The used Ford Taurus I'd buy is a 2013-2019 car with the regular 288-hp 3.5-liter V-6, front-drive if you don't need AWD, with paperwork showing the recalls on that VIN were done. It's a cheap, quiet, big sedan, and Ford stopped building it in March 2019. Two honest downsides: the cabin is tighter than the outside suggests, and the V-6 hides its water pump inside the engine, where a leak gets expensive fast. I'd skip 2010-2012 cars unless the price is very low.
The Taurus you'll find on lots in mid October 2026 is almost always the sixth generation, which IIHS says was re-engineered for 2010. Consumer Reports calls 2013 a freshening year: variable cam timing for the 3.5, an optional 240-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost four, and more driver aids. Car and Driver says the V-6 made 263 hp in 2010 and 288 later, always with a six-speed automatic and FWD or AWD. The SHO used a 365-hp twin-turbo 3.5 with standard AWD and ran 0-60 in 5.2 seconds in C/D testing.
Which engine to pick
The non-turbo V-6 is the simple choice. MotorTrend's 2019 review lists only the two 3.5s for the final year, rated 18/26 mpg city/highway with FWD and 16/24 for the SHO. The SHO is a lot of fun, but it carries extra recall baggage: a fuel pump module that can overheat on 2013-2015 EcoBoost cars, turbo oil supply tubes that can leak on 2016s, and rear toe links that can crack on 2013-2018 SHOs with the Performance Pack. The 2.0 EcoBoost is rare. Decode the VIN with our Ford VIN decoder guide so you know which engine and drive type you're actually looking at.
The water pump question
On the 3.5 V-6, the water pump is driven by the timing chain and sits inside the engine. A 2018 class action, Roe v. Ford, alleged that the pump can fail without warning and dump coolant into the oil, and it listed 2008-2018 Taurus models. Those were allegations. The law firm's case page says the court dismissed it on December 27, 2023, with no recovery for the class. So Ford never issued a recall or extended coverage for it. To keep it in proportion, the NHTSA complaint files I pulled mention a water pump only a handful of times per year (16 times for 2011, the most). That suggests most cars never have the problem, but the ones that do get a big bill. Ask whether the pump has been replaced, check for milky oil on the cap, and be suspicious of a coolant reservoir that keeps dropping with no drip on the ground. The Flex uses the same engine, and our used Ford Flex guide covers the same question for that car.
Recalls to clear before you pay
I pulled every model year from the NHTSA recalls API on Friday afternoon, October 16, starting with the 2013 Taurus query. The ones worth asking about:
- 15V340, 2011-2013: electric power steering can shut off after a motor sensor fault. It covers 2013 cars with any engine and 2011-2012 cars with the EcoBoost.
- 16V247, 2010-2012: the driver air bag may inflate wrong in a high-speed crash.
- 13V227 and 15V812, 2013: the fuel delivery module can crack and leak fuel.
- 14V393, 2013-2014: a halfshaft circlip may not be seated, so the shaft can pull out while driving.
- 25V695, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019: the rearview camera can show a distorted or blank image. It's a phased campaign, and interim letters went out October 25, 2025.
- 25V611, 2016-2019: B-pillar door trim can come loose while driving. Owner letters went out February 20, 2026, so plenty of cars haven't been fixed yet.
Smaller ones include 2017-2018 keys that come out of the ignition when the car isn't in Park. Check the exact VIN the way our Ford recall check by VIN post explains.
What the complaint files show
The 2013 file is the big one: 591 complaints, and 296 of them were tagged steering, which lines up with 15V340. The 2015 file has 280, and 71 of them mention the camera. After that the numbers drop fast, to 17 for 2019. NHTSA doesn't verify these reports, but if you're torn between a 2013 and a 2016 at similar money, I'd take the 2016.
Space, visibility and crash scores
Consumer Reports calls the cabin cramped and outward visibility poor. MotorTrend measured 38.1 inches of rear legroom, less than a Dodge Charger, though the 20.1-cubic-foot trunk is huge. IIHS gives it Good in moderate overlap, side, roof and head restraints, and Acceptable in the driver-side small overlap test. That small overlap rating only covers 2013-2019, after Ford made the side curtain air bags longer. The 2017-2019 headlights were rated Poor.
What else to look at
If you want something newer and smaller, our used Ford Fusion guide covers cars built through 2020. If you want a big sedan, read the Chevy Impala guide and the Toyota Avalon guide too.
Price and history check
Consumer Reports shows retail ranges from about $6,025-$7,350 for a 2013 up to $13,325-$19,100 for a 2019 this month. A lot of these cars spent time in rental or fleet use, so check title brands free on NMVTIS, then pull your own report rather than taking a seller's printout. We're a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Lately it's been roughly $5.50 for one report as a guest, $4.50 with a membership, or about $6.75 for both brands, compared with about $39.99 to $44.99 buying direct. Prices move, so go by your checkout total.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Log in to leave a comment.