2011 Ford Taurus Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 61 Electrical System complaints for the 2011 Ford Taurus, 33% of its 187 total complaints for the year. Three crashes and four injuries are tied to this area. A related recall (14V285000) covers license plate lamp assemblies, but does not address the headlight or engine-shutoff issues owners describe.
- Electrical System complaints
- 61
- 33% of 187
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 4
- Median mileage
- 48,350 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Owners report headlights that appear misaligned or fail to project light far enough down the road, making night driving difficult to see curves or obstacles.
- Several drivers describe the vehicle stalling or shutting off unexpectedly while in motion, sometimes displaying a message to shift to park before it can be restarted.
- Some complaints describe all electrical components shutting down at once, including limited braking, while the engine kept running.
- One owner reported the vehicle stalling at both high and low speeds whenever their foot left the accelerator, which the dealer attributed to the electronic throttle body.
- A separate report describes the engine start button being located next to the radio power button, so accidentally pressing it while driving cuts engine power, brakes, and steering.
When 2011 Ford Taurus electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Oct 14, 2010, latest Sep 14, 2025.
Electrical System recalls for the 2011 Ford Taurus
- NHTSA 14V285000May 29, 2014Electrical System183,425 vehicles
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, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. When used in areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result of water intrusion.
Risk: This corrosion may result in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the license plate lamp assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S08. Note: Under program 14R01, Ford will notify owners in non-corrosion states, and, at the customer's request, dealers will replace the license plate lamp assembly.
Electrical System complaints by Taurus model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical complaints does the 2011 Ford Taurus have?
- NHTSA lists 61 Electrical System complaints for the 2011 Taurus, which is 33% of the 187 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2011 Ford Taurus electrical system?
- Yes, recall campaign 14V285000 covers model year 2010-2014 Taurus vehicles for license plate lamp assembly replacement, but it does not cover the headlight visibility or stalling issues reported by owners.
- Did the 2011 Ford Taurus electrical problems cause any injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to this problem area for the 2011 Taurus lists 4 injuries and 3 crashes.
- At what mileage do 2011 Taurus electrical problems typically appear?
- The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2011 Taurus is 48,350 miles, though individual sample complaints show failures occurring at much lower mileage as well.