VehicleVerdict

Ford Taurus (sho) years to avoid

The Ford Taurus (sho) years to avoid are 1997, 1996 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 1991 is the cleanest year on record.

169

Total complaints

3

Recall campaigns

1990–1999

Years covered

2

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Ford Taurus (sho) NHTSA complaints by model year40 complaints1990: 4 complaints1991: 1 complaints1992: 6 complaints1993: 29 complaints1994: 13 complaints1995: 9 complaints1996: 31 complaints1997: 40 complaints1998: 14 complaints1999: 22 complaints
Ford Taurus (sho) NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Taurus (sho) years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
1997High complaint rate40
1996High complaint rate31

Every Taurus (sho) year

YearComplaintsRecalls
1999221
1998141
1997avoid401
1996avoid311
199593
1994132
1993292
199260
199110
199040

Common questions

What are the worst Ford Taurus (sho) years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the Taurus (sho) years to avoid are 1997, 1996. The cleanest year on record is 1991.

What is the best year for the Ford Taurus (sho)?

By complaint volume, 1991 has the cleanest NHTSA record among Taurus (sho) years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Ford Taurus (sho) have?

Across all model years, the Taurus (sho) has 3 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 169 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.