2012 Ford Taurus: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
78 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Taurus, which score 31, 45 and 37 on 589, 234 and 269 owner complaints. Buy a 2016 to 2019, which score 83, 86, 85 and 93 on 80 or fewer complaints each, or a 2012 at 82, and accept that those scores rest on medium or low evidence. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 78 complaints, score 82/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Ford Taurus and Flex: the years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 78 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 5.57
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My steering all of a sudden was stiff and I can barely turn at low speeds. Not safe due to uncontrolled steering. I replaced the pump thinking that would fix it, and it did not. I’m taking it to a dealer after the holiday weekend. No warnings at all.
The steering shut down and I could not steer the vehicle in a Holiday parking lot and I almost hit a pedestrian. My engine and oil light came on. I had to shut the car off and turn it back on and it worked again. This is the second time this has happened to me!
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who found that the power steering pressure was low. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to N…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V340000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | 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… |
| 16V247000 | Air Bags:Frontal | 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. |
| 13V109000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. |
| 15V040000 | Structure:Body:Door | 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… |
| 14V285000 | Exterior Lighting | 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,… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering16 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Structure16 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Exterior Lighting12 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Engine11 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Ford Taurus years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Ford Taurus?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (16 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Ford Taurus a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 82/100, computed from 78 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Ford Taurus's most common problem?
16 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Ford Taurus sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Ford Taurus cost to run per year?
About $5,625 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,125 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Ford Taurus have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Ford Taurus, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/06/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Ford Taurus really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 78 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 78 NHTSA complaints on record (5.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (8.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems