FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2008 Ford Taurus X powertrain problems
moderate 39 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
39
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
When does it fail?
Of the 39 powertrain complaints filed for the 2008 Ford Taurus X, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 39 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Powertrain accounts for 25% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 11 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2008 Taurus X shows a consistent pattern of transmission problems that dealers struggle to diagnose and repair. Owners report hard or delayed shifts between gears—especially when shifting into second or third gear—often accompanied by jerking, clunking, or slamming into gear. Many describe sudden power loss or refusal to accelerate when pulling from stops or into traffic, a dangerous condition that has nearly caused accidents. Some vehicles exhibit downshift hesitation or stay locked in high gear, leaving owners unable to maintain speed.
An intermittent problem plagues many owners: the transmission behaves normally, then suddenly acts up, making troubleshooting difficult. When dealers cannot reproduce the failure or read a code, they decline to repair under warranty. Some complaints specifically cite two TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) and sensor replacements—TSS and OSS sensors, PCM reflashes—that owners tried but which did not permanently fix the issue.
Transmission fluid leaks from seals appear on multiple vehicles, and owners report transmissions overheating or "cooking" from years of jerking. Several describe situations where disconnecting and reconnecting the battery clears fault codes, allowing the vehicle to run temporarily until the problem recurs. One owner notes the transmission fails entirely, limiting the vehicle to reverse and first gear only. Rough idle, engine surging at stops, and loss of steering power while cornering also appear in the complaint set.
Failure modes owners describe
Hard or delayed shifts and transmission jerking
Transmission refuses to upshift or downshift smoothly, slams into gear at high RPM, jerks or clunks during gear transitions, especially from 2nd to 3rd. Occurs intermittently at all speeds—at takeoff, low speed, highway speed. Problem worsens in cold months. Dealers report inability to reproduce failure or identify root cause.
When: Throughout vehicle life, 35K to 153K miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Hard shift or clunk when changing gears; Delayed or refused upshift; Delayed downshift; Transmission slams into gear at high RPM; Vehicle jerks or lurches during shifts; Intermittent nature makes diagnosis difficult
Codes mentioned: P0715 (TSS sensor), P0720 (speed sensor), No codes displayed on many occasions
Repairs/costs cited: TSB 07-21-11 calls for TSS/OSS sensor replacement ($600–$593 parts noted); TSB 08-26-13 calls for PCM reflash. Complete transmission rebuild or replacement ($3,900–$6,000 labor and parts) required in severe cases. Owners report sensor replacement did not permanently fix problem; transmission replaced multiple times with same symptoms recurring.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: TSB 07-21-11 (TSS/OSS sensor replacement); TSB 08-26-13 (PCM reflash). Dealers claim inability to reproduce or diagnose when no codes present; Ford stated some issues were 'normal for the Taurus X' or within specifications. Warranty denied once mileage exceeded 60K or original warranty period elapsed.
Loss of power or acceleration refusal
Vehicle suddenly loses power to move, refuses to accelerate from stop, or limits maximum speed to 20 mph. Occurs when pulling from driveways, parking lots, gas stations, or onto highways. Can trap driver in intersection or leave vehicle unable to merge. Dashboard lights may flash, wrench light illuminates (sometimes), or all dashboard indicators show zeros. Problem clears after engine restart or battery disconnect/reconnect.
When: All mileages from early ownership to 153K miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle will not accelerate or accelerates very slowly; Acceleration response absent or extremely delayed; Maximum speed limited (e.g., 20 mph) until restart; Loss of all power and steering while in traffic; Dashboard lights flash or show all zeros; Wrench light comes on, then resets after restart; Problem intermittent; restart clears symptom temporarily
Codes mentioned: P0715 (TSS sensor), P0720 (speed sensor), No codes on many occasions, codes reset after power cycle
Repairs/costs cited: No standard repair identified; problem recurs even after sensor replacement, PCM reflash, or transmission service. Some owners disconnected and reconnected battery as temporary workaround. One owner reported transmission fluid cooked after years of jerking; replacement transmission required at $5K+.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer service unable to identify cause when codes absent; no warranty coverage offered once codes do not appear. TSBs and sensor replacement attempts did not resolve for most owners.
Transmission fluid leaks from seals or cooler lines
Transmission fluid leaks from front passenger side seal where driveshaft enters transmission case, or from transmission cooler integrated with A/C condenser. Fluid drips onto exhaust and burns, charring the exhaust. One dealer cited backlog of 3,000 Taurus/Taurus X vehicles nationwide requiring seal replacement. Leak causes low fluid levels and transmission overheating.
When: 42K to 57,945 miles; condition noted as chronic across model year
Symptoms owners cite: Puddle of transmission fluid under vehicle on driver or passenger side; Fluid visibly dripping from transmission area; Burnt smell from exhaust area; Charring visible on exhaust components; Transmission overheating after extended leaking (fluid becomes cooked)
Repairs/costs cited: Front transmission seal replacement takes 5–25 days per dealer due to parts backlog. A/C condenser/oil cooler replacement cost cited as $400–$600. One owner notes seal replacement is approximately $100 part cost.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall or TSB mentioned. Dealer performed repair under warranty when reported early. One owner suggests this should be recalled rather than left as warranty-only repair.
Transmission rollback on incline in Drive
Vehicle rolls backwards when driver removes foot from brake on an incline while transmission is in Drive. Vehicle rolls freely as if transmission is in Neutral. Occurs on front-wheel-drive models; all-wheel-drive version allows approximately 3 seconds before rolling. Dangerous when transitioning from brake to accelerator in traffic.
When: Intermittent, occurring during normal driving on hills
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle rolls backward on incline when foot off brake; Transmission behaves as if in Neutral while in Drive; Vehicle will roll indefinitely if no brake or accelerator input given
Repairs/costs cited: No repair identified in complaints; owner reported removing vehicle from service due to safety concern.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated problem is due to transmission design Ford put in vehicle. Ford told owner behavior was within vehicle specifications.
Idle surge, engine revving, and unintended acceleration
Engine RPM surges randomly—especially at stops, traffic lights, or while applying brake—reaching 4,000 RPM or higher without driver input. Vehicle lunges forward unpredictably. One case involved throttle body replacement; problem recurred. Engine stalls or hesitates intermittently when braking.
When: Multiple times after Dec 2010 repairs; also reported at 113K miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine RPM spikes unexpectedly; Vehicle lunges or surges forward while stopped or at low speed; Engine revs to 4,000 RPM while braking; Stalling or hesitation when approaching stop lights; Unintended acceleration while brake pedal depressed
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle body and air intake replaced on some vehicles (cost not specified) but problem recurred. No permanent fix identified.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer unable to find cause; dealership stated this is 'known problem' but charged owner $700 for throttle body repair.
Ignition and steering column electrical issues
Steering column fails to lock with key removed. Ignition hesitates or fails to respond when turning key; dials jump erratically on start. Engine RPM erratic on initial startup, then stabilizes. Related to intermittent transmission hesitation and clunking on cold starts or first drive of the day.
When: Early ownership and intermittent throughout vehicle life
Symptoms owners cite: Steering column does not lock when key removed; Ignition key does not turn or hesitates; Dashboard dials jump when starting engine; Engine RPM erratic immediately after start; Transmission hesitates and clunks on first shift after cold start
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs specifically cited for ignition/steering column issue; problem linked to transmission hesitation.
Synthesized from 39 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
First occasion was when my wife was driving the car and she was parking and the car surged. It happened on several more occasions and on 12/17/2010 Ford replaced the throttle body and air intake. Then on 2-03-2012 and 12-10-2012 car surged again. Ford dealer ship said they could not find cause. On 12-10-2012the car was coming to a stop and the engine began to surge reach around 4000 RPM, I pushed…
Transmission stuck in high gear while in motion. Can't accelerate from stop to maintain speed. Power cycle fixed. Intermittent issue.
There is an intermittent problem with the transmission that has happened about 4-5 times in the past 14 months. When pulling onto a road from a stationary position (like from a driveway or gas station), the transmission had a horrible grinding sound, the vehicle would jerk around for a couple seconds and the gas pedal would not work. It felt as if there were rocks in the transmission. Then, after…
We have been having transmission problems since we bought this car, they keep re-setting the computer so it does not show any codes now that it is out of warranty we need to purchase a new transmission on a car that is only 2 years old. The dealership says that they are not willing to help with this even though we have already purchased a new cooling system for the transmission, they have…
I wanted to bring potential fire hazard safety recall to your attention. I own a 2008 Ford taurus x with 42,000 miles on it the transmission fluid leaks from the passenger side driveshaft yolk (where the shaft enters the trans case). Car is in excellent condition never in accident. Trans fluid drips onto exhaust and then burns to a point of charring on the exhaust (I can send pictures). I have…
Less than 80k miles, the car's transmission acts like it lost first gear. The dealership now tells me that this less than 5 year old car needs a completely new transmission at a cost of $5,000. I understand through online forums that this problem is fairly common. Unbelievable that Ford isn't doing anything about this. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford taurus x. The transmission will not down-shift properly. This condition causes her to increase her stopping distances. On one occasion the transmission shifted into a higher gear, but the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times for inspection. Since the technicians could not identify the cause of the failure, nor locate…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2008 Ford Taurus X?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2008 Ford Taurus X?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 39 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 31 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 42,000 and 95,836 miles, with the median around 64,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 42,000; a quarter make it past 95,836. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Ford/Taurus X.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.