Should I buy a 2013 Ford Taurus with documented body problems?

Depends on the price and the specific vehicle. Documented body issues should be priced into the purchase — if the seller is asking full retail, negotiate down by the expected repair cost. A pre-purchase inspection from an independent shop tells you whether THIS specific vehicle has already shown the symptoms or not.

2013 Ford Taurus body problems

severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →

Complaints

Recalls

Avg fix

$1,500

1injury

Related recalls

severe NHTSA 15V040000 January 28, 2015

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Ford Taurus vehicles manufactured December 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, and 2011-2013 Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured June 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011

If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S02.

The failure pattern owners describe

Buyer takeaway: The 2013 Taurus has documented structural and safety issues: trunk struts that fail and strike occupants, a dangerously sharp door edge, detaching headliners, cracked door latches (recall 15V040000), and suspension problems—plus Ford has been slow or unwilling to provide recall parts and warranty repairs. Multiple owners report actual injuries from these failures.

The 2013 Taurus shows a pattern of structural and closure failures that have caused physical injury to owners. The most serious complaints involve the trunk lid hydraulic/strut system: at least one owner was struck on the head hard enough to cause dizziness and bleeding, and another was injured when the strut fell onto their back before the trunk closed on their head. Both cite the system failing unpredictably while the lid was open.

A separate complaint describes the passenger door frame as having dangerously sharp metal edges that completely amputated an owner's thumb during a slow door closure—an injury that caught the owner by surprise.

The headliner detaches prematurely despite the vehicle being only 5 years old, blocking the rear window and disabling the third brake light. Ford issued a TSB but declined warranty or safety-based repairs; owners report an $1,000 repair bill.

Multiple owners cite NHTSA recall 15V040000 (Structure) for cracked door latches and rear suspension toe link fractures. The recurring complaint is that Ford failed to supply repair parts within reasonable timeframes and could not provide estimated availability dates, leaving vehicles unsafe and unrepaired months after recall notification.

One complaint involves an engine start/stop button so lightly sensitized that leaning toward the dashboard accidentally shut off the running engine.

Same Ford Taurus body reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012

Failure modes owners describe

Trunk lid strut failure / sudden closure

Trunk lid support struts fail to hold the lid open, causing it to drop unexpectedly without warning. Owner reported at least three incidents where the trunk lid came down on them while loading/unloading.

When: During loading/unloading; occurs after lid is fully open and in upright position

Symptoms owners cite: Trunk lid suddenly comes down without warning; Lid fails to stay open in upright position; Owner struck on head, experienced temporary dizziness and tasted blood

Door edge sharp / inadequate protection

Passenger door frame has dangerously sharp metal edges near the window that caused complete amputation of owner's thumb when door slowly closed on it during normal operation.

Symptoms owners cite: Sharp metal piece on door frame near window; Thumb completely amputated despite slow door closure; Door closure caused severe laceration

Headliner detachment

Headliner material detached from ceiling despite vehicle being only 5 years old. Plastic mounting brackets have poor design with limited service life. Detached material blocks rear window and compromises third brake light positioning.

When: At 5 years old

Symptoms owners cite: Headliner detached from ceiling; Blocks rear window view; Upper center brake light inoperative due to orientation change

Repairs/costs cited: Repair estimated at almost $1000

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford issued Technical Service Bulletin; Ford declined repair under warranty or for safety reasons

Door latch cracking / recall 15V040000

Door latch cracks on vehicles subject to NHTSA recall 15V040000 (Structure). Multiple owners reported notification of this campaign, with inspection revealing cracked door latches. Parts unavailable for extended periods, and manufacturer unable to provide timeframes for repair availability.

When: At 24,000 miles (one reported instance); vehicles received recall notification

Symptoms owners cite: Door latch cracked; Recall notification received

Repairs/costs cited: Parts not available within reasonable timeframe for recall repair

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 15V040000 (Structure); parts unavailable; manufacturer unable to provide repair timeline

Trunk hydraulic strut failure / injury

Trunk hydraulic mechanism that holds trunk open fails unexpectedly while trunk is in open position. Owner was injured when strut fell and struck their back, and trunk subsequently closed and hit their head.

When: While trunk was open for loading

Symptoms owners cite: Hydraulic strut fails to hold trunk open; Strut falls with force onto owner's back; Trunk closes and strikes owner on head, causing laceration

Rear suspension toe link fracture

Rear suspension toe links fracture under stress from suspension jounce and rebound travel. Related to NHTSA recall (implied to be 15V040000). Repair parts not provided by Ford in timely manner.

Symptoms owners cite: Frequent full suspension jounce and rebound travel; Rear suspension toe link fracture

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford has not provided necessary parts for recall repair; recall being ignored per owner allegation

Ignition button inadvertent activation

Engine start/stop button can be accidentally depressed by light contact, causing engine to shut off unexpectedly while vehicle is in operation.

When: Occurred when owner leaned toward center dashboard

Symptoms owners cite: Engine turned off inadvertently; Light hand contact caused ignition to depress; Vehicle shut down while in use

Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.

What owners are reporting 0 most recent

Had body trouble with your 2013 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 body problem on the 2013 Ford Taurus?

It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.

At what mileage does the body typically fail?

Based on the 11 complaints filed, body issues most often appear around 61,976 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.

What does it cost to fix?

Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body 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 body?

Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover body issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.

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/2013/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.