Buyer Research

2016 Ford Taurus — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $9,000–$15,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

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Kestrel Take

Eighty complaints is a thin record and half of them arrived in 2025–2026 with the rear camera recall, so this page is a checklist, not a rating. What the record does show is the same sixth-generation Taurus pattern in smaller numbers: the 3.5L's internal water pump overheating cars in the 50,000–60,000 mile range, electric power steering locking up in nine reports (two of them crashes), and on the SHO a turbo oil-line recall with a fire behind it. Four recalls, all free, all on the VIN. A good buy if the water pump is either done or priced in, the steering module scans clean, and the seller is not surprised by the camera recall — and a walk if the wheel goes heavy on the test drive.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 80 owner complaints for the 2016 Ford Taurus, and 4 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 31% of them are about one thing — back over prevention. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

4 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2016 Ford Taurus

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Rear camera distorted, upside down or blank — recall issued 2025, parts still arrivingMedium

The largest cluster on this year, 25 complaints, nearly all filed since recall 25V695 opened for a rearview camera that shows a distorted, intermittent or blank image. Owners describe the picture flipping upside down, cutting on and off, showing a partial frame, or a black screen with Camera Unavailable. Ford inspects and replaces the camera free, but the campaign is phased and most of these complaints are people whose dealer had no part yet. Check the VIN for the remedy status, put the car in reverse and watch the screen for a full minute, and if the recall is open, get the seller to book it before you pay.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $250–$500 for a camera outside the recall

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under back over prevention (25); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Water pump fails inside the 3.5L V6 — overheating on the road, a four-figure repairHigh — wallet impact

Owners here say it in one line: water pump stopped working and the car overheated; water pump failure at 56,965 miles. The 3.5L drives its pump off the timing chain behind the front cover, so the job is mostly labour — $1,500–$2,500 — and a pump that leaks inward can put coolant in the oil before the gauge moves. Engine is 18% of this year's complaints, with one crash in the cluster that was a reported surge, not the pump. Before buying, look under the oil cap for a tan film, check the coolant bottle sits at the line, and ask for a pump receipt; a car that has been topped up with coolant recently has a story to tell.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,500–$2,500 for the pump; $5,000–$8,000 if coolant contaminated the oil — around 67% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (14).

SHO turbo oil supply tubes can leak oil onto hot parts — fire risk (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 16V925 covers 2016 Taurus with the 3.5L EcoBoost (the SHO): the turbocharger oil supply tubes were improperly brazed and can leak oil onto engine components, and oil on a hot turbo is a fire. Dealers inspect and replace the tubes free. Two SHO owners in this record lived it — one's car was smoking all over the highway from a failed turbo line, another had a burning-oil smell and a leaking line but was told the VIN was outside the campaign. On any SHO, look at the turbo oil lines with a torch for wet oil or a burnt crust, and sniff for hot oil after the drive. Confirm the recall by VIN rather than by the seller's word.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $300–$800 for turbo oil lines outside the recall

Source: 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Electric power steering locks up or drops assist — two crashes in nine reports, no recallHigh — wallet impact

Only nine steering complaints, but two ended in crashes and the accounts match the 2013–2015 pattern: the wheel locks at 65 mph on the freeway, seizes mid U-turn, or pulls hard to one side until the rack fails outright, all without a warning light. One dealer found a loose steering bolt; another confirmed a failed rack at under 60,000 miles just past the warranty. There is no steering recall for this year. Scan the power steering module for stored U-codes, then drive it lock-to-lock at a crawl when cold and again warm — any stiffening is a reason to walk, not negotiate.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,500–$2,500 for a steering rack and module

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (9).

Fuel pump control module — stalls and no-starts, outside any recall on this yearMedium

Seven fuel system complaints, one involving a crash. The part behind them on this generation is the fuel pump control module, which fails and leaves the engine cranking without fuel pressure, sometimes after a stall on the road. Ford's module recall covered 2013–2015 EcoBoost and police cars only, so on a 2016 it is an ordinary repair. The module is mounted under the car and corrodes; a long crank on a warm engine is the tell. Ask whether it has been replaced and look for a bright new module where the old one would be crusty.

Repair cost (estimate): $300–$800

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (7).

Rear toe links can fracture on SHO Performance Pack cars (recall)Medium

Recall 20V072 covers 2013–2018 Taurus with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack: the rear toe links can crack under stress, and a fractured link changes the car's handling on the spot. Ford replaces them free; parts were not available when the recall opened in 2020, so a car that got its letter may still be waiting. Five suspension complaints on this year. Ask whether an SHO has the Performance Pack, check the VIN, and look for uneven inner-edge wear on the rear tyres, which a loose or bent toe link produces.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $200–$500 per toe link outside the recall

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the suspension (5); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

B-pillar door trim can detach while driving (recall)Low

Recall 25V611 covers 2016–2019 Taurus: the black trim on the driver and front passenger B-pillars can come loose and fly off while driving, which Ford treats as a road hazard. Dealers repair or replace the trim free; owner letters went out in February 2026, so most cars have not had it done yet. Press on the trim panels between the front and rear doors — they should sit flush with no give — and check the recall on the VIN. Six structure complaints on this year, mostly this.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $100–$300 per panel outside the recall

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (6); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Coolant bottle below the line, or a jug of coolant in the trunk
✗Steering that stiffens at a crawl or pulls to one side
✗Backup camera image upside down, partial or black
✗Hot-oil smell or wet turbo lines on an SHO
✗Engine that cranks for more than two seconds

Good Signs

✓Water pump replaced with a dated invoice
✓Camera recall 25V695 shown completed on the VIN
✓Power steering module scanned with a clean history
✓Turbo oil-line recall closed on an SHO, with the dealer paperwork
✓Coolant at the line and oil honey-coloured after a hot drive