AI Damage1996 Ford Taurus SHO: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Ford Taurus SHO filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 83% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 5 Latches, locks, linkages 4% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 4% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 20 complaints (83% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (4% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (4% of all).
- Latches, locks, linkages: 1 complaints (4% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 24 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
The camshaft in my car failed and caused engine failure. It was a 1996 ford taurus sho. It caused a complete power loss around a corner and I was almost involed in a head on collision. This has been happening to many sho owners. The repair costs are running me $5000 dollars.
It is in mint condition and has no rust. I have nice exhaust system put on by a mechanic and also a cold air intake put on and a new trans in july now with only 3000 miles on it.. I heard ticking from under the hood out of no where.
Engine failure as a result of camshaft gear spinning on cam. During normal driving engine stopped in roadway,requiring tow off roadway to repair shop for diagnosis.
The contact noticed smoke coming from air bag but no fire. The contact did call police and does have a report. The contact said that he has tried speaking with ford motor company and the manufacture, and has receive no resolution.
6 months later, the engine light came on again and the dealer told me it was another sensor. Months after that was repaired the light would come on again and up until this day (12-17-05) I still have problems with the check engine light/ indicating a problem with an oxygen sensor.
Tranmission does not work good it has ahard bump when takeing off had it redone but had the sme problem and put two speed senors in it same thing italked to some morepeople they had the same problem
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 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Taurus SHO has 12 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 24, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Ford Taurus SHO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: engine failure or replacement (38%), knocking, grinding or other noise (17%), stalls while driving (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Ford Taurus SHO?
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 1996 Ford Taurus SHO 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 1996 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.