The Lemon Index2010 Ford Taurus.
The 2010 Ford Taurus is about average by owner complaints: 74 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 98, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 3 recalls, and it gets 20 to 22 mpg combined. The best Ford Taurus year is 2004.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 204 owner complaints, owners reported:
Every Ford Taurus year. 2010 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 9K to 98K miles on the car (177 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- steering complaints mostly came at 73K–109K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 38K–107K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 4K–59K miles
Recalls 3
- airbags 2016
The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
- body structure 2015
In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
- lights 2014
When used in areas that use road salt, the license plate lamp assembly may experience an electro-chemical reaction and corrosion as a result of water intrusion.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Ford told dealers about
Ford sent dealers 38 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Ford/lincoln: transmission built before 6/1/10 with 4th gear start, delay/hesitation on…
- Ford/lincoln: on some vehicles, transmission 5th gear start at stop, speed control drops or…
- Lincoln/ford: an overhaul transmission motorcraft kit, available for some vehicles, contains…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2900–3200 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Vehicle was fine until 20k miles. No noise, no pulling or stopping issues. Without warning the grinding came on and the rotors were already completely shot.
2010 Ford Taurus owner · NHTSA complaint 10412221
More owner reports
Transmission "catches" while driving at speed causing the car to hesitate. Feels as though the vehicle will stall and cause a rear end type of accident.
NHTSA complaint 10335022
My 2010 Ford Taurus lost power on highway and wrench light came on, took into the shop this vehicle only has 4300 miles and needs a throttle assembly replacement already.
NHTSA complaint 10341900
Quick answers
Is the 2010 Ford Taurus reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 98; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Ford Taurus year by this measure since 2010 is 2018.
What are the most common 2010 Ford Taurus problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (28%), brakes (18%) and speed control (15%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2010 Ford Taurus have?
3 safety recalls (latest: airbags). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2010 Ford Taurus get?
20 to 22 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2010 Ford Taurus problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 9,800 and 98,900 miles. The middle report was at 46,500 miles, from 177 complaints.
Does the 2010 Ford Taurus have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 28% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2010 Ford Taurus cost in fuel a year?
About $2900 to $3200 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2010 Ford Taurus have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Ford Taurus year is better than the 2010?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2018, 2016 and 2017.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works