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2018 Ford Taurus problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2018 Ford Taurus has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated November 2, 2026.
- 4safety recalls
- 52owner complaints
- 3crash reports
- 1fire report
- 6injuries reported
52 complaints, against an average of 190 for the other 7 Ford Taurus model years.
Every Ford Taurus model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2018 Ford Taurus?
The components named most often in the 52 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2018 Ford Taurus owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 52 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2018 Ford Taurus been recalled?
4 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
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 driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System: Ignition Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford Taurus vehicles equipped with mechanical key ignition systems. The keys for these vehicles may be able to be removed from the ignition when transmission is not in the PARK position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Risk: If the key is removed from the ignition while the vehicle is not in the PARK position and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter assembly, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C02.
What do 2018 Ford Taurus owners report?
12 of the 52 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Two local dealers, including Huntley Ford (13900 Automall Dr, Huntley, IL 60142) were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in Reverse (R), the rearview camera displayed a blank screen. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, the passenger’s side B-pillar trim had detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V611000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. An appointment was scheduled by the manufacturer to another local dealer, Gengras Ford Service (225 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT 06062), where the dealer requested to keep the vehicle overnight to inspect, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or…
Components Involved: Engine Block Mounting Boss, Intermediate Shaft Bracket (Service Part # DB5Z-3K305-CA), Factory Bolt (OEM # W500131-S437) Incident Overview: During a low-speed (about 5mph) lateral impact to the front-right wheel against a curb, expected sacrificial suspension damage occurred (snapped CV axle, separated lower ball joint). However, lateral force transferred through the passenger-side intermediate shaft directly into its carrier bearing mounting bracket. Instead of the cast mounting bracket (DB5Z-3K305-B) absorbing the force or breaking, the lateral stress sheared the cast…
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V611000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door B-pillar trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle on a slightly inclined parking lot, the vehicle started rolling backwards. The contact engaged the electric parking brake, and the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while parking the vehicle on an incline, requiring the electric parking brake to be engaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V141000 (Electrical System, Power Train); however, the VIN was…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 65,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 99,000. The contact stated that the seller's father was a dealer and had advised that the issue would be corrected; however, the contact was concerned about further fraudulent business practices.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was left at the independent mechanic for the oil change. While riding the bus, on the way home they mechanic called the contact to inform them that the vehicle had caught fire and the engine had burned while in their parking lot. The fire possibly originated from the battery, per the mechanic center however the contact mentioned the battery was recently replaced with a new battery. The contact had not been able to retrieve the vehicle and was unsure if the vehicle was totaled. The dealer had been reaching out to the…
Rear toe links have a lot of slack resulting in rear drifting on uneven/slippery ground. This results in poor handling and fishtailing making it significantly harder to maintain control of the vehicle. Extreme caution required during slippery road conditions as the car will start to fishtail on it's own and requires constant corrective steering.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the message "Transmission not in Park(P)" was displayed and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to operating normally. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle because the message was no longer displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was returned to the same dealer. The dealer was…
This 2018 Ford Taurus had a water pump fail. This vehicle has a water pump inside the engine instead of attached to the outside of the engine like usual. When it fails, coolant fluid gets inside of the engine and ruins it. Normally, when a water pump fails, coolant would leak but not inside of the engine. This is a design flaw. This 2018 Taurus was bought new and maintained with excellence at Ford dealerships. This is a loss of worth of $6000 to me. The dealership states it would cost $10000 to replace the engine so it is not worth fixing. We will be getting rid of it so there will be nothing…
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving up a ramp at 65 mph, the transmission, brakes, steering, and engine became inoperable, and the vehicle shut down and crashed into the side railing. The vehicle tipped on its side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The child passenger who was using a car seat positioned in the rear passenger seat sustained injuries that left the occupant in a coma, and medical attention was provided. The other occupants in the driver and passenger front seats and the occupant in the driver's rear seat sustained minor cuts but…
2018 Ford Taurus: questions owners ask
Is the 2018 Ford Taurus reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Taurus; the most common categories were back over prevention (15, 28.8%), structure (11, 21.2%), electrical system (7, 13.5%). There are 4 safety recalls. 3 complaints mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 6 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ford Taurus?
Across 52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are back over prevention (28.8% of complaints), structure (21.2% of complaints), electrical system (13.5% of complaints), power train (13.5% of complaints), suspension (13.5% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2018 Ford Taurus have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2018 Ford Taurus; the most recent (campaign 25V695000, 2025-10-13) concerns Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does the backup camera not work on my 2018 Ford Taurus?
12 of the 52 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Ford Taurus (23.1%) describe the rearview or backup camera failing or showing a blank screen. A related recall exists: campaign 25V695000 (back over prevention: sensing system: camera). The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. One owner wrote: "The rear view camera is not working properly. It blinks at times and then the view of the rear is upside down. This happens when I put the car in reverse." (NHTSA complaint 11688840, September 2025). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2018 Ford Taurus?
4 of the 52 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Ford Taurus (7.7%) describe suspension clunks, worn parts or air suspension failures. A related recall exists: campaign 20V072000 (suspension: rear). The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. One owner wrote: "Rear adjustable lataral arm and ball joint (RH) on rear wheel broke, while driving spun car in the road. Had to replace part and take vehicle to Ford dealership to get car allined and have car inspected for other damage. Purchased from Oreilly Auto Parts." (NHTSA complaint 11489257, October 2022). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Taurus
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved November 2, 2026. Model year 2018 only. How these reports are made.