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2018 Ford Taurus

Gas
Large Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
68 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA48
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA21 mpg
2019201820172016

The 2018 Ford Taurus is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Taurus FWD, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 48 complaints, most often about the structure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Taurus FWDGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl182721$2,950
Taurus FWD FFVGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl182721$2,950
Taurus AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl turbo162419$3,300
Taurus AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl172419$3,300
Taurus AWD FFVGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl172419$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39664, 39666, 39662, 39663, 39665.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Ford Taurus is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Back Over Prevention

25SA9
1,448,655 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskA rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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'
NHTSA campaign 25V695000reported Oct 13, 2025Ford Motor Company
▲high

Structure

25S91
101,944 vehicles
ProblemFord Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Taurus vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.RiskDoor trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 campaign 25V611000reported Sep 12, 2025Ford Motor Company
▲high

Suspension

20S04
211,207 vehicles
ProblemFord 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.RiskA fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.FixFord 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 i
NHTSA campaign 20V072000reported Feb 10, 2020Ford Motor Company
▲high

Power Train

18C02
2,100 vehicles
ProblemFord 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."RiskIf 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.FixFord 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V141000reported Mar 1, 2018Ford Motor Company

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
48complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 6 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 14

Most-cited components

Structure11
Back Over Prevention11
Unspecified8
Power Train7
Electrical System7
Suspension7

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera malfunctioned, causing a rear visibility hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. During the failure, there was a solid blue or black screen displayed, without an image displ…”Aug 26, 2025 · Back Over Prevention · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Engine Overheated" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer…”Jun 24, 2025 · Engine And Engine Cooling · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the back over prevention camera displayed an upside-down image or a blank image. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHT…”Jun 4, 2025 · Back Over Prevention · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆11%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Taurus model years

B

2019 Ford Taurus

2 recalls · 15 complaints

D

2017 Ford Taurus

4 recalls · 44 complaints

D

2016 Ford Taurus

4 recalls · 80 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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