Ford · 2008–present

Ford Taurus 5th generation

The fifth generation of the Ford Taurus is a sedan that was marketed by Ford for the 2008 and 2009 model years. Marking the return of the model line after a hiatus of less than a year, the fifth-generation Taurus is a mid-cycle revision of the Ford Five Hundred, making the Taurus a full-size car for the first time. The model line also became the flagship Ford sedan, as Ford withdrew the Crown Victoria from retail sale. The model line was also sold as the Ford Taurus X three-row wagon (a revision of the Ford Freestyle). The fifth-generation Taurus was marketed in North America, South Korea, Mexico, and the Middle East. Outside the United States, Canada, and South Korea, it retained the previous Ford Five Hundred branding. As the Taurus adopted the D3 architecture introduced by the Five Hundred, several firsts were made to the model line. The Taurus gained all-wheel drive as an option for the first time, along with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a standard overhead-cam V6 engine. In a similar rebranding, the Mercury Montego was replaced by the return of the Mercury Sable; coinciding with the closure of the Mercury brand, this was the final version of the Sable. For the first time, Lincoln did not market a counterpart of the Taurus as the Continental (instead designing the Lincoln MKS from the sixth-generation Taurus). Ford assembled the Taurus in its Chicago Assembly facility (Chicago, Illinois) alongside the Mercury Sable, Taurus X, and Lincoln MKS (for 2009).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford Taurus 4th generation · Successor: Ford Taurus 6th generation

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Design

Ford originally introduced the 2008 model as the Ford Five Hundred, presenting press releases and featuring the car at the January 2007 Detroit International Auto Show. The car was subsequently rebranded as the Taurus at the behest of Ford CEO Allan Mulaney. As a rebranded and modified Five Hundred, the 5G Taurus received a 30% increase in engine horsepower; front facelift; faux fender vents; chrome door handle accents, and revised tail lights. The fifth generation featured comprehensive increased sound-absorption measures, including foam pellets expanded into the A-pillars and a new sound-absorptive material, marketed as Sonosorb, used doors, headliner and pillars. Upgraded mastic in the floor and the addition of sound deadening material in the door, trunk and under the carpet further reduce road and wind noise. The area where the rear package shelf meets the floor pan was stiffened, and the package shelf was reshaped to reduce vibration. The fifth generation Taurus used a new six-speed automatic transmission (jointly developed with General Motors), superseding the Five Hundred's Aisin six-speed or optional CVT. A revised climate control system uses a large piston compressor and redesigned air delivery to reduce interior noise, as well as how air is blended and reshaping ducts. At max setting the system is 50 percent quieter than the 2007 Five Hundred. On the 2005-2007 Five Hundred, the roughly 600-lb engine was bolted to a sub frame. With the 5G Taurus, the engine was bolted to the unibody frame rails. By not having the engine bearing on the sub frame, the stiffened subframe could address suspension requirements. Front suspension travel was increased by 10 mm (10%) and suspension was retuned. Exterior. The exterior featured a revised front fascia with a three-bar gr

Taurus nameplate

The fourth-generation (4G) Ford Taurus was manufactured concurrently with a larger, new front-wheel drive sedan, the Ford Five Hundred and was discontinued in late 2006 for model year 2007. After discontinuation of the 4G Taurus, the Five Hundred, which did not perform to expectations, was rebranded as the 5G Taurus. Autoblog and The Truth About Cars expressed disappointment that Ford let the Taurus nameplate decline. MSNBC interviewed many Ford workers who felt that Ford unjustly abandoned the car that had done so much to revitalize Ford and the US industry. In an October 25, 2006 USA Today editorial, "How Ford starved its Taurus", it was noted that while the Japanese stick with their popular models and keep them up to date and competitive, (such as the Toyota Corolla, which has been in continuous production since the 1960s), the Detroit automakers regularly abandon established models in search of "the next big thing". After taking the position as CEO at Ford, Alan Mulally said in an interview with the Associated Press that he was baffled the Taurus had been discontinued, saying he believed discontinuing the Taurus was a mistake, and that the Five Hundred should have been named "Taurus" from the beginning. In mid-2007, revamped versions of the Five Hundred and Freestyle were unveiled as "Taurus" and "Taurus X" at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. In a later interview, Mulally said the Taurus name was well known and had positive brand equity, something that would take time and money to give to the Five Hundred.

Variants

=== Mercury Sable === For the 2008 model year, the Mercury Montego received the same midcycle update as the Ford Five Hundred; in line with the revival of the Ford Taurus, the Montego was renamed the Mercury Sable. Receiving the same 3.5-L V6 and six-speed automatic as the Taurus, cosmetic updates to the Sable were more extensive, with a redesigned front and rear fasciae, larger grille, and clear-lens taillamps. The redesigned interior adopted several changes, including two-tone leather seating, with hydrographically printed woodgrain in multiple color patterns. With the end of the Mercury brand, Sable production ended after the 2009 model year, no Mercury Sable counterpart of the sixth-generation Taurus entered production. Ford Taurus X. Alongside the midcycle update to the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, for 2008, the Ford Freestyle crossover SUV received a similar update, adopting the Ford Taurus X nameplate. Sharing the powertrain of the Taurus/Sable, the Taurus X adopted a revised front fascia, similar to the Taurus sedan. In line with larger Ford SUVs, the Taurus X offered an outdoors-themed Eddie Bauer edition for the first time. Following lower than expected sales, the Taurus X ended production on February 27, 2009; while not an official replacement, the Ford Flex is also a crossover SUV based upon the D3-platform Ford Taurus.

Water pump issues

Water pumps on 2008 to 2009 Ford Taurus, 2008 to 2009 Mercury Sable, 2008 to 2009 Ford Taurus X, and 2013 to 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Sedan equipped with the 3.5-L Ford Cyclone V6, 3.5-L EcoBoost V6, and 3.7-L V6 have a tendency to fail and potentially ruin the engine. The water pumps on these engines are internally mounted and driven by the timing chain. As a result, when they fail, antifreeze is sometimes dumped directly into the crankcase; mixing with engine oil and potentially damaging the head gaskets and connecting rod bearings. Some of these water pump failures occur without warning, although most present themselves externally first, by way of a weephole that expels coolant next to the alternator. Repairs can cost thousands of dollars as the engine must be partially disassembled, or removed, to access the water pump. In some cases, the engine will need to be replaced outright, if the warning signs are ignored. A class-action lawsuit was initiated against Ford as a result of this issue, but no settlement was reached against Ford.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Ford Taurus (fifth generation; D258)

Manufacturer

Ford

aka

Ford Five Hundred (Middle East)

Production

May 2007–May 2009

Model years

2008–2009

Assembly

United States: Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly)

Designer

J Mays (2005)

Class

Full-size car

Body style

4-door sedan

Layout

FF layout, F4 layout

Platform

Ford D3 platform

Related

Ford Taurus X, Mercury Sable

Engine

3.5 L DOHC Duratec 35 (Cyclone) V6

Transmission

6-speed 6F automatic

Wheelbase

112.7 in

Length

201.8 in

Width

74.1 in

Height

61.5 in

Kerb weight

FWD: 3741 lb, AWD: 3930 lb

Predecessor

Ford Taurus (fourth generation), Ford Five Hundred, Ford Crown Victoria

Successor

Ford Taurus (sixth generation)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5467947CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_(fifth_generation)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1361443499 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008_Ford_Taurus_SEL_.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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