There are 15 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2004 Ford Taurusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
REPORTED EARLIER TODAY UNDER CONFIRMATION #11252283 ABOUT TRYING TO MOVE THE GEARSHIFT FROM PARK INTO DRIVE SO CAR CAN BE DRIVEN. NOW GEARSHIFT STILL NOT WORKING AND REMAINING IN PARK BUT ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS REFUSE TO SHUT OFF. THE BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED SO THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULDN'T DRAIN THE BATTERY DEAD. NOW THE MECHANIC IS SAYING THERE'S A RECALL ON THE BRAKE STOPLIGHT SWITCH ON THIS 2004 FORD TAURUS.
BRAKE SWITCH, NO RECALL FOR 2004 MODEL, BUT RECALL FOR 2001. MY 2004 TAURUS IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE 2001 BRAKE SWITCH, WHICH CAUSES THE INABILITY TO MOVE YOUR CAR OUT OF PARK AND YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK.
THE BOSCH BRAKES HAD A RECALL TOOK TO SHOP N IT AFFECTED THE ROUTERS NEED NEW BRAKES N ROUTERS I PAID THEY SAID I WOULD GET A CALL NEVER DID TO GET REINBURSED
THE COLUMN SHIFT DOES NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN TRACED TO A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. WHILE THERE IS A RECALL - 04V106000 - FOR THIS ISSUE, IT ONLY GOES UP TO THE 2003 MODEL YEAR. MY VEHICLE IS A 2004 AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING WHILE IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE TECHNICIAN REPAIRED THE FUEL INJECTION, CABIN AIR FILTER, IDLE CONTROL VALVE, AND THE BUTTERFLY VALVE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,272.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO DISENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.
WE WERE DRIVING INTO AURORA, IL ON HWY 88. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE BEGAN SPEEDING AND WE HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND RIDE THE BRAKES TO KEEP THE SPEED AT 45. WE WERE IN A WORK ZONE, THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC, AND THE CAR WAS HARD TO CONTROL. WE PULLED INTO AN OASIS/REST AREA WHERE WE TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. WE WOULD PUSH DOWN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE REVVING WOULD DROP OFF SOME, BUT IT CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC, WHO DID FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING AND FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION; HE ALSO FOUND THAT THE ACCELERATOR LINE HAD DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. WE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. TODAY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE GOOGLED IT AND DISCOVERED THE NHTSA'S INVESTIGATION OF SUDDEN, UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION IN THE FORD TAURUS MODEL. MY WIFE IS NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CARE OR HAVE ME DRIVE IT. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHERE IT WAS DETECTED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE ADJUSTER WAS FRACTURED. A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE COMPONENT WAS REPLACED AFTER EACH RECURRENCE AND ONCE BY THE DEALER. THE THIRD RECURRENCE OF THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,981 .UPDATED 05/23/12 *BF UPDATED 06/25/12
BRAKE LINE FAILURE.. NEEDED TO REPLACE BRAKE LINES DUE TO CHAFFING.. REINFORCED RUBBER BRAKE LINE UNDER DRIVER IS CHAFFING IN THE 45 DEGREE TURN AT THE CROSSMEMBER. I CAUGHT IT B4 ANY ACCIDENTS BUT JUST BARELY. THIS COULD RESULT IN SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING SEVER INJURY OR DEATH AND SHOULD BE AT LEAST INVESTIGATED... *TR
MY SON AND WIFE WERE IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. MY SON HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR BELOW 30 MPH. HE NOTICED THE TACHOMETER WAS RACING 3,000 RPM EVEN THOUGH HE WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE HARD. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED ALTHOUGH I OFTEN FELT THE CAR WAS GOING TOO FAST (@ 20MPH) WHEN STARTING UP WITH NO FOOT PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND REPAIRED 2 DAYS LATER. MECHANIC SAID THE 'AIR INTAKE VALVE' WAS DIRTY (CARBON DEPOSITS) AND REPLACED. HE ALSO NOTED CAR WAS REPROGRAMMED BY THE COMPUTER. CAR PERFORMANCE I BELIEVE, WAS DUE TO MALFUNCTION OF COMPUTER OR MICROPROCESSORS WHICH CAUSED TOO MUCH FUEL TO BE INJECTED INTO THE ENGINE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE CONTACT HAD TO SUDDENLY APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE MASTER CYLINDER REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT TOO MUCH PRESSURE CAUSED THE MASTER CYLINDER TO MALFUNCTION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR THE THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT WHEN THE MASTER CYLINDER MALFUNCTIONS A CRASH COULD OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.
BRAKES WERE "WORN OUT" AFTER 24,000 MILES. IN FIFTY YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD TO HAVE BRAKES REPLACED EVEN AFTER 100,000 MILES OF DRIVING BECAUSE I AM A VERY CONSERVATIVE DRIVER. THE SERVICE AGENT AT THE DEALER ADMITTED TO ME THAT FORD HAD CHANGED THE QUALITY OF THE BRAKE PADS AND THEY HAD A LOT OF REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THAT. *TR
UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCES... USUALLY AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH THE ABS SYSTEM LIGHT TURNS ON AND AFTER THIS THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL SHUDDER HEAVILY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THIS IS INTERMITTANT. WHEN THE CAR COMES TO A STOP AND IS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED THE ABS LIGHT GOES BACK TO NORMAL STATUS (NOT ON). USUALLY DRIVING ON SLOWER SURFACE STREETS WILL NOT ACTIVATE THE LIGHT AT ALL.
WHEN IT HAS SNOW OR SLUSH ON ROADWAY, I LOOSE MY BRAKING ABILITY AND HAVE GONE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS FAULT. I ALSO ASKED THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT THIS AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. I ALSO ASKED MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY ALSO DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. NEITHER RESEARCHED THIS AS TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THIS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS IF TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY. THIS IS PRIMARILY IN THE WINTER WHEN SNOW/SLUSH IS ON ROADWAYS AND TEMPERATURE WOULD BE AROUND FREEZING. IT HAPPENS WITH LOW MILEAGE 10-12 MILES AT THE MOST. *TR
I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 TAURUS WAGON WITH ABS AND OPTIONAL TRACTION CONTROL IN MARCH,2004. I HAVE HAD THREE INSTANCES WHEREIN AT LOW SPEED (5-10 MPH) AND ON EITHER WET ROAD , GRAVEL OR OTHER ROUGH SURFACE, AND ON ATTEMPT TO BRAKE, I HAVE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE AND/OR THE ENGINE SIMULTANEOUSLY ACCELERATES. I HAVE HAD TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO OVERCOME THE FORWARD SURGE. ON ONE OCCASION I FAILED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. I HAD PRESENTED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN APRIL, 2004. AT THAT TIME THE DEALER (SMITH CAIRNS FORD,YONKERS,NY) CLAIMED THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE UNEVEN. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT REPAIR, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ONLY THIS TIME THE "ABS"AND TRACTION CONTROL" WARNING INDICATORS ACTIVATED. THE DEALER REPLACED LEFT FRONT WHEEL TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN ON JULY 8, 2004. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND I AM AWAITING ADVICE FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER AS TO WHEN THE COMPANY SERVICE REP. CAN INSPECT THE VEHICLE. *LA
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 Apr 25, 2026