Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

My wife was driving our 2002 taurus, and noticed a rumbling from the front end. she got out and looked, and the tire had blown out (purchased one month prior). when i arrived (and the tow truck right after), we noticed that the coil spring had broken, and had punctured and pretty well shredded the tire. a web search online of this problem (i was trying to find a damage estimate) has shown numerous other hits, as well as this agency's own investigation into the problem. i am currently unsure of any further damage. i do know the coil is broken, and that the tire has been punctured by the coil. we are waiting to hear back from the mechanic about other problems that may have occurred (tie rod, rim, etc). we will ensure that the original damaged coil spring is kept. *tr

I was backing the car out of the garage when the drivers side coil spring broke and also punctured the tire. *tr

Our 2002 ford taurus se suffered a broken coil spring on the left front and ruined the left front tire. to fix the problem we are incurring more than $750.00 and ford knows of this problem on previous taurus models due to nhtsa recall 04v332000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out of a parking lot, the contact heard a large popping noise. when she arrived home, she noticed that the coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the alignment also failed due to the coil spring that split into two pieces. the dealer stated that they would repair the failure at the contact's expense. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 22,469.

Leaving my driveway,the front coil spring broke and puncture the tire on my 2002 ford taurus. *tr

Left front spring on my 2002 taurus broke and the broken end of the spring punctured the tire causing a total tire failure while traveling 65 mph. *tr

2002 ford taurus ses with 40,000 miles. vehicle was parked. started to back up and front driver's side tire blew out. upon changing tire, realized inside of tire had been sliced. cause was the coil spring bursted and punctured the tire. upon researching this problem, noticed that ford had issued a recall for this problem on 1999-2001 taurus's. did not include the 2002 model year. contacted ford and they refused to accept responsibility. stated the 2002 is not under recall. this is an obvious safety issue. *tr

Pulling car into the driveway 2002 ford taurus: front suspension coil springs fractures and sliced tire. car towed, tire replaced as well as 2 coils and 2 shields put on. *tr

Backing out of driveway, front end of car lurched up; accompanied by extremely loud noise. upon inspection, discovered front driver's tire shredded. i assumed at the time, this was the only problem. tire mechanic advised that there had been a recall of make and model for catastrophic failure of front springs. this recall was discontinued just prior to my model year. contacting several dealerships as well as the manufacturer came to the same conclusion - "we know there is a problem but we cannot help you." transferring the car to another repair facility, it was determined that left front spring had indeed broken and recommended repairs were estimated at over $350.00 to include the other side front coil spring and, of course, a new set of tires and associated alignments. at the time of this complaint, there has been no repair accomplished - as claimant is seeking legal recourse through state attorney general's office as well as private legal counsel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact heard a loud popping noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. a rapid loss in tire pressure accompanied the failure. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the front coil spring fractured, which punctured a hole in the front driver's side tire. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $712.64. the manufacturer stated that they would not assume financial responsibility because a recall was not available. the failure and current mileages were 67,025. updated 2/23/09 *cn updated 02/25/09. *jb

My 2002 ford taurus front coil spring broke, and sliced into the tire. i replaced the tire and will have to replace both front springs. *tr

Slowly backing up and heard a loud noise and immediately the front drivers side tire went flat. had to have car towed to the youngblood ford dealership (madison, ga) i was told the front drivers side coil spring broke loose and it destroyed the drivers side sway bar and also destroyed the tire. i saw that the 1999 through 2001 ford taurus had a recall for this same problem. it is evident this problem was not resolved on my 2002 ford taurus. *tr

Backed out of driveway, when right rear wheel made transition from driveway, curb, to street, right rear strut coil spring blew apart and punctured inside sidewall of tire. was necessary to replace tire and both rear complete strut assemblies. after hearing of other same instances i investigated the nhtsa site and found hundreds of the same, both front and rear have been submitted for complaints. i have also found that ford had a recall for the very same condition for 1999-2001taurus, recall 04s17 / nhtsa 04v332000. incident occurred on 01/13/2009 65,270 miles. this type of defect could cause serious injury or death - should be a recall on front and rear spring coils. *tr

We returned home after a five hour trip and parked in our garage, a while later returned to car to retrieve an item out of the car. when i sat down in the drivers seat i heard a loud "bang" that came from the rear of the car. upon checking things out, i found that the rear drivers side spring had broken. the end result could have been much worse if this happened while traveling due to the fact that the sharp edge of the broken spring was really close to the inside of the tire. i have never seen a spring break like this before. i had a 2001 taurus that had a recall for the front springs. the band-aid recall from ford was to install a "shield" on the springs to keep them from puncturing the front tire if the spring broke. when this last issue happened last week, i done some checking and was shocked at the amount of complaints i found for the front and rear spring breakage on the taurus. ford is only recalling the 99-01 taurus for the front springs. the taurus has continued to have this problem beyond the 2001 model year and ford has done nothing to help. why don't i have this kind of problem with my 15 year old 170,000 mile toyota avalon? when toyota has a safety issue with any of their vehicles the step up and correct the problem including buying back thousands of their trucks. they must put a higher value on a persons life then ford! this repair for the rear struts and springs was over $300 for parts alone. now i'm worried about the front springs breaking while my wife is driving! i was looking to buy a 2010 new body taurus later this year, but i have suddenly changed my mind. i see a new avalon in our family's future. *tr

Wife's 2002 ford taurus was parked in driveway when left front coil spring broke. i initially thought it was just a flat tire,but i couldn't fill it as fast as the air was leaking out. found that the air leak was from the broken coil spring sticking into and rupturing the inner sidewall of tire. one partial coil of broken spring fell free upon removal of wheel. the remainder of the very sharp broken coil spring was,as previously mentioned,what penetrated the tire,ruining it. the broken coil spring also broke the left stabilizer bar link,which is made of plastic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 15 mph in icy road conditions, the front passenger side coil spring failed. a sharp edge on the coil spring punctured the front passenger side tire. the spare tire was utilized and the vehicle was taken to the nearest tire dealer. the tire dealer stated that the vehicle was the third taurus they had seen that day with the exact same failure. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

On january 10 , 2009, my 2002 ford taurus front passenger's side coil spring fractured while i was backing out of my driveway and slashed my tire. the next morning, january 11th, while my damaged car was sitting in my garage, the front driver's side coil spring fractured and ruined yet another tire. on monday, january 12th, i called ford customer service and was told that since my car was a 2002 model it was not covered even though 2000-01 models were recalled and repaired free of charge. i just thank god that this happened as it did and not while traveling on the road. this unfortunate incident cost approximately $900.00. we had to have our car towed to a mechanic who replaced both front coil springs, right and left struts and swaybar. our car had 65,700 miles when this happened. *tr

My son was backing his 2002 ford taurus with 56,000 miles from the driveway when the front driver side coil spring ruptured and impaled the front driver side tire. i have not yet received an assessment of or an estimate to repair the damages. *tr

I own a 2002 ford taurus. i live in a suburb of akron, ohio, on a state route highway. upon accelerating to exit my driveway, my right front coil spring broke in two puncturing my brand new tire. luckily i was able to pull over before the steering locked . i have spoken to both a ford dealership and to ford's customer relations center. they stated that ford is still collecting data as to whether to extend the 1999 - 2001 recall of the defective front suspension coil springs to include the 2002 taurus. according to ford they are aware of the problem existing in model years after 2001 taurus & sables. ford has extended the warranty coverage of the front coil springs up to 10 years of service and/or 150,000 miles. but it is vin number specific. this is clearly a defective part. for the spring to break / fracture at the base and for the spring to unscrew from the spring seat, puncturing the sidewall of the tire. causing immediate & sudden loss of tire pressure and control of the vehicle. ford states that this is not a defect or safety issue. what if i had not been able to control my car? did i need to have been injured or worse for ford to take notice? that this problem still exists! as a side note; when i finally retired my 1991 oldsmobile cutlass in late 2007 with over 250,000 miles it still had it's original springs? and they were still in good condition. now i am faced with a repair bill that is 1,200.00. which is the over inflated cost at the dealership and inferior plastic parts that are not covered by a lifetime warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while proceeding to reverse the vehicle, the coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the failure occurred without warning and the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. the mechanic confirmed the coil spring failure. the failure and current mileages were 90,412. updated 3/19/09 *cn updated 03/23/09

driver's side front spring on 2002 ford taurus snapped puncturing tire and damaging "wishbone". vehicle was parked in garage at the time. vehicle has 158,000 miles on odometer. both springs tire(s) and two struts replaced by ford dealer. *tr

While driving to work in the morning, my wife heard a "clunk' noise and a thump. she went back and picked up a piece of metal which turned out to be the bottom coil of the front right coil spring. fortunately the tire did not get damaged. the spring was confirmed broken while in the shop for other repairs on 1/19/2009. by looking at the broken piece, you can see where the fracture propagated from. there appears to be a defect in the steel. i have worked in automotive for over 32 years with metals, so i know what i am looking at. this needs to be recalled as were earlier models!! *tr

Ford taurus 2002 front spring broken. shredded a brand new tire. how many times does this need to happen before something is done about it. *tr

Our ford taurus was sitting in a school parking lot after a basketball game, we came out to the car to leave. our 3 year old daughter climbed into the back seat and we heard a loud pop/crack.. then the front drivers tire went flat... we have found it to be a broken front coil spring! we have 3 children under 5 years and luckily no one was seriously injured but we just replaced brand new tires on the car 3 weeks ago! now we have repair bills, new tires, and loss of work b.c of this. *tr

Left front coil spring broke and shredded a two week old snow tire. *tr

When reversing out of a parking space the front drivers-side coil spring suddenly let go, destroying my new front drivers-side tire. there was a small amount of surface rust on the outside of the coil but the fracture was clean metal. it is at the dealer repair shop right now. *tr

2002 ford taurus. my son bought used, driven only 1100 miles in the 6 months he has owned it, mainly to school or work and back. he was backing it out of the garage, front drivers side fell down when the spring broke and spring embedded itself in the tire and tore an 8 inch gash. very thankful he wad not driving it on the road when this happened. it's in the shop now as i search for recalls. happened 2 days ago, have not talked to dealer yet but will on monday (it's friday now). *tr

Went to move my 2002 ford taurus ses on 12/31/08. heard a loud noise from the front of the car and went to inspect it. i found both front tires flat. i called aaa to have the car towed and the operator jacked the car up and found that both front coil springs had broken in half and punctured the tires. he thought there might be a recall on this item. i called ford customer service center and they explained that there was a recall for the 1999-2001 model years but not for 2002. i asked why not, since the problem obviously still exists and i was lucky it happened in my driveway, instead of during my normal 50 mile commute to work. the only thing they said was that i should get it checked by a ford technician so they can determine the cause of the problem. i said the cause is obvious - they are still using faulty coil springs in their cars and have been for a long time. no satisfaction. from what i have read, this is a commonly occurring problem and i hope that you will take the action necessary to force ford to fix this recurring problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving various speeds, the contact heard a noise and the tires flattened. he replaced the tire with a spare, but it also went flat. the vehicle was towed to a repair center and the mechanic stated that the coil spring on the passenger side failed and punctured the tires. the dealer stated that there were no recalls; therefore, the contact would have to pay for the repair. the repair would cost $672.83, but the contact wants reimbursement from the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 37,800. updated 01-26-09 *bf

Went to pull out of my integral garage and a 6 inch piece of the left rear coil spring fell out on the garage floor. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while proceeding to reverse the vehicle, the coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and they confirmed the coil spring failure. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $271. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 53,156 and current mileage was 53,200. updated 02/05/09 *bf updated 02/06/09.*jb

I own a 2002 ford taurus se which i purchased 5 yrs. ago, on12/30/08 i walked out to my car to find the passenger side front tire flat. i attempted to pull the tire off and have it repaired but was initially unable to get the tire off due to the spring being broken and stuck inside the side wall of the tire. apparently, and thankfully this happened while it was parked in my driveway. in researching this problem i found that there have been numerous complaints from other people, and ford motor co. themselves recognized the problem in model years 99-01 but not 2002. i find this odd as i'm sure the same equipment that was used in the 99-01 models can be found in the 2002 models. i intend to have it repaired, as well as replacing the other side as a preventable measure. it would have been nice to have prior knowledge of this problem instead of finding out the hard way. thankfully my wife, and children who ride in the car often were not driving it when the spring broke. thank you, r. wise *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 25 mph, the front driver's side coil springs failed. the vehicle was towed to an auto service shop and was repaired. the failure occurred a second time while backing up from the driveway. the contact heard a snapping sound and exited the vehicle. he noticed that the passenger side coil spring punctured the tire and caused it to flatten. the vehicle was once again towed to the same auto repair shop. the dealer stated that nothing could be done since there was no recall. the vehicle has been repaired and the contact believes that the failure was due to a manufacturer defect. the failure mileage was 53,085 and current mileage was 53,500. updated 05/15/09 *bf the consumer stated the first time, the left front coil spring failed and the second time, the right front coil spring failed. updated 05/18/09.*jb

The driver side front coil spring broke shredding the tire. upon inspection the passenger side front coil spring was broke. both of the front coil springs were replaced. *tr

My rear spring on the left side of my car snapped and slashed my tire as i was driving. the car is a 2002 ford taurus. from what i've read on many discussion boards this is a common occurrence with 2002 ford tauruses. i think ford should think about doing a recall for this particular problem being that there is a defect in their springs for this model. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle jerked over to the right lane very roughly and almost drove into oncoming traffic. the contact pulled over onto the shoulder and he noticed that the front driver's side spring snapped, which caused a hole in the front driver's side tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the failure should be included in a recall. nhtsa action number ea08018 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs), date investigation opened august 28, 2008, date investigation closed: open was referenced. the contact believes that the investigation should be closed and a recall should be issued. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 152,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that her rear and front driver's side coil spring fractured and punctured a hole in her vehicle's tires. she was driving 5 mph at the time. the risk of serious injury was increased. the manufacturer stated that they would not assume liability for the repairs because there were no recalls available. the vehicle has been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 98,000. updated 3/5/09 *cn updated 03/10/09. *jb

The car was parked in the drive way and when i backed up to leave, front driver side spring broke, destroying the tire and the sway bar end link. from my research this is a very common problem on the ford taurus. glad i wasn't on the highway at 65mph. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front suspension coil springs exploded and punctured the tire. the coil spring was wrapped around the axle as well. the vehicle was towed to an auto body shop and was repaired at the cost of $690 by the contact. through research, he discovered nhtsa action number ea08018, open investigation for 2002/2003, for the same spring failure. the failure and current mileages were 95,000. updated 02-18-09 the rear coil spring failed as well. updated 02/17/09. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus station wagon. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle suddenly became difficult to control. the contact smelled rubber and pulled over at a gas station. she noticed that the coil spring on the front driver side tire snapped and punctured the tire. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that there was no recall for the failure; therefore, it could be repaired at the owner's expense. nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs) is identical to the contact's failure, but it only applies to the 1999-2001 models. the failure and current mileages were 145,000.

Front coil spring passenger side broke causing tire to shred. further damage of strut and front end unknown at this time. *tr

2002 ford taurus right front spring broke and punctured tire as i was driving. *tr

My 2002 ford taurus broke a front spring and punctured my tire. this is the second time one of the springs has broken. in the summer of 2007 a rear spring also broke. i only have 32,000 miles on my car and take very good care of my car i was luck the last spring broke in my driveway but right before it broke i was driving in an ice storm. these 2002 taurus need to be recalled before no one is in a serious accident. december 2008 i had a merry christmas because i was not involved in an accident. *tr

Rear spring coil breaks causes adjacent tire puncture. *tr

The taurus was running great until one morning the right front strut/coil spring gave out, i just replaced the ball joins totaling about $700.00. now i have to find someone to replace the coil. luckily i was not driving and the tire might be able to be saved but if not i have to invest in new tires as well. there were no events leading up to the failure, it was cold outside and the spring gave out, nearly ruining the inside of my tire. after doing some research i found that most ford taurus's have a problem with their struts/springs. there was a recall on a majority of the models leading up to 2003. however, my car a 2002 is not included in the recall. how unfair to seclude a large portion of car owners and make them pay for the damage that realistically was not the consumers fault. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud noise coming from outside of the vehicle. suddenly, the tire exploded. he pulled over to the side of the road and replaced the driver's side tire. he also observed that the front coil spring failed. the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic for inspection and they stated that the front and rear coil springs failed. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the contact was in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were 90,500.

Both rear coil springs snapped into two pieces. the car has 54,000 miles on the odometer. i replaced both struts containing the springs and kept the old parts. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 30 mph, the driver felt as if the front passenger side tire was flat. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and he noticed that the tire was flat. the driver was going to replace the tire with a spare when he noticed a hole on the inner sidewall of the tire, which was due to the front coil spring failing. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they confirmed that the front coil spring failed. the mechanic also stated that both rear coil springs were cracked and should be replaced. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and repaired. the manufacturer has been notified. the current and failure mileages were 88,000. updated 020209 *bf updated 02/03/09.*jb

While parked coil spring failed (broke) puncturing left front tire on a 2002 ford taurus. vehicle had about 90000 miles on it. i had to cut the tire off of the coil spring to remove it. the car had to be towed to a repair shop and the front set of coils was replaced. *tr

Suspension:front:springs:coil springs on 2002 ford taurus. just before christmas 2008, the front spring blew and shredded the tire. on saturday, february 7, 2009, the back spring blew and shredded the back tire. thankfully, both incidents occurred in a driveway. from reading numerous accounts on the internet, this is a common issue with 2002 ford taurus'. *tr