The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2009 Ford Taurus engine problems
moderate 23 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100 · see engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
When does it fail?
Of the 23 engine complaints filed for the 2009 Ford Taurus, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 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
Engine accounts for 36% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 5 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 13 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine 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.
FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗FORD: THERE MAY BE A ROUGH IDLE OR MISSES WHILE THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON. THERE ARE MUTLIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report the engine dies suddenly while driving—at highway speeds, during cruise control, on downhill coasts, even in city traffic—with no warning lights or stuttering beforehand. When it happens, you lose power steering and power brakes simultaneously. Some cars restart right away; others need multiple attempts or a shift to neutral first. The frustrating part: dealers pull codes and find nothing. In some cases, no diagnostic codes exist at all, leaving technicians unable to identify the root cause.
The stalling recurs intermittently—once every few months in chronic cases, or clustered together within a short span. One owner reported six to seven stalls over 22 months and four separate dealer visits. Another had the engine stop four times in two months, with mileage around 5,000 before the frequency settled. Ford dealers have tried replacing throttle bodies, motor assemblies, fuel pumps, fuel pump relays, fuel tanks, and recalibrating the PCM—sometimes to no avail. One successful fix involved a camshaft sensor replacement. One case showed burned wiring in the tail light harness linked to a stall. Owners report dealer frustration matching their own; one technician told an owner the vehicle was "designed that way" when the engine failed to move the car forward during acceleration.
Same Ford Taurus engine reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2010 · 2011
Failure modes owners describe
Random engine stall, difficult to diagnose
Engine shuts off completely without warning while driving at highway speeds or during normal operation. Multiple restart attempts may be required. Occurs intermittently across a wide range of driving conditions (cruise control, acceleration, coasting downhill, city streets, highway). No diagnostic trouble codes stored in PCM in majority of cases, making root cause identification extremely difficult for dealers.
When: Typically under 10,000 miles; one case at 164,000 miles. Recurring every few months to every six months in chronic cases.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine dies suddenly with no warning; Loss of power steering when engine shuts off; Loss of power brakes when engine shuts off; All dashboard warning lights illuminate (check engine, oil, battery lights); No engine cranking on first restart attempt in some cases; Restart successful after shifting to neutral or multiple attempts
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to duplicate failure or identify root cause in majority of complaints. Some dealers replaced throttle body, motor assembly, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, fuel tank—failures recurred. One case: PCM recalibration attempted without guarantee of success. One successful repair: camshaft sensor replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford dealers consistently report inability to find stored codes or root cause. Ford company response in one case stated 'no other reports of this same problem on the 09 Taurus' despite multiple complaints in cluster. Warranty expired before resolution in at least one case.
Electrical short—burned tail light harness and melted assembly
During cruise control operation at highway speed, electrical wire harness burned through, producing burning wire smell and causing engine stall. Damaged tail light assembly melted from electrical fault.
When: Specific incident at cruise control 55 MPH; vehicle had stalled on two other occasions after repair
Symptoms owners cite: Burning electrical wire smell during stall; Engine stall while in cruise control; Tail light harness burned through; Tail light assembly melted/damaged
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replaced wire harness and tail light assembly. Engine stalled on two additional occasions post-repair at highway speeds in cruise control.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Warranty coverage applied to initial repair; warranty expired before subsequent stalls.
Delayed throttle response / no forward motion on acceleration
Vehicle loses all power when attempting to accelerate from stop. Engine revs but vehicle will not move forward. Dealer attributed behavior to design and stated signal transmission to computer takes time.
When: Early in ownership, approximately 30 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No forward motion when accelerating from stop; Engine rev without vehicle propulsion; Loss of all power during acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not repaired; dealer stated this was design behavior.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer told owner vehicle was designed to operate this way; owner had not contacted manufacturer.
Camshaft sensor malfunction
Engine stalled repeatedly at highway speed. After third occurrence, rough idle developed at traffic light with diagnostic message on message board indicating camshaft sensor position error.
When: Multiple stalls over time, rough idle on third event
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stall at 55 MPH; Rough idle at traffic light; Diagnostic message on message board
Codes mentioned: Camshaft sensor position error
Repairs/costs cited: Camshaft sensor replacement resolved the stalling problem.
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
Ford taurus 2009 engine stalled while going about 55 MPH. Driver restarted car by shifting into neutral and restarting car. This happened a second time a few months later. The third time the car started idling very roughly while stopped at a traffic light. This time, a computer message came up on the message board. The car was taken to a place where the error code could be read. The error…
While driving with cruise control set at 55mph my engine stalled. Smelled electrical wire burning. Smell went away, so I restarted the engine, and drove on. Took vehicle to dealer, where a tail light harness was discovered to be burned through. Dealer replaced wire harness, and replaced tail light assembly that had also been damaged (melted) by the incident. Vehicle engine has since stalled while…
I purchased a 2009 Ford taurus demo. With a 1000 miles on odometer on july 30, 2009. On sept. 26, 2009 I was driving in heavy rain on rt. 220, near state college, pa, at 55 MPH. Suddenly the motor turned off and I had to drift off the road to stop. The lights, wipers and my radio were still working. I tried to restart the engine but there was no response. (not even trying to turn over the…
While driving car on 2 occasions engine shuts off around 40 MPH. Pull car over to side of road and restarts; taken to dealership and both times no codes are recorded. *tr
Tl-the contact owns a 2009 Ford taurus. The contact stated that when he was at a stop and attempted to accelerate, the vehicle would lose all power. The engine would rev but not move forward. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer told the contact that was how the vehicle was designed.the dealer also stated that it took time to send the signal to the computer. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford taurus. While driving with the cruise control set to 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, oil and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle as it resumed normal operation. The failure persisted intermittently. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and a vehicle data recorder was installed in the…
Had engine trouble with your 2009 Ford Taurus?
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 engine problem on the 2009 Ford Taurus?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 23 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 20 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 3,800 and 32,000 miles, with the median around 9,447. A quarter of owners report trouble before 3,800; a quarter make it past 32,000. 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 $3,100 for engine 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 engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine 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/2009/Ford/Taurus.
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.