NHTSA Defect Investigation #RQ03008

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE: Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch**

RECALL »

Recall #04V106000

** This defect investigation is filed under 6 related vehicle components.
2002 FORD TAURUS -- Ford conducted a recall in March, 2001 to correct a defect affecting the brake light switch in MY 2000 through early-2001 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with power adjustable pedals (recall 01V-078).RQ03-008 was opened to investigate complaints concerning the remedy and scope of 01V-078.ODI's analysis identified concerns with post-repair failures in recalled vehicles,failures in MY 2001-02 vehicles with adjustable pedals that were not included in recall 01V-078, and failures in MY 2000 vehicles with fixed pedals.(note: The manufacturer failure data in this resume includes all crashes and injuries, but the complaint information is limited to MY 2001-02 vehicles that were not included in the scope of recall 01V-078.)on March 1, 2004, Ford notified NHTSA of a safety defect in MY 2000 through early-2003 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals and MY 2000 subject vehicles equipped with fixed pedals (recall 04V-106).the notification identified three factors contributing to brake light circuit failures:(1) continuing grease contamination issues that prompted 01V-078; (2) misalignment of the booster rod pin and the brake light switch; and (3) wire assembly fatigue.the first two conditions were limited to vehicles with adjustable pedals and the latter condition affected vehicles with fixed pedals.Ford will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the brake light switch and associated wiring replaced with a re-designed brake light switch and wiring assembly. Investigation was initiated on October 23 2003. Closed on March 05 2004. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #RQ03008 »

NHTSA Defect Investigation #RP03001

BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATION: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

CLOSED

no recall issued

2002 FORD TAURUS -- Ms. rodman reported that after her vehicle was inspected for the recall, her mother experienced a sudden acceleration and crashed the Sable into a light pole.previously NHTSA had conducted an investigation for this issue (PE02-035) that resulted in the recall (02V-266) of 369,000 MY 2000-2002 Taurus and Sable vehicles equipped with adjustable brake and accelerator pedals to insure that the separation between the pedals was at least 50mm..a review of ODI's database for complaints regarding recall 02V-266 did not identify any recall remedy complaints other than the petitioner's.ms. Rodman¿S vehicle was inspected by ODI using Ford¿S special tool and her vehicle was found to exceed 50mm.also, the lateral movement of the pedals was found not to be excessive relative to other comparable Taurus and Sable vehicles.therefore, it is unlikely that NHTSA would issue an order requiring Ford to provide a different remedy for this defect.in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA¿S limited resources to best accomplish the Agency¿S safety mission, the petition is denied.for additional information concerning this analysis, please refer to the federal register notice dated March 23, 2004 (vol 69, no 56, pages 13619-13620). Investigation was initiated on October 31 2003. Closed on March 23 2004. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #RP03001 »

NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA08018

FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE: Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs

OPEN

possible recall

2002 FORD TAURUS -- The Office Of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 355 complaints from consumers residing in "salt belt" states that allege front suspension coil spring fracture in the subject vehicles. (note: For purposes of this investigation, the "salt belt" includes Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin).approximately 72% of the complainants allege the broken coil spring punctured the adjacent tire resulting in loss of inflation pressure.ODI is aware of 3 alleged crashes related to the alleged defect resulting in one person injured.the subject vehicles are substantially similar to those previously investigated by ODI (PE02-080 and PE04-044) and recalled by Ford (NHTSA recall no. 04V-332).an engineering analysis has been opened to assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of the alleged defect. Investigation was initiated on August 28 2008. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA08018 »