RoadVitals

2006 Ford Taurus Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Apr 1, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 318 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Ford Taurus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Apr 1, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 5/7/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE AND THE CAMSHAFT WERE ALSO REPLACED. UPDATED 06/10/2013 *JS

NHTSA ID
10505214
Incident
Aug 15, 2012
Mileage
80,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 15, 2013

2006 FORD TAURUS. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. *JB UPDATED 02/19/13

NHTSA ID
10492621
Incident
Dec 26, 2012
ElectricalEngineTransmission
Filed Aug 1, 2011

I HAVE A 2006 FORD TAURUS AND WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IT WILL DIE WHILE SITTING AT A REDLIGHT. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE CAR AND THAT USUALLY SOLVES THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS. TODAY, HOWEVER, IT STALLED AT A REDLIGHT AND I RESTARTED BUT AS I CONTINUED DRIVING, THE RPM WOULD DROP RAPIDLY WHEN I HIT THE BREAKS AND IT ACTED LIKE IT WOULD DIE. I CONTINUED DRIVING AND WAS GOING ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN ALL THE ODOMETERS DROPPED TO ZERO AND EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WENT OUT. I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL AND THEN EVERYTHING CAME BACK ON. VERY STRANGE AND NOW I'M WORRIED THE CAR MIGHT DIE WHEN I'M ACTUALLY DRIVING AND NOT SITTING AT A REDLIGHT. *KB

NHTSA ID
10416544
Incident
Aug 1, 2011
Mileage
66,125 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 11, 2011

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN OUR 2006 FORD TAURUS AND IT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO BE MANUALLY PUSHED OFF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A GARAGE NEARBY AND THE OWNER SAID "THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY SHOT". WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AGAIN TO PRECISION TRANSMISSION IN WHITEVILLE, NC. THEY NOTIFIED US THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THIS TAURUS IS DEFECTIVE. THE SHOP OWNER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE 3 OTHER TAURUSES ON THE LOT TO BE REPAIRED AT THE SAME TIME. THE SHOP OWNER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH OUR CAR BEFORE THEY EVEN LOOKED AT IT BECAUSE SHE SAID THAT THE METAL USED IN THE TORQUE CONVERTERS IN SEVERAL YEARS OF TAURUS MAKING WAS DEFECTIVE. WE OWN 2 FORD TAURUSES, THE OTHER ONE IS A 2007. WE DO NOT WANT OUR OTHER CAR TO JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS. THE SHOP OWNER INFORMED ME THAT THE 2007 TAURUSES WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE SAME FATE AS THE 2006. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THIS IS DEADLY. IT COST US $825 FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND TOWING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10389811
Incident
Feb 23, 2011
Mileage
106,728 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 24, 2010

I OWN A 2006 FORD TAURUS AND WITHOUT ANY KIND OF WARNING OR SIGNS, MY CAR STOPPED ON ME COMPLETELY DURING RUSH HOUR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. AS I TOOK MY FEET OFF THE BRAKES TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, MY CAR BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS AS THOUGH IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF I WOULD HAVE ROLLED BACK INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. OR IF THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN EAGER AND HAD ACCELERATED BEHIND ME OR STANDING BEHIND THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10362116
Incident
Oct 20, 2010
Mileage
117,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 3, 2010

I WAS DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 1-96 IN MICHIGAN. WHILE PASSING A SEMI-TRUCK, WE WERE GOING 70 MPH. THE 2006 FORD TAURUS SE I WAS DRIVING FAILED TO ACCELERATE. I LAID ON THE GAS PEDAL, BUT IT ACTED LIKE THE CAR WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE ROARED, AND THE RPM'S SOARED TO OVER 6,000. WE WERE JUST COASTING TO A STOP, AND WERE NEARLY REAR ENDED FROM BEHIND. WE GOT INTO THE RIGHT LANE, NEARLY HITTING THE TRUCK WE WERE TRYING TO GET OVER FOR. IT TOOK EVERYTHING I COULD DO TO GET THE CAR OVER INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THE CAR DIED JUST AS I GOT IT OVER, STILL CLOSE TO BEING HIT BY TRAFFIC WHIZZING BY. I TURNED IT OFF AND THEN RESTARTED. THE ENGINE STARTED, BUT WE COULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE. AAA HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY SHOP IN SOUTH LANSING. THEY TOLD ME THE NEXT DAY THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN "SHOT". THE TRANNY FLUID WAS BURNED BADLY. THEY SAID I NEEDED IT TOTALLY REPLACED AT A COST OF NEARLY $4,000. I HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS WITH THE CAR. AND THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A "SUDDEN FAILURE" OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE SAID HE HAD SEEN OTHER FORD TAURUS'S WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT. I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. WE DID THAT AND WERE GIVEN THE SAME RESULT. I AM COMPLAINING BECAUSE I FEEL FORD NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF STORIES LIKE THIS ONLINE REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 05, 06 TAURUS. WILL IT TAKE SOMEONE GETTING HURT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? I FEEL I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A FORD ANYMORE. A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE THIS COULD HAPPEN. I NEVER EVEN KNEW THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THESE TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTERS UNTIL I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE. YOUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR INJURED (PERHAPS THIS IS ALREADY THE CASE). I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED AND I KNOW THESE BAD TRANSMISSIONS ARE OFF THE ROAD! *TR

NHTSA ID
10341297
Incident
Jun 28, 2010
Mileage
65,690 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 26, 2010

I JUST PURCHASED (1/23/2010) A USED 2006 FORD TAURUS SE, 3.0L VEHICLE WITH 62,800 MILES. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK (WOULD NOT ENGAGE) AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER (PHILLIPSBURG/STATELINE HYUNDAI) THEY WOULD HAVE ME RETURN TO REPAIR IT AS SOON AS THE PARTS ARRIVED. AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM ON 1/26/2010), I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 35 MPH ON AIRPORT ROAD/SOUTH WHEN I NOTICED THE LIGHT AHEAD TURNED YELLOW. I RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN SPEED. (I HAD NOT TURNED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS IT WAS ON). I THEN STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND TO MY AMAZEMENT THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKES FURTHER, BUT THE ENGINE REVVED HIGHER TO MAINTAIN SPEED AND I WENT THRU THE RED LIGHT! ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE CAR, AS ANOTHER TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH STOPPED CARS WAS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD, I HAD TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT TURN LANE AND WENT THRU ANOTHER RED LIGHT BARELY AVOIDING CROSSING TRAFFIC. NOT THINKING TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION, I DEPRESSED THE PARKING BRAKE, CONTINUED TO HIT THE MAIN BRAKES AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW (SPEED) ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE REVVED UNCONTROLLABLY. I FINALLY PULLED TO THE SIDE AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR AND DURING 4 SUCCESSIVE TRIES IT IMMEDIATELY REVVED TO OVER 4,000 RPM. ON THE 5TH TRY THE START WAS NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. I AM TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER TOMORROW MORNING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER FOR BOTH MYSELF, MY CAR AND THOSE INNOCENT PEDESTRIANS/FELLOW DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10302448
Incident
Jan 26, 2010
Mileage
63,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 6, 2009

IN THE LAST 30 DAYS, I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. I AM DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, TRAVELING APPROX. 60 MPH, AND ALL OF SUDDEN MY RPMS SHOOT UP TO OVER 4000 AND MY CAR ACCELERATES BY ITSELF. THEN, WHEN MY CAR IS RUNNING IN IDLE, THE RPMS ARE OVER 5000 AND IT SOUNDS AS IF SOMEONE HAS THE ACCELERATION PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I AM DRIVING, INCREASING MY SPEED GRADUALLY, AND MY RPMS WILL BE STUCK AT 2000 AND MY CAR WILL NOT GO FASTER THAN 30-40 MILES PER HOUR, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND I THINK IT IS MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE, FORD HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10257661
Incident
Jan 14, 2009
Mileage
68,892 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 2, 2008

WHILE DRIVING TO FAA CLASS IN THE MORNING ABOUT 7:30. MY CAR(2006 YEARS FORD TAURUS, 86,000MILES) STOPPED ON THE ROAD(104TH WESTBOUD 100YARDS FROM S.PENN AVENUE). AND POLICEMAN PUSHED MY CAR WITH HIS CAR OFF THE ROAD . I CALLED GEICO WHO THEN TOWED IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND THE COST WAS $3,400 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. BUT I HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT SHOP. THEY ARE FIXING MY CAR AND REQUESTED 1800$(1YEAR WARRANTY) AND THEY SAID THIS A VERY STRANGE CASE. I'M SPENDING MONEY FOR 6MONTH FAA TRAINING FEE/HOUSING/DAUGHTERS SCHOOL AND CAMP FEE/FAMILY'S FOOD/ETC ABOUT MORE THAN 35,000$. THIS COUNTRY IS TAKING ALL OF MY MONEY. I REALLY WANT TO SOLVE THIS TO MY SATISFACTION. IF YOU CAN PLEASE CONTACT FORD ON MY BEHALF TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM . I NEED YOUR HELP. *TR THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID
10229644
Incident
May 29, 2008
Mileage
86,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 4, 2006

I OWN A 2006 FORD TAURUS. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT LUNGES FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES. THIS OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD (<40 DEGREES). THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND ASKED FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD THAT MOST TAURUS' HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD/WOULD DO TO CORRECT IT. *JB

NHTSA ID
10154486
Incident
Apr 3, 2006
Mileage
12,674 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 9, 2006

I HAVE OWNED MY 2005 FORD TAURUS FOR 15 MONTHS. RECENTLY, DURING COLD WEATHER, THE CAR HAS LUNGED FORWARD ~6" WHEN STARTING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MORNING. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES THUS FAR. THIS OCCURS WHILE IN PARK. THE WHEELS DO NOT MOVE, RATHER, THE CAR 'BUCKS' FORWARD. IF SOMEONE WERE WALKING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THEY COULD BE INJURED. THIS COULD ALSO LEAD TO PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IF THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED NEAR ANOTHER OBJECT [OTHER CAR, GARAGE DOOR, ETC.]. I'VE HEARD THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER, OLDER MODEL TAURUS' AS WELL [PROBABLY NEVER RESOLVED]. MY DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS AND REPORTS NO RECALLS PER MY VIN#. *JB

NHTSA ID
10147244
Incident
Jan 9, 2006
Mileage
47,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .