Ford Taurus · model year

2010 Ford Taurus

274 NHTSA complaints, 23 crash reports, and 3 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
274
Recalls
3

The verdict

The 2010 Ford Taurus posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

Top 38%
fewest complaints, own model years
3
recall campaigns

The 2010FordTaurus carries 274 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 23 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries, and 6 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2010 Taurus is steering with 40 filings, followed by engine (36) and power train (27). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 6 investigation files overlapping the 2010 Taurus. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

274
Complaints
23
Crashes
6
Fires
31
Injuries
6
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2010 Ford Taurus

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

274 filings

Crashes Reported

23 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING40
ENGINE36
POWER TRAIN27
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM18
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC14
SERVICE BRAKES14
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13
AIR BAGS11
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING9
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION8
SEATS7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM6
STRUCTURE4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE4

Recalls (3)

14V28500029/05/2014

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles manufactured November 24, 2008, through February 28, 2014, originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri

15V04000028/01/2015

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, re

16V24700026/04/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high spe

Recent Complaints

20260218UNKNOWN OR OTHER

UNKNOWN

20250610CrashFatalAIR BAGS

Unknown. Car was going 100 mph. Driver, my son , was killed in this car accident. This year make AND model is known for throttle acceleration issues with brake afail override non existent until later models. Case number [XXX] sterling heights police department INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250610CrashFatalSERVICE BRAKES

Unknown. Car was going 100 mph. Driver, my son , was killed in this car accident. This year make AND model is known for throttle acceleration issues with brake afail override non existent until later models. Case number [XXX] sterling heights police department INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250610CrashFatalVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Unknown. Car was going 100 mph. Driver, my son , was killed in this car accident. This year make AND model is known for throttle acceleration issues with brake afail override non existent until later models. Case number [XXX] sterling heights police department INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240912STEERING

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while making a right turn, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that the "Power Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.

Mileage: 31,000

20240602POWER TRAIN

UNKNOWN

20240602ENGINE

UNKNOWN

20240602AIR BAGS

UNKNOWN

20240602ENGINE

UNKNOWN

20240602UNKNOWN OR OTHER

UNKNOWN

20240602LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

UNKNOWN

20240226AIR BAGS

Upgrades allowed a low MPG.

20240226ENGINE

Upgrades allowed a low MPG.

20240226SEATS

Upgrades allowed a low MPG.

20240225AIR BAGS

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting. Dealership had the vehicle non-recall. Seat belt light appeared and Agent was contacted. System is collected for revisiting my claim.

20240225ENGINE

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting. Dealership had the vehicle non-recall. Seat belt light appeared and Agent was contacted. System is collected for revisiting my claim.

20240225SEATS

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting. Dealership had the vehicle non-recall. Seat belt light appeared and Agent was contacted. System is collected for revisiting my claim.

20240225AIR BAGS

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting.

20240225ENGINE

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting.

20240225SEATS

O2 System failed. System checked. The service light is still on. Agents assisted with inspecting.

Compare 2010FordTaurus to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2010 Ford Taurus have?
The 2010 Ford Taurus has 274 NHTSA complaints, 23 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries, and 6 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2010 Ford Taurus?
Yes, the 2010 Ford Taurus has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Ford Taurus?
The most-complained component for the 2010 Ford Taurus is STEERING with 40 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2010 Ford Taurus safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2010 Ford Taurus; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.