FORD TAURUS (SHO) · model year

1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO)

22 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999FORDTAURUS (SHO) carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 TAURUS (SHO) is engine and engine cooling:engine with 5 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (4) and suspension:front:springs:coil springs (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1999 TAURUS (SHO), and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

22
Complaints
2
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

22 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING4
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER1
STEERING:RACK AND PINION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR1
SUSPENSION:REAR1

Recent Complaints

20090925SUSPENSION:REAR

1999 FORD TAURUS REAR STRUT SPRINGS BROKEN. BOTH REAR STRUT SPRINGS HAVE BROKE ON THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THIS CAN CAUSE TIRE FAILURE IF SPRING PUNCTURES TIRE. I DID NOT KNOW OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL HAD THE CAR EVALUATED BY SERVICE STATION. $500 TO FIX IT, HAVEN'T FIX IT YET, AND THEREFORE CAR IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING DRIVEN AS IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

Mileage: 200,000

20071202VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR

BLOWER MOTOR FAILED DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN. COUNTLESS OTHER FORDS WITH THIS PROBLEM REPORTED ONLINE ALSO. *TR

20070924FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS SHO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND BLACK SMOKE ROSE FROM THE ENGINE. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED AND NEARLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED. BEFORE HE REACHED THE FREEWAY, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CALLED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 126,000.

Mileage: 126,000

20070924FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS SHO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND BLACK SMOKE ROSE FROM THE ENGINE. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED AND NEARLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED. BEFORE HE REACHED THE FREEWAY, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CALLED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 126,000.

Mileage: 126,000

20070611SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

THE "ABS" LIGHT ON MY CAR (1999 FORD TAURUS SHO )CAME ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER, SUN STATE FORD, AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A REPLACEMENT ABS MODULE (PART#F8DZ2C219DA). I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THE PART WAS OBSOLETE AND UNAVAILABLE. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY DIRECTLY ON SEVEN SEPARATE OCCASIONS...EACH TIME THEY EMAILED ME A DIFFERENT "OBSOLETE PARTS VENDOR TO CONTACT...EACH TIME TO NO AVAIL. ON 6/5, IN THEIR FINAL RESPONSE TO ME, FORD INDICATED THAT THEY FELT THEY HAD RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY AND WOULD DO NOTHING ELSE TO HELP. IN THE MEANTIME, THE ABS ON MY CAR STILL DOES NOT WORK AND I AM NO CLOSER TO A RESOLUTION. THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT I FEEL FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *TR

Mileage: 114,500

20060424CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DRIVING DOWN THE STREET IN WHICH I LIVE GOING 30 MPH, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY. MY 11 YEAR OLD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. SUDDENLY THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AFTER I TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THE MORE I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE THE FASTER THE CAR WOULD SPEED GOING FROM 30 MPH TO 70 MPH. I FLEW THROUGH A STOP SIGN ONTO A HEAVILY TRAVELED TRUCK ROUTE SLAMMING INTO A KIA SUV. THE OTHER PASSENGER BROKE RIBS, A DOG WAS EJECTED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND COULD HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WAS THE CRASH ITSELF SPINNING MY CAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A TOTAL NIGHTMARE! BOTH CARS WERE DECLARED TOTALED. POLICE WERE AT THE SCENE AND I WAS NOT CITED. MY CAR WAS TOWED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. COURT CASE PENDING FOR SURCHARGE. *JB

Mileage: 78,228

20060418CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DRIVING MY CAR DOWN THE STREET IN WHICH I LIVE WITH CHILD IN BACK SEAT. I TAPPED THE BRAKE TO PULL INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FROM 30 MPH TO 60 MPH IN SECONDS. MY INTENTION WAS TO PULL INTO MY DRIVEWAY BUT CAR TOOK OFF LIKE A ROCKET AND ACCELERATED INTO A HEAVY TRUCK ROUTE GOING THROUGH A STOP SIGN. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF AND THE OTHER VEHICLE. MY TAURUS SPUN OUT OF CONTROL FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THE COLLISION STOPPED THE CAR FROM ACCELERATING. THE OTHER VEHICLE PASSENGER HAD BROKEN RIBS, BOTH CARS WERE TOTALED. POLICE WERE AT THE SCENE AND TOWED CAR INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS NOT CITED, OBVIOUS MALFUNCTION OF CAR. A HEARING IS PENDING DUE TO INSURANCE SURCHARGE. THESE CARS ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A FORD TAURUS TO ANYONE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *JB

20051118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

THE REAR EXHAUST SPROCKET ON THE CAMSHAFT OF MY 1999 FORD TAURUS SHO CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED THE VALVES TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE PISTONS. THIS IS NOT A RARE OCCURENCE EITHER. MANY CASES OF THIS ARE BEING DOCUMENTED ON A WEBSITE CALLED WWW.V8SHO.COM. *NM

Mileage: 99,990

20050615STEERING:RACK AND PINION

THE POWER STEERING ON MY CAR IS COMPLETELY SHOT. WE'VE REPLACE THE PUMP AND EXAMINED THE HOSE/LINES WITH NO SUCCESS. I'M AM ONLY ABLE TO STEER MY CAR WITH MUCH EFFORT. TURNING OR SWERVING QUICKLY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT NUMEROUS FORD TAURAUS'S HAVE SUFFERD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MANUFACTUER DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

Mileage: 101,000

20050428ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

EXPERIENCED A CAMSHAFT RELATED ENGINE FAILURE AT 70 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE OF A MAJOR INTERSTATE. VEHICLE HAD TO TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION TO CROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND NO POWER ASSIST WAS AVAILABLE TO BRAKES OR STEERING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN OPERATING FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OF CITY DRIVING AND 1 HOUR OF HIGHWAY SPEEDS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER SHOWED ME THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE EXACT SAME CONDITION REPORTED ON WWW.V8SHO.COM. THERE OVER 530 DOCUMENTED CASES OF CAMSHAFT TO SPROCKET SPLEEN FAILURES WHERE THE PISTONS THEN IMPACT STATIONARY VALVES AND DESTROY THE MOTOR. THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER RECOMMENDED I CONTACT FORD ENGINEERING TO ADVISE THEM OF THE FAILURE SINCE IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A MAINTENANCE OR WEAR RELATED ISSUE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A JUNK YARD MOTOR AT A COST OF OVER $6000 SINCE THE PISTONS AND VALVES HAD DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERVICE BULLETINS, CONTACT FROM THE MANUFACTURER

Mileage: 66,985

20050328ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE PRODUCES A TICKING NOISE. DEALER STATES THE CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN WHILE IN MOTION. *AK

Mileage: 89,515

20050115ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

OIL PAN GASKET HAS SLIPPED OUT AT THE SAME SPOT,UNDER THE PULLEY. THERE IS NO BOLTS IN THE CURVE UNDER THE PULLEY, TO HOLD THE GASKET IN PLACE. *NM

Mileage: 49,907

20041220SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 04V332000 IN JULY 2004. FORD HAS ISSUED A FRONT COIL SPRINGS RECALL. THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT THE DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS IN ORDER TO REPAIR. *AK RECALL CAMPAIGN. AS OF 01/04/2005 DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE CORRECT PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. *TC

20041210SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

CONSUMER'S REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT. CONSUMER WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY REAR SEAT PASSENGERS. *AK

Mileage: 40,000

20041210SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 04V332000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 04S17 CONCERNING COIL SPRINGS AROUND AUGUST 2004. HAD CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND INFORMED NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE UNTIL MANUFACTURER SEND OUT PARTS IN DECEMBER. *AK

20041104ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

IT IS A KNOWN FACT, TO FORD AND THEIR DEALERS, THAT THE 1996 THROUGH 1999 FORD TAURUS V8 SHO HAVE DEFECTIVE CAM SHAFTS. WHY HASN'T ANTHING BEEN DONE TO PROTECT THE DRIVING PUBLIC FROM THIS MENACE. GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE. *AK HTTP://AUTO.COM/INDUSTRY/TAURUS24_20021024.HTM MY SON WAS DRIVING A 1999 FORD TAURUS V8 SHO WHEN THE CAMSHAFT FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD HE WAS NOT HURT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, MORE LIKELY THOUSANDS OF FORD TAURUS V8 SHO CARS WITH DANGEROUS CAMSHAFT DEFECTS.

Mileage: 60

20041015ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HEARD A TICKING NOISE, THEN A BACKFIRE AND THE CAR DIED. THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT I NEED A NEW HEAD AND THAT IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO PUT IN A USED ENGINE. THEY SAY THAT THE REAR HEAD, ALL THE VALVES ARE STUCK OPEN, BUT THEY DIDN'T GO ANY FUTHER TO TELL ME WHY.*AK

Mileage: 67,000

20040927ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I AM THE OWNER OF A 99 TAURUS SHO. VIN#[XXX]. I LEARNED ONLY RECENTLY OF THE CAM GEARS SPINNING FREELY AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. I AM FORKING OUT OVER FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS OF MY MONEY TO HAVE THE GEARS WELDED TO THE CAMS. WHILE I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY INJURIES THE POTENTIAL IS THERE. IMAGINE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON A BUSY INTERSTATE AND HAVING YOUR ENGINE FAIL. NO POWER STEERING NO BRAKES. IT COULD BE FATAL. THERE ARE NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS AT WWW.V8SHO.COM. AND THE NUMBERS ARE RISING, BETWEEN 7- AND 12 PER MONTH. THESE ARE JUST THE ONES BEING REPORTED. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY MORE THERE ARE. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN THE ENGINE DAMAGE IS CATASTROPHIC AND REPAIR BILLS ARE IN EXCESS OF THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS AND HELP. I UNDERSTAND A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT HAS BEEN FILED BECAUSE FORD WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM NOR ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INF

20040118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FROZEN CAM SHAFT DUE TO FAULTY PRESS FIT CAM CONTAINER REPORTED ON 30% OF YAMAHA BUILT FORD TAURUS SHO V8 ENGINES (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT) BUILT BETWEEN 1996 & 1999. * CB

Mileage: 66,000

20030715ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I WAS MAKING A TURN FROM A MAIN STREET ONTO A SIDE ROAD WHEN MY ENGINE FAILED. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK MAKING THE SAME TURN. THE ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE THE TIMING GEAR ON ONE OF THE INTAKE CAMSHAFTS SHEARED OFF OF THE SHAFT. THIS DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996-1999 FORD SHO'S.*AK

Mileage: 78,267

Compare 1999FORDTAURUS (SHO) to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO) have?
The 1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO) has 22 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO)?
The most-complained component for the 1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO) is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS.
Is the 1999 FORD TAURUS (SHO) 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.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.