Problems with 2002 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front driver side coil spring fractured and punctured the tire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced both the front driver and passenger side coil springs. the contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure. the failure mileage was 57,889. updated 09/02/11*lj updated 10/31/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact heard a loud noise when she noticed that the front coil spring had fractured, causing the tire to blow out. she notified aaa, who towed the vehicle to a ford dealer. the dealer advised the contact that her vehicle had not been included in recall number: 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000.

While maneuvering in a parking lot, the right front coil spring failed, puncturing the tire and rendering the vehicle undrivable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact noticed dust coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger tire was flat. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the front coil spring fractured and punctured the tire and both front coil springs would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and stated there were no recalls for the vehicle and could not provide any assistance. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Broken rear coil spring, 2002 taurus

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was driving in reverse approximately 2 mph in a residential driveway when suddenly, she heard a loud noise outside of the vehicle. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front driver side tire was completely deflated as a result to a fractured coil spring which had pierced the tire. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

I have a 2002 ford taurus and about two weeks ago i was getting into the car and sat down when i heard a loud metal pop or bang, i got out and looked around and under the car and did not see anything, but i had noticed if i ran over a slight bump in the road i would hear a clunk at the rear driverside wheel area so today i heard it again and when i got home i looked under the rear driverside wheel well and low and behold i have a broken coil spring so i am in the process of getting it replaced and i will request to have the part returned to me as proof of the problem so if and when ford does a recall on this i can be reimbursed.. *tr

This winter i had my right front strut spring break as i was backing out of my driveway and the spring went right through my tire. the noise sounded like an explosion and scared me to death! my husband got the spring and strut repaired and purchased a new tire. i thought this was an isolated problem until i walked out today and sat in my car to go to work. i had not turned the car on, or even touched the steering wheel and again i heard the same loud noise and now the spring on the left side broke. i am also going to check the back tires because my car sits at a funny angle and i would guess the the spring on the left rear is about to break. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving in reverse at a very low speed, the vehicle exhibited a loud pop. the driver exited the vehicle and discovered that the front driver side tire was flat. the driver removed the tire and found that the coil spring was fractured and had pierced the tire. a spare tire was installed and the vehicle was in the process of having the failure diagnosed by an authorized dealer. the failure and current mileage was 90,000.

The right rear suspension coil broke and punctured the corresponding tire, causing it to go flat. when the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair, the left rear coil was also found to be in defect and no longer safe for driving. luckily, i was not driving at a fast speed when the incident occurred. upon first getting the vehicle, we saw many reports of the front suspension coils breaking at low mileage, in addition to several rear coils breaking described on this site : http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/taurus/2002/suspension/broken_front_spring.shtml

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that as the vehicle was started, the rear driver side coil spring fractured. the contact did not contact the dealer or manufacturer to report the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 161,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that there was an abnormal squeaking and low growl from the front end of the vehicle. the contact believed that the failure was caused by a faulty coil spring that would eventually fail. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileage was unknown.

I have a 2002 ford taurus with several cracks in the right rear coil spring. i noticed that this is not an isolated situation based on reports from other owners. *tr

On 23 february 2011 i put my 2002 ford taurus in reverse on my carport, and i heard a loud bang noise.the car lurched to the left a made a loud thud sound hitting hard on the carport floor. i turned the engine off and got out to see what had happened. the left front coil spring had broke and was thrust into the left tire. also, the spring hit the top of the nylon stabilizer breaking part of the top and throwing the cover of the ball joint on the floor. *tr

02 taurus ses front left coil spring cracked. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front left coil spring broke while they were traveling 65 mph. the contact stated that the tire did not blow out and they were able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the contacts home were they were able to see that the coil spring was broken. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage and current mileages were 90,000.

Driving at approximately 10 mph, slowed to turn left and heard a pop from the passenger rear side, followed by a grinding noise. proceeded another block to the home driveway, checked vehicle and found that the passenger side rear spring had broken and was eating the inside sidewall of the tire. checked online and found numerous complaints. checked this site and found numerous complaints and a nhtsa investigation, for both front and rear springs breaking on the same model year taurus. contacted the ford dealership and ford corporate and was told there was no recall and said they would not assist in paying for the repair and accepted no responsibility for the problem. had the vehicle repaired, and tire replaced at our expense. during the repair, also found the driver side rear spring was bad, but had not completely fractured. also replaced the spring on the driver's side. this car has only 47700 miles, has been well cared for and has never pulled a trailer or carried any type of load. had just left the interstate moments before the spring broke. had the spring broken at 70 mph, destroying the tire, the resulting damage could have been catastrophic and injuries may have occurred. *tr

Daughter and two grandchildren were driving my car on four lane busy state route in heavy traffic when she heard a clunk. as she proceeded she began to smell rubber. in a few seconds tire lost all air and she had difficulty maneuvering vehicle. she was stopped in left most lane and was trying to get to curb lane with hazards flashing. car was hard to steer but after about 10-15 minutes she finally able to cross through traffic and get to curb lane and eventually into a businesses driveway. when tire was removed inner side was completely ripped 360* like as if a can opener was used.....coil spring was broken, part of it missing and rubbed clean from tire.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving in reverse at an unknown low speed a loud popping noise was heard. the vehicle was stopped and the contact noticed the front driver's side tire was flat. a spare tire was installed and the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was told the front driver's side coil spring pierced the tire. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 124,368 and the current mileage was 124,668.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact noticed that the front driver side coil spring was broken and the two rear coil springs were cracked similar to nhsta campaign id number: 04v332000 ( suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the dealer was notified and informed the contact that his vin was not included in the previous recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 134,000.

While driving my 2002 ford taurus, a loud mechanical snap was heard, followed (about two seconds later) by blowout of the left front tire. the car swerved out of it's lane, into a snow bank on the side of the road (we had 10" of snow that day). when the tow truck lifted the car, i saw that the left front coil spring had snapped, and the metal had punctured the inside wall of the tire. there were no injuries. the car was taken to atchinson ford, belleville, mi, where it will be evaluated in the morning. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 25 mph, the front driver side collapsed without warning and punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they stated that both front and rear coil springs fractured due to severe corrosion. the vehicle was repaired and the front driver and passenger side tires were replaced. the contact advised of a recall on the 2001 model year vehicles which related to the same failure he experienced. the recall was associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contacts year vehicle was not included in the recall. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while attempting to place the vehicle in reverse, the contact heard a loud grinding noise. when she exited the vehicle she noticed that the left front tire was deflated. while attempting to change the tire, the contact noticed that a piece of the spring fell onto the ground. the dealer was notified, who informed the contact that there was no extended warranty and offered no further assistance. the manufacturer referred the contact to nhtsa to file a complaint. the vehicle had was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus wagon. the contact stated that the front drivers side coil springs fractured while. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that he would need to replace the coil spring with a metal wrapped coil spring. the coil spring that failed was not metal wrapped. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 94,000. updated 03/15/11*lj updated 05/02/11

Drivers side coil spring broke while turning into driveway, spring punctured tire and torn it apart, also breaking stabilizer bar. *tr

I had a flat tire that was stuck to the car. i attempted to roll the car back and forth to loosen wheel. heard a pop and thought that the tire broke free. when i jacked the car up, a piece of the drivers side front coil fell out. i am getting it replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact stated that while backing out of his garage, he noticed that the front driver side tire had fractured due to a coil spring which punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that he needed to replace the strut and coil springs. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable.

2002 ford taurus - 83,000 miles broken coil springs front and rear. broken right front coil shredded tire. all four struts and springs replaced. there was a recall on earlier models up to 2001. ford says my taurus was built a month after the end of the recall. i feel this is a serious safety issue. luckily it happened at a low speed. *tr

This is for my parents car. thank goodness it was found out when my father went to move it instead of while driving down the highway. flat left front tire due to broken left front coil spring and damaged strut. ford knows there is a problem with their springs and yet they won't place this model year under recall. my father has already stated he will not buy another ford after both front coil springs broke in his 2005 f150 last year. i have spoken with a few ford mechanics that admit ford has a problem with their springs and all blame it on the inferior metal being used. one would think technology advanced so this does not happen. my 1973 & 1980 camaros both had intact original springs when i purchased them and yet we cannot get 10 years out of modern vehicles???

Just as with nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 for the 1999-2001 taurus, three of the four coil springs broke in this 2002 taurus shredding the right front tire while driving on the interstate. the car had to be towed and four new quick struts, new front stabilizer links, a new rear sway bar link, new front right inner and outer tie rod ends, and a new tire needed to be installed. owner repaired vehicle. manufacturer unwilling to repair or recall at this time. failure mileage was 140,811.

Both rear springs on my 02 ford taurus snapped and broke. ford will not pay for any repair costs. i've heard that this is a common problem on tauruses/sables, but ford is not doing anything. only front springs were recalled thru the 01 models. this is dangerous as the broken spring may pierce the tire and lead to tire failure as you're driving the car!! they both had to be replaced at a cost of over $500. i have a low income job and can't afford it but had to be done so i could drive my car to my job. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while attempting to drive the vehicle, the contact heard a loud banging noise when she noticed that her front strut broke, causing the tire to shred. the failure was similar to nhtsa campaign id number 04v332000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contact did not inform the dealer. the manufacturer informed the contact that her vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 120,000.

Front drivers side spring broke and pierced tire. tire is destroyed and car is inoperable. *tr

My 2002 ford taurus found front driver side coil just snapped and tore up the wheel. luckily it happened while backing out of driveway. checked and found there was a recall for up to august 2001 .also, seen on line when searching recalls that others have had this happen to them on same 2002 taurus. if this happens while driving it would be like a blow out and how many could be hurt or killed! *tr

On 1/10, i was on my way to drop my kids off at their school when the car began to drive funny.i pulled over right away and saw the front driver's side tire was blown..i proceeded to change the tire to my donut when i say the gash in my tire and i looked at the wheel well and saw the spring was sheered off..henceforth i had to pay to get new struts and a new tire and a new stabilizer for my car..i looked on the web and saw a bunch of people have had the exact same problem with their 2002 ford taurus..please help. *tr

Ford taurus 2002 left front spring coil snapped. driving into parking lot, making a right turn at 5 mph, loud bang and the left front of car dropped. inspecting the damage, found the top of the spring, the first full circle, snapped completely off. looking at the interior of the snapped section, noticed a patch of discoloration in the cracked section. this may have been caused by a crack in the spring and had been subjected to the elements for a period of time. replacing coil at local garage. *tr

2002 ford taurus rear coil spring broke. this seems to be quite a problem with the taurus and was recalled for upto 2001. i don't know why 02 was not involved in the recall but a new one needs to be addressed. *tr

1/4/11 backed out of driveway left front coil spring broke and ruptured tire ( all tires new less than 800 miles) replaced spring and tire 1/8/11 same thing again only right rear spring this time and ruptured tire so i replaced both rear springs and right front then found out it damaged strut and sway arm end link so i replaced both rear struts and end links and two tires this is when i found out that ford had a recall on 2001 taurus' for same concerns these repairs were done with no help from ford what bothers me the most is i have worked for ford as a tech. and then a service manager total time 22 yrs. this problem is a ford concern these springs break at the second coil where it overlaps first same as 2001 models

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. while driving approximately 3 mph, the contact heard an unusual spinning noise from the front end of the vehicle; suddenly, the front end collapsed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed that the front passenger side coil spring had completely broken. the technician was in the process of replacing both front coil springs. the failure mileage was approximately 61,000. the vin was unavailable.

While on highway (going slow due to inclement weather) my tire popped and i subsequently learned after towing it that my right front coil spring was broken and turned into the tire destroying it. my left real coil spring was also broken. needed to replace front and rear strut assemblies, alignment and a new tire. my spare was also damaged as i wasn't aware until after driving a short distance on the spare that there was damage to the suspension. *tr

Vehicle parked in driveway. when exiting loud noise coming from front drivers side. condition worsened as i got further away from my home. i realized i could not drive the car like this as the noise was very loud and i was smelling burnt rubber. returning home i saw the front end had collapsed. laying on the ground i could see the sway bar link had broken and was lodged in the spring. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. repairs totaled $950.00. front struts and spring and sway bar link. coil springs rusted and broke. i was very lucky; if i was driving i could have been killed or hurt someone. i checked the internet and see numerous complaints about this situation on this vehicle.

Drivers side front coil snapped, puncturing tire.

Left front strut spring failed as i was parking the vehicle causing the front tire to blow and locking the steering new strut and spring assy was installed along with a new tire. *ln

Front coil spring broke while backing and ruined new front tire and who knows what else on our 2002 ford taurus. based on the huge number of complaints..why hasn't there been a recall. our car has 55,000 miles. we live in minnesota. this is crazy. *tr

Starting on trip in driveway, heard scraping sound as pulling out of driveway and then front passenger tire blew. slowly backed car few feet back into driveway. jacked car up and pulled tire off to replace with mini spare and noticed broken, sharp end of coil spring sticking straight out at where tire was. apparently, coil spring broke and impaled tire. tire had circular scrape completely around inner surface of tire where the tire had rotated against spring edge. spring had then completely gone through tire causing blowout. luckily this happened in driveway and not at highway speeds. i understand this is a very common failure on ford tauruses and there is a recall for cars from model years 1999 - 2001. this recall should be extended to at least cover 2002 model year cars.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus. the contact was attempting to exit a residential driveway when the front passenger side tire exploded. the contact discovered that the coil spring was fractured and punctured the tire. the front coil springs and struts were repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact to take the repair invoice to the dealer for a possible reimbursement. the dealer was contacted who offered neither assistance nor a reimbursement to the contact. the current and failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford taurus sl. while the vehicle was parked in the garage she noticed that the front drivers side tire was flat. she also saw sharp objects from the coil spring all over the garage floor. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who stated that the front coil spring was broken and had punctured the tire causing it to go flat. the mechanic was replacing the coil spring assembly, the stabilizer bar, mounting bar and struts when the complaint was filed. the contact also had to replace the tire. the failure mileage was 145,157.

2002 ford taurus ses. front driver side coil spring snapped while sitting in driveway. the spring subsequently punctured the tire upon its failure. there was no warning or cause for concern. the car has 80,000 miles. had this happened while driving, a crash would have been almost certain. *tr

The front left coil spring broke and punctured and shredded the tire on my 2002 ford taurus wagon. i also had this happen on a 2000 taurus, this was covered by a recall. why isn't there a recall on later models. this should be considered a serious safety defect. *tr

Christmas morning i was backing out of my driveway when a loud popping noise occurred. it was found that the front drivers side spring has fractured. i was lucky to be at home driving at a low speed. however, this is the second time in 6 months that i have had a spring fracture on me. back in june 2010 i had the same experience with the right rear spring. the car is currently un-drivable and must be towed to a shop for assessment and repair. parts will likely need to be replaced and i hope there isn't more damage than needing the spring and potentially the tire replaced. i am writing to make you aware because many other 2002 ford taurus owners have experienced the same problem yet the real recall ends with model year 2001 and there is still a defect investigation open on my particular car for this problem. *tr