Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

The vehicle left the driveway and approximately 30 seconds later the front right front spring broke, coming out of its normal position, uncoiling, the sharp edge of the spring contacting the front right tire, ripping an approximate 24 inch tear in the tire causing instant tire deflation. the incident occurred at approximately 25 mph. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 20 mph the contact heard a loud popping sound and noticed the drivers side tire was flat. the contact was unable to control the vehicle and it crashed into a curb. the contact replaced the flat tire with the spare tire. the vehicle was taken to a tire shop where the mechanic stated the front coil spring fractured and had to be replaced. there was a voluntary recall for the failure but the manufacturer stated the vin was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. updated 5/11/12 *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while parked, the contact noticed that the front driver's side tire had become flat. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front coil spring was fractured and had punctured the tire. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that after getting into her vehicle and starting, she heard a loud noise. after inspecting the vehicle she noticed that the coil springs on the front driver's side were fractured and had punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where they advised her that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 65,000.

Front left coil spring broke and tore up tire. *tr

Started vehicle, put foot on brake and put into drive. as soon as the vehicle began to move forward,there was a loud bang. the left front of the vehicle nosed down, and i stopped. inspection of vehicle showed broken left front spring. *tr

Had a front spring break a 83000 and a rear spring at 135567 both on driver side total cost of repairs was 900 $$$. *tr

Driver side coil spring broke and cut into tire deflating it. smoke from wheel-well backed up traffic - limped to a side street on flat tire. replaced coil spring and tire. really worried about serious accident should other spring break on highway at higher speed. i don't understand why this has not been a recall item especially since these are the same coil springs as on the '01 model for which there was a recall. *tr

On approximately 01-27-12 we noticed vehicle was not riding smoothly. vehicle was brought to ford agency on 02-06-12 where vehicle was originally purchased on 10-11-02. we were informed that both rear coil springs had to be replaced at a cost of $550.72 which we agreed to. mileage on 02-06-12 was 35,373. this current report is preceded by our odi number 10260740 filed on 03-04-09 reporting failure of our front end coil springs replaced at a cost of $617.71. *tr

Backing out of parking space heard noise and then the right front tire blew out. after removing the tire found that the coil spring had fractured and punctured the tire. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the front driver's side coil spring fractured and pierced the tire. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 106,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front passenger side coil spring failed. while reversing, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the front end. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front passenger side coil spring fractured and pierced the tire. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 162,000. the vin information was not available.

New years eve with my husband myself ,son and his fiances daughter in the car ,driving on interstate at 70mph ,heading to restaurant, rt front coil broke. thank god it didn't slice tire and cause a blow out and kill us or someone else. why has there been no recall on coils installed on ford taurus newer than 2001?? this is the second incident of coil failure on my car, a back one went a few years ago. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the driver front coil spring failed. the contact found that the coil spring had also punctured the front driver side tire. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 mph, the rear driver's side coil springs fractured causing the rear driver's side tire to blow out. the contact pulled to the shoulder of the road and the tire was replaced with a spare tire. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the coil spring was replaced. the failure recurred on two occasions. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine oil change when the contact was made aware that the rear driver and passenger side springs were fractured and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000. updated 01/13/12*lj the consumer has since traded the vehicle. updated 01/18/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when the front driver's side coil spring fractured. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was repaired. the failure recurred approximately one month later on the front passenger side coil spring. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 69,000. the vin was unavailable.

2002 ford taurus almost got on fire on 11/2/11. there was gray smoke and horrible burning smell coming out of the front of ford car. called the police dept, they came and found a belt broke.... if it were not for the police persons that came to let me know what the problem is and what to do, along with the fact (and luck) i had that i was not driving on the street with speed, the entire vehicle could have caught on fire and produce even more damages for myself and anyone that could be around. ford, tk, and firestone has the details of.. all problems on this vehicle and what has been repaired. *tr ...update 01/20/12 *bf the serpentine belt broke. the consumer also stated the suspension system needed to be replaced. updated ivoq 03/07/12

Took my car in for an oil change and they showed me that my front passenger coil spring was broken. was told this is a very common issue and is a safety concern because many people have the spring go into their tires. *tt

On 7/27/11 while driving my 2002 ford taurus which has approx 41000 miles i heard a loud bang from the front of the vehicle. after arriving at my home i discovered that the right hand front coil spring had broken. although i was able to safely drive the vehicle to my house this could have turned into a dangerous situation had the broken spring punctured the tire. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the vehicle was taken for routine maintenance when the contact was advised that the rear coil springs were fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

We discovered our 2002 taurus in the driveway with a completely flat tire. upon removal of the tire to put on a temp tire we discovered the coil (front passenger) had broken and had punctured the tire (it was actually through the tire and we had to work to get it out of the tire). luckily no one was driving the vehicle at the time. *tr

Noticed grinding/rubbing noise while driving; noise varied with speed, turning and braking. observed rubber residue in left rear wheel, on wheel well. removed wheel, discovered coil spring rusted and dislodged from lower support and was shaving the tire. loss of tread observed. coil spring was subsequently cut to remove impacting area and will be replaced. no injuries. ford has issued a recall on similar models in similar years for the front coil spring; internet reports indicate that the problem may not be limited to the parts already recalled by ford. the recall may need to be expanded to cover the rear springs as well. upon replacement, will keep broken part and request servicer to submit information to nhtsa as well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus ses. the contacts stated while driving approximately 25 mph he heard a loud noise, then the front left side of the vehicle fell onto the ground. the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road where he noticed that the front spring had fractured. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor was it repaired. the dealer was contacted and advised him that there were no recalls. an independent mechanic advised him that he was aware of the failure and the spring needed to be replaced. the failure and current mileages were approximately 118,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus xl. the contact stated while driving 5 miles per hour making a turn the driver side front coil springs broke, and punctured the drivers side front tire. the vehicle was repaired by a private mechanic. the manufacturer was contacted. the failure mileage was 80,000, and the current mileage was 83,000. updated 10/03/11 *bf updated 2/21/12 *cn updated 3/27/12 *cn

I own a 2002 ford taurus that has approximately 39,000 miles on it. on monday june 13, 2011 i was backing out of the parking space at work and heard a loud noise. i got out and my left front tire was flat. i attempted to use the scissor jack that came with the car but it collapsed and broke. i had to have the car towed. the front strut and spring broke and exploded into the tire. today i have spent $1,200 for the repair of both front springs and struts and 2 new tires. i want to know who to address so that i can get reimbursed for this obvious safety issue. i could have been killed if i have been on the road driving. i am reporting this incident to the federal agency that looks into safety recalls.

This morning as i was backing out of my driveway, i heard a grinding sound coming from the front passenger tire. i stopped the car and looked under the car to check for obstructions. i then turned the car around and backed it back into the driveway. i began to pull forward slowly, attempting to determine if the noise was from the brake. at that point the tire blew, and the was a loud pop. upon removing the tire, i was able to see the coil around the strut had embedded itself into the sidewall of the tire, and tore a ring all the way around. it looks as if i tried to open the tire with a can opener. after removing the strut and the coil, i was able to see that a piece of the coil had snapped off up near the top. after looking at the point of the break, i was able to see that there was no erosion, or rusting. the mechanic who is repairing the strut is quite stunned, as is everyone else who has seen the pictures of the tire, and the coil. apparently something like this happening is quite rare. in fact, they all have said that they have never heard of something like this happening. i am grateful that it did not happen as we were driving on the road. yesterday evening the car was fine, and not making any of the grinding noise at all. *tr

2002 ford taurus wagon, front coil spring failure with tire puncture. slowing as approaching traffic signal, speed 22mph, front passenger coil failed. broken coil spring then punctured tire, ripping large gash in inside sidewall causing immediate deflation and body of car dropped to the ground suddenly. cut in tire is 180 degrees around tire, . incident required use of a tow truck and replacement of both front coil springs and replacement of one tire. thankful that this incident didn't happen five minutes later on the freeway at 65 mph. as loss of control would have been probable.

Broken drivers side coil spring 2002 ford. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated while driving 50 mph the driver side coil spring snapped causing the left tire to pop out. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and stated the coil springs were the cause of failure. the coil springs will be replaced by the contact for $300. the dealer informed the contact there was no recall for her vehicle. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 76,000. the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and the tire was replaced. updated 08/04/11

Car was receiving safety inspection and was noticed that rear coil spring was broke both rear struts replaced at that time 1-4-10, 119,500 miles. the front driver spring also broke while driving leaving parts on the road on 5-27-11, 139,123 miles. both front struts were replaced at that time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when he heard a very loud banging noise. the vehicle was stopped and the contact noticed that the front driver side tire had been punctured by the coil spring. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 148,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the vehicle was started and as he proceeded to drive, the front end of the vehicle dropped and was resting on the tires. he then noticed that both front coil springs were fractured. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the failure and stated that he would need to replace the broken springs. the coil springs were replaced at the contacts expense and there was no recall for the failure. the manufacturer was contacted who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 72,000. updated 07/08/11 *bf updated 07/18/11*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact heard a loud clanging noise outside of the vehicle. the contact continued driving and upon reaching her residence, she noticed the front passenger side coil spring had completely fractured. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. the contact planned to notify the manufacturer of the defect. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Happened while the vehicle was parked in garage; heard a loud sound and suspected the coil spring suspension, since i knew about this problem from previous owner complaints from this website. left coil spring broke and tore a big gash on tire and went flat. called ford dealer in dearborn, mi and they told it was covered as a recall; towed my car out there and they changed their story and told this vin was not covered and 2001 model year was. what a joke. promptly, i towed it out of there (did not want to give them anymore business) and got it replaced outside. cant believe ford does not want to acknowledge this problem even though it is a extremely dangerous situation especially while driving at high speeds and can happen to any of the coils. very bad quality steel used in coil spring and problem seems to be prevalent in salt-belt states. even the tow-truck driver was casual about it saying he is seeing it too often (especially with cars with high miles). ford has lost a possible future customer and switching over to a quality oem from now on. bye bye ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph when he noticed that the front passenger tire was flat. when inspected, he noticed that the coil springs were fractured and had punctured the tire. the vehicle was not driveable and was towed. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that he was not included in any recalls and would provide any assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 80,000.

Broken left front coil spring while driving at 35 mph which resulted in damage to the left front tire as well as other suspension and drive axle components. this is similar to the current investigation nhtsa ea08-018. no injuries or crash resulted. *tr

The front drivers side spring broke and punctured the tire on my 2002 ford taurus. it was parked in my driveway and when i went to drive it failed. i have seen on forums that this has been an issue with other people and ford had recalls until 2001 for the exact issue. there is a defect investigation going on. please reference nhtsa action number : ea08018. mine is the exact issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that she was driving at low speeds and thought she hit something. after inspecting the vehicle she noticed that there was a flat tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they advised her that the front passenger side coil spring would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the front passenger side coil springs. in addition, after taking the vehicle through inspection they advised her that front end links would also need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the front end links. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the inner tie rods were also replaced. updated 01/30/12

Driver front coil spring snapped and punctured tire. had to replace both fronts. rears had snapped as well. replaced them too. *tr

The spring of the front strut assembly on my 2002 ford taurus broke in half while driving the car. there was no rust of any kind around it. the strut assembly was the original one form the ford factory. i saw online that this is a common and extremely dangerous issue for which ford issued a recall that goes up to 2001 models. i wonder why newer models were not included if the issue was never resolved. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 38 mph, the contact stated that the front drivers side coil spring fractured. the contact did not inform the dealer; however, the manufacturer advised the contact that her vehicle had not been included in recall number: 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 65,000.

At 7:30 am on april 29, 2011, i left my apartment and got into my car to drive to work. i turned on the ignition and went to back out and immediately i heard a scraping noise. i got out of the car and noticed the tire was completely flat. i called aaa and they arrived by 8:00 am and the gentleman removed the tire and found that it was tore in half in a semi-circle shape. he then looked at the spring and realized that it was completed broke in half as well. the spring was completely cracked and was broken off from the top where it was mounted as well. he then called a tow truck to come, which took the car to a nearby mechanic to repair the issue.

Driving veh on road,front spring busted, causing damage to tire+possible damage to other parts of vehicle in that area. had to replace strut and springs, and of course it is highly recommended that both front struts + springs be replaced. veh is 2002 ford taurus---ford did recall for exact problem-but only for 1998,1999,2000,+2001 years. *tr

While backing out of our driveway the drivers side front coil spring broke puncturing the tire, separating the axle, and damaging the stabilizer link. fortunately no injuries occurred.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated while driving 35 mph both front and back coil springs broke. the failure caused the front of the vehicle to fall on the tires. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who repaired the vehicle. the dealer informed him that his year, make and model vehicle does not have any recalls or warranties; therefore, he had to pay for the cost of the repairs. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 123,000.

Just starting backing up and heard and loud sound and then the tire went flat. tried to change the tire but could not get it off. i found that the spring had broke and went through the tire. called aaa and they said this was common with the 2002 taurus and that i was lucky it happen while i was not driving on the road. very dangerous problem that needs to be addressed before people get killed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while leaving the driveway he heard a loud noise and pulled to the side of the road. he then looked at the front drivers side and didn't see anything. when he entered the vehicle and drove a few more feet the noise recurred. he decided to place the spare tire on the vehicle and noticed that a wire was fractured that had punctured the tire. the vehicle was inspected by a independent mechanic who advised him that the coil springs fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 79,000.

My car was just sitting in the drive way, untouched, when the coil spring just broke and a piece went in to my tire for no apparent reason. it should also be noted that on june 3, 2011, i was having a muffler replaced whenthe mechanic noticed that my rear coil spring was broke with a piece of the remaining coil spring within a half inch of my tire. it was quite costly to repair each time. i feel extremely lucky to not have been driving my car at the time this occured.

On the morning of april 4, 2011, i started my 2002 ford taurus se wagon and put it in reverse. the moment the car began to move, i heard a loud "bang" sound and then the car would not move anymore. i got out and saw that the front tire on the driver's side was flat. i checked the tire and found that it had been slashed by the spring that had just broken. i had to have the car towed to the ford dealership. the mechanic said that when the coil spring broke it damaged the sway bar link as well as cutting up my tire. both front coil springs, 1 sway bar link, and 1 tire had to be replaced. i did some research on the internet and found that many others have had this same problem. there is a recall on the 1999 - 2001 taurus, but not the 2002. ford is being very negligent by not extending the recall to the 2002 taurus. it is unfair that i, and many others are having to pay for repairs that have been caused by faulty parts. the only thing i am grateful for is that this happened in my driveway and not while i was traveling on the highway. by ignoring this problem and not extending the recall, ford is not only causing financial hardships for customers, they are also endangering the lives of many people. please do what you can to continue the investigation of faulty coil springs on the ford taurus.