Problems with 2003 Ford Taurus SUSPENSION

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact was driving 45 mph when the tire became flat. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. the dealer informed her that it was a faulty coil spring. the dealer stated that the contact was lucky and that it was very dangerous to drive the vehicle with a faulty coil spring. the dealer also stated that this could have caused suspension failure and that the coil spring damaged the tire. the contact asked has the dealer if he had seen this type of failure before and he stated that he had just not to a vehicle that was so young. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not on the recall list. the contact feels that her defects are identical to the recall. the vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. there have not been any additional failures at this time. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

While parked in my driveway, my 2003 ford taurus snapped left front coil spring and stabbed the tire. while breaking, it also broke the strut and torsion bar. total cost was $810.00. i went to the ford dealer where i bought the car and the service manager said " water got up in there and rotted it." *tr

2003 ford taurus - rear spring broke and slashed tire. vehicle was sitting still when this happened but if moving could have caused a serious accident. had to replace rear struts and springs and new tire. $582. *tr

My 2003 ford taurus had been parked in my driveway when i heard a very loud bang and then air leaking. i discovered that the left front spring had broken causing damage to the spring, stabilizer link, strut and tire. we had to replace both springs, both stabilizer links, both struts and the left front tire. *tr

Left front coil spring broke while pulling out of parking spot, puncturing the side wall of tire( 30k mi left on tire) now have to replace both coil spring(only come in pairs, by new tire. dam lucky i wasn't on express way doing 65. my car is a 2003 ford taurus 98k mi. *tr

2003 taurus wagon - front left coil spring broke and punctured/ destroyed tire. started car in am, placed into reverse and heard noise/ air pressure whoosh and lf sank. learned coils spring had failed when removed tire to put on spare. told by both dealer service manager and tow truck operator this is a common problem. checked on-line and it does seem to be a problem addressed for 99-01 but not 02-03 yet. nhtsa investigation open. although ford argues failure such as this not life threatening, i feel if roads are slick with snow/ ice, loss of control could be very dangerous. in any event, it appears there is a history of this problem with 02 - 03 model years that sounds exactly like the 99-01's based on my search of the net. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the driver side front coil spring broke and cut the tire in half. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic who stated that there was a recall related to the coil spring. the front and rear coil springs were repaired at the owners expense. the contact was advised that you cannot repair one coil spring without repairing the other. the ford dealer stated that there was nothing they could do for him. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.

2003 taurus, front drivers side coil spring failed, punctured tire. 50,000 miles on vehicle. *tr

My 2003 ford taurus ses broke a front lh side strut coil spring when i was backing out of my garage. i only moved the car about a foot, the spring broke and punctured the tire. the tire will need to be replaced also because there is a large hole in the side wall. i have not had the car fixed yet. i am trying to decide what all i should replace including the other side spring. ford said they would not do anything and there is no recall on this car. *tr

Right front strut/spring mount broke looks like from corrosion these models were recalled on earlier models for this same thing seems like its not on your site for the 2003's. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the front passenger side coil spring snaps. without the retainer, the springs dropped and punctured the tires. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in a recall and advised the contact to call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard a clanking noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. instantly, the tires blew out and she noticed a foot long gash in her tires. she began losing control of her vehicle while pulling over to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the front coil spring failed. the dealer replaced both coil springs and installed coil spring shields.. there are recalls on the 1999-2001 vehicles, but not for her year and model vehicle. ford stated that they would not cover the repair expenses on her vehicle. the failure mileage was 148,000. updated 4/23/09 *cn the consumer was informed his vehicle was not a part of the recall. updated 04/27/09.*jb

I was driving my 2003 ford taurus at 30 mph, suddenly, there was a loud series of cracking noises,followed by a bang as the nose of the car dropped and it veered to the right. i brought the car under control, and had it towed to a repair shop. the driver's side front coil spring had shattered - pieces of it tore the cv joint boot, broke the plastic sway bar and the strut itself was damaged. the sidewall of the tire was cut, but it did not lose air pressure. the cv joint, strut, spring and sway bar needed to be replaced, and i felt it prudent to take the shop's advice and have the passenger side done also (they told me that they have seen a number of these failures) total cost was $1380. my ford dealer told me that there is not a recall for this problem on the 2003 model years (yet). he also told me that ford was not responsible because they didn't make the spring! yes, but they put it in their cars that they made! i was told by the repair shop that my rear springs need replacing as well, but i will get a second opinion on that. the car has 140,000 miles on it, but i still don't feel that these springs should break like this. *tr thanks,

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while reversing out of the driveway at an unknown speed, the front driver's side tire flattened. the contact noticed that the springs failed and punctured the tire. he took the vehicle to a repair shop and the mechanic found that the stabilizer bars were made of plastic. both stabilizers were replaced with metal stabilizers and both springs were also replaced. the manufacturer informed him to take his receipt to the ford dealer for a reimbursement of $500. currently, the manufacturer is denying reimbursement because the repair was not performed by an authorized ford dealer. the failure mileage was 64,000 and current mileage was 66,000. updated 05/27/09 *bf updated 05/29/09.*jb

The vehicle was stationary and unoccupied in our attached garage when a loud noise was heard from within the house. we did not find the cause of the noise at that time. a short while later when attempting to drive the car out of the garage, there was a rubbing noise and it was noticed that the front end of the car was sitting lower. the finding was that the left front coil spring had fractured. the broken spring did not damage the left front tire. the vehicle was towed to the local ford dealer for repair. both front springs were replaced. fortunately, the spring did not break while someone was driving the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud heavy metal sound. she noticed that the right side of her vehicle was very low to the ground. the vehicle was towed to a dealer and they confirmed the coil spring failure. the vehicle is currently in the shop being repaired at the contact's expense. the failure and current mileages were 82,000. updated 04-14-09 *bf updated 04/16/09.*jb

No events, the rear coil spring on my 2003 taurus 4 door sedan simply broke. i hear from the ford dealer mechanics and the tire store people that broken coil springs on a taurus and sable are as common as flat tires. *tr

Went out to car in the morning, thought i had a flat tire when in fact the coil spring was broken & punctured the tire. the tow company driver had mentioned that it was a common occurrence for that type of vehicle. contacted local ford dealer who regularly works on the vehicle and said the recall did not include 2003 ford taurus. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while reversing out of the driveway at less than 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped and the contact heard the tire flatten. she attempted to move the vehicle back into the parking space, but it would not move. after jacking the vehicle, she realized that the coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the mechanic came to the site and replaced the front passenger side coil springs, struts, and tire. the manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for the repair since her vehicle year was not included in the nhtsa campaign for the 2001 taurus (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). the contact believes that her vehicle should have been included since the failures were identical. the current and failure mileages were 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway at an unknown speed, the contact heard an extremely loud noise coming from outside of the vehicle. she stopped the vehicle and noticed that the front driver's side tire exploded without warning. roadside assistance was called to the scene. in addition, the tire exhibited uneven wear. the front suspension and coil spring were damaged, which could have possibly caused the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 129,959.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while backing out of the driveway, the contact heard a grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. he drove to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the rear driver's side coil spring was cracked and puncturing the rear driver's side tire. the vehicle was not repaired and the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the current and failure mileages were 35,896.

Ford taurus 2003 failure front coil spring fractured and punctured tire resulting in a flat tire. front suspension needs coil spring struts and wheel speed sensor and sway bars. ford refuses to help even though there is a recall nhtsa action number ' ea08018' recall # 04v-332. *tr

Front, driver-side suspension coil spring fractured entirely, resulting in tire gouging and deflation. *tr

I have a 2003 ford taurus. was leaving my parking lot the other day when suddenly i heard a loud clunk and felt the car lower in the front driver's side. luckily, i was only about a block from home so i immediately turned around and parked it. upon inspection, i noticed the spring had completely snapped off the strut and took off a good chunk of my tire. i'm going to attempt to change it but should i take pictures just in case? i've had springs crack before on other cars but never anything like this. last time i purchase a ford. *tr

The left front spring broke on my 2003 ford taurus while sitting in the garage. when my wife started to back out the tire blew because the spring was rubbing it. *tr

2003 ford taurus wagon driverside fornt coil spring snapped and punchured tire luckly it was in my garage overnight, i hoeard a boom and checked tire was flat, took tire of and there was the broken coil. lucky i wasnt on the road going highway speeds. im leery of getting another taurus, after having 3 of them. *tr

Searched recalls for ford taurus. saw same problem with recall on 2001-2002 taurus. car was parked at school, cold weather, left front spring snaps taking out tire, stabilizer pin, and the inner shaft boot. mine is a 2003 with the same problem ford said sorry. father repaired vehicle himself cost ~ $400.00. *tr

I went out to take my daughter to school and noticed i had a flat tire. i tried adding air but no go, so i got the spare out and tried to change it and could not get the tire off it was stuck here the dam coil spring broke and was stuck thorough the tire i had to replace the spring and all parts attached and a brand new tire . and the tires i just purchased a few months before. ford needs to issue a recall on this right away .what if my daughter and i if the had been moving, it could have pulled us into the ditch, a tree , on-coming traffic, who knows hurting or killing us or someone else . but i guess ford doesn't care about our safety looked it up online found a place where 355 people had the same complaint .ford wants $400.00 dollars to repair . this car only has a little over 47,000 miles on it, i've had it with fords 3rd ford car 4th problem all with low miles just out side warranty range. but when my children's safety come in to play sorry chevy here i come....... *tr

Started to leave work. when i put my car in drive there was a loud bag from the front drivers side. pulled tire off and found broken front coil spring. *tr

The left front strut on my 2003 ford taurus failed in that the spring broke and punctured the tire causing the tire to go flat and nearly caused a very serious accident. we reported this to our local ford garage and were informed that ford models of 2002 and before were recalled but that no recall had been issued for 2003. it is my firm belief that the failure was due to defects in manufacture because my vehicle has never been subject to misuse or abuse. *tr

Right front coil spring failure while car was parked. shredded tire upon movement. *tr

While backing out of my parking spot i noticed that my right front tire didn't seem right. it appeared to be a simple flat but after it was removed and inspected by the mechanics they noticed that the front right suspension coil spring fractured. the broken coil spring punctured the adjacent tire and sliced it nearly completely off. the fractured spring also cut the wiring of the abs rendering it inoperative. the coil spring was fractured in 2 places. the mechanics mentioned that it was lucky that i had as much left on as i did or it would have been a serious accident had it gone out while i was on the road. 43,000 miles on the car. *tr

In parking lot backing up and front coil spring broke and ripped 10inch gash in the front passenger tire. getting it fixed for $600 including tire by repair shop because ford dealer said it wasn't on the recall list. *tr

Upon attempt to back out of garage, front driver's side spring broke and punctured brand new tire beyond repair. coil spring and tire need to be replaced. *tr

Loading car for vacation lf coil spring broke in driveway damaged l/f tire this being the only incident which made the car inoperable. vehicle towed to garage and is now being repaired . parts are available. *tr

While backing out of my driveway, i heard a loud noise. i got out to investigate and found i had a flat tire on the driver's side. upon further investigation i discovered that the spring had broken and ripped my tire. this is the same exact thing that happened to my wife's car twice. luckily i had enough space to put the spare tire on and pull it back into the driveway. i am going to call the dealer tomorrow and work on getting it fixed. i don't think that there is a recall yet on this year, although there definitely should be. i'm just thankful we chose not to take it on our florida trip, who knows where we would've been stranded or if we would've gotten into a terrible accident on the highway. *tr

My son drove 3 1/2 hrs to go back to college, the next time he used the car when he took off the coil spring broke and punctured the tire, if this would of happened on his travel back it could of resulted in death. he is in the process of trying to get the car fixed at a hefty price, they are suggesting that all need to be replaced because this will happen again. this is a dangerous situation. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact noticed that she had a flat tire and pulled the vehicle into a service station. while the tire was being replaced, the mechanic noticed that the coil spring punctured the front driver's side tire. the spring and struts were replaced at the cost of $600 on april 12, 2008. in addition, the contact was involved in a rear end crash due to a stabilizer failure. there were no injuries. on june 25, 2009, the radiator hose corroded and caused coolant to leak. a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that there was no recall; therefore, they would not assist. the contact was advised to call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 104,000 and current mileage was 105,424. updated 9/1/09 *cn updated 09/02/09.*jb

My 2003 ford taurus sel experienced a failure (fracture) of the front suspension coil spring on the drivers side (left) which caused a puncture in the adjacent tire. the vehicle was being parked at the time the tire was punctured by the protruding fractured spring and deflated. the vehicle will be repaired soon; however, i will retain photos of the broken part on the vehicle and the old part. my experience is the same as those described in nhtsa action no. ea08018. *tr

Coil spring broke and took out brand new tire on a 2003 ford taurus. no signs of wear and tear, let go when still in driveway, pulled car into reverse and the spring broke and went through the tire. *tr

Front left coil spring broke while the vehicle was parked in my garage. the spring punctured the tire and also i had to replace the sway bar link. this was damaged when the spring broke. the mechanic recommended replacing the entire strut assembly on both sides. *tr

Driver side front coil spring broke on 12/20/2008 puncturing tire. part of broken coil spring has rust line all the way through. have not had repaired yet. *tr

I took the car into a ford dealer on 2 occasions in the last 6 months complaining of a bouncy ride. asked for the struts to be looked at. dealer says they found nothing wrong. less than 3000 miles after last visit, left front strut self destructed. i went out to the car, started it up, put it in gear and heard a loud crashing noise similar to a glass gallon jug being thrown to the ground. the car was not moved forward even an inch as the brake was applied while putting it in forward gear. then another loud bam and the front of the car came down. visual inspection found that the left front strut spring exploded and blew out the tire. all 4 struts were replaced with aftermarket parts as ford is still selling the same version of the strut and spring. parts were disposed of. *tr

When backing out of my garage to leave for work in the morning i heard a loud popping and screech coming from the left front wheel. i stopped and got out of the car and found my tire flat. upon inspection by my mechanic it was discovered that the left front coil spring just snapped without warning causing a large tear in the tire. it was very fortunate that this happened when i was in my driveway and not on the highway at high speed. this could have caused a very bad accident. my mechanic said that it will need a new spring and a new tire. since my front tires are winter tires i will probably have to purchase two to match. *tr

Rear passenger coil spring broke and destroyed the tire while driving 15 mph. will not know what additional damage was done until i talk to my mechanic. *tr

Left front spring failure at 70mph on us hwy 127. there was a loud band, smell of burning rubber as the front corner of the vehicle dropped down. was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road. upon closer inspection, the spring had broken, and was lodged against the tire/wheel. saved a small piece of the spring. it was clean and free of rust at the breakpoint. vehicle was towed to local ford dealer. will contact them on monday. *tr

I went to back my 2003 ford taurus out of the garage and heard a loud noise followed by air coming from my left front tire. while jacking the car up, i noticed that the coil spring was against the tire and then realized that part of the spring had punctured the tire. the spring had broken into two pieces. the plastic stabilizer link was also broken. *tr

My 2003 ford taurus experienced coil spring failure. i put my car into reverse and the coil spring broke putting a 4 inch gash in my nokian winter tires. i have taken the vehicle to the dealership, the capital lincoln mercury on 100 pearl street in essex junction, vt 05452. i am replacing the struts and coil springs along with the stabilizer link on the driver side and also replacing the struts and coil spring on the driver side. i also had to replace the winter tires on the front since the left front tire was ruptured and although the passenger tire was still good to balance out placing a new winter on just one side would have made the balance off. the total price was approximately $900.00. in doing research i see that ford has had multiple problems with their coil springs and there have been recalls before on this defective product. the 2003 ford taurus has not yet been recalled although this problem has occurred on the 2003 ford taurus.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was replaced. approximately 5 months later the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was again replaced. the failure recurred again and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the cam sensor was reset. the failure has not recurred. approximately 1 year later while driving at approximately 20 mph the front passenger side tire blew out. upon examining the vehicle the contact noticed the coil spring was broken and pierced the tire. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the front passenger side coil spring was replaced. the contact also stated that approximately 2 months later while attempting to operate the vehicle it would not shift into gear and would not move. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was in the process of being diagnosed. the failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 90,600.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. while the vehicle was parked, the contact heard a noise coming from the front driver's side tire. he noticed that the tire was completely flat. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was related to the coil spring. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.