Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out the driveway at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud popping sound. he jacked up the vehicle and noticed that the front coil spring failed and punctured the tire. he found recalls on the internet for the 1999-2001 models, but not for the 2002 models. the manufacturer will not cover the cost of the repair. the contact was advised to keep the receipts to receive reimbursement in case a recall is issued. the current and failure mileages were 94,000. updated 06/24/09. *lj the mechanic also informed the consumer the rear coil spring were near failure as well. updated 07/02/09.*jb

Rear spring broke and punctures tire. *tr

Front coil spring broke on driver side and shredded the inside of that tire. *tr

I own a 2002 ford taurus and when i took the car in for brake service my mechanic discovered that 3 of 4 coil springs were broken. the left rear spring spun and cut a gouge in a tire with less than 100 miles on it. there is no recall on this item so for replacement of the springs i was socked with a $400 bill. i researched the problem and discovered this has been a problem with these springs for several years. see below associated press tue, oct. 04, 2005 washington - the government is investigating whether the rear coil spring can fracture and punch a hole in the rear tires of some models of the ford taurus and mercury sable, federal auto safety officials said tuesday. the national highway traffic safety administration said it opened a preliminary investigation into the 2000-2001 models of the taurus and sable sedans after receiving 131 complaints about broken coil springs. the inquiry involves about 467,000 vehicles. the taurus was among the best-selling passenger cars in the united states during the two model years. most of the complaints came from northern states where vehicles are often subject to salt corrosion during the winter. about half of the owners who filed complaints said there were punctures in the rear tires because of the broken coil springs. any help would be greatly appreciated. *tr

My fiance was driving southbound on i-75 when the front driver's side coil spring broke, causing damage to sway bar link, tire and strut. this caused her to almost crash into left concrete barrier. vehicle was towed due to it no longer being drivable. a few months back the rear passenger side spring also broke causing us to replace strut mount, strut and spring. *tr

Started my car, put it into drive, turned right to exit my parking space, right front coil spring blew out and punctured tire, deflating it immediately. luckily i was not going at high speed or i could have had a major accident, as i would have lost complete control of vehicle. *tr

My wife drives a 2002 taurus ses. in december the front coil spring broke. thankfully, it was parked and did not cause the tire to blow out while driving. yesterday a rear coil spring broke causing damage to the tire but the tire did not blow out. i understand there was a recall (id#14649) through the model year 2001 taurus but not including 2002. i have had two springs fail and i'm concerned that the scope of recall #14649 was too limited in scope. there may be a very serious safety issue the model year 2002. i have notified ford motor company about the potential safety issue and have asked for reimbursement. initially they said no, but i have asked for a call back from the customer service supervisor. i have the broken coil springs if a metallurgical check makes sense. i can also send pictures. *tr

The front coil over spring on left side broke and ripped tire apart. *tr

As my wife started the vehicle in the garage, driver's side coil spring broke tearing the inside of the tire and puncturing it causing a blowout. when the tire was removed, i found a tear in the inner wall approximately 14 inches long and a puncture. fortunately, it occurred in the garage, but had we been going at highway speed, it would have been deadly. the tow truck operator, our mechanic and the tire store were familiar with this problem in these vehicles. *tr

Broken front and rear suspension spring caused tire failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was seated in the driver's seat while the vehicle was parked in the garage. he suddenly heard a loud noise outside the vehicle. he exited the vehicle and noticed that the front driver's side coil spring failed without warning. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 130,000. updated 05/08/09 *bf upated 05/12/09.*jb updated 06/09/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway, the coil spring failed and punctured the front driver's side tire. the contact called the manufacturer to get the vehicle repaired. he noticed online that there was a recall for the front coil spring, but only for the 2000 and 2001 models. the contact feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repair because this is a safety issue. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 128,000.

When pulling 2002 ford taurus out of driveway on 4/13/2009 noticed scraping noise in driver side front wheel area. then front tire went flat. when removing tire to repair, noticed coil spring was broken and inside wall of tire had been shredded. broken piece of coil spring fell to ground when tire was removed. vehicle has not been repaired as of this date. tire and broken piece of spring are in my possession. *tr

Found broken left rear spring on 2002 ford taurus. seems to be very common complaint and potentially dangerous. *tr

I own a 2002 ford taurus. i recently had a standard service visit to my local dealer to be told all four of my coil springs were broken. i did find a recall on 99-01 models for the front coil springs, but i find it ironic that my 02 had the same problem. i contacted ford, but they didn't seem concerned. these coils breaking can and have caused tires to puncture. i find this to be highly dangerous if the car is traveling down the high way. *tr

Only 50,000 miles on my 2002 ford taurus when the front spring snapped for no apparent reason. i was pulling out of a level surface parking lot when it went. had the same problem with my 1995 ford windstar, but that was covered by manufactures recall. i think ford should be responsible for this obvious defect in their springs and do the right think or i will start buying foreign cars!!!!! car is still at the shop, waiting for damage report....spring (usually have to replace both though), tire and alignment at the least, not to mention the towing charge $$$$$$$. *tr updated 04/29/09.*jb

I have had both rear coil springs and one of the front coil springs break on my 2002 ford taurus. the front one broke yesterday and damaged the front tire and i just bought the tires three weeks ago. now i have to replace both front coil springs and buy a new tire which is not cheap. coil springs if made right should not be breaking this easy. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while proceeding to back up the vehicle, the contact heard a loud grinding noise and smelled a burning rubber odor coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the rear passenger side coil spring failed and punctured the rear tire. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $562. the manufacturer stated that no compensation would be provided because the vin was excluded from the recall. the failure mileage was 81,354 and current mileage was 81,360.

I placed my car in reverse to back out of the driveway when i heard a swoosh and the front of the car dropped. i got out and noticed i had a flat tire. i removed the tire and found part of the coil spring on the ground and a white cap. after removing the lug nuts the tire was stuck to the remaining coil spring. i twisted the tire off the coil spring and found the coil spring had broke in two. the strut assembly and the sway bar linkage was broken as well. i am sure there may be more damage once i get the car towed to a garage. i am glad i was not driving at any speed when this happened.*tr

Started to pull out of parking space, felt and heard a pop, pulled back into space. got out and saw front suspension coil had broken and shredded tire. when called for a tow, the company guessed it was a 2002 ford taurus, due to all the repairs they have been having to do. *tr

Pulling out of work parking space, heard what sounded like metal grinding and then my tire went flat. spring had snapped and punctured my tire. before realizing this is what happened, tried to change the tire. had to have a tow to firestone and while working on it they found that when the spring/coil snapped it cut my brake line. total cost is $1200. *tr

Coil spring broke went through tire. *tr

My wife was backing out of the garage when the left front tire went flat almost in instantly. upon trying to change it i noticed the front coil spring had broke. fortunately it happened in the drive way and not on the road. the car is a 2002 ford taurus with 63,000 miles and after several emails and phone calls ford was absolutely of no help in fact they almost seemed defensive and i could understand this after searching the web and seeing the number of people with the same problem. the cost of the repairs were approximately $1300. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving less than 35 mph, the rear coil springs failed and punctured the tire. the dealer and manufacturer could not assist with the repairs because there were no recalls on the failed component. currently, there is an open investigation pertaining to the front coil spring failure, but not for the rear springs. the failure and current mileages were less than 40,000.

Three weeks ago my daughter at college called to says she was having trouble with the car. it turned out to be a broken rear coil spring. between the ruined tire and repair work the bill came to over $1200. tonight she called to say the front spring on the driver's side had broken and one of the new tires is toast. thank god she wasn't driving down the highway when this happened. *tr

Had a flat tire on 2002 ford taurus. aaa came out to change, and discovered the front coil spring busted. mentioned another member had same problem and discovered there was a recall on them. however, there was a recall on 2000 and 2001 models, not 2002. it appears the problem was not fixed since we have experienced the same issue, but it's not under recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a loud thumping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. he was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to his destination. upon reviewing the failure, he noticed that the rear passenger side of the vehicle was lower than any other side. he concluded that the coil spring failed. the contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and no repairs have been performed. he is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 103,000 and current mileage was 106,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. upon entering the vehicle, the contact noticed that her front driver's side tire was flat and severely punctured. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they determined that the front driver's side coil spring failed. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $600. the manufacturer would not provide compensation because the vehicle was not under recall. the failure mileage was 104,157 and current mileage was 104,203.

Left front coil spring broke with only 24,862 miles on one-owner 2002 ford taurus ses 4-door sedan. fortunately it did not happen on a major highway when car was being driven or during local driving. car had been backed into residential below house garage without any indication of problem. next morning car was started in garage and as soon as it was driven 3-4 feet it was quite apparent that something serious was wrong due to the loud scrapping sound. car was brought back into garage and aarp towing service was called for service. arrangements were made to tow it to the ford agency from where vehicle was purchased new on 10-11-02. total cost to repair damage is $617.71. *tr

I reversed my car this morning, and my front driver side tire blew out completely. i took the tire off, and the front coil spring had shattered and ripped through my tire. i contacted ford with my vin, and they stated that there was no recall about this for my car. i have done extensive research on the internet regarding this, and 2001 ford taurus ( i have a 2002 taurus) were recalled for the exact complaint. is there a known issue with 2002 taurus registered with your branch? as a result of this, i cannot drive my car as the coil spring would rip through another tire. the rip in my tire is approximately 4 inches long. *tr

2002 ford taurus rear drivers side coil spring broke. no tire damage. a little over a year ago front passenger coil spring broke while pulling out of driveway. the tire was destroyed. *tr

The drivers side front spring on our 2002 ford taurus just blew apart. the car dropped down the road, we were on i-465 on the west side if indianapolis in heavy traffic with a semi passing us and behind at 65 mph. thank good no one hurt , just in less than a second the front of the car was on the interstate. the state police got us a toe truck and the repair shop being a firestone store said they get several ford taurus in with the same problem. *tr

Driving a 2002 taurus with 64k miles. was backing out of the driveway when i heard a noise and pop and front left end sank down. thought at first that i just had a flat tire. while trying to change the tire, had difficulty removing tire. found that the coil spring broke and sliced into and nearly all the way around my tire. put on spare and carefully drove to local station to repair coils. thankfully i was not driving at any great speed when this occurred. called dealer and they could find no recall information for 2002 taurus. called ford customer service and no warranties, recalls, or customer satisfaction programs available to provide assistance for the repair. replacement cost for coils, tires, and alignment was $750. *tr

I pulled away from my house and was traveling approximately 20 mph when i heard a loud noise. drivers side front coil had broke and caused tire damage. at this time i do not know if any additional damage was incurred as vehicle will have to be towed to repair shop. upon researching coil failures i am very angry to learn that this is a very common and known problem with 2002 taurus vehicles. consumers need to be made aware of this problem and ford needs to take responsibility for their defective parts. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 55 mph, the coil springs failed between the front driver's side tire and the frame rail. the vehicle inadvertently moved to the right and caused the driver to apply pressure to the brakes. the vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder and then towed to the owner's residence. the vehicle was not inspected by a mechanic. the dealer stated that no recalls were available; therefore, the contact would be liable for the repairs. the manufacturer was not notified. the current and failure mileages were 103,123.

Passenger coil spring on 2002 ford taurus sedan has failed and was noticed as a failure today. *tr

Front driver's side spring on my 2002 ford taurus ses failed. when it failed the spring broke and punctured the driver's side front tire. almost had to have vehicle towed to service station since i had difficulty in moving the broken spring to get the doughnut on the vehicle. luckily this occurred when i was backing the vehicle out of the garage and not when driving down the expressway. i have 129k miles on the vehicle. *tr

Last february i had to replace the 2 front coil springs in my 2002 ford taurus after the drives side broke puncturing the tire. the vehicle had about 85,000 miles then, and i was making a right hand turn into a parking lot at about 10 mph. now my 2 rear coil springs have broke and are in need of replacing. the car has about 114,000 miles, and when the passenger side broke, i was driving about 60 mph. *tr

2002 ford taurus was sitting in the garage when a loud bang was heard, it turned out to be the front coil spring. it broke in half just sitting in the garage. i have heard many complaints that 2002 ford taurus' are notorious for this issue. the tow truck driver told me that he's towed a lot of these vehicles with the same issue and that i was lucky i wasn't driving it. *tr

I own a 2002 ford taurus with 95000 miles. i had (fortunately) parked my car for work; on return had a flat tire. on changing it, found the inside of the tire ripped open almost all the way around. when i took it in for a new tire, it was found the front driver spring had broken, and i was told "the taurus has a problem with this". i had to replace both front springs and struts, get new tires and a wheel alignment to the cost of $1300. now i'm researching and found the 2002 was not included in the recall for this problem, and the rear springs can break too, usually at much lower mileage. i'm now afraid to drive my car, and am looking for a new one sooner than i had planned. this could have been catastrophic if it had happened on the highway. *tr

2002 ford taurus station wagon had the front left coilspring snap causing the tire to blow out. this is a very common occurrence http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-taurus/t2i76qlavd30dd454. *tr

Car was parked and put into reverse to back up in drive when tire exploded. upon examination the drivers side suspension spring had exploded into 2 pieces and ripped into tire. *tr

Left front coil spring broke causing the entire front suspension to break - $1100 repair. two weeks later, the right rear coil spring broke, puncturing the tire and forcing a repair of $400 for coil springs+ $125 for new tire. now (3/3/09) i am told that the rear struts need replaced due to wear (awaiting estimate). this is a 2002 ford taurus with 55,000 miles. i drive 12 miles a day(6 to and 6 from) work. i cannot understand why all of this is happening at the same time. i am loyal to ford, and i love my taurus, but this is not right. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 30 mph, the front passenger side tire blew out. when he was replacing the tire with a spare, he noticed that the front passenger side spring failed and punctured the spare tire. the front driver's side spring also failed. the vehicle will be towed to the dealer for repair. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs) and did not offer assistance with the repair. the failure and current mileages were 28,000.

2002 ford taurus rear coil spring broken. front coil spring failure approximately one year ago and repairs were made. i am aware the rear coil spring failure is also a well-known problem with the 2002 ford taurus. this problem needs to be addressed and resolved as soon as possible before severe injuries occur. *tr

Front coil spring broke in half while the vehicle was parked and off, and the broken coil damaged the strut and punctured the tire. all the broken items were replaced, and the non broken items were replaced on the opposite side to ensure safety. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 20 mph, the front driver's side tire detached from the vehicle and split in half. the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that the front driver's side springs failed and punctured the tire. there were no injuries. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $1,800. the current and failure mileages were 57,816.

While my car was sitting in my drive way at my home, the front drivers side spring broke and blew out my tire front tire...shredded it. thank god i was not driving when it happened. *tr

2002 ford taurus ses purchased 12/31/01. front coil spring broke, slashed tire as i backed out of garage. on inspection, a piece of the strut broke and had to be replaced. also a rear coil spring was broken and strut was damaged. now having to replace 4 coil springs, the struts and 4 tires. $1700, with only 56, 000 miles on the car. i will contact ford about this. there was a recall through 2001 and many documented incidents on the internet chats about the 2002 coil springs. i feel ford should be accountable and should have included the 2002 model also in the recall. please advise *tr

1- i drove out of my driveway and my front left coil spring snapped and punctured my almost new tire , and my plastic sway link 2- it happened once , but from what i hear it happens alot and it should be recalled. 3- i had an estimate for about $600 not including the tire at about $160. *tr