1987 Ford Taurus Recalls, Complaints & Specs

8 safety recalls list the 1987 Ford Taurus, and owners have filed 255 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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8 safety recalls for the 1987 Ford Taurus

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Frame and members (structure)

   NHTSA 98V323000 Reported December 16, 1998 2,697,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west…

   Remedy: Dealers will install subframe rear mount bolts, reinforcement plates, and plate nuts.

2. Frame and members (structure)

   NHTSA 93V106000 Reported June 23, 1993 1,610,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: taurus and sables built from 10-14-85 through 8-19-88, and lincoln continentals built from 11-4-87 through 9-30-88 (except 1989 - 1991 2.5l taurus and 1989 - 1992 sho). The affected cars were originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts,…

   Remedy: Install a corrosion-resistant reinforcing plate and a new bolt on both rear subframe mounts. This recall campaign has been superseded by recall 98v-323.

3. Wheels

   NHTSA 92V065000 Reported May 11, 1992 654,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Children can accidentally lock themselves in the footwell area of the rear-facing third seat, or in the storage compartment in station wagons not equipped with an optional third seat. Once the compartment is closed it cannot be opened from the inside.

   Remedy: Replace the self-latching assembly currently used in the rear storage compartment with a latch assembly that can only be closed with a key.

4. Rotor (service brakes)

   NHTSA 91V134000 Reported August 6, 1991 325,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Front disc brake rotors of the subject vehicles may experience severe corrosion if operated in areas where calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used extensively.

   Remedy: Replace front brake rotors with full cast front brake rotors.

5. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

   NHTSA 87V139000 Reported September 4, 1987 3,600,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Spring lock fuel line coupling may not be properly engaged.

   Remedy: Install retainer clips over the couplings to prevent coupling separation and fuel leakage.

6. Motor (visibility)

   NHTSA 87V017000 Reported February 19, 1987 28,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Road salt induced erosion of the wiper motor conductor strips could cause localized thermal stress within the glass.

   Remedy: Apply sealant to conductor strips and protective tape to lower backlites.

7. Spindle (suspension)

   NHTSA 86V148000 Reported November 7, 1986 631 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Left and/or right rear spindle assemblies may have been improperly heat treated. Consequence of defect: if spindle stem separates, loss of vehicle control could occur without prior warning.

   Remedy: Replace rear spindle.

8. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

   NHTSA 86V144000 Reported October 28, 1986 4,714 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Steering shaft assemblies contain lower shafts of insufficient length for proper attachment to the shaft insulator flange. Consequence of defect: shaft could separate, resulting in total loss of steering control and a possible accident.

   Remedy: Replace steering shaft assembly, as necessary.

255 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1987 Ford Taurus have filed 255 complaints with NHTSA; 13 describe a crash and 48 describe a fire. Reports cite 16 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 94,174 miles. Complaints peaked in 1995 with 56 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Electrical system: switch30
• Power train: automatic transmission23
• Structure: frame and members21
• Engine and engine cooling: gasoline20
• Electrical system: ignition17
• Engine and engine cooling: engine14
• Seat belts: buckle assembly12
• Vehicle speed control12

What owners are reporting

“1987 ford taurus. Consumer states sub frame both left side and right side of the front end broke off while driving *tgw the dealer informed the consumer his model year had been recalled for the exact”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 27, 2011 · Structure

“Dt: the contact states that the 1987 ford taurus station wagon experienced a very violent acceleration. While driving along at 30 MPH the vehicle raced. The contact then put foot on the brake and the”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 14, 2005 · Parking brake

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1987 Ford Taurus (Taurus Wagon, Taurus Wagon 3.0 A/C). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Ford Taurus model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Taurus model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1987 Ford Taurus

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints
• Expedition9,359 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.