Ford Taurus Generation 1 (1996–2012)

Ford Taurus Generation 1 (1996–2012) — production years, market prices by model year, NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, and live listings for sale on VehiSales.

Ford Taurus — body generations

Generation Produced Facelift
Generation 1 1996–2012 —
Generation 2 2013–2019 —

Vehicles within one generation share the same platform and body style.

Engines used in the Taurus

Engine families this model shipped with, by NHTSA VIN build data — each links to every model that shares it.

Engine Years in this model Also used in VIN builds ⓘ
Ford 3.0L V6 (Vulcan & Duratec) 1986–2007 21 models 257
Ford 3.5L V6 (Cyclone & EcoBoost) 2008–2019 16 models 95
Ford 3.8L 6-cylinder 1988–2010 16 models 46
Ford 2.0L I4 (Duratec & EcoBoost) 2013–2018 24 models 18

Ford Taurus fuel economy: every year & engine (EPA) →

Used Ford Taurus prices by year →

About this generation

The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from 1985 to 2019. From 1985 to 2009, Ford marketed the Taurus alongside its rebadged variant, the Mercury Sable. Four generations of the high-performance version were also manufactured from 1988 to 1999 and 2009 to 2019.

What changed in the facelift

First revealed at the 2011 New York Auto Show, the Taurus received a mid-cycle refresh for the 2013 model year. The body featured a new front fascia and slightly updated rear fascia with LED taillamps, as well as all-new wheel options. The SHO model featured revised styling elements. Refinements were made to the 3.5 EcoBoost V6. Power in the 3.5L naturally aspirated V6, standard in non-SHO models, was up to 288 hp.

With this engine, EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings were 19 mpg city and 29 mpg highway in FWD models, and 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway in AWD models. There was a new engine option for non-SHO models, a 2.0L EcoBoost inline-4 developing up to 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque while delivering a best-in-class 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. All models received upgrades to the steering and braking systems to improve driveability, including standard torque vectoring and curve control, improving tracking at higher speeds.

Updates to the instrument dials were added, which were fully digital, clearer, and more colorful. MyFord Touch was added as part of Taurus's Sync system.

Source: Wikipedia — Ford Taurus, CC BY-SA.

Recalls & complaints by year (NHTSA)

Year Recalls Complaints Most reported
1996 8 967 Engine And Engine Cooling, Power Train, Steering
1997 5 867 Power Train, Engine And Engine Cooling, Service Brakes
1998 4 587 Vehicle Speed Control, Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1999 7 954 Suspension, Vehicle Speed Control, Steering
2000 8 1,232 Suspension, Service Brakes, Engine And Engine Cooling
2001 10 1,049 Suspension, Vehicle Speed Control, Service Brakes
2002 4 1,471 Suspension, Visibility, Vehicle Speed Control
2003 4 1,223 Power Train, Suspension, Visibility
2004 2 375 Vehicle Speed Control, Power Train, Service Brakes
2005 1 774 Vehicle Speed Control, Power Train, Engine
2006 3 318 Vehicle Speed Control, Power Train, Service Brakes
2007 1 149 Vehicle Speed Control, Electrical System, Engine And Engine Cooling
2008 1 328 Power Train, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control
2009 0 75 Engine And Engine Cooling, Vehicle Speed Control, Power Train
2010 3 204 Steering, Engine, Power Train
2011 4 187 Electrical System, Engine, Steering
2012 5 78 Steering, Structure, Electrical System

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.

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