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#BS-2004-FORTAU-336B

2004 Ford Taurus

Based on reports from 479 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
479
Crashes
48
Fires
17
Recalls
2
TSBs
55
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 479 complaints, 48 crashes, 17 fires, and 2 recalls. Complaint rate is 3.0x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failed

90 complaints • Severity 8.8/10

$X,XXX
2

torque converter failed

11 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
3

water leak onto front passenger floorboard

6 complaints • Severity 8.7/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Speed ControlHIGH

159 owners reported speed control issues — failures commonly reported around 95K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

45
0–30K
46
30–60K
98
60–90K
87
90–120K
65
120–150K
62
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (98 reports) • Median: 95K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Speed Control (159 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Speed Control159 (33%)
Drivetrain43 (9%)
Engine38 (8%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission26 (5%)
Electrical23 (5%)
Brakes22 (5%)
Other16 (3%)
Fuel System16 (3%)

2004 Ford Taurus: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 33% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Taurus, with 159 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 95K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Taurus, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Taurus, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Taurus, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

18
04
23
05
13
06
16
07
13
08
17
09
27
10
27
11
115
12
47
13
67
14
22
15
28
16
11
17
19
18
8
19
7
20
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Ford Taurus. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

04V330000Jul 2004

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER ADJUSTABLE SEATS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY WELDED.

16E026000May 2016

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

Bosch Brake Components LLC (Bosch) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement front brake pads, models Bosch QuietCast BC598 and BP765, Bosch Blue BE598 and BE598H, Prostop PD598 and PD765M, Duralast Gold DG598, Duralast MKD598, Stop Master ST598, UltraStop ULT598, UltraLife MX598 and MX765, BrakeBest MKD765, and Prostop Platinum PGD598. These brake pads, manufactured October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015 are intended for use on 2001-2007 Ford Taurus, 2001-2005 Mercury Sable, 1995-1999 Ford Taurus SHO, 1995-2002 Lincoln Continental, and 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII vehicles. The brake pad shim may shift out of position causing the shim to contact the brake disc resulting in damage to the disc.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Taurus is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2004 Ford Taurus vs. Class Average (Large Cars)

This vehicle

479

Class avg

162

3.0x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 479 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Taurus Model Years

2019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977
View all Ford Taurus years →

2004 Ford Taurus: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford Taurus?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Ford Taurus is related to the speed control, with 159 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Ford Taurus reliable?
The 2004 Ford Taurus has 479 complaints, 48 crash reports, and 17 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 3.0x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Ford Taurus problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Ford Taurus have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Ford Taurus has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Taurus problems start?
Based on 403 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 479 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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