Problems with 2000 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

(a) normal city driving. (b) both rear springs snapped. (c) both rear springs and stabilizer links replaced at local ford dealer. both rear struts replaced at monro franchise. these are the 2nd and 3rd springs to snap on this vehicle. the first (left front) snapped when coming off a turnpike in july 2003. ford later settled the first spring incident with recall 04s17 / 03m04 in september 2004.*jb

Had right rear spring break and cut into my tire. car has less then 52,000 miles on it. both rear springs, shocks and damaged tire were replaced and car was aligned. ford motor company picked up half of replacement cost even though car was out of warranty. *jb

This taurus has only 40,000 miles,driven locally,garaged and adult driven. i was pulling out of my driveway head-first and noticed that the rear of the taurus suddenly bottomed out on the "skirt" of the driveway. the" bottom-rear "of the taurus scraped heavily on the concrete surface. i pulled over and noticed the rear of the taurus sitting much too close to the ground. upon further inspection with a flashlight, i noticed the left rear coil spring had snapped in half. one piece of the spring was now rubbing against the tire and brake line. the other half of the spring is still mounted, but a broken jagged edge just missed puncturing the left rear tire by a half of an inch. if i had driven the car any further, one spring would have eventually cut the brake line and the other probably would have punctured the tire on the first right turn made. ford has failed to acknowledge the safety consequences of this rear spring defect. the car has been sitting in my garage for three days until i can afford the $550-$600 repair. the sole reason i bought the ford taurus was for its overall safety and crash test ratings. little did i know that the cause of the crash would be the failure of the front(recalled already) and/or rear coil springs on the car itself. and now ford chooses to look the other way. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle displayed no obvious signs of a suspension problem, however, at an annual state inspection, it was determined that both front coil springs were broken as well as the tie rod assembly and sway bar. a nhtsa recall, # 04v332000 concerning the suspension was performed on the vehicle. the front coil springs were previously repaired accordingly as indicated in the recall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer repaired the front coil springs under an extended warranty, but did not cover the cost of the tie rod assembly and sway bar.

Driver side rear spring coil broke, puncturing my tire and almost causing an accident. called dealership. my extended warranty had just expired march 10, 2006. today is march 13th 2006. the spring coil malfunctioned march 12th 2006. they want to charge $475.00. i believe this should be a recall issue. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 25 mph the left rear coil spring broke puncturing the left rear tire. the vehicle was driven to a local independent repair shop. the mechanic replaced the left rear coil spring, left and right struts, and left rear tire. the dealership was alerted.

2000 ford taurus sedan, ~66,000 miles on the vehicle. passenger side rear coil spring fractured. the spring did not puncture the tire upon failure. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50mph, the left rear coil spring fractured and broke. the vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for repair. updated 03/20/06. *jb

Had vehicle in local shop for oil change and new battery, asked them to research clanking noise coming from front driver side wheel/tire. upon investigation they stated broken spring coil, then noticed that rear passenger side spring coil broken and edge was rubbing against tire to the point where it has created a groove into the tire. mechanic stated that it should be taken care of immediately and decision was made to cut 1-2 inch piece to relieve pressure from tire until vehicle can be brought into dealership. until this point i was totally unaware that anything this severe was wrong. contacted ford customer service line and they indicated extension of warranty on front spring but not rear. suggested to take it to dealer. contacted dealer and they immediately took a "defensive" attitude, by asking has the vehicle been in a car accident or what did i hit. neither has occurred, otherwise car would have been seriously out of alignment. *nm

Rear spring (driver's side) fractured while driving causing damage to the rear tire. the front springs on this vehicle were part of an nhtsa recall (#04v332000) which allowed ford to address defects with the front springs fracturing by placing shields on them, rather than replacing them. obviously the defect could happen on all springs on this vehicle and ford needs to replace them, not just put a shield on them. luckily this was a low-speed incident. i shutter to think that i might not be here to write this, if this had happened at highway speeds. *nm

Loud noise on ford 2000 taurus from the rear. dealer said driver rear coil spring failed and rubbed tire to the point it was unsafe. replaced both rear coils and tires as a precaution.*jb

2000 ford taurus rear coil spring fractured piercing tire sidewall. vehicle was traveling at low speeds at the time. this car recently had a front coil spring failure. *jb

Rear coil spring broke and 3 days later brand new tire blew out. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph there was a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was pulled over and upon inspection the rear left side coil spring had broken and punctured the tire. the spare tire was put on the vehicle and the vehicle was driven home. the manufacturer was notified. updated 2/13/2006 - *nm

Nhtsa action number: pe05054 i was sitting at a red light when i heard a loud noise from the rear of the vehicle. this was followed by a "grinding" noise. i was extremely concerned having no idea what it was. i was fortunately less than a mile from a bp procare where a friend works. i immediately pulled in driving less than a mile and never exceeding 30 mph. the passenger rear coil had "popped" as he put it. i only have 52,000 miles on the car which is only six years old. i find it to be a nuisance to replace a tire with less than 5,000 miles on it, and am extremely disappointed that the coil spring would have such a short life span to it. thankfully it happened at a red light, not on the highway, especially without my children in the car. *jb

Pe05054 add my vehicle to the number of those that have the problem. i took my car in for an alignment and the dealer told me of the broken spring. my car has not been repaired yet. *jb

2000 ford taurus sedan, rear coil spring corrosion/ fracture, piercing sidewall of tire. fronts were replaced after fracture in july, under factory recall. same concern with rears, no help from ford.*ak

As i went to start my 2000 ford taurus se i started the car put the car in drive and heard a loud popping noise, my rear coil spring had fractured and punctured and sliced and destroyed the rear tire, i am in the process of getting the vehicle repaired at a ford dealer,there have been 100's of the same incident and this should be ford's liability to replace the rear springs and liable for new tire. *jb

Consumer would like reimbursement for front coil springs, struts, and tires on a 2000 ford taurus. *kb the vehicle was parked when the left front coil spring broke and punctured the tire. the consumer received a recall in the mail (04v332000). when he took the vehicle to the repair facility, he was told the recall could not be performed, because after market struts had been installed. the ford kit would not bolt to the strut. when the rear brakes were replaced, it was discovered the right rear coils spring had broken which required replacement of the shock assembly and spindle. *jb

After placing luggage in trunk of car after a trip. i left the parking area, i heard a rubbing sound from the left rear area of the vehicle. i checked for the noise, but could see nothing, and continued home. trip was approximatly 30 miles. the next day i took the car to my mechanic, and was informed that the left rear spring had broken about 1/4 quarter of the way down from the top. the rubbing noise was the broken end of the coiled spring coming in contact with the inside of the tire. thhis was caused by the excessive rusted and corroded condition of the coiled spring. i was very fortunate that the tire had not blown out. in september of the same year (2005), i had brought the car into the dealer for a recall for the front coil springs, where the installed a shield to prevent the spring from puncturing the tires. (this was for vehicles in high salt corrosion areas). i feel that the same recall or an additional recall should have been issued for the rear springs. upon inspection of the right rear spring, it was determined that there was not rust or corrosion, only the left one had this problem. *nm

(1) heard loud "sprong" sound while driving at highway speed. i thought i might have hit something in road. the right rear tire went flat a few minutes later. it was early morning and dark so i replaced the tire with the spare and did not notice any other issues. today, 1/6/2006, the sears tire center found that the right rear coil spring had failed and then wore into and punctured the right rear tire. (2) right rear coil spring failed puncturing right rear tire (3) replaced tire and waiting for parts to replace both rear coil springs. old springs will be available if requested. tire was kept by sears. *jb

Rattling noise under the front end when driving. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph, a loud noise came from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was pulled over and the rear passenger side tire was flat. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. the repair shop determined both the rear coil springs had fractured causing the puncture in the tire. the rear coil springs were replaced.

Dt: the contact stated both rear coil springs broke. while having regular maintenance completed on vehicle the mechanic noticed the right rear coil spring was puncturing the tire. upon further inspection it was discovered the rear driver coil spring also broke. the coil springs have been replaced at the contact's expense.*ak

The front coil spring broke and punctured the front tire on my 2000 ford taurus. i had the damage repaired then found out there was a recall. i contacted ford and they refuse to reimburse me because i did not use a ford dealer. they admitted they did not send a recall notice because they did not have me as the current owner, i have owned the car for over four years. they told me they are not responsible to notify me of a recall because i am not the original purchaser of the car. *jb

Both rear springs broke on my 2000 ford taurus--causing the rear end to sag way below normal--had to have them replaced at my cost. *nm

My 2000 ford taurus se rear coil spring broke on 11-22-05 which in turn punctured my rear tire cause it to lose air. i have to replace the coil and tire. i have not replaced it as of yet. i called ford on 11-24-05 after hearing about a recall to see if it was covered yet and it's not. ford customer hotline told me that i would have to cover the cost of the parts and repair because the front coils are the only ones covered by the recall. i asked, what's the difference between the front coils and the back? she couldn't answer it. i wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary when this happened i was driving on the highway didn't hit any bumps or anything. it just broke! thank god i made it home without an accident.*jb

I heard a rather loud snap in the right rear of my 2004 taurus. the right rear suspension spring broke causing the broken part of the spring to lodge against the right rear tire causing it to cut the tire badly enough that it had to be replaced. car was taken to repair shop and diagnosed and repaired. this is the second spring to break on this car. the other one was the right front spring. it broke, if i remember, in may of 2004. *nm

While inspecting the brakes on our 2000 taurus, our mechanic was surprised to find that both rear coil springs were broken. it is troubling because he has over 30 years experience and never saw that before. they are being replaced. *jb

Consumer right rear coil spring broke cutting into tire. *ts (11/16/05) the brakes were grinding and there was a clunking noise in the rear since the coil springs were replaced. *sc

When driving the car there was a sound like something was rubbing on the tires. when pulling in to the driveway the noise got worse. later in the day when driving the car it started to smell hot like something was burning. we took the car to the nearest repair shop ( as we were afraid to drive the car any further). the repair shop told us that the left rear spring had broken, destroyed the strut and damaged the left rear tire. they also told us that when springs and struts are replaced they are done in pairs (you just can not fix one). so the rear springs and struts on both sides were replaced for the cost of $635.00. we had the recall covers installed on the front of the car to prevent this same thing happening in late summer of this year. in 2004 we had to replace right front tine as it was punctured from the inside. the ford dealership repair dept. stated at that time that it was not because of spring failure but know we wonder if that was true. we do have the defective parts in our possession. *jb

While having vehicle wheels aligned, mechanic noted drivers side rear springs broken and passenger side spring cracked. when consulted by phone, ford offered a repair estimate of over $600 dollars. *jb

I own a 2000 ford taurus on which the drivers side rear coil spring broke. the broken spring cut a gouge on the inside of the tire and punctured it. this resulted in a flat tire while my wife was driving. to correct the failure our local ford dealer had to replace both back springs and two tires. the broken part is not available, but the problem is noted on the service order. *nm

Dt: the contact stated when attempting to make a right turn or pass another vehicle the car fish tailed as if he was going to lose control. upon inspection, he discovered the driver's side rear coil springs broke. the coil springs were made with a poor quality metal and had extensive wear. he purchased coil springs and had them repaired through a local dealership at his own expense. *ak

My 2000 ford taurus vin [xxx] has already had the front springs replaced 3 times with the last two falling in under the mandatory recall. on september 23, 2005 i took it into the dealer again because of a clunking noise and vibration at higher speeds. i was informed that the rear right spring has now broken and needed to be replaced as well. i heard on the news about your current investigation into ford's rear springs nhtsa action # pe05054 and thought i should let you know about my occurrence. *nm updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

2002 ford taurus is experiencing failure in the left rear coil spring. *ts when the coil spring failed, it damaged the tire. *jb

Rear coil spring broke on my 2000 ford taurus and punctured passenger side rear tire. i was going about 15 mph since the traffic was backed up, otherwise if i would have been going faster, i could have been killed. i had to drive to nearest open tire dealer for new tire and new springs. ford would not help me since i didn't get it fixed at a ford dealer (but they were all closed when this happened (around 6:30 pm). i contacted the ford dealer and gave them all my receipts, but they won't do anything. *nm

Salt corrosion lead to failure of rear coils. rear coils replaced. *jb

Dt: contact stated that the coil spring on the right rear suspension broke and punctured the tire. consumer stated they drove the vehicle for about a week while it broke, but could hear a rubbing noise. consumer's husband checked the vehicle, then had it towed to a dealer, and the dealer repaired the vehicle on august 5, 2005. dealer did not state what might have caused the problem.*ak

Defective rear springs on the 2000 ford taurus.***no answer required***. *mr recall campaign#04v332000. the rear spring coils failed due to a metal fatigue fracture and was replaced. *sc

Dt: the contact owns a 2000 ford taurus. while driving heard a noise it sounded like a large bang and tire went flat. the contact called mahone tires , they came, and took the tire . then the contact called a tow truck to tow the vehicle. the mechanic told the contact that the coil springs on the rear broke and then it punctured the tire.*ak

While taurus was being serviced for a broken right front coil spring and link,the dealer notified me to tell me that the rear springs were also broken and needed to be replaced. they said it was caused by weather conditions in the northeast, the same cause given for the front springs. the front springs were covered by a recall,however the rear springs were not. they were replaced at a cost of $322.43 which i had to pay. *nm

I was driving a country road, going around a curve and a bridge, heard a loud bang (clunk) sound, then the rear sounded like it was dragging. my husband inspected the car and found that the right rear coil next to my tire broke in half and dug into the tire, causing a big tear all the way around the tire. we had to have both rear coils replaced (he said the car would be off balance if they changed only one) and also replaced the tire that was destroyed, this is on a 2000 ford taurus. *nm

I took my 2000 taurus se to my local ford dealership since i heard a loud "bang" under the rear of the car and a scraping, motion induced, noise (i had heard a similar bang before which immediately went away, but no scraping). a rear spring was broken (and was scraping against the tire), but both springs had to be replaced (expensive repair) since they have to be "tuned" and be the same. the dealer mentioned that there was over a three week delay (maybe more) from ford for the springs, so he used "after-market" replacements. this tells me that there are likely a lot of bad ones (likely defective metalluragically or badly designed/engineered) and it could be a bad situation if it had occurred on the road. mine fully broke in the parking lot behind my apartment. later, i found the broken piece of about 8" in linear length, indicating one old break and a new one (breaks were different color). i believe that this is a metallurgical failure with defects in the metal of the spring. i'm a retired person and treat my car well (avoid chuckholes, etc.). this has never happened on any of my other cars in my entire lifetime. i also believe it could be very dangerous in an open road situation and should be investigated for a recall. months ago there was a recall to put shields around the front springs to avoid contact with salt and the elements. i still have the broken piece that i found in my apartment parking lot. i suspect that there are too many of these, and that is why ford motor co. has a long backlog on the parts (my car isn't that old and it only has 51,000 miles on the odometer).

Over a year ago i heard a metal hitting metal sound on the front drivers side. my auto repair guy could not find any problem. so life went on driving over 50 miles a day to work. one day i came out of the house and saw my tire flat, the same drivers side front. i took my husband's truck to work. when i returned home after work my husband had been working on the vehicle. he saw that there was a flat tire so he went to the store to get a can of fix a flat. he used it per directions. he could still hear air leaking so he put air in the tire with his air compressor. he could still hear air so he figured he would move the car and get the fix a flat mixing around. he put it in gear and heard the tire blow. he decided to fix the flat tire. it took him almost an hour to get the broken coil spring out of the tire. we had no idea that this was a recall, we had not recieved notification of any recalls on the taurus. we had no money to fix it, since my husband is on ssd, it sat in my drive way for 3 months. a friend stopped over and said hey check on line see if this is due to a recall. sure enough it was a recall. and so wasn't the break pedal switch that made my break lights stop working last winter. i did not know what it was so i stuck electrical tape on the wires until the break lights worked again. it is not right to allow ford or any other manufacturer off the hook with these safety recalls, that have caused accidents injures and deaths. everyone who owns one of these vehicles should be notified of the recalls. i was never notified of anything. when i called ford headquarters to ask about it they to me that it was my responsibility to register my car and id # and adress, phone so they can contact me if there is a recall. then they read to me rebatum the law indicating that they are to go thru the state vehicle registrations to inform all owners of any recalls. i informed them that that was definitely an excuse and it was not an acceptable ...

My car was towed to a garage on 6/26/05 due to a passengers rear spring break and tire puncture. when both tires were removed it was found that both srpings were broken and drivers rear tire had some wear on the inside. the cost to repair and replace tires was $600.00 and i was without a car for 5 days.

Left front coil spring broke. fortunately, i found the broken spring and had it replaced before it caused other damage. the spring was corroded all the way through. the ford dealer replaced both front springs.

I was driving to a nearby gas station for gas and heard the flat tire on the rear passengers side. since only a block from teh station which had air i drove there in hopes of putting air in the tire to get to somewhere to repair or replace the tire. that did not work. after 2 1/2 hours of waiting for someone to come from aaa to change the tire. i was told i had a broken spring and he refused to put the spare on. i waited and 2 hours for a tow truck to have it towed to my garage. on inspection, it was found that the tire had been worn down by the broken spring and punctured a hole in it. both rear springs and tires are replaced. i contacted ford and they said that i need to have it towed and diagnosed by a ford dealer at my expense, before they would decide if they would pay for the repairs. if not i would be responsible to pay all costs. both springs are repaired due to a fear that this may occur on the other side at a high rate of speed and kill me or someone else. i intend to seek reimbursement from ford, but have been told that unless it is recalled i will most likely not get reimbursed.

Dt: while consumer was leaning up against the car the font coil spring broke and busted the front tire. took vehicle to the dealer ,and they fixed the font coil spring, and replaced the tire due to a recall. currently, dealer said that the back coil springs broke, and they will not release the car unless the car was towed off the lot. dealer said that one of the back coil springs was poking into the tire. repair costs cost is $420.00 rear spring and $272.85 for tire. *ak

In june 2005 while on our way home from vacation we heard a loud thunk and rubbing in the rear of our car. we got the car home at which point my husband jacked up the car and took off the tires. he found that the coil springs were broken on both sides of the car. we took the car to our local service center. it cost me 600.00 to fix the springs, alignment and the 2 tires that wore unevenly. we called the local ford dealer to get pricing but they were a lot more than our local service center. this is not the first major problem i have had with the taurus. *nm