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2003 Ford Taurus Transmission & Power Train Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/14/2026

169Power Train complaints
13.8%Of all 1,223 complaints
#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN169 · 13.8%
SUSPENSION:FRONT147 · 12%
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION136 · 11.1%
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR86 · 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL82 · 6.7%

Share of the 1,223 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2003 Ford Taurus overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN OVERDRIVE THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOW DOWN. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN OVERDRIVE THE VEHICLE SLOWS…”NHTSA complaint 10017236 — filed 04/21/2003

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train complaints by year filed

1200312200841920115927201323202015812017112019112022

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2003 Ford Taurus have transmission & power train problems?

Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2003 Ford Taurus: 169 of 1,223 complaints on file (13.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2003 Ford Taurus have in total?

1,223 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 56 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 59 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train category include?

NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.