Problems with 2001 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 5mph during normal driving conditions, the passenger rear coil spring fractured and punctured the tire with no prior warning. the vehicle was driven to the local dealership for repairs.

Rear spring on 2001 taurus snapped due to corrosion. replaced both springs and tire that was damaged due to spring failure. spring cut tire while backing out of a parking space. *nm

I entered my car one morning and started backing out of the garage and i heard a metal grinding sound from the right rear side. while driving to work i noticed the car seemed to be riding lower on the right rear side. a week or so later i took the car into a ford dealership and was told the right rear spring and both struts needed to be replaced. he said the broken spring was gouging a hole in my tire. the right rear strut was leaking and needed to be replaced, but he said i would to have both replaced for the ride to be even. additionally, he said i would need to have an alignment done. i did not have the work performed on my car as the dealer was asking over $700 for the repairs. i called for other estimates. i pulled the tire off at home and did find the spring was broker and causing a gouge to be dug into my 1 year old tire just an inch below the top of the tire and about 1/4 inch deep. i have yet to speak to ford about the problem.*ak

Both rear coil springs broke due to corrosion. *nm

The rear coil spring and mounting bolt broke, causing the broken spring to contact the tire. the tire did not puncture. the parts were replaced at my expense at a ford dealer. *nm

Left rear coil spring fractured. *nm

Under normal driving conditions the right rear spring broke. both rear springs were replaced. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle had been handling as though there were windy conditions for approximately 1 week. also, while backing out of the driveway the contact heard something fall from the bottom of the vehicle. the vehicle was driven into the garage, and the contact determined both rear coil springs broke. the rear coil springs were replaced by the contact. *ak updated 10/25/2006 - *nm

Broken rear coil spring on 2001 ford taurus punctured the rear driver side tire. i was searching to make sure pricing was correct on the repair when i found a news story that the nhtsa was investigating complaints of the same type of incident. i started to hear a noise a day or two before it happened and was on my way to drop the car of at a repair shop when the incident happened. i am having the car repaired with both rear coil springs and struts replaced. the repair will cost in excess of 1000 dollars. please file this complaint with the rest of the incidents. *jb

1- left rear (driver side) coil spring broke. vehicle was under no load except for the driver in the car, trunk and rear seat were empty. 2- the rear coil spring just broke and damaged the inner sidewall of the corresponding tire. the tire did not deflate. 3- both rear coils were replaced ($ 457.34) and the tire was replaced as well ($ 76.99). the failed rear coil is not available as, at that time, i was not aware that there was a preliminary investigation by the nhtsa into coil spring failures in 2001 ford taurus vehicles. *nm

Re: 2001 ford taurus...my rear coil spring on the passenger side popped through my tire causing a flat. i had to get a new spring, strut, strut mount and tire. this was the second time such an event happened. the first one was in may 05 on the front driver side which did cause me to hit a median on the highway. i had to replace a control arm, strut, strut mount, tire and spring coils. i called ford directly in that case and think there should be a recall on the rear spring coils as well as the front. i feel very unsafe in this vehicle. *nm

I own a 2001 ford taurus ses with 55000 miles on it. in april, 2005 the front coil spring recall was done on this car. today, the right rear coil spring broke at about 30 mph, cut the inside of the tire and punctured it. ford dealer states that they can't do anything for me as there is no recall on that part. they were very happy to take $600 to fix the spring and shock as well as do the same on the left side, since that would probably break tomorrow. plus, even though ford clearly has under-specified these springs, i even get to pay for a new tire! last ford product i buy. *nm

My car was shaking heavily when i went over 50 mph. i thought it was an alignment problem. i took the car in, and they said that i needed new tires. i wanted a second opinion, while on the highway my back right tire busted. i ended up losing control of the car. i was able to regain control. i had it towed and the garage said that my back springs were broken, and that it had eaten through my tire. i ended up getting new 2 springs, shocks and 2 new tires as a result of the broken springs. the old part is not available, although they did show it to me. *nm

My car was shaking heavily when i went over 50 mph. i thought it was an alignment problem. i took the car in, and they said that i needed new tires. i wanted a second opinion, while on the highway my back right tire busted. i ended up losing control of the car. i was able to regain control. i had it towed and the garage said that my back springs were broken, and that it had eaten through my tire. i ended up getting new 2 springs, shocks and 2 new tires as a result of the broken springs. the old part is not available, although they did show it to me. *nm

While my wife was driving home from work the left rear spring in snapped off puncturing the side wall of the left rear tire at approximately 45 mph. the tire deflated suddenly and my wife was able to pull the car off the road. after the tire was changed the car was driven to the ford dealer where we had to have both springs in the rear replaced and a new tire put on and a alignment costing $507.00 total. our car is a 2001 ford taurus with 38000 miles on it and this is the second expensive repair this year. in july we lost the electric motor on the power seat and that cost over $400.00 with fords assistance on the bill. *nm

Broken rear coil spring and support. 2001 ford taurus [xxx]. *nm updated 07/16/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

My 2001 ford taurus was at the ford dealership for unrelated repairs and the mechanic found that the two rear coil springs were cracked and said that they needed to be replaced. they then replaced the springs. *jb

On december 15th, i pulled out of my driveway at about 5 mph and heard a clunking noise from the rear of the car. i got out and checked the rear tires and found that they were still inflated. i pulled out to leave my driveway and heard a loud screeching noise as i drove away. i drove back into my driveway and found that the left rear tire was flat. i replaced the tire with the doughnut and was able to drive the car. assuming that the problem was a punctured tire, i took the tire to a local place for a tire repair. they reported that the tread had separated from the tire, but didn't know why. they replaced the tire and as my wife drove away, she heard the screeching noise and after investigation, the shop found that the rear spring had fallen down and gouged the tire, causing the tread separation. the car has been taken to the dealer for replacement of the rear springs, at my cost. what i don't understand is why ford is taking care of the front spring issue but isn't taking care of the rear spring issue when the cause of the rear spring issues is fully known and understood. ford needs to recall and replace the rear springs before people are killed due to their obvious negligence. *jb

I own a 2001 ford taurus [xxx]. the right rear spring fractured when leaving my driveway. there was no warning prior to the fracture. there is a current investigation by the nhtsa (pe05054) for the rear springs on this automobile. i am currently having the spring replaced at my own cost because ford will not recognize any liability. i spoke with shauna at ford customer service and my ref # with ford is [xxx] and they assured me the left spring was ok and that they would not provide any financial reimbursement. *nm update 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Left rear coil spring fracture. *jb

Dt: the contact states there is recall nhtsa campaign 04v332000 concerning the front coil springs; the vehicle was repaired by the previous owner according to the recall. now, the contact has the same problem, which was affecting the rear coils springs. it was repaired at the contact's expense. *ak the consumer had to purchase a new starter updated 01/11/06. *jb

Driver's side rear spring fractured damaging the tire. *ak

Dt: the consumer stated that there is nhtsa recall campaign#94v036000 concerning the suspension/front shock absorber. this vehicle experienced the same problems as indicated in the recall, but is not included in the recall due to the year. the consumer was unable to purchase the part, that was included in a kit, by itself. *ak (12/07/05) *sc

My car rode low to the ground. i noticed i was lower than other cars. finally, when pulling out of a parking lot one day, i noticed the rear part of my car made odd sounds. i determined my rear spring broke. i had to get my car towed and the springs replaced. *jb

Dt: 2001 ford taurus. the consumer stated that there was a recall on the front coil springs . upon inspection the dealership found that the rear springs were also broken. the contact had the rear springs replaced at his expense. ford stated that they were looking into the rear spring problem and the consumer has not heard back from them. the springs were replaced on october 11, 2005. *ak (11/21/05) *sc

Dt: the contact stated on october 7, 2005 a coil spring on the passenger's rear suspension broke and went through the tire, it ruined the tire. the contact spoke with the dealer. they would replace the coil springs at contact's expense. there was no warning prior to this happening. this happened on normal road conditions. *ak updated 11/30/2005 - *nm

Dt: 2001 ford taurus. the contact stated the right rear coil spring broke and blew out the tire. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, and they replaced the spring and tire at the consumers expense. the consumer called ford and they stated the vehicle was not under recall . this happened on october 6, 2005. the consumer was able to put the spare tire on the vehicle and drove it to a ford dealership for repairs. *ak updated 11/16/05. *jb

Both rear coil spring broke on consumers 2001 ford taurus. ***no answer required*** *ts the starter also failed prematurely. *nm

Car was taken to mechanic for routine tire rotation. the car had been making a clunking noise in the rear since we purchased it but ford dealers were unable to diagnose/correct it. when tires were rotated, mechanic noticed oil leaking from strut and investigated; found rear coil spring fractured. *nm

Left rear tire went flat. purchased two new tires and asked the mech. what could cause the grove on inside tire wall. he said to check for piece of metal stuck. when i returned home, all i could find was a semi loose mud flap. then i looked up and noticed the spring was not sitting on the metal plate of strut. it was the exact spot that the grove was cut into the tire. called ford dealer and asked about it. they notified me of the recall on the front struts but said none had been issued for the rear. (they look the same!!). oct 18, i paid to have new springs put on the rear of car. returned car today 19th, as now it is making loud thumping noise from rear on every bump in the road. their mechanic took test drive with me and confirmed. they are working on it now. is this how they are funding the recall on the front ones?? can you tell i am disgusted with ford motor company?

I have a 2001 ford taurus with approx. 70,000 miles. this summer while making a turn out of a parking lot a heard a loud noise from under my car. now when ever i enter my driveway, make a turn after stopping or hit any kind of bump, it sounds as if something is hitting the bottom of my car. i also noticed that the left rear wheel has little clearance at the top of the sidewall from the wheel well. i looked under my car and found the rear stabilizer/ sway bar on the left side was broken .when i removed the rear left wheel i found my spring was broken. when i called my dealer they told me that this was not a covered item and i should call ford motors, which i did. when i called ford they told me that the front springs were covered because of corrosion but not the rear! i advised them that i was confused because if their springs had a tendency to break why would only the front spring be covered. i received no satisfaction from ford. while researching where i could purchase new springs that were not prone to failure like the ford springs. i found an article saying your office was investigating the failure of the rear springs. i was advised the to replace the spring would run approx. $350. pre spring plus parts. my car does not handle properly since this happened and i cant use it for any distance driving. is this something your office is investigating. *jb

Broken rr coil spring was discovered by belle tire technician while repairing a tire leak on my daughter's 2001 taurus. vehicle was deadlined and delivered to blackwell ford to have the first spring recall performed and the rear springs inspected/repaired using authorized ford service parts. rr spring and rr shock were both replaced due to "usual damage" to the shock caused by the broken spring (old parts are in my possession and available for inspection). blackwell service advisor informed me that ford would not cover the cost of the rr spring/shock repair since there was no recall/service action in place regardless of the failure mode being identical to the front springs which were produced at the same time. the vehicle has 64,000 miles on the odo (ie out of warranty), but the amount of rust at the fracture point indicates the spring had been broken for some time. there were no noise or vehicular attitude concerns to indicate a broken rear spring. both the belle tire and blackwell personnel seemed "very" familiar with this failure mode on the taurus. the cost of the repair was $375.52. *nm

I have a 2001 ford taurus with 110,000 miles. the rear drivers side spring coil failed, came dislodged from the seat and was rubbing on the inside wall of the rear tire. this could have ultimately resulted in puncture and rapid air loss in the tire potentially causing loss of control of the vehicle. the problem was discovered because the rear tire was losing air and was brought in for repair. when the tire was removed there was a groove all the way around the tire approximately 1/8" deep and the spring coil was protruding. prior to discovery, there was no indication of this problem. the car drove normally and was not noticeably lower or riding low. although this problem for me did not result in accident or loss of control, it was very possible and i'm very concerned about the safety implications for other car owners. additionally, when i contacted ford about this problem, they offered no help in the repair of the vehicle, even in spite of a very similar recall for the front spring coils. (recall # 04v332000) in this recall, they acknowledge the exact potential failure of the front coils. the dealer that services my vehicle has seen my car every 3,000 miles and did not identify this issue proactively. *jb

Broken rear coil spring, 2001 ford taurus make me 132, i had to pay for replacement! just last month. *nm

Dt: the caller said the rear coil spring protective shield corroded and broke. it also broke the strut and punctured the back passenger tire. driver was going around a curve about 45 mph when he heard a loud noise. driver was able to drive the vehicle home. caller said there is a recall on the front coil spring but not on the rear. dealer has vehicle and they are going to fix the front and caller will have to pay for the rear herself. manufacturer said to hold on to invoices in case there is reimbursement later.*ak

Dt: on august 25, 2005, the rear struts and coil spring on the passenger's side came loose and went through the tire. the consumer stopped at a stop sign when realizing that the tire was flat. took the vehicle to a local mechanic shop and replaced the springs, boots, and the upper mounts. there no for warning and no noise. *ak

Car parked in garage, started up heard a bang, tire was blown out- tried to reverse out of garage -rear wheels locked up - called auto club they put small doughnut spare on rear drivers side (blown out side) -took vehicle to local garage- upon inspection mechanic said rear springs had fractured and punctured the tire and needed replacing, this with less than 50 000 miles on vehicle -cost totaled $465.60 plus taxes. had this happened the previous day we were traveling at highway speeds to a friends cottage -we could have been killed!! *jb

I see from an associated press article dated today that the ford taurus is being investigated by the nhtsa due to rear coil spring failures. i own a 2001 taurus on which i recently paid several hundred dollars to have the passenger-side rear coil spring replaced, due to failure (or imminent failure). while i was having some other non-related service work done, the ford dealer noticed during their inspection that the spring was at or near the point of failing. they told me it required replacement, or else it could result in a tire puncture- so of course i had the repair completed. at the place i am typing this, i don't have the bill for the work done with me- so the incident date i'm entering below is approximate. i do have the bill for the work which will show the correct date. please keep me updated on the outcome of your investigation. thank you.*jb

Dt: the rear spring cracked and damaged the tire. this happened yesterday on july 24,2005. the consumer contacted the dealer and was told the front springs were being recalled but not the rear springs. *jb consumer added left rear coil spring fractured in two causing the broken part of the spring to dig into the inner sidewall of the tire. *tt

Car was being driven slowly when a pop was heard in the right rear corner of the car as it was being parked. when backing out of the parking spot a rubbing noise was heard. had the car towed to a ford garage and was found to have a broken rear coil spring rubbing on the tire. fortunately it didn't break 10 minutes later on the interstate. the ford garage is repairing the one spring for $500 and will also have to replace both rear tires. with only 60k miles and 3 1/2 years of age this is far too early to experience a failure of this magnitude. is it going to take someone getting killed in an accident before a recall is finally ordered??? there is still a suspect spring on the left rear that could fail at any moment. my children ride in this car on the interstate frequently, i don't feel safe having them riding in this vehicle in it's current condition. please issue a recall immediately to protect the thousands of families who are riding in these potential death traps.

Fracture failure of both rear coil springs. *jb

Dt: consumer owned a 2001 ford taurus. on 7-10-05 when driving at 10 mph the rear spring had rusted to the point of decay, causing the body of the vehicle to come down on top of the tire. consumer had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic who replaced the rear coil spring. when he contacted the manufacturer, they told consumer it was beyond warranty. consumer knew there was a recall on the front spring coil this was the only problem with the vehicle. *ak *jb

Dt: the dealer refused to replace the coil springs unless it failed. the consumer stated there was a recall regarding the issue. recall# #04v332000.

1. no initial problem noted. took car in for routine service and recall to install sheilds around front coil springs. 2. dealer called and notified me of the fact that the rear springs were broken. 3. dealer offered to replace springs for $100 deductible charge, leading me to believe there is a known problem with the springs that ford is not owning up to.

2001 taurus backing out of driveway heard noise in left rear and smelled odor of burnt rubber. pulled back in driveway and found left rear spring fractured and deeply scored inside of tire. put on doughnut called ford which had recalled car in 3/05 for spring shields and was told this was a covered repair for both springs and tire. left car at dealer but later informed by dealer and then ford customer service that warranty fix only available for front coil springs. all springs installed at same time as car was built, ford is aware of spring fractures to point of installing shields on the front. in my opinion all springs should be covered, had this happened at speed there would have been a catastropic tire failure in left rear. been driving 45 years and never even heard of a spring failure,this will get worse as cars age.

My 2001 ford taurus rear coil springs broke upon reversing out of the driveway. i called my mechanic who then advised me not to even try to drive it to his shop for fear of puncturing a tire. i then called a flatbed tow truck to take it for repairs. the cost for the rear coil springs was $513.50 plus tow. if i did not have it towed that way, the mechanic informed me that the tires would have been punctured. *nm

Took my wifes 2001 taurus to local mechanic for routine maintenance and was informed both rear coil springs are broken. no appearent reason for failure. car has 56k on odometer.local garage states they see this problem often on taurus/sable models. contacted dealer for appointment for front spring re-call and was told they know of no problem with rear coils. ford customer relations took my complaint and stated they have no technical bullitens issued on this problem. this is a costly repair. springs look to be identical on front and rear.

Dt: ford recalled front springs. however, the rear springs have penetrated the tire tread and the rear passenger's side. both springs broke, but only one penetrated the tire. spoke with dealer and ford as well and they do not want to remedy this problem. felt this was unsafe and wanted a recall on the rear as well. ford said it was not on the steering wheel side so there was an accident with a tire punctured with the springs it would not affect the steering . *ak

I first noticed a grinding noise coming from the rear of my 2001 ford taurus. looking under the rear of the car i noticed a gouge around the entire sidewall of the tire. after removing the left rear tire i found the rear coil spring was broken and was gouging the tire.i called the service department at whitmoyer ford in mt. joy, pa. to ask if there was a safety recall on the rear springs of this vehicle. he said there was not. i then called customer service at ford in michigan and reported the problem and requested if this dangerous defect could be repaired at no cost to me as the vehicle had only been driven 16,227 miles. i was told i would have to drive the car to the dealership about 15 to 20 miles to have the problem evaluated before a decision could be made if any of the cost would be paid by ford. i was suprised by the lack of concern by ford customer service to an obvious safety defect.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford taurus. the contact noticed that the vehicle was lower on one side in the rear. he jacked up the vehicle and discovered that the rear driver side coil spring had failed and was puncturing the tire. he spoke with the dealer who stated that the vehicle is not under recall. the weather conditions were partly sunny. the current and failure mileages were 116,000. updated 07/19/07. *jb