Buyer Research

2019 Ford Taurus — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $15,000–$22,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Ford Taurus years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

The last Taurus Ford built, in a short final run before the Chicago plant switched to Explorers. Fifteen complaints is far too few to rate anything — it tells you the car sold in small numbers, mostly to fleets and to people who keep sedans a long time. What the record holds is the same two late-Taurus recalls (rear camera, B-pillar trim) with parts still arriving, and two of three engine complaints naming the 3.5L's internal water pump, one of which took the engine with it. The rest of what we know comes from the 2013–2018 record: toe links, the AWD transfer unit, and electric steering that deserves a scan. A low-mileage 2019 with the recalls closed and a coolant system that has never been topped up is one of the more sensible big sedans left; just do not read a short list as a clean one.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 15 owner complaints for the 2019 Ford Taurus, and 2 recall campaigns.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under back over prevention (6), the engine (3), lane departure (2). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

2 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 2019 Ford Taurus

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

Rear camera blank, blue or flickering; blind-spot lights out with it — recall issued 2025Medium

Eight of fifteen complaints are the rearview camera, filed under two headings: the image is blank, distorted or a blue screen, it flickers on and off in reverse, or it stays stuck on after the car is put in Drive. In two cases the blind-spot warning lights in the mirrors quit at the same time, which points at the camera-and-sensor module rather than the screen. Recall 25V695 has Ford inspecting and replacing the camera free, but it is phased and every owner here was told the part was not yet available. Confirm the recall status on the VIN, then reverse for a full minute and shift to Drive and back, watching whether the image comes and goes cleanly.

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 (6), lane departure (2); 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

3.5L V6 internal water pump — one failure here ended in metal shavings in the oilHigh — wallet impact

Two of the three engine complaints on this year are the water pump. One owner's only warning was a low-oil message; the engine was shut off and towed, and the mechanic found metal in the oil — the pump had leaked coolant inward and the bearings paid for it. The other showed up as a heater that stopped blowing warm, diagnosed as a leaking pump and replaced by the dealer. This is the 3.5L Duratec's known weak point: the pump is chain-driven behind the timing cover, so the job is $1,500–$2,500 in labour, and a leak can go inward before it ever drips. Three complaints is a thin cluster; the engine is not. Check the oil cap for a tan emulsion, the coolant level, and whether the heater blows hot at idle.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,500–$2,500 for the pump; $5,000–$8,000 if the engine was run on contaminated oil — about 43% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (3).

Rear toe links wear and let the back end wander — known on 2013–2018, one report hereMedium

Only one suspension complaint on this year, but the 2018 Taurus record has seven describing the rear end stepping sideways under hard braking and one car spinning when a lateral arm ball joint broke, and the parts are shared. The recall for toe links (that 2013–2018 recall) stops at 2018 and covers only SHO Performance Pack and police cars, so on a 2019 they are a wear item: about $100 a side in parts plus an alignment. Rock each rear wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock with the car on the ground; any clunk or free play is a link. Look for feathered inner-edge wear on the rear tyres.

Repair cost (estimate): $300–$800 for links and an alignment

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the suspension (1).

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

Recall 25V611 covers 2016–2019 Taurus: the black trim on the front B-pillars can come loose and fly off while driving. Ford repairs or replaces it free; owner letters were mailed in February 2026, and the one structure complaint on this year is a person whose dealer had no part. Press the trim panels between the front and rear doors on both sides — they should be flush and firm — and check the recall status 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 (1); 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Backup camera image blank, blue or stuck on after shifting to Drive
✗Blind-spot indicators in the mirrors that never light up
✗Heater slow to blow warm, or coolant below the line
✗Clunk when a rear wheel is rocked side to side
✗Seller unaware of the camera or trim recall letters

Good Signs

✓Both recalls shown closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Water pump replaced with a dated invoice, or coolant system untouched and full
✓Oil honey-coloured on the dipstick after a hot drive
✓Rear toe links replaced with an alignment printout
✓Camera image sharp and steady through a full minute in reverse