The Ford Taurus and Ford Flex were built on the same platform with the same engines, and the record treats them as siblings: both have their worst year in 2013, when the Taurus scores 31 on 589 owner complaints and the Flex scores 34 on 578. The Taurus stays AVOID through 2014 (45) and 2015 (37); the Flex recovers to CAUTION in 2014 (51) and then falls to AVOID again in its final year, 2019 (42). The years to buy are the 2016 to 2019 Taurus, which score 83, 86, 85 and 93, and the 2015 to 2018 Flex, which score 79, 83, 91 and 87, along with the 2012 of either car. The catch is that nearly all of those good years rest on medium or low evidence, because these were never high-volume cars and the complaint counts are small.
2013: the year both cars went wrong
The 2013 model year was a facelift for both cars, and the complaint record turns over with it. On the Taurus, Steering leads at 296 of the 589 complaints, half the total, with Fuel/Propulsion System second at 98, Engine 70, Electrical System 57 and Power Train 44. On the Flex, Electrical System leads at 200 and Steering is second at 149, then Unknown Or Other 78, Structure 69 and Fuel/Propulsion System 59. Normalised for age the two are almost identical: 45.3 complaints per year on the road for the Taurus, 44.5 for the Flex.
The recall campaigns explain two of the three leading categories. 15V340000 (2 June 2015, safety-critical) is the electric power assist steering campaign, and the sheet lists it against 2011 to 2013 for both cars. The fuel complaints have three campaigns behind them: 13V227000 (31 May 2013, safety-critical) and 15V812000 (2 December 2015, safety-critical) are both for a fuel delivery module that may crack and leak on 2013 cars, and 16V621000 (25 August 2016, safety-critical) is for a fuel pump component on 2013 to 2015 cars with the 3.5-litre turbocharged engine. 14V393000 (2 July 2014) covers a halfshaft on 2013 and 2014 Taurus, and 20V072000 (10 February 2020) covers rear suspension toe links that may fracture on 2013 to 2018 cars with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The 2013 Taurus has nine campaigns in all, four safety-critical; the 2013 Flex has six, four safety-critical. Nothing on the sheet addresses the Flex's Electrical System count, so that one stays a symptom without a named cause.
The Taurus: two more bad years, then four good ones
The 2014 Taurus scores 45 on 234 complaints, with Steering still first at 67 and Fuel/Propulsion System second at 54. The 2015 scores lower, 37, on 269 complaints, and its list is flatter: Fuel/Propulsion System 53, Back Over Prevention 52, Steering 51, Unknown Or Other 41, Engine 32. The camera category is new, and 25V695000 (13 October 2025) is the campaign for it, covering 2015 to 2019 Taurus for a rearview camera that may display a distorted image. The 2015's six campaigns, three of them safety-critical, also include 15V464000 (24 July 2015) for the parking brake, 15V605000 (28 September 2015) for fuel tank attachment bolts that may not have been tightened, and 20V692000 (10 November 2020) for the front halfshaft support bracket on front-wheel-drive cars with the 2.0-litre or 2.3-litre engine.
From 2016 the Taurus is a different proposition. The 2016 scores 83 on 80 complaints and 8.0 per year, with four campaigns and none safety-critical; the 2017 scores 86 on 44, the 2018 scores 85 on 48, and the 2019, the last year of the car, scores 93 on 15 complaints, 2.1 per year, and two campaigns. Back Over Prevention (25) still leads the 2016, and the campaigns on these years are specific: 16V925000 (22 December 2016) for improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes on 2016 cars with the 3.5-litre turbocharged engine, 17V530000 (28 August 2017, safety-critical) for steering gear heat shield fasteners that may corrode on the 2017, 18V141000 (1 March 2018, safety-critical) for 2017 and 2018 cars with a mechanical key that can be removed when the transmission is not in Park, and 25V611000 (12 September 2025) for door pillar trim that may detach on 2016 to 2019 cars. The evidence label is medium for 2016 and low for 2017 to 2019. Before 2013, the 2012 scores 82 on 78 complaints with medium evidence, and the 2011 is CAUTION at 65 on 187, with Electrical System 47, Engine 40 and Steering 25.
Ford Taurus: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 93 | BUY | 15 | 2 |
| 2018 | 85 | BUY | 48 | 4 |
| 2017 | 86 | BUY | 44 | 4 |
| 2016 | 83 | BUY | 80 | 4 |
| 2015 | 37 | AVOID | 269 | 6 |
| 2014 | 45 | AVOID | 234 | 5 |
| 2013 | 31 | AVOID | 589 | 9 |
| 2012 | 82 | BUY | 78 | 5 |
| 2011 | 65 | CAUTION | 187 | 4 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Ford Taurus model page.
The Flex: a bad facelift year and a bad last year
The 2014 Flex is CAUTION at 51 on 249 complaints, with Steering (66), Electrical System (57) and Fuel/Propulsion System (46) still the top three and Suspension (26) new on the list. Its four campaigns include 14V710000 (7 November 2014), for reduced clearance between the seat frame and seat track. From 2015 the record settles: 79 on 105 complaints in 2015, 83 on 97 in 2016, 91 on 42 in 2017, 87 on 63 in 2018. Back Over Prevention leads 2015 and 2016 at 24 and 25, and 25V695000 covers 2015 to 2019 Flex as it does the Taurus. The 2016 and 2017 share 16V925000 for the turbocharger oil tube, and the 2017 to 2019 cars share 25V732000 (24 October 2025) for the door pillar trim. The 2016, 2017 and 2018 have no safety-critical campaigns at all.
Then the 2019, the final model year, scores 42 on 240 complaints and 34.3 per year, and one category explains it: Back Over Prevention at 134, more than half the total. Two campaigns match: 24V951000 (20 December 2024), for a rearview camera on 2019 Flex that may intermittently display a blank or distorted image, and 25V695000. The one safety-critical campaign on the 2019 is 18V548000 (20 August 2018), for power supply cables at the starter and alternator that may not have been secured. Structure (54) and Unknown Or Other (47) are the next categories. Before 2013, the 2011 Flex scores 81 on 144 complaints, with Steering at 57 covered by 15V340000, and the 2012 scores 89 on 64.
Ford Flex: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 42 | AVOID | 240 | 4 |
| 2018 | 87 | BUY | 63 | 3 |
| 2017 | 91 | BUY | 42 | 4 |
| 2016 | 83 | BUY | 97 | 3 |
| 2015 | 79 | BUY | 105 | 4 |
| 2014 | 52 | CAUTION | 249 | 4 |
| 2013 | 34 | AVOID | 578 | 6 |
| 2012 | 89 | BUY | 64 | 2 |
| 2011 | 81 | BUY | 144 | 2 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Ford Flex model page.
Which to choose
On the record the Flex is the steadier car. Its good run is longer, 2015 to 2018, and its AVOID years are two (2013 and 2019) against the Taurus's three (2013, 2014 and 2015). The Taurus has the single best year of either nameplate, the 2019 at 93, but its 2013 is the lowest score on either page. A 2016 to 2018 of either car is a sound choice on the numbers; a 2019 is a sound choice only if it is a Taurus.
What to check before you buy
- On any 2011 to 2013 car, confirm by VIN that 15V340000 (electric power assist steering) is complete, then drive it at low speed and note any loss of assist or a steering warning.
- On a 2013, ask for 13V227000 and 15V812000 (fuel delivery module) and, on a 3.5-litre turbocharged car of 2013 to 2015, 16V621000 (fuel pump). Fuel/Propulsion System is in the top two on the 2013 to 2015 Taurus, and a fuel smell after filling is what those complaints describe.
- On a Police Interceptor or SHO with the Performance Pack, ask for 20V072000 (rear toe links) and inspect the rear suspension.
- On a 2015 to 2019 car of either nameplate, put it in reverse and watch the camera; ask for 25V695000 and, on a 2019 Flex, 24V951000.
- On a 2019 Flex, ask for 18V548000 and look at the starter and alternator cable connections.
- On a 2016 Taurus or a 2016 to 2017 Flex with the 3.5-litre turbocharged engine, ask for 16V925000 and look for oil at the turbocharger supply lines.
- On a 2017 or 2018 Taurus with a mechanical key, ask for 18V141000.
Summary
Avoid the 2013 Taurus and 2013 Flex, which score 31 and 34 on 589 and 578 complaints with Steering and Fuel/Propulsion System leading, and avoid the 2014 and 2015 Taurus (45 and 37) and the 2019 Flex (42, with 134 rearview camera complaints). Buy a 2016 to 2019 Taurus (83 to 93) or a 2015 to 2018 Flex (79 to 91), and accept that those scores rest on small counts. The 2012 of either car is a BUY at 82 or 89, provided the steering campaign is done.