Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway at 2 mph, the vehicle failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the spring, plates, and tires on both sides needed to be repaired at the cost of $668.81. the failure and current mileages were 42,000. updated 07/09/08 *bf updated *jb

I drive a 2002 ford taurus with about 79,000 miles. while backing the car out of a parking spot in my driveway the vehicle made some odd noises and was not backing up. it felt as if something was under the car preventing it from moving or like it was stuck in the snow of the parking spot (it was february). i got out of the car and looked at the wheels to find that the front driver-side tire was flat and damaged. aaa mechanics came to change the tire. the bottom piece of the coil spring fell out from underneath the car while it was jacked up. it was then discovered that the coil spring had punctured the tire and severely damaged the inside sidewall of the tire. i was told (and my research confirmed) that this is a common problem with these types of vehicles. i am glad this did not happen while driving at highway speed while traveling as i was planning to do later that afternoon! the dealer had stated (to my disappointment) that despite a recall being issued for vehicles from 1999 to 2001 with the same problem, they could not offer me anything to fix the problem with my vehicle. the repair cost me $519 to replace the two front coil springs, two new front tires, left front sway bar link (which broke when the spring snapped) and associated labor. i am holding on to all receipts in hopes that ford will issue a recall and fix any defective vehicles. *tr

While getting a scheduled oil change, the dealer noticed my coil spring on the rear passenger side was broke. ford has had a history of coil spring failures and should issue a recall on all springs. *tr

The front driver's side spring on our 2002 taurus broke and punctured the tire. i will need to tow the vehicle because the spring is embedded into the tire and cannot be removed. towing, repairs and a new tire will be required. *tr

Front right coil spring broke while car was parked. when the spring broke it punctured the right front tire. when backing out of the parking spot, the spring tore the sidewall off of the tire. aaa replaced the tire with the emegency spare, without checking for any problems, and the spare was consequently ruined. the part was replaced and is unavailable. i can supply a copy of the repair sheet from goodyear automotive. *tr

Left front coil spring broke and punctured tire. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact backed approximately ten feet out of her parking garage, and the coil spring failed and ripped the front driver's side tire. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer and they replaced the front coil spring, struts, and front driver's side tire. in addition, the vehicle was aligned. the repair costs were $1,300. the failure mileage was 70,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf the cam shaft position sensor was replaced. updated 09/16/08. *jb

During annual required state vehicle inspection, mechanic discovered fractured rear spring. mechanic says he sees a lot of these on ford taurus. *tr

We just had to replace both rear coil springs in my 2002 ford taurus with only 32000 miles. do you think when i go to replace this car that i will look for another ford????????????????????i don't think so. *tr

1-28-08 incident date i am filing this letter against ford corp because i feel that they are responsible for the repair of our 2002 ford taurus. this is the second time in a year that we have had a broken spring problem the first time it was the front spring - ford paid about 80% under a recall program. car mileage about 48,000. one year latter the rear spring about 55,000 miles. called starkey ford in york maine they said there was no program for rear springs. called ford corp basically told same thing, then told car would have to be repaired by ford dealer or they would not be responsible for repairs at all. i had vehicle towed (140.00) inspected and was recommended by ford to replace both springs and struts total cost appx 590.00. i said go ahead with repair, and i would file claim with ford corp customer service. my second call to ford corp, jan 30, 2008. spoke with sherri, after conversation, was told ford would pay for one broken spring only- i told her it is recommended you always change spring in pairs. she then called steve at starkey ford and he told her the same thing, that ford recommends the changing of both springs. i feel ford corp is responsible, because there is a history of defective springs both front and rear of which our car has had both happen in 1 year. the issue regarding because of cold climate, and salt corrosion...ford is not the only vehicle driven in cold climates but they have this problem. when the springs break they cut the sidewall of the tire. if it has not happened yet, some day there will be an accident causing serious injury or death to someone driving at a high speed. we have been lucky-both times, the spring broke in a driveway. i think it is time for who ever is responsible to take a closer look at safety issues regarding the ford taurus. *tr

My front coil spring broke as i was driving home from work in my 2002 ford taurus. i did not hit anything. the coil spring fracture damaged my front end struts and links, cut up my left tire and damaged my left front end axel boot. i had to pay $1000 to get everything fixed. i contacted the ford dealer and one of the national number service people who claimed that model and make year of the ford taurus is not covered under the long-standing recall that they've had for other ford taurus' in recent years. my serviceman at the autoshop that ended up repairing it said this is a known problem among ford taurus' and couldn't believe the dealer did nothing to compensate me. *tr

I have a 2002 ford taurus. on the evening of jan. 22, 2008 my wife was leaving work when she heard a loud thump, the front of the vehicle fell downward. she was unable to steer, move forward or reverse. having to move the vehicle, we had it towed to a near by auto repair station where it was than inspected. needing the vehicle asap, the technician called that night to inform us that the drivers front coil spring broke in half and that it was wedge into the wheel. after further inspection he found that the pass front coil spring was also cracked. needing the vehicle, i had them do the repairs which included coil springs, struts, damaged sway bar links, and bearings for a total $ 810.84. when i picked the vehicle up i was told by the tech that the rear springs are also cracked and should be replaced asap. i was told by the local dealer that there was a recall on this matter but only on the 2001. why not the 2002 and what corrections were made? it doesn't seem right that the exact same issue still occurs on the 2002 vehicle. i did contact ford customer service for help paying for these repairs, but was told they could not help me. thank god my wife was not driving on the highway when the spring broke and wedged in the wheel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving in reverse at approximately 3 mph, the contact heard a popping sound. he noticed that the front coil springs punctured the front driver side tire. the dealer stated that he needed to replace the front springs and front tires. they also recommended that the passenger side springs be replaced before a failure occurs. the estimated repair cost is $640.27. the vehicle is currently at the ford dealer being repaired. the vin and engine size were unknown. the failure and current mileages were 78,000. updated 4/2/08 *cn updated 04/02/08 *tr

Pulling out of a parking lot my 2002 taurus ses right front spring broke and punctured tire causing sudden loss of air pressure. vehicle has been towed for repair. vehicle has 86,600 miles on it. advised repair shop to replace front suspension springs and struts, front tires, and alignment. looked at the first coil that broke off and fell to ground. fracture in coil had rust on first third of spring diameter with clean fracture for remaining 2/3 of the fracture. are we sure ford fixed this issue ending with the 2001 model? repairs estimated at 800 - afraid of what could of happened had i been traveling 70 mph on the i 75 just minutes before. *tr

Backing from driveway with slight bump and front left coil spring exploded and destroyed front left tire. i have had the vehicle towed and am awaiting estimate on damage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing up in the driveway between 1-5 mph, the driver side front coil spring failed. the vehicle was towed to a local garage and the estimated total cost for repairs was $900. ford has not been notified. there were no recalls available for this failure. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

The drivers side rear spring failed, puncturing the tire on our 2002 ford taurus. fortunately at street speeds, not highway speed. *tr

This letter is to make you aware of a serious issue with my 2002 ford taurus which was the focus of a recall of model years 1999 through 2001. this is identified under safety recall 04s17 and recall number 04v332000. from my perspective, this issue still persists with the 2002 model. the vehicle identification number on this taurus is: xxxxxxxxxxxx i was backing my ford out of my parking spot on tuesday, january 11th and as i was turning the wheel to exit, a loud crack sounded and the entire left side of my car dropped. i had the car towed to a local auto repair shop. the next day the mechanic determined that one of the coil springs had rusted completely and snapped. they also pointed out that the second coil spring was in the same condition, so they replaced both at the same time. the total cost of the repair was $1,580.83. as mentioned in the recall, this is a serious safety liability, and i am very thankful this occurred in a parking lot and not on the freeway to or from work. for a car being only five years old it is hard to comprehend that this would be considered a maintenance item by ford. i can only assume ford does not want unsatisfied customers saddled with this kind of cost for what must be considered an issue with product quality. after sending the above information to ford - i received this response: your recent letter has been received and reviewed. customer satisfaction is the primary objective of ford motor company and we make every attempt to ensure that our owners are satisfied. we are always willing to consider individual requests for assistance beyond the normal warranty provisions. however, we must place limits on our post warranty assistance. we regret to advise you that your vehicle is beyond those limits and we are therefore, unable to assist you with the cost of any repairs. we appreciate your writing us and wish that our response could have been more favorable. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 10 mph and making a left turn, the front passenger side tire failed. the tire was changed and the contact drove to a tire service center. she was informed that the coil spring failed and she needed to see a mechanic. the vehicle has not yet been inspected by a mechanic. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 135,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway at 5 mph, the contact heard a sudden popping sound followed by a grinding noise. he called the dealer and they stated that the noise was caused by the coil springs. the vehicle was towed to the shop and he was informed of a recall (nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000) on the 2001 models. the contact feels that his vin should be included in the recall since he is experiencing the same failure. the vin, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were approximately 119,000. updated 02-14-08 *bf updated 02/14/08 *tr

Front coil spring fractured in driveway on my 2002 ford taurus wagon causing passenger front tire to deflate when attempting to move i see a recall for 2001 and earlier models but none for 2002. *tr

My wife was backing our 2002 ford taurus ses out of a parking spot when she heard a strange noise. she got out and discovered that the front left tire was flat. upon removing the tire, it was discovered that the coil spring had snapped and had punctured the tire. the car has been properly maintained and has just under 89,000 miles on it. we are having the front suspension assemblies replaced (both sides as we don't want to take a chance), the front end aligned and the tire replaced. cost of the repairs will exceed $1,200. updated 01-29-08. *kb updated

I have a 2002 taurus. on 1/8/08 my wife got into our car to back out of our driveway. immediately, without moving the car, the front driver side tire blew out. upon removing the tire, the real problem became obvious. the front strut spring had broken, ripping a large hole in the tire and lodging into the tire 7?. i spoke with ford customer service locally and nationally, who informed me there was no product recall for this problem. i mentioned to them that hundreds of people are documented as having this problem (google search taurus spring problem, sable spring problem and the like). their reply was sorry, there's nothing they can do for you. my wife just returned from a 300 mile road trip. if this would have happened to her out on the highway, she could have easily been killed! at highway speeds the tire would have blown and then immediately jammed to a stop a circumstance inviting a deadly accident. in so many words ford has said to apparently hundreds of owners: its not our problem. well, i think it is fords problem and i think the american consumer public should know about this hazardous problem and fords negligent attitude. interestingly, there was/is a recall for this identical problem on the year 2000 sables what about all the rest of taurus and sables!! will the three other remaining springs also break like other people have experienced? how can anyone feel safe driving these cars anymore? do people have to be killed before the nhtsa does anything? do people like me have to become the proverbial customer from @#$%? before anything happens? *tr

I have had a 2002 ford taurus for 2 years. 54,000 miles on it and maintained quite well. on jan. 6, 2008, i had just driven back from a 3 1/2 hour drive into toronto and back. had no issues with the vehicle. when i went out later in the day and back my car out of the driveway, i noticed a rubbing sound in the rear driver's side wheel well area. i had the vehicle towed to the dealer where vehicle was purchased and found out that the rear driver's side spring coil was broken. according to the consumer affairs website, this is an ongoing problem and the 2001 taurus was recalled for the same issue but not the 2002. due to the large number of complaints, this really needs to be looked into as it is quite common. i had the spring replaced along with the tire for a cost of $459.00. i was lucky that this did not happen while i was driving 70 miles an hour into canada and back again. *tr

Our 2002 se ford taurus while sitting perfectly still suffered a front left coil spring failure. it punctured the tire, which subsequently led to it being towed and the replacing of the left front tire and the left front coil spring, we replaced the right front coil spring as a precautionary measure. we still have the tire, but we didn't think to request the broken coil spring. we do have pictures showing the coil spring embedded in the tire. when we contacted ford, we found out that only certain vin numbers for the 2002 taurus coil springs were under recall. our vin number was not under recall. we sent a letter appealing the decision and received a form letter denying the request with no mention of the potentially dangerous defect. in our investigation we found that there are numerous 2002 coil spring failures that aren't under recall. just a note, our 1993 taurus needed a boot to protect the coil spring. we were surprised that this issue still hadn't been resolved. *tr

My 2002 ford taurus with 93,000 miles was parked overnight in our garage. placing the car in reverse, there was a loud bang and the front left of the vehicle dropped. upon inspection, it was apparent that the left front coil spring had snapped, slicing the adjacent tire. cost of repair was $850. ford will not assist in paying for the repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 3 mph, the driver side front tire blew out followed by a loud bang. the contact attempted to change the tire, but it would not come off. after careful inspection, he noticed that the front coil springs failed. the dealer stated that his vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contact had the vehicle repaired at his expense. he filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were 98,000. updated 02-14-08. *kb there was an oil leak near the oil pan.

Front spring on my 2002 ford taurus suddenly broke while driving. horrific noise scared myself and family. lucikily i didn't lose control. pulled car to side of road. car was undrivable as broken spring was contacting the tire and rim. . stranded in 20 degree weather. had car towed to dealership where repair was done (both front springs replaced). called ford customer service center to inform them and seek reimbursement for repair. they said there was nothing they could do. this is a serious safety issue that must be addressed before someone gets hurt or killed. at a minimum the customer should not have to pay for repairs due to an obvious manufacturing defect.*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 25 mph, he heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the front coil spring broke. as of january 3, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 62,000.

Font left spring broke while parked, punctured tire.*cn

As i was backing out of my driveway, i heard a loud pop. i pulled back into my driveway and saw that my front driver's side tire had just blown out. this tire was only two months old. i brought the car to the tire store and found out that the spring had broke and had cut down the tire. my 2002 ford taurus only has 74,000 miles on it and is in good condition so this should not have happened. i ended up have to bring my car to my mechanic and have new spring/shock assemblies put in both sides in the front end of my car. i found that ford recalled the 2000 and 2001 models because of this happening and decided it was a safety concern if the tire blew out at 70 mph on the highway, yet they so far will do nothing for all of the owners of 2002 ford taurus. if this is considered a safety hazard in 2 model years, it should be in all model years that use this spring design that corrodes with road salt and then slices the tire. *tr

Several weeks ago the right front coil spring on my 2002 ford taurus ses broke in the middle of the night. hearing about the recall / warranty on the 1998 - 2001 taurus', i contacted my ford dealer about the problem, only to be informed that the recall does not apply to my 2002 taurus. after spending the weekend replacing the front coils, i had the front end aligned. when leaving a restaurant later the night, i hit a pot hole in the parking lot. hearing what sounded like a piece of ice, i checked the right rear of the car, removed some ice and continued on. the next day after hearing the noise some more, i discovered that the right rear coil spring had also broken. once again, i spent another saturday replacing coil springs on my ford taurus. when the rear coil spring broke, it created a groove on the inside of the right rear tire, (in which i just ordered a replacement for). *tr

Our 2002 ford taurus wagon experienced a catastropic failure of the driver side front suspension spring when my daughter was backing it up. the last time it had been driven she drove it home at highway speeds on a divided 4 lane highway and had this happened then it could have been fatal to her and others. the spring had been cracked and punctured the driver's side front tire all around the sidewall like a can opener had been taken to it. 2001 and before ford taurus cars were subject to a recall for this same problem but 2002 cars have not. the crack existed for some time as it was corroded. we had it fixed at our own costs but money is not as big an issue as safety. please do something about this. my 17 year old daughter could have been killed by this, maybe involving others, too. who would know what happened if she hit someone head on and the front end was destroyed?

I was backing out of my garage when i heard a loud noise, my left front coil spring fractured and put a hole through my tire, also caused damage to the control arm. needed to replace control arm, coil and tire. *tr

Almost 5 years ago i purchased a 2002 ford taurus. on wednesday, december 26, 2007 i was getting on the on-ramp of a highway when i heard a loud bang from the front end of my car. i immediately lost steering and pulled to the side of the ramp. i checked my front drivers side tire, which appeared intact, and got back in my car to try to get to a safer place to investigate what the noise was. as soon as i started moving, my front left tire let all the air out of it, and a piece of metal fell from my car onto the road (which i picked up off the roadway). after i got to a safer place (by creeping along the side of the road in my car), i looked at my front drivers side tire and it was completely shredded and falling off the rim. the front drivers side coil spring had snapped and shredded my tire. the piece of metal that fell off my car was a piece of the coil spring. if it had happened 20 seconds later, i would have been on the highway going at a much higher speed, which would have caused a major accident, possibly injuring or killing myself or others. i got online and researched 2002 ford coil spring recalls. apparently this has happened to a lot of people, as there were countless accounts of this happening in 2002 taurus'. ford had recalled the faulty coil springs in 1999 to 2001 models, but not 2002 models. the piece of coil spring that fell off my car was sheared right through, but wasn't rusted or pitted at all. i contacted ford, and they will not fix the faulty 2002 model coil springs at their expense. i have to pay them almost $750 to get this fixed. this is a huge safety issue, as people are at risk of injury or death, as i was. ford is not even acknowledging this is even an issue, and people do not even know there is a danger. simply google "2002 ford taurus coil spring recall" to read how common this problem is. people should know that their ...

While driving my 2002 taurus the front driverside coil spring broke gauging the tire. i had to have the car towed and am waiting to see what the repairs will cost. i have read of many people having the same problem and ford will not put this on recall although the 2001 model is. hopefully, enough people will complain that we will be reimbursed for this costly and dangerous problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out of a parking space at 2 mph, the front passenger side coil spring failed and shredded the tire. the contact went to sam's club and purchased four new tires. the technician stated that the coil spring was damaged too severely to replace the tires. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to replace the coil spring at the cost of $200. the tires were not replaced. the failure mileage was 56,000 and current mileage was 57,100.

On christmas day upon backing out of a driveway a front coil spring on my 2002 ford taurus ses broke and destroyed the tire as well as ruined my christmas as i could not find a repair shop in the area with the parts needed until several days later. i was forced to rent out a car for the entire week and leave my car in ohio where it was repaired and then had to return to pick it up the following weekend. it is a 600 mile round trip. i know ford has a recall on the 2001 ford taurus for the exact same problem.*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that approximately three hours after he parked, he noticed that the left front tire was flat. upon inspection of the vehicle, he noticed that the left front coil spring broke and punctured the tire. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. as of december 27, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 76,000.

2002 ford taurus with failed coil springs. consumer states that their vehicle is not included in the recall and it should be. coil spring failure caused damage to both front tires that was beyond repair. *kb

Left front coil spring broke while car sitting in driveway. *tr

2002 ford taurus 108,000 miles, broken front left spring 12/10/07, broken right rear spring 12/20/07, upon checking right rear, also checked left rear, broken left rear spring also, appears to have been broken for a long time. replaced front springs and struts-$500 (labor was done by myself), replaced both rear springs ($330) labor done by myself and sway bar links on both sides, $70. *tr

2002 ford taurus front coil spring failure. consumer stated that when the coil spring broke her transmission dropped to the ground and caused her to lose control of the vehicle. damage is the same as recall. consumers vehicle is not included. *kb

2002 ford taurus with a faulty front spring. consumer states that the front spring broke causing the tire to blow. consumer was informed by the dealer that the problem is common on those vehicles and that a recall had been issued through the 2001 models.*kb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 10 mph, the front suspension spring sheared and caused the tire to slice open. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and a new tire was purchased. the current and failure mileages were 78,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front left driver side tire blew. upon inspection, he notice the strut spring punctured the tire. the dealer replaced the left front strut spring. the current and failure mileages were 96,958. the vin, engine size, and number of cylinders were unavailable.

On dec 15,2007 pulling out of my garage the spring assembly broke on my 2002 ford taurus. need to replace spring assembly strut and sway bar. contact ford after the repair,they did have a problem with the springs on taurus, but not my vehicle. i was lucky that i was not going any faster when this happened. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that water leaks into the vehicle through the windshield, which shortens the circuit in the floorboard. secondly, she discovered that the heating system was inoperative. she has not had the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer in reference to nhtsa campaign id number 03v087000 (visibility:windshield). finally, the contact stated that the front coil spring fractured and caused the ball joints and the front passenger tire to fail. the springs were replaced, but the manufacturer did not provide her with any financial assistance. the failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 101,000.

Pulling out of driveway and heard a loud pop. got out and discovered left front tire was flat and and the coil spring snapped in half. no corrective action has been taken yet, as it happened less than an hour ago. *tr

2002 ford taurus front passenger coil spring broke and punctured tire which immediately deflated and caused car to lean to the right. this happened while backing out of the garage and had to be towed to the dealer. both front coil springs were replaced. at 48,650 miles. to be continued...on 2/25/08 rear coil spring broke (see second complaint). *tr