Chrysler 300 vs Ford Taurus: which is more reliable?
The Chrysler 300 is ahead of the Ford Taurus on the federal record, 74/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Chrysler 300
- 13 model years scored
- 1,676 owner complaints on record
- about 10 complaints per year on the road
- 53 recall campaigns, 36 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (91/100) · worst 2012 (28/100)
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: 300 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
Chrysler 300
- Electrical System — 682 complaints
- Power Train — 269 complaints
- Air Bags — 242 complaints
Ford Taurus
- Steering — 467 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 212 complaints
- Electrical System — 198 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the 300'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
Chrysler 300 — avoid: 2012, 2013, 2014.
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 Chrysler 300 prices at about $27,600 and a Ford Taurus at about $19,400 — the Ford Taurus is roughly $8,200 less, and they return 23.0 against 19.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chrysler 300 or the Ford Taurus more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chrysler 300 scores 74/100 against the Ford Taurus's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus years should I avoid?
Chrysler 300: 2012, 2013, 2014. 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 Chrysler 300 and the Ford Taurus?
The largest complaint group on the Chrysler 300 is Electrical System (682 complaints); on the Ford Taurus it is Steering (467).
Is the Chrysler 300 or the Ford Taurus cheaper to own?
A recent used Chrysler 300 prices at about $27,600 and a Ford Taurus at about $19,400, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.