Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 5 mph the front driver side tire blew out. the contact attempted to replace the tire with the spare. the front coil spring was embedded in the tire and would not come loose. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, where the front coil spring and tire were replaced. there is a nhtsa recall, # 04v332000, regarding the front coil springs. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin. while driving in 65 mph freeway traffic front driver's tire blew out due to coil spring failure. contact insisted ford refused to fix problem, and requested reimbursement for extraordinary repairs. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out of the garage a rubbing and scrapping noise was heard. it was determined by the dealer to be a front coil spring fracture on the left side. the dealer replaced both front coil springs and discovered the right rear was fractured as well. the vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop where both rear coil springs were replaced.

2002 ford taurus left front coil snapped, wrapped around the strut assembly, broke the sway bar link and punctured the left front tire getting embedded in the tire so as to make the wheel immovable. fortunately the car was stopped at the time, however, a moment later and i'm certain someone (my husband) would have been seriously injured or perhaps several people might have been injured or even killed. he couldn't free the tire from the coil and had to call for a tow. it couldn't be towed; so they sent for a flat bed to transport it to the repair shop. i went to the ford dealership with the busted parts after we had everything replace both right and left coils and strut assemblies and sway bar links and left front tire. i was told by the dealership that there was a similar problem with the 1999, 2000, and 2001 ; that there had been a recall. i was told that they put a protective shield on the vehicles which prevented the coil from puncturing the tire. however, the recall did not extend to the 2002 taurus. perhaps ford motors should rethink this matter and consider putting a shield on the 2002's also. don't wait for someone to be injured or killed before taking steps to correct this problem. i retained the old parts, i have taken pictures of them and will be sending the coil and sway bar link to ford motors. i will keep the struts and tire in the event they would like to inspect them. however they are heavy and bulky and will be rather difficult to send, but i will send them upon ford's request. *tr

Dt*: the consumer stated the windshield makes a popping noise when cold. there is a nhtsa recall, # 03v087000, regarding the windshield. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin. also, while pulling out of a parking lot, a loud pop was heard. upon inspection, the front passenger tire was flat. the spare tire was put on and the vehicle was taken to the dealership. the dealership determined the passenger side coil spring broke causing the tire to go flat. both front coil springs were replaced. *jb

My family and i were on our way out to dinner when we heard a loud sound coming from the right front side of the car with a whoosh that followed. when we got out of the car to examine what the sounds were we noticed that our coil spring broke and went through our front passenger tire on our 2002 ford taurus. when we contacted the dealership they told us that there was a recall on 1999-2001 fords for the same problem. they continued to say that our vehicle was a 2002 model and that it was not covered under the recall we explained to them that our car was manufactured in october of 2001 and sold to us in november of 2001 as a 2002 model year but the parts were still 2001. we are lucky because we were just pulling out of our driveway and not on the road. fords needs to include there 2002 vehicles in this recall. *nm

My sister's 2002 ford taurus broke its left front coil spring as she left the driveway. the coil spring snapped, sliced the tire (all the way around), and broke the sway bar link. the coil spring, struts, and sway bar link were replaced on the left and the right side. a new tire was installed. the total repair bill came to $722.49. the springs cost $85.84, sway bar links cost 76.96, and the tire cost $106.00. there was very little rust on the coil springs. the car had 82k on the odometer. ford should have recalled all the taurus's, not just the '99-'01's. if someone was on a highway when this happened, the consequences would be severe. the car may swerve, hit a guardrail, or even hit another car. *nm

Upon routine oil change and inspection the passenger side lower ball joint was stated to be loose and needed replacing. after work, i jacked up the car and verified the passenger front tire could be wobbled when pulling on the top & bottom of the tire. this car has 37,174 miles. a repair has been scheduled at a local shop. *nm

Took 2002 ford taurus to kan rock tire dealer to have drivers' side tire replaced after having had a flat while my son was backing out of my driveway. tire dealer stated that the cause of the flat tire was that the drivers side coil spring had fractured and punctured the tire, thus ruining it. tire dealer would not replace tire until coil spring had been replaced. took to local mechanic to have damage assessed and repaired. i called ford and they told me that there were not any open recalls on this vehicle even though ford had recalled '99-'01 model year vehicles ( #04v332000) for the exact same problem. i guess it is going to take a serious injury to get ford to address this problem for the later model years. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling into the driveway the front driver's side tire blew out. the tire was removed, and it was determined the coil spring broke, which may have caused the failure. *ak updated 02/24/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while approaching an intersection at low speed the left front coil spring broke, shearing off the sway bar link. the inside of the fender was rubbing the tire. therefore, the vehicle was towed. this occurred on normal road conditions and under normal driving. the manufacturer and the dealership were contacted, and stated there were no recalls on the vehicle. *ak updated 02/07/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated a flat tire was discovered on the driver's side of the vehicle after entering the garage. upon further inspection the contact found the front coil spring broke, causing a puncture in the tire. there was no warning prior to the failure. the vehicle was towed to a local dealership, where the tire and coil spring were replaced. the vehicle operated normally after the replacement parts were installed. the contact discovered nhtsa recall campaign 04v332000 concerning the front coil spring. however, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to the year of manufacturing. *ak updated 2/7/2006 - *nm

I was pulling out of my driveway when i heard a loud pop. upon inspection, it was determined that the coil spring had broken. the car had to be towed to a service station to be repaired. *nm

Drove car over 110 mi, parked the car, next morning, noted that tire was flat due to broken coil spring. i live in western new york where roads are treated by salt. i was informed by ford dealer that these conditions most likely caused front passenger coil spring to break and puncture the front tire sidewall which was not repairable. (police notified due to alternate parking restriction. vehicle required tow.) *tr

My 17 year old daughter was driving home after christmas shopping on december 23. good road, no bumps, nothing in the road. she was stopping for a red light, going about 25 mph when there was a loud "boom". because she was slowing for the light, she was able to maintain control and to pull into a mini-mart. the right front spring broke and punctured a brand new tire (3 weeks old). i had it towed to our mechanic. in the meantime, i checked online and i'm seeing that 1999-2001 taurus have the same problem and they are being taken care of with a recall. i placed a call to ford and to 2 local dealers and was told that there was no recall on the 2002 and i would have to pay for repairing this defective product. this vehicle is used by my 20 year old daughter who came home from college for christmas break. if this had happened on the thruway at 65 mph, i hate to think what could have happened. this is beyond dangerous - does it take a fatality to get someone's attention? *nm

Dt: contact stated while driving out of the driveway the front coil spring on the driver side broke. this caused a puncture in the tire. he contacted the dealership , and they claimed there was no recall. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and is currently being repaired. *ak updated 05/22/06. *jb

Dt: the contact stated while driving the spring in driver's side front broke. the vehicle has not been inspected. *ak updated 2/24/2006 - the consumer's vehicle was not included in recall 04v332000 due to vin. *nm

2002 ford taurus front right side spring broke. *ts ***no answer required*** the windshield had to be re-sealed due to water leaking inside the vehicle. the motor assembly had to be replaced for the heater. the consumer discovered there was a recall for the coil springs as well as the windshield problem that she was experiencing. the consumer felt she should not have been charged for the problems that she was experiencing because of the recalls. *jb

Rear spring broke on ford taurus 02 at 44,000 in 7/04. vehicle was in for recall for something else and was told it was broke. in 11/05 front spring broke and slashed front drivers side tire as i was backing out of driveway. i was fortunate because i would have been on the expressway going 65 mph, 5 minutes later. no recalls on this year, however, many other years have been recalled up to 01 for the same faulty coil springs. we can't get ford or dealership to reimburse us for the damage and costs we have incurred. we have spent over $500 on just the springs and labor alone, not to mention the replacement costs of the snow tire that was on the vehicle that got slashed. it is a constant joke around our area with all the mechanics, one even has a coil spring hanging on his wall to demonstrate the malfunction of fords parts. the service stations have had constant calls for towing of 02 taurus. there has been a recall for previous years. ford has not changed these faulty parts and should be required to pay the consumer back. there needs to be a recall for 02's and every other year they have used these faulty springs. a death should not occur to make them see the error of their ways. please help pursue this matter for us. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was in reverse the front driver side coil spring fractured, puncturing the tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where both front coil springs were replaced.

Good morning. i was driving at approximately 55 mph on a normal highway and heard a loud clunk sound. i was driving a 2002 ford taurus ses 4 door sedan. i temporarily lost control of my car and pulled over. the car was towed to courtesy ford in syracuse ny. 99% of my service is completed here. the service order states found left front spring snapped and also broke strut bearing and rubbed against left front tire and rim. also ripped c.v. boot l / replaced both front springs, bearings, struts. the service representative advised me their was a recall on 1999/00/01 ford taurus for spring failures such as this. (i have read here of your investigation on 2000/2001 models of the ford taurus) the service representative advised he was sure this would be expanded to the 2002 model year and to hold onto my receipt. so i am filing this complaint to possibly help in the cause of including the 2002 model year also. thank you for allowing me to file this complaint. *jb

Dt: the contact stated that the right front coil spring broke while driving at 30 mph almost ripping the entire circumference of the inside of the tire. the car went down on the right side. the car was towed to a garage. the coil spring has been repaired at this time. she has been in contact with ford and they told her that there was no recall for the coil spring. *ak updated 1/4/2006 - *nm updated 02/08/06*jb

Dt: the coil spring on passenger's side broke . this happened on august 22, 2005. saw recalls online but it did not include this vehicle due to vin. the recalls were on the coil spring and the acceleration. the vehicle surged forward. if at stop sign with foot on the brake it still tried to surge forward. this happened frequently. *ak

Dt: the contact stated the hub bearings on the right wheel in the front were bad, had to replace them three times. on 8-22-05 a garage told the contact the wheel was getting ready to fall off. they had not taken it back to the dealer. she heard a noise like a rubbing , grinding sound and the noise got worse. the noise occurred at speeds of 10 mph and above. also the engine light was coming on, and they had to replace the feedback sensor to the engine. *ak the vehicle would stall while being driven. the dealer replaced the fuel tank and pump. the vehicle could not be started. the dealer replaced the battery. two ball joints, one inner tie rod and left side axle shaft were replaced. *nm

Coil spring failure, left front, spring failed due to rust in steel. repair to spring, parts and tire and rim. cost 243.82. *nm

After purchasing a brand new set of tires, i drove off of the parking lot and heard this horrendous noise. i continued driving thinking it would go away but after a block i turned around and went back to the place i bought the tires from. they put it up on the rack and determined the rear coil spring was broke. i drive a 2002 ford taurus and heard about the 00 & 01's so i believe the 02 should also be looked into. i had to have 2 rear coils, springs and struts put on. and pay for another tire as well as get another alignment. i wasn't too happy about it. i do not have the old part. *nm

The front driver side coil spring broke in half during normal driving conditions, and punctured my tire. as i've called around, i have heard multiple reports from auto repair technicians that this happens all of the time. a quick search of internet articles seems to substantiate their claim. had this occurred while driving at normal speeds (i was turning into a driveway) the sudden puncture could have easily resulted a fatal crash.

Front end has had vibration since i bought the car. have had continental original tires replaced under warranty 3 times because dealership said vibration was due to tire failure "excessive runout". vibration is returning again.

I had a flat tire 6/12/2005. here the perimeter of the tire was ?sliced due to bad drivers side spring. my car is a 2002ford taurus veh id#[xxx]. my brother in law had the same problem w his ?2000 taurus but the front spring. the dealer said his was covered under a gov warranty but mine was not covered. the car was towed to the dealership and we had a$233 bill to repair something that could have been fatal. immediately after the repair the car started making a loud knocking noise and car was back in dealership 6/21 fro $400. repairs to replace both rear struts. this car only has 42,000 miles on itl. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: the contact stated while driving the rear driver's side coil spring broke. this failure caused a puncture in the rear tire. there were no prior warnings indicating a problem with the vehicle. the vehicle has been repaired. a local repair shop replaced the rear coil spring. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak 12/7/2005. *nm

Dt: contact stated there recall 04v332000 was issued for model years 1999-2001, contact's vehicle was a 2002, but it was manufactured in july 2001, based on the vin this vehicle did not fall under this recall campaign. the left front coil springs fracture, causing the front left tire to rupture. the tire did not puncture until the vehicle was parked in the driveway. contact's wife was driving the vehicle on a bumpy highway where construction was going on. she did not recognize any strange noises from the vehicle. the end of the spring was sticking through the tire, and there was a groove on the inside sidewall of the tire. this was where the end of the spring punctured through the tire. *ak

Contact states: there is a recall on some of the 2002 model ford taurus on what happened to contacts coil spring broke and tire ruptured yesterday. vehicle has not yet been rerpaired. contact feels this vehicle should be covered under previous recall.*ak

Left rear coil spring broke gashed the rear tire. *jb

Dt: 2002 ford taurus. rear coil springs broke. had 70000 miles on vehicle. dealership fixed coil springs. there was some rust near the brake where the coil springs broke. when i got into vehicle the coil spring broke. vehicle was in driveway when this happened. this is a safety issue and there should be a recall on 2002 ford taurus.*ak updated 12/27/05. *jb

Failure of front right spring, just like the left front that failed in 8/05. *nm

This a complaint in regards to a 2002 ford taurus. i went to back out of the garage and noticed that my driver's side front tire was flat. upon removal of the tire, there was a gash made in it's side wall by the breaking of the driver's side front coil spring. i called ford and they said there was no recall on that part, even though i have heard of people experiencing the same failure. now, i am going to have to replace both springs, and replace a fairly new tire at my expense. *nm

Broken left side rear suspension spring. gouged inside sidewall of the rear tire.*ak

While driving at a low rate of speed, i heard a loud pop followed by the blowout of the front tire. the front coil spring had broken and punctured the tire. the car came to an immediate stop. both front coil springs, front shocks, links and a new tire were all replaced. *jb

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine inspection, and mechanic determined that the right rear shock absorber broke, and needed to be replaced. *ak

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's. 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. *nm

Dt: the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a violent vibration in the steering wheel. along with the vibration heard a loud clanking sound in the front end. the noise and the vibration get worse when driving at 45 mph or higher. he had a situation where he was trying to avoid a road hazard and the vehicle was extremely hard to control. the vehicle has been in the shop several times for the problem. there has been no conclusion to the problem. he has been in contact with ford, and they offered no free remedy. dt: dealer had been working with the contact to find the source of the vibration, when suddenly they told him that they did not want to see him or his vehicle in their dealership again. he has not yet decided what approach he should take with the vehicle.*ak

While driving 40 mph the rear passenger coil spring punctured the tire. the consumer continue to drive. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. please provide more information.

Nhtsa recall 04v332000; ford issued a front coil springs recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall, but had the tire ruptured and almost coming off. consumer was informed by dealer that the coil springs caused the problem.*ak

Was driving down the road and all of a sudden i heard a loud pop and my car started shaking really bad and started making a really loud clanking noise. i almost put my car into a tree when this happened. apparently the front driver side strut spring broke and in the process the spring broke the strut stabilizer and got tangled in the axle and broke the rubber boot on the axle. *jb

While driving in inclement weather the blower motor failed work and the windshield became foggy. this caused poor visibility for the driver. consumer heard a loud knock noise coming from the front. consumer took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that defroster/defogger motor, and the passenger side lower ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak

Front driver's side coil spring sheared off onto the tire, causing the tire to go flat. consumer pulled over, and had vehicle towed to dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the coil spring and tire needed to be replaced. *ak

I have 2002 ford taurus, the driver side front spring on the strut broke and went through the inner side of the tire. i just pulled into a parking lot after getting off the expressway, when the front spring broke in half and went through the driverside tire. the parts that had to be replaced were both springs and driver side tire. 1999 through 2001 ford taurus have a recall for this same problem. i was told by the dealer that the parts are indenical to the parts on the 2002 taurus, but the 2002 are not on the recall. i told the dealer to make sure to save me the parts. i believe that if ford's doesn't recall these cars, that many people will die because of it. i was lucky i was stopped when it broke. thank you, gary. *ak

While driving there would be a vibration in the rear suspension. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

My 2002 ford taurus front driver side coil spring broke and punctured my front driver side tire. i just returned from a short trip and heard a loud "bang" after the car had been sitting for 10-15 minutes. the result was a deflated front tire and i could see the sharp point of the spring had punctured the tire. i contacted ford customer service who advised they would not cover the repair because the vehicle was outside of warranty. had to replace both coil springs (they only come in sets of two), struts, and sway bar links, and one tire at cost of $631.80. old parts are available and in my possession. i heard there was a recall on '99-2001 models but feel my 2002 model matches the exact description of the recall just announced for this problem.*ak

Both front coil springs broke while driving within 5 minutes of each other. driving 55 mph. replaced ford dealership $269.00. *nm

My tauraus experienced a strut coil failure which resulted in the cutting the inside wall of the right front tire. both struts had to be replaced as well as the tire. if this had happened the highway it wuld have been extremely dangerous.*ak