1996 Ford Taurus Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/12/2026

135Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

16.4%Of all 825 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION135 · 16.4%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE70 · 8.5%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE62 · 7.5%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM61 · 7.4%

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM35 · 4.2%

Share of the 825 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1996 Ford Taurus overview page.

What owners report

“THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN AT 25 MPH. DEALER REPLACED A CHIP IN TRANSMISSION.”NHTSA complaint 815714 — filed 08/27/1997

“OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JERKS WIITHOUT WARNING.OWNER FEELS THAT IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.”NHTSA complaint 810483 — filed 03/27/1997

“THE DEALER DOESN'T HAVE THE TOOLS TO FINISH THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR AND THE CONSUMER HAS NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE TOOLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.”NHTSA complaint 807563 — filed 01/13/1997

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1996 Ford Taurus have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1996 Ford Taurus: 135 of 825 complaints on file (16.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1996 Ford Taurus have in total?

825 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 69 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 69 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.