1986 Ford Taurus

The 1986 Ford Taurus has 4 recalls, the most serious being two safety-critical defects: a throttle linkage that can corrode and stick open, leaving the engine revving high after the driver lifts off the pedal, and front brake rotors that can corrode, crack, and lose braking force at the affected wheel.

Both of those issues raise the risk of a crash, one by preventing the driver from reducing engine speed and the other by extending stopping distances unpredictably. The remaining two recalls affect station wagon models only. In wagons equipped with the optional rear-facing third seat, young children left alone in the vehicle can become trapped in the footwell area of that seat. In wagons without the third seat, the same entrapment risk exists in the underfloor storage compartment that occupies that space. There is also a glazing compliance issue on station wagons where the glass does not meet Canadian safety standards for glazing materials, which governs the way glass is required to break in a crash or impact.