2011 Ford Taurus Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 18 Structure & Body complaints for the 2011 Ford Taurus, 10% of its 187 total complaints for the year. These include a related recall (15V040000) for interior door handles, plus reports of overheating heated seats and water intrusion around door seals, with median failure mileage at 48,750.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 18
- 10% of 187
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 48,750 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- Heated seats overheat and burn through leather and clothing, in some cases burning the driver's or passenger's skin.
- Interior door handles and latches, especially on the driver's side, become loose, break, or fail to return to the closed position, tied to recall 15V040000.
- Owners report parts shortages and long delays getting the door handle recall repair completed at dealers.
- Water or dust intrudes into the cabin around door seals near the front and rear seats despite dealer seal replacements.
- Chrome trim around the tail lights peels repeatedly, even after prior warranty replacement.
- One owner described a bent frame along with airbag non-deployment and a persistent burning smell in a crash.
When 2011 Ford Taurus body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 14, 2011, latest Sep 10, 2025.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2011 Ford Taurus
- NHTSA 15V040000Jan 28, 2015Structure & Body194,889 vehicles
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, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Risk: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.
Structure & Body complaints by Taurus model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- What structure and body problems are reported on the 2011 Ford Taurus?
- NHTSA lists 18 Structure & Body complaints, including overheating heated seats that burned occupants, faulty interior door handles, water intrusion around door seals, and peeling tail light chrome.
- Is there a recall related to these complaints?
- Yes. Recall 15V040000 covers 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles built in a specific window for defective interior door handles and latches; Ford dealers inspect and repair or replace them.
- How many crashes or fires are linked to Structure & Body issues on this year?
- NHTSA records 2 crashes, 1 fire, and 6 injuries among the Structure & Body complaints for the 2011 Taurus.
- At what mileage do these structure and body problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints on the 2011 Taurus is 48,750 miles.