2003 Ford Taurus Fuse Box Diagram: Complete Fuse Panel Guide
Your 2003 Ford Taurus has two fuse boxes. The passenger compartment panel is below and to the left of the steering wheel, by the brake pedal. The power distribution box is in the engine compartment, under the hood.
The cigar lighter runs through fuse 13 in the cabin panel, rated 20A.
Most online charts for this model year get one position wrong. See the next section if that is what sent you here, or skip to the full charts.
Most 2003 Taurus fuse charts get fuse 24 wrong
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Nearly every copy of this chart online lists cabin fuse 24 as “not used,” with no amperage listed at all. Ford’s own printed 2003 Taurus owner’s guide disagrees. Page 132 lists position 24 as a 15A fuse marked “Spare.”
A spare fuse is not the same thing as an empty slot. Ford installed a real 15A fuse at position 24 from the factory. It is simply not wired to any circuit yet.
The widely copied online chart drops the amperage and calls it unused, which is close but not what Ford printed.
The position was not always a spare either. From 2000 through 2002, fuse 24 ran a 15A relay for export market Transit van equipment. That is confirmed in the same year-by-year chart used above.
Ford freed the slot for 2003 and left a spare fuse in its place instead of leaving it empty. That is a real running change, not a typo.
If your box cover label calls position 24 a spare, this is why. If a 15A fuse is missing from that slot entirely, someone used it already. You can run with it empty, since nothing on the car currently depends on it.
Where are the fuse boxes on a 2003 Ford Taurus?
Passenger compartment fuse panel. Below and to the left of the steering wheel, by the brake pedal. The cover has a built-in fuse puller tool clipped to the inside.
Power distribution box. Engine compartment, under the hood. This box holds the high current fuses that protect the starter, the cooling fans and the anti-lock brake pump.
Worth knowing: trim level and installed options can change which positions carry a live circuit on your specific car. Your box cover label is the final authority, not this chart or any other.
Passenger compartment fuse chart: fuses 1 to 42
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The chart below comes from Ford’s printed 2003 Taurus owner’s guide, pages 131 through 133. A second, independently compiled year-by-year chart agrees on every position except fuse 24, covered above.
Positions with no fuse installed are marked “Not used.” Positions with an installed but unconnected fuse are marked “Spare,” matching Ford’s own wording.
| Fuse | Amps | Circuit protected |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Accessory delay relay |
| 2 | – | Driver one touch down relay |
| 3 | – | Blower motor relay |
| 4 | – | Flasher relay |
| 5 | – | Not used |
| 6 | – | Not used |
| 7 | 40A | Rear defrost grid feed (wagon), rear defrost relay coil feed (sedan) |
| 8 | 40A | Blower motor |
| 9 | – | Rear defrost relay |
| 10 | 30A | Circuit breaker: power seats, delayed accessory, adjustable pedals |
| 11 | 15A | Integrated Control Panel (ICP), rear washer/wiper control, front washer, cell phone, passenger switch illumination, GEM, rear wiper motor |
| 12 | 10A | Heated mirrors, rear defrost switch |
| 13 | 20A | Cigar lighter |
| 14 | – | Not used |
| 15 | 30A | Front wiper motor |
| 16 | 15A | Flasher and GEM power, ICP power, RCC memory, instrument cluster |
| 17 | 15A | Stop lamp, speed control deactivating switch |
| 18 | – | Not used |
| 19 | – | Not used |
| 20 | – | Not used |
| 21 | – | Not used |
| 22 | 20A | Deck lid release solenoid, lock/unlock relays |
| 23 | 10A | Air bag module, PATS transceiver |
| 24 | 15A | Spare (installed, unconnected from the factory) |
| 25 | 2A | Powertrain Control Module (PCM) relay, fuel pump relay |
| 26 | 10A | Mirrors, power antenna, pulse stretcher module, deck lid lamp, battery saver |
| 27 | 10A | Gauges and warning lamps, ICP, flex-fuel sender, GEM |
| 28 | 10A | Blower motor relay coil, EATC logic, puddle lamps |
| 29 | 15A | Autolamps, park lamps, PWM, headlamp switch |
| 30 | 15A | Horns and horn switch, OBD II connector |
| 31 | – | Not used |
| 32 | 10A | ABS, DRL relay coil, speed control actuator, traction control switch, A/C heater selector switch, blend door actuator, brake shift interlock, rear defroster relay coil |
| 33 | – | Not used |
| 34 | – | Not used |
| 35 | – | Not used |
| 36 | 15A | Turn signals, back-up lamps |
| 37 | 15A | Transmission position switch |
| 38 | 5A | GEM park/neutral switch |
| 39 | – | Not used |
| 40 | – | Not used |
| 41 | – | Not used |
| 42 | – | Not used |
Most everyday fuse pulls on a Taurus sedan happen in this box. The starter, headlights and cooling fans live in the power distribution box instead.
Power distribution box chart: fuses 1 to 33
This box holds 25 fuses and 8 relays. Ford’s owner’s guide and the same independent year-by-year chart agree on every value here, with no discrepancies found.
| Fuse | Amps | Circuit protected |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60A | Fuse junction panel |
| 2 | 30A | Powertrain Control Module (PCM) relay |
| 3 | 60A | Fuse junction panel |
| 4 | – | Not used |
| 5 | – | Not used |
| 6 | – | Not used |
| 7 | 40A | Starter relay, ignition switch |
| 8 | – | Not used |
| 9 | 40A | Cooling fan relays |
| 10 | – | Not used |
| 11 | 50A | Rear defrost (sedan only) |
| 12 | – | Not used |
| 13 | 40A | Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module pump feed |
| 14 | – | Not used |
| 15 | 20A | ABS module valve solenoid |
| 16 | 20A | Fuel pump relay |
| 17 | 20A | Cell port |
| 18 | 20A | Power point |
| 19 | 15A | Right headlamp |
| 20 | – | Not used |
| 21 | 15A | Left headlamp |
| 22 | 10A | A/C clutch relay, PCM keep alive power |
| 23 | – | Starter motor relay |
| 24 | – | Fan relay |
| 25 | – | Wiper speed relay |
| 26 | 10A | Alternator |
| 27 | 5A | Rear control unit, antenna |
| 28 | 15A | HEGO sensor, transmission shift solenoid, canister vent, A/C clutch relay |
| 29 | – | Wiper park relay |
| 30 | – | Fuel pump relay |
| 31 | – | PCM power relay |
| 32 | – | Fan relay |
| 33 | – | A/C clutch relay |
Fuse 18 here is worth a second look. It reads “Power point” in 2003, but the same position was the cigar lighter circuit in 2001 and 2002.
The cabin panel took over the cigar lighter wiring for 2003 instead. Both boxes agree: fuse 13 in the cabin is the one that matters now.
A cheap fuse assortment kit covers the mini fuses in this box and the standard fuses in the cabin panel. Any brand meeting the ATO/ATC standard fits. It costs less than a single dealer fuse and saves a second trip.
2003 Ford Taurus symptom to fuse guide
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Readers usually arrive with a symptom, not a fuse number. This maps the common ones.
| What is not working | Check this fuse |
|---|---|
| Cigar lighter dead | Fuse 13, 20A (cabin) |
| No air movement at any blower speed | Fuse 8, 40A (cabin), fuse 3 relay |
| No crank, no start | Fuse 7, 40A (power distribution box) |
| Engine cranks but will not start, fuel pump suspected | Fuse 16, 20A (power distribution box), fuse 25, 2A (cabin) |
| Right headlamp out | Fuse 19, 15A (power distribution box) |
| Left headlamp out | Fuse 21, 15A (power distribution box) |
| Horn will not sound | Fuse 30, 15A (cabin) |
| Brake lights out, speed control will not disengage | Fuse 17, 15A (cabin) |
| Turn signals or back-up lamps dead | Fuse 36, 15A (cabin) |
| Airbag warning light on | Fuse 23, 10A (cabin), PATS transceiver |
| ABS warning light on | Fuse 13, 40A (power distribution box), or fuse 15, 20A (same box) |
| Rear window defroster dead, sedan | Fuse 11, 50A (power distribution box), fuse 9 relay (cabin) |
| Power seats or adjustable pedals dead | Fuse 10, 30A circuit breaker (cabin) |
| Deck lid will not release | Fuse 22, 20A (cabin) |
| Front wiper will not run | Fuse 15, 30A (cabin), fuse 29 relay (power distribution box) |
How do you tell if a fuse is actually blown?
Pull it and look through the plastic window at the metal strip inside. An intact fuse has an unbroken strip. A blown one shows a visible gap, or the window looks smoked dark.
A hairline break is easy to miss. Hold the fuse up to a light, or test continuity with a multimeter set to ohms. Near zero resistance means the fuse is good.
Never guess the replacement rating. Match the number printed on the old fuse and cross-check your box cover label. A higher rated fuse lets the wiring become the fuse instead, and that costs far more to fix.
A plastic fuse puller tool is already clipped inside your cabin panel cover. Use it rather than pliers, which crack the fuse housing.
Why does the same fuse keep blowing?
A fuse that blows once is usually a one-off surge. One that blows again within days is telling you something is wrong upstream, not asking for a bigger fuse.
Unplug whatever you most recently added. A phone charger left in the cigar lighter socket is a common repeat offender. So is an aftermarket amplifier, a trailer harness or a dash cam.
Look for chafed insulation where the harness moves. Door jambs and anything routed near the steering column flex thousands of times over a car’s life.
If a fuse blows the instant you push it in, that circuit has a hard short. Stop replacing fuses and trace the wiring with a proper diagnostic tool instead of guessing.
Did the Taurus fuse box change between 2000 and 2007?
Yes, in the middle of the run. The Taurus fourth generation covers 2000 through 2007 as one continuous body. Ford reshuffled the entire passenger compartment fuse panel for the 2004 model year.
2000 through 2003 share one position layout, confirmed year by year in the sources used for this guide. The cigar lighter sits at fuse 13 across all four of those years, though its wording changes slightly by year.
Starting in 2004, the panel was renumbered and several circuits moved. The cigar lighter moved to fuse 29, with a separate power point fuse added at position 25.
A 2003 chart will not help you on a 2005 car. A 2005 chart will not help you here either.
| Position | 2000-2003 Taurus | 2004-2007 Taurus |
|---|---|---|
| Cigar lighter, cabin panel | Fuse 13 | Fuse 29 |
| Power point, cabin panel | Shared with fuse 13 | Separate fuse 25 |
| Headlamp fuses, power distribution box | Fuses 19 (right), 21 (left) | Renumbered with new cooling fan positions added |
If you have a different year, do not reuse this chart. This site also covers the 2010 Ford Taurus and the 2013 Ford Taurus, both from a later, different platform. They share no fuse numbers with the car covered here.
2003 Ford Taurus fuse quick reference
The fuses owners look up most, in one place.
| What you want | Fuse | Amps | Box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigar lighter | 13 | 20A | Passenger compartment |
| Blower motor | 8 | 40A | Passenger compartment |
| Starter, ignition switch | 7 | 40A | Power distribution box |
| Fuel pump relay | 16 | 20A | Power distribution box |
| Right headlamp | 19 | 15A | Power distribution box |
| Left headlamp | 21 | 15A | Power distribution box |
| Horn | 30 | 15A | Passenger compartment |
| Airbag module, PATS | 23 | 10A | Passenger compartment |
| Rear window defrost (sedan) | 11 | 50A | Power distribution box |
| Spare, installed and unconnected | 24 | 15A | Passenger compartment |
Not sure your car matches this exactly? Your box cover label is the final authority. Trim level and installed options change which positions carry a live circuit on your specific car.
