Chevrolet Impala vs Ford Taurus: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Impala is clearly ahead of the Ford Taurus on the federal record: 82/100 against 66/100 across every model year we score.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Impala
- 9 model years scored
- 2,437 owner complaints on record
- about 23 complaints per year on the road
- 8 recall campaigns, 6 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (96/100) · worst 2016 (47/100)
Ford Taurus
- 9 model years scored
- 1,544 owner complaints on record
- about 16 complaints per year on the road
- 43 recall campaigns, 16 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (93/100) · worst 2013 (31/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Impala against Taurus
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Impala
- Electrical System — 571 complaints
- Engine — 527 complaints
- Power Train — 332 complaints
Ford Taurus
- Steering — 467 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 212 complaints
- Electrical System — 198 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Impala's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Taurus's in Steering. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Impala — avoid: 2016.
Ford Taurus — avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Impala prices at about $21,300 and a Ford Taurus at about $19,400 — the Ford Taurus is roughly $1,900 less, and they return 22.0 against 19.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Impala or the Ford Taurus more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Impala scores 82/100 against the Ford Taurus's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The Chevrolet Impala carries about 23 complaints per year on the road against 16 for the Ford Taurus.
Which Chevrolet Impala and Ford Taurus years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Impala: 2016. Ford Taurus: 2013, 2014, 2015. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Impala and the Ford Taurus?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Impala is Electrical System (571 complaints); on the Ford Taurus it is Steering (467).
Is the Chevrolet Impala or the Ford Taurus cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Impala prices at about $21,300 and a Ford Taurus at about $19,400, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.