There are 35 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 1999 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
VOLTAGE REGULATOR, OR ITS FUSE, IS FAILING TO CHARGE BATTERY
WAS DRIVEN DOWN THE HIGHWAY NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE NOTICED A BURNING WIRE SMELL.. PULLED OVER AND THE WHOLE TOP OF MY MOTOR WAS ON FIRE... THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS ELECTRICAL... MY CAR IS TOTALED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE RISING FROM THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT SAFELY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DID NOT NOTIFY POLICE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. HAD ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY REPLACED. BATTERY LIGHT IS ON AND LIGHTS DIM CONSIDERABLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT RESULTING IN SOMETIMES SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY. HAPPENS DAY AND NIGHT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE ACTIVATED THE HEADLIGHTS SO THAT HE COULD SEE MORE CLEARLY. WHEN HE DIMMED THE HEADLIGHTS, THE VEHICLE STOPPED SMOKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED WHEN HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. REMAILED EVOQ 10/15/07 *LJ
1999 FORD TAURUS CUSTOMER STATES THAT THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS THREE TIMES DUE TO IT BURNING OUT **CC *JB
MY '99 TAURUS DAYTIME DRIVING LIGHTS FLICKER TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO PULL THE FUSE. I HAD ONE INCIDENT WHERE I COULDN'T TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. YESTERDAY WHEN I SET THE ALARM, THE HORN DIDN'T BEEP SO NOW THE HORN DOESN'T WORK EITHER. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS GOING ON AND FLICKERING WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. *TR
WHEN YOU HIT THE HORN THE ENGINE TRIES TO CUT OUT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE CAR JERKS REALLY BAD LIKE YOU SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL ONLY WORKS HALF THE TIME. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS YET. IT IS GOING INTO THE SHOP IN A WEEK. *JB
CONTACT STATES: DROVE CAR 1/2 MILE USING HEADLIGHTS BY THE TIME SHE ENTERED THE DRIVEWAY A BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF FRONT DRIVER SIDE HOOD ABOVE THE HEADLIGHTS. SMELLED BETWEEN TAR AND GLUE SMELL. IT SMELLS EVEN WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT IN USE DROVE LESS THAN 1/2 MILE. FORD DEALERSHIP DID SAY IT SOUNDED ELECTRICAL.
MY WIFE DROVE OUR 1999 FORD TAURUS SE TO THE STORE AND WHEN SHE WENT TO LEAVE THE KEY WOULD NOT FIT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS SHE FINALLY GOT THE KEY IN BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH. HER AND MY KIDS WHERE STRANDED IN TOWN CLOSE TO HOME. BUT WITH ME BEING DEPLOYED IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. I NEED TO KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION SWITCHES GOING BAD ON THIS TYPE OF CAR. I CANT SEE A IGNITION SWITCH GOING BAD ON SUCH A FAIRLY NEW CAR. AND THE COST AND HASSLE YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET THE SWITCH ,KEY AND THE KEY PROGRAMMED IS OUTRAGES. *JB
INTERMITTANTLY THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ACTIVATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED! I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR THREE YEARS. USUALLY BY TURNING THE WIPER SWITCH ON THEN OFF, IT WOULD STOP. TODAY THAT HAD NO AFFECT ON THE WIPERS. I DROVE THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS TODAY. THE WIPERS CAME ON FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES . I AM TAKING THE CAR TO FORD TOMORROW. I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE SPECIALIST TODAY. HE STATED THIS WAS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM OVER SEVERAL MODELS OF FORD VEHICLES. THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS. WHY WAS THERE NO SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED? FURTHER, WHY WOULD PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL ACTIVATE THE WIPERS? THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE SYSTEMS!*AK
LOSS OF LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL SERVICES, LTERNATOR AND BATTERY FAILED, ENGINE SHUT OFF. REPLACED BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR.*AK
ALL THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS OBSTRUCTED THE DRIVER'S VISION. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK WHENEVER THE INTERIOR GETS WARM. THE MAP READING LAMP AND THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT ON THE DASH WILL STAY ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENDS THE HEATER WILL ALSO TURN ON TO WINDOW DEFROST. THE LED FOR THE HEATER WILL ALSO START FLICKERING ON AND OFF. *EH *JB
THE INTERIOR LIGHT CONTINUES TO REMAIN ON AND THE DASH READOUT INDICATES THAT THERE IS A DOOR OPEN WHEN THERE ACTUALLY ISN'T. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT LOCK AS LONG AS THE CAR BELIEVES THERE IS AN UNLOCKED DOOR. *JB
ALTERNATOR HAS QUIT 5 TIMES NOW. THE LIGHTS DIM THEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON THEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT THEN THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO ZERO THEN GOES BACK UP TO SPEED LAST SHOWN THEN DROPS TO ZERO. ENGINE POWER QUITS AND THE CAR COASTS TO A STOP. HAVE TO BE TOWED. TS
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS
DEALER STATES WIRE IN WIRING HARNESS UNDER RIGHT FENDER CAUSED TAIL LIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS TO MALFUNCTION. FAILED DUE TO CORROSION FROM WATER SPLASHING UNDER FENDER. DEALER REPAIRED BUT WAS NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER SAID THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. TO ME IT LOOKS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT HORN WORKS INTERMITTENTLY,MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT,DUE TO THE FACT HORN MAY NOT WORK AT A CRITICAL TIME. NLM
WHENEVER CONSUMER GETS OUT AND TOUCHES ANY PART OF THE VEHICLE HE GETS A STATIC SHOCK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *YD
THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD CHARGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT, THE NEXT DAY THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AGAIN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING, THE NEXT MONTH IT FAILED AGAIN. *YH
Showing 1–20 of 35 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026