2016 Ford Taurus Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
44/100
#6 most-complained of 10 Taurus years
The 2016 Ford Taurus has a complaint index of 44 and ranks 6th worst out of 10 model years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to other Taurus years. It has 81 complaints, 4 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls on file.
- Complaints
- 81
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 4 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 17.5 city / 25.5 hwy
Top 2016 Ford Taurus problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras26 (32%)
- Engine14 (17%)
- Other14 (17%)
- Steering9 (11%)
- Electrical System7 (9%)
- Fuel System7 (9%)
- Structure & Body7 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (6%)
- Airbags4 (5%)
- Brakes4 (5%)
What owners report
- Owners report sudden acceleration loss at highway speed with check engine, airbag, and service lights illuminating, requiring a restart to continue driving.
- Some describe a strong rotten egg or exhaust smell filling the cabin during hard acceleration, especially with the AC in auto mode.
- Power steering has reportedly locked up at low speeds, making the vehicle difficult or impossible to steer.
- Electrical system complaints include headlight designs that owners say obscure visibility of corners during turns.
- Structure and body complaints mention a rear passenger door slipping out of alignment and catching against the front door, sometimes requiring repeat dealership repairs.
- One owner reported a cracked coolant tank found during scheduled maintenance, raising concerns about fire risk and premature engine failure.
2016 Ford Taurus recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 25V695000Oct 13, 2025Collision Avoidance & Cameras1,448,655 vehicles
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
- NHTSA 25V611000Sep 12, 2025Structure & Body101,944 vehicles
Structure:exterior trim
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Taurus vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Risk: Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the B-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S91.
- NHTSA 20V072000Feb 10, 2020Suspension, Wheels & Tires211,207 vehicles
Suspension:rear
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
2016 Ford Taurus fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,250
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2016 compared with other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2016 Ford Taurus reliable?
- Relative to other Taurus model years, the 2016 has a complaint index of 44 and ranks 6th worst out of 10 years tracked, earning a "Good" verdict. It has fewer complaints (81) than several other years, such as 2013 (584 complaints) and 2010 (204 complaints).
- What problems does the 2016 Ford Taurus have?
- NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Taurus are led by Collision Avoidance & Cameras issues (26 complaints, 32% of the total), followed by Engine (14 complaints, 17%) and Steering (9 complaints, 11%). The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 56,482.5 miles.
- Does the 2016 Ford Taurus have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2016 Taurus, covering the rearview camera, B-pillar door trim, rear suspension toe links (Police Interceptor/SHO models), and turbocharger oil supply tubes on 3.5L GTDI engines. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2016 Taurus compare to other Taurus years?
- The 2016 Taurus (complaint index 44) is better than the 2013 (100), 2010 (89), and 2015 (78) model years, but has more reported issues than the 2017 (11) and 2019 (0) model years, which rank as "Best."
- What is the top problem area for the 2016 Ford Taurus?
- The top problem area is Collision Avoidance & Cameras, accounting for 26 of 81 complaints, or 32% of the total, with a median failure mileage of 64,000 miles.