009 | 0 | 56 | — |
| 2010 | 3 | 163 | 379,009 |
| 2011 | 4 | 133 | 772,632 |
| 2012 | 5 | 54 | 775,669 |
| 2013 | 9 | 258 | 1,548,116 |
| 2014 | 5 | 98 | 570,971 |
| 2015 | 6 | 63 | 1,760,319 |
| 2016 | 4 | 11 | 1,762,969 |
| 2017 | 4 | 10 | 315,504 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 1,763,906 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1,550,599 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Taurus model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Taurus have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 16V247000, was reported to NHTSA on 26 Apr 2016 and concerns air bags:frontal. Across all model years the Ford Taurus line has 69 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2011 Ford Taurus?
No NHTSA investigation in the current file names this model year.
What component do owners of the 2011 Ford Taurus complain about most?
Electrical System: 30 of 176 component mentions (170.5 per 1,000). Next is engine with 27. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.