AI Damage1999 Ford SHO (taurus): common problems
Owners of the 1999 Ford SHO (taurus) filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 38% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 13% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was driving down a city street. I went to slow down because there were cars in front of me. The car started accelerating and the brakes went out. I tried to avoid hitting a car in front of me. I hit the car and jumped the curb. I went into some bushes and the car continued to accelerate.
Gear shift cable broke and now the car won't go into park. I had to leave the car with the key in the ignition in low gear and doors unlocked.
I have had my transmission rebuilt , my speed sensor replaced 2times and now my speedometer isnt working I have irratic shifting sometimes it hoes into gear and sometimes it doesnt .
Car suddenly stops, losing power on brakes and steering. Has happened twice while driving on busy hwy. Could have caused accident.
The car has no brake lights and is driving very recklessly, jerking the wheel very hard.
Keeps ticking and I got a full tune up. It smokes even when it's not running due to water spraying all over the engine. Everytine I stool I have to let the hood up so it can cool and I have to put water in it after every single delivery I make. Smokes really bad when I'm in park and stall out sometimes
Engine problems on a 1999 ford taurus sho with a 3.4l v8 - many others have already submitted complaints on this same type of vehicle and engine.
Mine has failed renderind my car useless. All of this is placed on v8sho.com. The repair price of this defect is astronomical, any where from $6,000 to $15,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SHO (taurus) has 5 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford SHO (taurus)?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, engine and cooling, engine. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (13%), knocking, grinding or other noise (13%), loss of power / limp mode (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Ford SHO (taurus)?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Ford SHO (taurus) from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.