Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

I purchased a new 2002 ford taurus in nov. 01'. i have had three coil spring break. the first one was on 2/16/07. i was backing out of my driveway and my front left tire blew. had to have it towed to a garage. they had to replace the broken coil spring and front left tire and both front ball joints. on 5/15/08 during my state vehicle inspection, the inspection garage notice that one of my back coil springs was broke. i had to have it replaced. on 1/13/09, once again i was backing out of my drive and my front right tire blew. once again i had to have my car towed to the garage. the front right coil spring was broke. i have to have it replaced along with a new tire. i called ford motor co. customer service and they said there was no recall on 2002 ford taurus coil springs and could do nothing about it. i have since learned there was a recall on ford taurus coil springs for model years 1999-2001 & again for ford taurus coil springs for model year 2003. i have researched this online and have learned there are 100's if not more complaints about 2002 ford taurus coil spring breaking. this situation is very upsetting. i worry every day wondering if a coil spring is going to break and blow my tire while i'm driving. i think it is an outrage that a company as big as ford cannot do something to correct such a defective piece of equipment. *tr

2002 ford taurus - front right spring snapped and punctured tire. 2000 and 2001 taurus is under a recall for this issue. fortunately it happened in a parking lot, not on the highway i had just exited. had it been while moving - it could have lead to a very serious injury. *nm

On february 12, 2007 i was pulling out of my driveway at 1:15 pm when i heard a loud burst and immediately my left front tire deflated. upon removal of the tire i notice that the spring had busted and was the cause of the punctured tire. i was very lucky that this happen in the driveway, then on the freeway i had my 1 year old daughter in the car at the time. i was told by some friends that ford had did some recalls on this issue on the taurus. after contacting the dealership they informed me that my car was not under the recall. after talking to the customer service number they provided me with i found out that the recall on earlier model ford taurus had the same problem. its an issue that needs to be addressed immediately before someone gets seriously injured. if the 1999-2001 ford taurus were recalled for the exact same issue, there is no reason why my 2002 ford taurus should not have been recalled. the repairs from this are going to total $1000. the car was towed to an independent mechanic and he is replacing both front struts and spring assemblies, front tires, mounts, and balancing the front end. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the driver's side front coil springs snapped. the contact noticed the problem when he attempted to move the vehicle. the spring punctured the tire and caused a flat. the mechanic stated that the coil springs were defective. approximately 2 months later the passenger rear coil spring snapped. the current mileage was 73,000. *ak

Backing out of garage heard loud leak of air. thought flat tire. when about to change tire discovered coil broke and slashed tire. thank god didn't happen a couple weeks before when son borrowed car and was driving on highway out of state. of course no recall on these coils so had to pay out of pocket cor 2 new rear coil springs and labor to install. checked on internet and read hundreds of posts on this problem with the taurus. why not a recall on this year?? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 5mph out of the garage the front coil springs sheered and split in half. the sharp edge of the front coil spring cut into the right front passenger tire. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and the mechanic stated that they needed to replace two front coil springs. the dealer where the vehicle was purchased advised him that his extended warranty expired. the vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. the failure mileage was 43,400 and the current mileage was 45000.

Tl*- the contact stated that she noticed that the driver side front tire was flat, and the coil spring was stuck in the tire of the 2002 ford taurus with 64725 failure mileage. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic, and they confirmed that the coil spring broke into pieces, and one piece ruptured the tire. the current mileage was 64728. *ak

Front coil spring fracture on ford taurus front tire spilt like a can opener got to it. *jb

A few days ago i got into my 2002 ford taurus and heard a twanging sound, not knowing what it was, i started the car, put it in reverse and my front drivers side tire went completely flat, what had happened is that the spring had broke, punctured my tire, and when i went in reverse, ripped a six inch hole in my tire. i had the car towed to the ford dealership for repair. the original estimate for this repair was $390.00. then yesterday, they called me to tell me that the back two springs were broken as well. this seems odd to me that three of four springs should all be broken at the same time, and pose a very serious safety hazard. if i had been driving down the highway and three springs had broke, i could be in very critical condition. the total of the repairs to replace all four springs came to about $550.00. plus the cost of the tire under warranty which was about 12 dollars for the service charge. *nm

My car was parked at the airport for one week while i traveled. when i returned the front driver side tire was flat. when we removed the tire to change it we saw a puncture on the inner side, followed by a circular gash. we noticed the suspension spring had broken and was projecting into the tire area. *nm

Left front coil spring snapped puncturing the tire. called ford and they said there was nothing they could do as there was no warranty or recall. i had checked on-line only to discover that the 1999-2001 taurus had been recalled for the very same problem. like many others i was fortunate that i was not traveling on the freeway. i had just come from work and it happened as i pulled down my driveway. will it take a death before ford extends it's recall to cover 2002 vehicles? i had my vehicle repaired by my local mechanic (not ford related) they replaced the part with a new product by martin. i decided i did not want them to repair my car with the same piece of crap part. *jb

Front driver side coil spring on my 2002 ford taurus ses snapped while i was turning the wheel to back out of a parking space. took out my tire and strut. i was lucky that i was not on the hwy at the time!!! repair bill, $600.00!!! *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that while backing his 2002 ford taurus out of his driveway the passenger side front tire went flat without any warning. in the process of changing the tire the contact noticed that a piece of the front coil spring was on the ground. the vehicle was not drivable, and had to be towed. *ak the consumer received full reimbursement. updated 03/19/07. *jb

2002 ford taurus, 63 thous miles. broken front passenger side coil spring. when it broke it cut up the tire witch was new less than two months ago. i had to have both front springs replaced, and buy a new tire. and pay for towing service. all out of pocket. *nm

Driving down neighborhood street at about 15 m.p.h when left side coil spring broke. had to be towed to repair shop for new coil spring and strut assembly.

Left front spring snapped while traveling 70 mph. breakage caused strut to be bent. both spring and strut had to be replaced. *jb

On my 2002 ford taurus the left front coil spring broke which in turn ruined the left front tire, luckily my wife was just starting the car when this happened or it could have been a lot worse. the cost of repairs is over $600.00. i called ford, which was pointless, they are not covering 2002 model years. the ford rep stated that they have my compliant on file and if there ever is a recall to keep my receipts and i would be reimbursed. in my 30 plus years of driving i have never had a coil spring break and through my research this is the exact same problem that was recalled on all 1999 thru 2001 model year taurus. what does it take for nhtsa to see that this issue still exists and ford needs to handle these. hopefully my tax dollars are not going to waste and nhtsa will force ford to step to the plate and handle these before someone really gets injured. *jb

Over the course of 8 months on three separate occasions, 3 out of 4 factory installed coil springs on my 2002 ford taurus snapped and punctured each corresponding tire. the taurus was purchased and used in michigan for 6 years, then i relocated to florida. within the first month of living in florida is when the springs began to snap one by one. two of the springs broke while my vehicle was in my drive way: 2 of 3 springs snapped while the vehicle was unoccupied in park and 1 occurred when i put the vehicle into reverse. the taurus hadn't moved more than an inch from its parked position when the third spring snapped and punctured my tire. after the first spring snapped, i had it (and the tire) replaced at a vehicle repair shop. a month later when the second spring snapped, i also had that spring and tire replaced at a vehicle repair shop. the third spring snapped about 6 months after the second spring snapped and again i had to have it towed to a repair shop for a new coil and tire. it was at this time- when the third spring was in the shop to be replaced- that i opted to have the fourth and final spring repaired so as to avoid eminent rupture of a fourth tire. *tr

Front left coil spring exploded into numerous pieces at approximately 15 mph after leaving a stop light. no tire damage, will contact the local ford dealer regarding repairs, at my expense i'm sure. this could have been really dangerous since my wife normally drives the car with our two children. shame on ford for not extending the previous recall to the 2002 model. *jb

My wife owns a 2002 ford taurus sedan (4-door). the car has 30,000 mi. the car has had control arms and ball joints already replaced on it and this time (january 7, 2007), backing out of our garage, the right front coil spring snapped and seized the car from rolling. the spring broke in the way the the 99-01 taurus coil spring recall states. the spring pinned against the right front tire and had to be fixed in place as to not cause more damage to the vehicle. i did the work myself and replaced it with a napa front coil spring assembly because i don't trust the ford replacement part. i feel that a coil spring on a 2002 ford taurus with 30,000 mi should not fail and should not even come close to failing. it is quite obvious that the issue is more than just a 99-01 issue. even though this happend backing out of the garage (which is hard to believe in itself), i have worried that the other one could break on the street or highway and cause serious injury to my wife and baby.

2002 ford taurus with left coil spring broke. a recall was issued but not on the year the consumer owned.**nar**cc the ball joints were replaced because they were loose and worn. the wheel cylinders were replaced due to them leaking. *jb

On 1/5/07, the front left coil spring on my 2002 ford taurus (purchased on 10/27/01) broke rupturing the tire. the vehicle was towed to a local ford dealership to be repaired at my expense. i was informed that although the coil springs have been recalled on 1999-2001 models, my vehicle is not covered under the recall since it a 2002 model. i called the "800" number for ford only to once again be told that there are no current warranties or recalls to cover my expense, but to hold on to the receipt in case the recall is extended to cover my vehicle. how many people need to report failure in order for the recall to be expanded? in doing research it appears that the coil springs on the 2002 models are just as faulty as the 1999-2001 models. *jb

2002 ford taurus left side spring coil broke in pieces and broke control arm. *nm

Tl* -the contact stated that on january 5, 2006, the front spring broke on the vehicle's driver side and sliced through the tire. the vehicle was parked when she noticed the flat tire. there were no warnings nor did the contact feel anything unusual when driving the vehicle the day before. the contact has had the vehicle repaired but stated that they replaced it with the same type of spring. the contact stated her concern is that it will break again. the vehicle is a 2002 ford taurus and had approximately 58,000 at the time of the failure. the contact has the tire and the front spring available. the contact did not know engine size or number of cylinders.

My 2002 ford taurus had its front driver side coil spring break and slice the front tire open. this resulted in $1200 in damage (coil springs, struts, front linkage, and tire). *nm

Tl *- the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving in reverse the coil spring broke and punctured the driver's side front tire. the failure speed was approximately 1-2 mph. the contact replaced the tire,but did not keep the punctured tire. the contact stated that the jack snapped as the vehicle was being lifted. the contact has had the vehicle repaired, and has the repair invoices. *ak updated 03/15/07. *jb

On january 2, 2007, i was backing out of my apt parking space and my driver's side tire blew out after only backing out no more than one foot. my tire was less than one year old. i went to get a new tire as it could not be fixed. i went to put the new tire on when i realized the coil spring had been broken off and that was what punctured my tire. i could not put the new tire on because of the now broken coil spring. luckily i was able to drive my car with the spare on as the spare was not high enough to be punctured by the pointed edge of the broken spring. i am unemployed so i had to search for the cheapest ways to fix this. i found a new tire at belle for $68.90 and i got the spring and sway bar link replaced for $398.91. before getting my car fixed, i did some online research and discovered that there was a recall on ford taurus' between 1999-2001 for the coil springs. i also discovered that many people with 2002 taurus' were having the same problem with their coil springs. i am now very discouraged about the safety of my car. i certainly don't want to cause an accident that may cause injury to myself or someone else. if this were to happen on a freeway, my life would be in danger. i hope that the coil springs are recalled so that i can get the remaining coil springs replaced and then i could feel safer when i am driving. i wholeheartedly believe that the 2002's should be added to the list of taurus recalls. this happened as i was backing out of my parking spot not while i was driving. this indicates that it is a coil spring failure and no fault of my own. these coil springs are going to continue to fail and possibly endanger lives. i would greatly appreciate a response to this submission. thank you sincerely. [xxx]. *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The front coil spring on the driver's side snapped and destroyed the tire on my 2002 ford taurus. luckily the car was not in motion when it happened. both front coil springs had to be replaced, as well as the sway bar, and the tire, plus an alignment had to be done. the repair cost over $500. the coil springs are not covered in the extended warranty i purchased from ford even though every other part in the front end suspension is covered. given what i have learned about the long history of faulty coil springs in ford cars (going back to 1993) it seems likely that they exclude this part from the warrantly deliberatley. also, there was a recall for 2001 taurus cars due to coil spring failure, but ford refuses to extend the recall to 2002 model cars, even though the problem with snapping coil springs is identical. shame on ford, and shame on the nhtsa if it does not force ford to do a recall on this part.

We have a 2002 ford taurus with aprox 45,000 miles. as my family was getting ready to enter the car we heard a loud "boom" . the back end of the car seemed to be a bit lower than usual. as we tried to drive it out of the driveway there was a large amount of rubbing so we parked the car and called our local dealership. today the mechanic let us know that the rear coil springs and struts are broken. this is a family car that is driven locally and has only a little over 45,000 miles on it. i see no reason for this failure whatsoever. this is the 3rd ford vehicle between our family and my parents family that has had this happen with springs, struts and/or suspension bar. fortunately all three times it happened before we were out on the highway. ford is well aware of the problem. my father worked for ford for 40 years and i can tell you the faulty parts are or were coming right out of monroe, michigan. they know this yet keep using the parts. you would think after the recall on models up to 2001 that they would correct the problem but they have not. is it going to take a death and lawsuit to keep ford from brushing this under the carpet? there are complaints all over the internet from people with 2002 models and up having the coils and springs failing on both the front and rear of their vehicles. i truly hope that ford will be forced to correct this problem once and for all. it is a truly dangerous situation. i fear for my safety and my children's safety. *jb

I was driving my car, a 2002 ford taurus sedan a few miles from home when the rear passenger-side started bouncing. about 30 sec later i had a blow-out on the rear passenger-side tire. luckily i was only going about 30 miles an hour. normally this car is used on the highway for a long daily commute, so i got lucky. when i took the tire in, a 1/4 inch groove was cut in the interior side wall from a broken spring. when i examined the spring it was not rusted at all. this is clearly a defect in the metal that ford should repair for free. they should replace all the springs before a serious accident happens. *nm

Tl* - the contact stated the left front coil spring ruptured while traveling in reverse at 2-3 mph. the contact heard a noise and discovered the left front tire was flat. the spring went through the firewall. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, who replaced both front springs. *ak

Ford 2002 taurus wagon. front coil spring broke while at low speed in parking lot. the spring punctured the inside wall of tire causing a blowout of the tire. lucky i wasn't at speed or a possible bad accident could have happened. the part is not under the recall for the 2001 ford taurus even though it is the same part number according to the ford dealer. this is a safety issue and must be addressed by the nhtsa and ford. *nm

Pulling out of driveway, heard noise and car would not back out. husband checked tire and it was flat. next day, he removed flat tire (tire was brand new!) and noticed that front driver's side coil spring was fractured and the sharp part slashed the new tire. car towed to ford dealership and after inspector looked at it, they fixed it for just the cost of the alignment and new tire. which they say was not covered under my extended warranty. i ended up paying $260.00. i hope there is a recall because this is a very dangerous thing that could have happened and it's not our fault that they parts are defective so why should we have to pay anything at all!! *jb

As i was backing up the front drivers side coil spring broke, puncturing the tire. it is the same issue that was previously covered under another recall that covered model years 1999-2001. as a result of the situation, i incurred expense to replace the coil springs, struts and upper mounts; plus replacing the tire that was damaged. i would like to find out if this has occurred to other owners especially with a previous recall under the same situation. *jb

Backed out of garage and both rear springs broke. no tire puncture so drove to dealer. springs not covered under recall. had both front springs replaced because they broke in may. dealer replacing springs at my cost. *jb

The front right side coil spring broke while backing out the driveway on my 2002 ford taurus se. this was not on the ford recall program although it was exactly the same problem as what occurs on the vehicles within the recall. both front springs had to be replaced along with the struts, shocks, and link pins. *nm

Tl* - the contact was driving when front passenger side coil spring failed. the contact stated that he had just come to a stop under dry conditions when the failure happened. the contact found out that the failure was due to the coil spring corroding from the inside out. *ak updated 01/31/07. *jb

Suspension:front:springs:coil springs "passenger side front coil spring failed". (same as 1999-2001 complaint file no.: nhtsa recall # 04v332000 ) very dangerous!! there is no recall on the 2002 taurus yet, i got an estimate, and it estimates a minimum of $600 and they recommended i replaced the left one too for safety!*jb

Purchased a 2002 used ford taurus vehicle with 21,000 miles from my local ford dealership in 2003. vehicle now has 51,000 miles. spring broke last week in front left wheel, blowing out tire. no accident, but had to have car towed. mechanic also found second broken spring in rear of vehicle. contacted local ford garage, found that there had been recall for same problems, model years 1999 to 2001. my car not included in the recall. have e-mailed ford customer service three times, with no resolve to my problem. have repair bill for new tire, towing and four spring replacements. have all four springs removed from my car. from you website, have the recall information which identifies the exact same problem my car had, just wrong model year. recall extends warranty on these springs to 150,000 miles and offered replacements. i am looking for reimbursement of my vehicle repairs. i feel there is no legitimate reason why two springs should break on a vehicle with no abuse or in no accidents. this problem could have resulted in serious injury or even fatality to my family. *jb

Front suspension spring failure / tire explosion. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was placed into reverse, a clicking noise was heard. the vehicle was exited and the front left tire was found to be flat, because the front coil spring had fractured and punctured the tire. the service dealer was notified but not the manufacturer.

I own a 2002 ford taurus and have already had the right rear coil spring replaced because it broke. today while sitting in my driveway the left front coil spring broke. i will now have to have this replaced also. *nm

Front and rear coil springs, 2002 taurus. one broke in april, 2006, slashing the left front tire. discovered that right rear was broken today during routine maintenance. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact heard a loud noise while pulling out of a driveway. the vehicle dropped to the ground and was towed to a local mechanic. the cause of failure was diagnosed as the front coil spring. the vehicle was repaired. on july 6, 2007, while pulling out of a driveway, the rear coil spring failed. the vehicle has not been repaired. the engine size, purchase date, and a valid vin were unknown. the current mileage is 52,000 and failure mileage was 47,000.

Dt*: the contact stated while reversing in the driveway, an explosion was heard and the driver side front tire went flat. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, who determined the strut had fractured and punctured the tire. the front struts were replaced.

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to back out of the driveway, there was a loud popping noise coming from the front followed by the vehicle dropping down to the ground on the left side without warning. upon initial inspection, the contact determined the left front tire was blown. further inspection revealed the left front coil spring had fractured and punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to await repair. there was a nhtsa recall, # 04v332000, regarding suspension:front:springs:coil springs. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. the manufacturer was notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage the front driver side coil spring fractured and punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and both front coil springs were replaced. there was a nhtsa recall, # 04v332000, regarding the front coil springs. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. updated 02/06/07. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while backing out of a driveway at 10 mph on dry flat road conditions, a noise was heard which sounded as if the vehicle ran something over. upon inspection, the front passenger side tire was flat. the flat tire was replaced with a spare tire, and the vehicle was driven to a gas station for further inspection. a replacement tire was purchased. when the independent mechanic attempted to replace the spare, the front passenger coil springs were observed to be fractured. the mechanic replaced the struts and springs. the contact expressed that there were similar problems with earlier models of this make and model . there was a nhtsa recall #04v332000 regarding the suspension: front: springs: coil springs. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. updated 10/25/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 15 mph, the front passenger side tire went flat. the contact attempted to replace the tire with the spare, but noticed the coil spring had fractured. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, where the tire and coil spring was replaced. updated 10/18/2006 - the other front coil spring and tire were replaced for safety reasons. the consumer still has the faulty coil spring in his possession. *nm

Broken rear coil spring. *jb