Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Front passenger coil spring broke causing a blowout on the tire in motion on a city street

The car has experienced 2 failures of the right front strut spring resulting in destruction of the tire. first at 75,000 miles second at 100000 mi. both tires flattened at between 30 & 50 mph

Coil spring in driver's side front strut failed suddenly when vehicle was being driven on residential street in sister bay, wi. there was a loud bang when spring fractured and suspension collapsed. failure of coil spring occurred at about 10:15 am on thursday june 29, 2017. after vehicle was safely parked in a bank parking lot the owner then jacked up front end and removed wheel/tire. owner noticed how energy released when coil spring fractured drove spring violently downward to front wheel knuckle assembly. fortunately when spring was driven downward it did not puncture tire. the next day vehicle was loaded on a transporter and taken to jim olson express in sturgeon bay, wi, for repair. subsequent repairs included replacement of both front struts and alignment check/adjustment. total cost of repair including charge of usd 165 by transporter company was usd 1,010. at time of coil spring failure the vehicle had 134,128 miles on the odometer. visual inspection by owner of broken piece of coil spring did not reveal any surface corrosion. owner speculates coil spring fracture may have been due to 15 years of stress loads on the spring or perhaps there was a defect in metal of coil spring.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 25 mph, a loud noise was heard and the front coil spring detached without warning, puncturing the front passenger side tire. the contact and her children were rescued by a family member who towed the vehicle to the contact's residence. the failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 79,365.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact heard a loud thumping noise from the front driver side wheel well. the contact removed the front driver side wheel and noticed that the front driver side coil spring was ruptured and damaged the tire severely. when the contact called the manufacturer, he was informed that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 04v332000 (suspension). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 99,000. updated 04/05/17*lj *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving 5 mph approaching a stop sign, the suspension coil failed without warning and damaged the front passenger side tire. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 190,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. after the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance, the technician informed the contact that the rear coil springs were fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while the vehicle was being serviced for an oil change, the technician informed the contact that the rear spring was fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,654.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while making a turn at 30 mph, a loud banging and grinding noise was heard from the rear driver side. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, removed the rear driver side tire, and noticed that the coil spring was fractured. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,500.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to operate. in addition, the contact noticed that the front passenger side tire was flat and the spring was fractured. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the front spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 91,000. updated 06/14/16*lj the consumer stated the vehicle would not go forward, because the front spring was broke and damage a new tire.

Driving down the interstate coil spring on front drivers side fractured. coil spring punctured tire and the tire immediately deflated resulting in loss of control of vehicle.

My 2002 ford taurus has a broken rear coil spring. i've been told by several mechanics that this is a safety issue because if the spring pops off it could shred my tire while i'm driving. the ford taurus 1999-2001 has been recalled for this same issue, but the 2002 has not been. i have noticed several complaints online from other 2002 taurus owners, that have also had the rear coil spring break on their '02 taurus, and many of them experienced potentially dangerous situations when theirs broke. luckily my mechanic told me about this issue so that i didn't have to experience what so many other people had by having my wheel shredded or ripped off while driving. this is a safety issue and there's no reason the '02 shouldn't be recalled along with the earlier models that have the same problem.

I noticed the rear of the car was low. found the problem to be two broken springs at the rear. i found there was a recall up until 2001 but not for 2002. i feel this is wrong since the company is still using the same springs that were under recall. this problem still exists with the same potential outcomes. i was fortunate.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while in the reverse position, an abnormal noise emitted from the front driver side. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front coil spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

While pulling out of the garage, the left front spring coil broke and punctured my tire. there was a recall of 1998-2001 tauruses because of that defective part. though old, the car has few miles on it and rarely driven in the winter. the spring coil looked almost new...no rust. obviously 2002's should have been included in the recall. what would have happened if i'd been driving down the highway at 70 mph? the local ford dealer replaced both spring coils and tire at cost but ford should have stood behind this repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the front driver side leaf spring became fractured. the front driver side tire blew and no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnose that the front left spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 91,000. updated 8/27/14*cn

While driving my front passenger side dropped & my tire exploded. it was discovered that the coil spring failed which torn the inside of my tire almost completely off. i know this has happened to other ford taurus however was told by ford my vin number was not included in the recall so they would not be checking into the issue. this happened without warning & had i been going faster, been in heavy traffic or on bad road conditions this would have been worse. i'm not asking for them to pay for it. just include more vehicles in the recall to prevent fatalities. *tr

Driving about 50 mph. heard noise. spring coil drivers front snapped. hit no bumps, smooth road. reading about ford's issue with this. they should step up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while reversing, he heard a loud banging noise coming from the front passenger's side. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the coil spring fractured. the vehicle was taken to dealer. the technician stated that both coil springs needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 97,000. updated 10/02/14*lj 3/10/2015 *js

The driver side front coil spring broke, puncturing the tire. not a cheap fix. *tr

The driver side front coil spring broke, it simply snapped in half. it doesn't appear that it did any tire damage though i will recheck it after speaking to my mechanic who also told me that this is a common problem with ford and he stated "the springs that ford uses are junk".

My son was driving my 2002 ford taurus on 4-15-2014 at approximately 12:00 a.m. he had the cruise control set to 35 mph. while driving, the cruise control began to accelerate. he tried to disengage the cruise control by hitting the brake. the cruise control would not disengage and the car kept accelerating reaching the speed of about 70mph. as a turn approached he could no longer control the vehicle. he hit a curb and a stop sign before the car came to a stop on the roadway. this was not the first instance with that vehicle and cruise control malfunctions, though this was the only time that the cruise control caused an accident. the vehicle had to be towed from the scene. the vehicle sustained $6005.00 of damage and is a total loss. which does not include the cost of fixing the cruise control and acceleration issues. *tr

When i put the car into reverse i heard a pop and then my tire went flat after looking at the tire i seen that the suspension coil was lodged in my drivers side front tire. the coil wasn't even rusted. i looked up to see if anyone else had this problem and there were tons of taurus that this has happened to. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 45 mph when the front passenger side tire suddenly blew, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the front passenger side coil spring had ruptured and punctured the front passenger's side tire. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v332000 (suspension) and no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 156,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact shifted into reverse and the front driver's side coil spring failed, causing the tire to blow. the contact did not take the vehicle to a mechanic or dealer. the contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. the contact did not have any repairs done performed on the vehicle. the failure mileage was 122,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, smoke emerged from the front passenger side tire as the contact noticed the coil spring was fractured. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 91,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, an extremely loud noise emitted as the vehicle began to swerve. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the contact noticed that the front driver's side coil spring had fractured due to corrosion. the vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired or diagnosed for the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. a section of the broken spring punctured the tire causing it to blow out. the two front tires were replaced at a cost of $300. two new front strut/spring assemblies were installed. parts $220 labor $175, broken stabilizer link $19.68. the right front strut was replaced as a precaution as the spring was rusty.

All springs on the car cracked. the front springs went first around 80000 miles. the rears shortly after. the car was not drive able after the front spring broke. while backing up, i heard a bang followed by a ratcheting sound. then noticed the right front of the car was dropped way down. for the rear springs, we heard the broken spring part hit the highway while we were driving. then later noticed the rear of the car sagging badly.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the passenger's side coil spring fractured and punctured the front passenger's side tire. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front passenger side coil spring needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 99,103. *tr

Brought car in for inspection and the rear coil spring fractures almost slicing the tire. why is this not a recall as the number of complaints are quite enormous. plus this is dangerous and a life could be lost! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front driver's side coil spring fractured. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the coil spring was replaced. the vin was not available. the failure and the current mileage was 109,833. *tr

I looked up my car recalls and there where 3 and when i called ford they told me that this website is wrong and there is no recalls. even when everything that is wrong with my car is on the recalls. i just need to known what to do now. *tr

Took car to tire shop for wheel alignment. shop called to us that right rear spring broke at top of coil near the rubber damper. no accident has ever occurred with this vehicle. told by shop both rear springs must be replaced for safety purposes. shop and local napa store confirmed that this problem is rampant on older ford taurus models. found online that 99-01 ford taurus has already been recalled for this issue, but not 2002 model. spoke with ford today and put them on notice about this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. the contact stated that while changing the rear passenger tire, he noticed that the coil spring was fractured. the contact also mentioned that on another occasion the front driver's side tire became flat and he noticed that the coil spring was fractured. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coil spring needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 71,000 and the current mileage was 87,000. *tr...updated 05/08/13 *bf updated 06/11/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 50 mph when a loud noise emitted outside of the vehicle. the contact continued to drive to her destination and later noticed that the front driver's side tire was deflated. the tire was replaced with the spare tire. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that both front coil springs were fractured and had punctured the tire, causing the failure. the vehicle was repaired and both tires were replaced. in addition, both rear coil springs were also recommended to be replaced. the repair was not performed. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 161,000.

Left front coil spring snapped in two places - approx 3/4 of a coil at the top and approx 1/2 coil at the bottom. sliced tire all the way through the inside sidewall - almost all the way around. also damaged the top mount of the sway bar link. this is my daughter's car. had this occurred at speed on a two-lane highway i shudder to think of the result - the drag would have sent the car immediately into oncoming traffic! as possible background, we had a cold snap recently where the temp got down to single digits. my daughter's taurus was parked beside our garage. there was a sudden loud, metallic bang in the area of her car - sounded almost as if a rock had been thrown at it - but even louder. i went outside to investigate but i couldn't see anything obvious. next time my daughter attempted to drive the car she only got a few feet down the drive when she stopped to alert my wife of a 'horrible grinding noise'. my wife thought it was just rusty brakes due to non-use of the car while she was away at college. when my daughter put it back in gear and pulled out into the street the left front corner collapsed to the ground. i had the car repaired today but now i'm seeing evidence on the internet that these coil springs have been failing and continue to fail even beyond the 1999-2001 models previously recalled. i also have a 2004 sable and a 2007 taurus. how can i not be concerned about a possible spring defect on them as well?? regardless, how can ford be allowed to trivialize our lives with such a glaring risk which can only be mitigated by proactive recall? (it sure would help to know the resolution of prior recall - was it better metal or thicker coil spring?) anyway, please help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the passenger side coil spring fractured and destroyed the front passenger side tire. the contact stated that he ordered a spring and a strut and would personally repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified and stated there was no recall and offered no other assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 75,000.

The vehicle was parked in garage when this incident happens. i heard a loud noise and noticed front driver side tire blew. after i removed the tire i realize the front driver side coil spring fractured and punctured the tire. as i think it is a safety concern i called ford informing this incident. the vehicle was towed to a local garage and my mechanic advised to change both sides of front coil springs and struts. the vehicle will be repaired in two days. *tr

I have had to replace all the coil springs on my 2002 ford taurus. i was lucky not to be on the highway when the front one broke. i was more or less setting idle when it broke. the spring went through the tire. i have been told other people have had the same problem. ford motor company should have to do something about it. *tr

This incident is like the others previously filed. the left front coil spring broke and popped the tire. actually slicing inside the tire. the mechanic said he sees this problem alot. there should be a recall. i had to change both front springs for the safety of the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 mph, the front driver's side tire blew. the contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the tire was shredded. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that the coil springs fractured and punctured the tire. the mechanic advised that the coil springs, struts and sway bars needed replacing. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 90,000.

Left front coil spring came loose and shredded tire on 2002 ford taurus wagon with 95,116 miles. ford customer service representatives [xxx] said that this failure was not related to nhtsa recall 04v33200 for defective coil springs on 1999-2001 ford taurus. ford refused to pay for the repair. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while reversing, he heard a loud noise. upon inspection, it was found that the front passenger side coil spring had failed, puncturing the tire. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the front driver's side tire had become flat. the contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the tire was shredded. the vehicle was later to towed to an independent mechanic where they advised that the coil springs were fractured, puncturing the tire. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 126,000. updated 05/23/13*lj 05/31/2013 *js

While backing my car out of the driveway, i heard a loud pop, followed by a hissing sound in my front left tire (the drivers side). i thought i ran over a nail and immediately stopped to investigate. seeing just a flat tire i tried pulling back into the driveway to change the tire, however the car would not move. i investigated further and discovered the spring had broken and was impaled in my recently purchased new tire! i hate to think what would have happened if i was driving at highway speeds - i would have lost all control and probably would have had a very serious accident!!! i noted many complaints have been filed and there was a recall on the front springs on ford taursus' ending in 2001. i strongly urge the nhtsa to please extend that recall to include the newer ford taurus' that seem to still experience this extremely dangerous and potentially deadly defect. how many lives have to be lost or property damaged before ford is held responsible? *tr

Left front spring broke and punctured the tire and a link. *tr

I was told that my taurus' rear coil springs were broken and could puncture my tire. after noticing that my car was very low in the rear, i took it in to get an estimate. to just fix the back it would be around $800, which is ridiculous for what my car is worth. it is 10 years old and has numerous other problems. after doing some research, i found that this is a common problem in ford cars, and a big problem in taurus'. so much that there was a recall on previous years, but not on the 2002. i have read numerous complaints from other 2002 taurus owners about the same problem, but no remedy from the company. if this is a common problem, why not fix it in all models it affects? i would rather not die in a car crash in order to get my point across to the company about this ongoing problem. regardless of the numerous electrical problems i have had prior, i still considered getting another ford when it was time to buy a new car. however, with this fiasco, i am now absolutely certain i will never buy another ford again, and never positively comment on ford cars. *tr

I noticed the rear of the car sitting low. upon inspection it was found both rear springs were fractured, and fracture was very near tire. *tr

I was driving down the road (garden state parkway) and all of sudden, my front right tire got completely flat at full speed. after towing truck came and changed the spare tire on. five minutes later, the front left tire went totally flat. the repair shop told me both front coils failed and needed to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 5 mph the contact heard a grinding noise followed by a loud bang. the contact stopped the vehicle and noticed the front driver's side tire was flat. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the mechanic stated the front drivers side coil spring fractured and had to be replaced. the rear drivers side coil spring had also fractured and was previously replaced during routine maintenance. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000. updated 06/05/12*lj the consumer stated that the left front coil spring broke and punctured the sidewall of the front tire. updated 06/06/2012*js