5th generation (D3) — renamed Ford Five Hundred · D3 (Volvo P2-derived) · 317 complaints, 283 with mileage
Owners filed 317 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008–2009 Ford Taurus, and 283 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 31,375 and 106,000 miles. The median is 62,556 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (15.5% of complaints, typically around 79,341 miles), throttle and speed control (13.2% of complaints, typically around 73,000 miles), the steering (11.7% of complaints, typically around 46,500 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 49 | 15.5% | 79,341 | 35,603–109,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 42 | 13.2% | 73,000 | 28,000–106,000 |
| Steering | 37 | 11.7% | 46,500 | 35,000–87,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 29 | 9.1% | 10,994 | 3,800–45,000 |
| Engine | 26 | 8.2% | 85,098 | 55,200–164,000 |
| Air Bags | 21 | 6.6% | 86,000 | 58,000–130,000 |
| Electrical System | 17 | 5.4% | 96,000 | 83,000–153,000 |
| Suspension | 13 | 4.1% | 28,000 | 19,000–88,000 |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 4.1% | 83,000 | 74,000–113,000 |
| Unknown Or Other | 12 | 3.8% | — | — |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 240 | 220 |
| 2009 | 77 | 63 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 62,556 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 15.5% of complaints (49 reports, 48 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,341 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,603 and 109,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 13.2% of complaints (42 reports, 39 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 73,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,000 and 106,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 11.7% of complaints (37 reports, 35 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 46,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 87,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 9.1% of complaints (29 reports, 28 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 10,994 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,800 and 45,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 8.2% of complaints (26 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,098 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,200 and 164,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 6.6% of complaints (21 reports, 18 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 86,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 58,000 and 130,000 miles.
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 317 complaints filed against this generation, 40 reported a crash; 12 reported a fire; 25 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 12.6% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 31,375 and 106,000 miles, with a median of 62,556. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and throttle and speed control are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Throttle and speed control in particular shows a median failure mileage of 73,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Early 6F50 torque-converter and internal solenoid complaints producing harsh shifts and shudder.
The severe ZF CFT30 CVT failures associated with this body belong to the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred, which used the CVT; the Taurus-badged 2008-2009 cars do not have it. Do not attribute CVT failures to this generation.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 16V247000 | 2016-06-09 | Air Bags:Frontal |