Get my offer

Selling a junk Ford Taurus

Any Taurus sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

Step 1 of 3 · Your car

Your car and location

Free · No obligation · We name the buyer before sharing your number

What owners report about the Ford Taurus

NHTSA has 16,270 owner complaints on file for the Ford Taurus, model years 1995 to 2019, the 23rd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are suspension (2,994, 18%), transmission and drivetrain (1,967, 12%), speed control (1,838, 11%). 1,131 complaints involved a crash, 298 a fire, and 242 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 80,000 miles. The 2002 model year has the most complaints (1,759). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is suspension, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to deciding whether to repair or junk: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Ford Taurus by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19951,597Transmission and drivetrain7162694,452
19961,132Engine and cooling8218898,000
19971,003Transmission and drivetrain7316584,900
1998680Speed control7517490,000
19991,100Suspension7822771,000
20001,497Suspension13640870,000
20011,264Suspension115181073,978
20021,759Suspension10412480,040
20031,524Suspension7820479,000
2004482Speed control4817297,172
20051,005Speed control6213191,000
2006415Speed control295387,000
2007196Speed control90191,000
2008240Transmission and drivetrain3011179,341
200977Engine and cooling101040,250
2010280Steering236352,500
2011251Electrical system202463,500
2012102Steering13550,500
2013757Steering2710984,000
2014297Fuel system211579,109
2015363Fuel system201667,000
2016106Driver assistance102456,965
201753Electrical system10434,900
201869Driver assistance61451,000
201921Driver assistance202—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Ford Taurus recalls

NHTSA lists 56 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for lights (8), transmission and drivetrain (7), fuel system (7). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2015 model year, driver assistance (campaign 25V695000, Oct 2025): 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.…
  • 2016 model year, body and structure (campaign 25V611000, Sep 2025): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Taurus vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
  • 2014 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 20V692000, Nov 2020): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft …
  • 2013 model year, suspension (campaign 20V072000, Feb 2020): 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 …
  • 2017 model year, electrical system (campaign 18V141000, Mar 2018): 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 no…

What a Ford Taurus is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Taurus on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

Other Ford models

All Ford models · All makes · Cash for junk cars by state

Questions people ask

What is a junk Ford Taurus worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Taurus gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Ford Taurus that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford Taurus?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Ford Taurus numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.