Buyer Research

2017 Ford Taurus — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $10,000–$16,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

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Kestrel Take

Forty-four complaints is too thin to call a reliability rating either way — it means few people filed, and the Taurus was already a fleet-and-retiree car by 2017. What the record holds is small and specific: a rear camera that flips upside down (and this year is not in Ford's camera recall, so it is your bill), a SYNC module that dies at $900, a shifter recall because the key could come out with the car in Drive, and the 3.5L's internal water pump, which two of the five engine complaints name outright. Four recalls, all free. Buy one with the recalls closed on the VIN, the coolant at the line, and a camera that shows the right way up; price a water pump into any car past 80,000 miles without a receipt for it.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 44 owner complaints for the 2017 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. The largest single group is electrics and electronics at 25%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.

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 2017 Ford Taurus

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

Backup camera upside down or dead, SYNC APIM failure, corroded battery terminal — the electrical clusterMedium

Eleven electrical complaints, a quarter of the record. Two are the rear camera showing inverted or with lines at night, or simply not working for months — note that Ford's 2025 camera recall lists 2015–2016 and 2018–2019 Taurus, not the 2017, so on this year the camera is an ordinary $250–$500 repair. One owner's APIM (the SYNC infotainment module) failed at two and a half years with a $900 quote; that module has a history on Ford products. One found the positive battery terminal caked in blue corrosion and smoking when jumped; another needed several tries to start. Check the camera in reverse for a full minute, run the SYNC screen through a few functions, and lift the red cover on the battery terminal.

Repair cost (estimate): $250–$1,000

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (11).

Key can be removed with the transmission out of Park — the car can roll away (recall)Medium

Recall 18V141 covers 2017–2018 Taurus with a mechanical key ignition (not push-button start): the key can be pulled out while the shifter is still in Drive or Neutral, and without the parking brake the car rolls. One owner in this record did exactly that — pulled the key in Drive, and the car moved. Ford replaces the shifter assembly free. On a keyed car, put it in Drive with your foot on the brake and try to turn the key back to remove it; it should refuse. Confirm the recall on the VIN either way.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

3.5L V6 internal water pump — leaks under the car or into the oil; two highway stalls in the same clusterHigh — wallet impact

Only five engine complaints, but two name the water pump directly (one owner adds that it is known to happen on the 2017) and the part is the 3.5L Duratec's signature failure: chain-driven behind the timing cover, so replacement is $1,500–$2,500 in labour, and a pump that leaks inward can contaminate the oil before any leak shows on the ground. The other three are more worrying and less explained — an engine that shut down at 70 mph with the cluster going black, one that needed a new engine after dying in motion, and one that dropped to a crawl for fifteen seconds at 55 mph. Check the oil cap for a tan film, the coolant level, and ask directly whether the water pump has been done.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,500–$2,500 for the pump; $5,000–$8,000 if coolant reached the oil — around 62% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (5).

Steering gear heat shield fasteners corrode — heavier steering at low speed (recall)Medium

Recall 17V530 covers 2017 Taurus and Police Interceptor Sedan: the fasteners holding the heat shield over the electric steering gear can corrode, the shield drops off, and the gear overheats, making the steering heavy especially at parking speeds. Dealers inspect and replace the fasteners free. Only three steering complaints on this year, none a crash, but the 2013–2016 Taurus record is full of electric steering failures, so treat any stiffness at a crawl as a reason to scan the steering module. Check the recall on the VIN and, on a rust-belt car, look under the front for the shield still in place.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $1,500–$2,500 for a steering rack if the gear has been damaged

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (3); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

B-pillar trim detaches while driving (recall) — plus water leaking in at the same pillarLow

Recall 25V611 covers 2016–2019 Taurus: the trim on the front B-pillars can come off while driving. Ford repairs or replaces it free; owner letters went out in February 2026, and most of the seven structure complaints on this year are people whose dealer had no parts in the first months. One reported water leaking into the cabin in rain at the same pillar. Press the trim between the front and rear doors on both sides — it should be flush and firm — and check the door sills and carpet edge for damp. Confirm the recall on the VIN.

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 (7); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

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 from stress and a broken link changes the handling suddenly. Ford replaces them free; parts were not available when the recall opened, so a car that received the letter may still be waiting. Three suspension complaints on this year. On an SHO, ask whether it has the Performance Pack and check the VIN; on any Taurus, look for feathered inner-edge wear on the rear tyres.

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 (3); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Backup camera image upside down or showing lines at night
✗Key that comes out of the ignition with the shifter in Drive
✗Coolant bottle below the line or a tan film under the oil cap
✗Steering noticeably heavier at parking speed than on the road
✗B-pillar trim that moves when pressed

Good Signs

✓All four recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Water pump replaced with a dated invoice
✓Camera image sharp and right-side-up through a full minute in reverse
✓SYNC screen responding promptly to every touch
✓Battery terminals clean under the covers