8.5
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$701.00
Average Mileage:
79,815 miles
Total Complaints:
19 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace front springs and struts (12 reports)
- coil springs replaced (5 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
suspension problem
Helpful Websites About 2002 Ford Taurus broken front spring
2009Jun 20
Taurus SEL 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 59,375 miles
Wow. The previous complaint is pretty much my story...
I had just threw the car in reverse - made it about an inch and HISSSSSSSS... Tire went flat. Initially I thought it was the lumber guys that had just dropped off the materials for the deck and had maybe left something in the driveway. Of course I go out and get the jack and jack up the car - loosen the lug nuts - and when the wheel wouldn't come off - I felt around and noticed the broken spring. I have NEVER heard of or seen a spring break on a car.
The car was towed to the local Ford dealership (who shall remain nameless) and the service writer said that as the springs rust - they sometimes break. Right. Except mine didn't have a spot of rust on it. Now I know about the recall on the '01 Tauruses - but didn't at the time - or I would've raised heck at the dealership.
So - if my math is right... 1 broken spring = replacing both springs, one tire, a broken strut mount and stabilizer link, an alignment, and straightening the subframe = about $960 US / $1,075 CDN.
Don't worry folks - they threw in a car wash...
2009Jun 22
Taurus SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 87,000 miles
As I have read the other complaints about the 2002 Taurus and a broken front spring, I must say most of you were lucky in that you were in the driveway or driving on a city street. I was driving on the interstate going 70 mph. Without any warning, the spring broke, dropped down on the suspension and broke the sway bar and crushed the outer tie rod. The wheel did not lock up nor did the tire blow, but the experience is one to remember. We were very fortunate that we were not in heavy traffic and were able to steer to the side of the road. It was the first day of our vacation and we got to spend the day and night waiting for the car to get fixed. Besides the springs, strut bearing, sway bar, tie rod, front-end alignment, we also had the expense of a hotel room and towing. The repair shop knew about the ford recall on the front springs and even contacted the local Ford dealership. That's when they said it was only up to the 2001 year Taurus. The repair bill was close to $1,000.00 when all done and took several hours. I agree that this recall should be extended to cover the later year cars that obviously have the same problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009May 03
Taurus SEL 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 92,988 miles
I started the car in the driveway, moved about 1 foot, and the front left coil spring exploded, deflating the tire. I had to have the car towed to our garage we have used for almost 20 years. It will cost about $425 US or $525 CDN plus a new tire as the warranty doesn't cover this type of blowout.
Amazing that Ford doesn't have this item recalled, but due to the Big 3 financial crisis, I'm sure no recalls will be forthcoming for a long time. I was very surprised to see the number of these that have broke as per your website. "Shameful"
2009Apr 02
Taurus SE
- Automatic transmission
- 69,000 miles
I was very reluctant to register on this kind of complaint site for privacy reasons, but I know there are lots of people out there like me that have not spoken up about this issue -- the heck with privacy, because Ford needs to hear about this!
It is ridiculous that Ford is not recalling 2002 Taurus for its coil spring problem giving the apparent quality and safety issues there! It seems they are waiting for some really bad accidents to happen on the highway and somebody get seriously hurt, or God forbid, die, and then sue their a** off! In the meantime, lots of loyal Ford customers get pissed off and are swearing off Ford brand. What kind of business are they running there???
My Taurus has only 69,000 miles on it. My front coil broke a couple of weeks ago when I just passed a stop sign and my speed was barely 20 mph. I heard a huge explosive noise and I thought I hit a rock or something. I immediately stopped and inspected the car -- the driver side of the car collapsed and was in contact with the wheel so the vehicle was not drivable. I called a tow truck and went to the dealer. The total cost was about $490. I was lucky it did not damage the tire badly because the speed was so slow.
Should this happen on the highway, with a speed of 65 mph, the car would surely veer off and the tire will surely explode. The passengers of the car and the nearby drivers will definitely in mortal danger! Is this what Ford wanted to see?!
Ford, take care of your customers before it's too late!
2008Jul 03
Taurus SEL 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
When we got this car in 2004 I fell in love,Metallic gray , moon roof , leather seats, 24 valve,rear spoiler ahh-hhh. Gradually that love has turned to hate! The coil spring busting on the front really ticked me off. I called Ford what a joke, they told me there was no recall for this problem and I d have to pay to have it fixed myself. I informed the woman I spook to that it'd be a cold day in h#!*# before I ever buy another Ford!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Jan 30
Taurus 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 96,000 miles
Hey all you "satisfied" taurus owners , it seems we are not alone. I too had a front coil spring snap in two with no warning . Not only that , a sidewall gash that is not covered in my road hazard , a broken sway link ,(by the way , why would you use a very brittle plastic no really I broke what was left of it with my bare hands and it wasn't hard to do!) a damaged ball joint and a missed day of work. With that said I have owned seven taurus' with combined miles well over a million and will probably look at another one as they are great cars. Sure you have to do brakes often (62 front and 29 rear, 2 master cylinders, 10 rotors 4 wheel cylinders 2 calipers and a little elbow grease) but other than this coil spring I have had very good luck . I only wish Ford would see the big picture and take care of the little guy. Coil spring = big problem to the little guy , little problem to the big Ford Motor Company. Then again the little guy is the only one who can really "bail them out".
sorry if this wasn't angry enough I am just a nice guy. Ed B
2009Jan 07
Taurus SE 3.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 76,501 miles
Way to go, Ford! As if you couldn't find enough ways to f*** up our Taurus! When your design and engineering teams said...
"Hey, we don't think that replacing the front rotors every 5,000 miles is enough" or,
"It'll be even funnier when the chrome PEELS off of the interior door handles" or better yet,
"Let's put our Cam sensor where the Distributor USED to go, then make it so impossibly DIFFICULT to align, that it'll sure be a riot when the customer has to replace it because it squeals louder than a fat swine when you're chasing it!"
YOU, Ford, as a company, SURE stepped up to the plate! Ford has made repairing our Taurus a sure pissing challenge.
Backing out of the driveway, I heard a loud "clunk" and then a "hiss". Fearing that I may have ran over the neighborhood cat and aggravated said feline (fearing because it may have damaged my car, being a fragile Taurus, after all), I look at the wheel and to my disbelief, the front driver's side of the car looks as if it had hydraulics installed and was sitting damn near close to the ground! Blasting my "rap" music in anticipation that maybe someone had ninja-rigged hydraulics into my suspension, and that it may bounce back, I searched for the cat and it was nowhere to be found, and the same was to be said for half of the coil spring!
But wait... there's more!!!
!!
Not only was half of the spring gone, my BRAND NEW (SEE: BRAND NEW) TIRE had a slice in it, comparable in size to the "Ford Taurus for Dummies" book I had written, containing chronicles and charts of things that had indeed gone haywire with this car in question.
Being the crafty individual I am, I used a cut-off tool and sliced the sharp end of the coil spring off which had managed to piss off my tire. I threw the donut-spare on, and now, it sits lonely in my street, waiting for the tow truck to come get it in the morning. They can keep it for all I care. And that annoying cat.
2008Dec 08
Taurus SES V6
- Automatic transmission
- 86,000 miles
The front passenger side coil snapped as my husband was driving my car to work. It punctured and shredded the tire, bent the bearing plate and strut. Due to the damage they had to replace both front coils. I CANNOT believe the 2002 models are not included in the recall. Just thankful I wasn't driving 70mph on the thruway! My rear coil snapped in July of '08, that cost me $1,500!
2008May 20
Taurus
- Automatic transmission
- 130,000 miles
Front drivers side spring snapped while pulling into the driveway. Front springs, the gouged tire and struts replaced at a significant cost. Ford is screwing up by not issuing a recall on the 02 model. Let's hope no one is injured or looses their life when a spring pops on the highway. Thanks Ford Motor Company for your 5 Star Safety concern!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jun 17
Taurus ES 3.2L
- Automatic transmission
- 50,000 miles
This is the second time the front coil spring broke and ripped up the tire, first the right spring in 2007 and again in 2008. This is a known problem and Ford offers a fix using specials springs shields which you have to pay for along with labor. Why should I have have to pay to fix a problem that they are aware of? The defective spring and strut design was a factory recall for the Taurus up to and including 2001, however the SAME strut spring assembly is not covered for the 2002. I've owned Fords since 1965, NEVER again, I will never buy another FORD!
2008May 12
Taurus SES 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 60,000 miles
Contacted Ford Service in the area and they stated that the year, 2002, was not part of the original recall for this problem. Judging from the other complaints on this site looks like Ford is simply turning their backs.
The car is titled as a 2002 Taurus however it was built and commissioned on 10/9/01.
According to Ford the end of the campaign, nice term, for the problem of broken springs applied only to the 2001 model and ended for vehicles manufactured up until August 01.
The fix for the 2001 was to install protective spring shields. Wonder why these shields never were applied to the 2002 model year.
I am guessing that the cost to repair this is going to be in the neighborhood of $600.00 which includes a new tire. Inconvenience, safety, headache and a real pain in the $%*.
Way to go Ford. It's no wonder the Japanese are eating your lunch.
This is not a dead issue with me yet.
2006Dec 11
Taurus SE Wagon
- Automatic transmission
- 67,240 miles
I have been fighting with Ford Canada for 18 months now. I know there are hundreds of complaints for this problem on U.S. based car sites but I am having no luck to find a Canadian site.... yet I know there is the identical problem here... have even heard from someone in another province with the same tale of woe. The tow truck driver who towed my car had seen at least 6 identical cases in the previous 3 months and that's in a fairly small town. Ford Canada's honcho tells me that it is a "coincidence" that this happened to my car and that Ford Canada has no connection with Ford U.S.so I can't use that comparison! Does he think I was born yesterday? The guy is an arrogant rude man on the phone and told me that I can forget getting anywhere with this! You can bet I'll NEVER buy another Ford! Their customer care is crap!
1920Apr 30
Taurus SEL 24 VAL 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 77,159 miles
This car only has 77,000 miles on it, I don't drive through pot holes,or fast over bumpy roads. When the stupid front spring on the drivers side broke. I was only pulling into the alley by my driveway. It just snapped in two. I really feel that ford should fix it, not me! I've had other fords and even chevys and never had this problem. Thank goodness it didn't hurt the new tires on the front! I already had an appointment to see why the emissions light keeps coming on and doesn't want to accelerate , filter(?) yes but sometimes it doesn't do it for weeks.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Mar 27
Taurus SES 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 114,900 miles
The driver's side front coil spring broke and hit the left front tire while my wife was driving this car. My wife started to notice a problem with the car's front end, while driving home from work. She slowed down and was able to get off of the road just in time for the tire to explode! I do mean explode! She was less then 100 yards from the freeway entrance ramp.
I found out that this is a common Taurus problem. There has even been a recall on model years up to 2001, which involves replacing both front coil springs. When I called the dealer, they ran my VIN number and said that this car was not included in the recall. Go figure. This model uses the exact same coil spring as the ones recalled!
Fixed it myself. With towing and parts and a new tire it was close to $400.00. I suppose I will now need a front end alignment, which will be another $70.00 or $80.00. Does not include chasing parts and working time, which was extensive.
This is a real safety issue on these cars that Ford has never made me aware of. I am the original owner of this car.
Shame on FORD!
2007Dec 12
Taurus
- Automatic transmission
- 83,264 miles
My front coil spring snapped without impact. I was shocked to think I had just driven over a highway and upset to think what might have happened had I been on the road one minute longer. I had parked the car in my mother's yard. As I backed out of the driveway, the front driver's side fell to the ground. It had tore my wheel apart. I contacted Ford and they will not pay the cost. I do not feel safe in the car as I have read that the rear wheel springs have let go also. I am worried about the other front spring snapping also. I have read on this site where newer cars have also had the same problem, that leads me to wonder if the defective coil spring problem was really every solved?
2006Dec 11
Taurus SL Wagon 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 67,240 miles
I have had trouble finding Canadian sites for this problem. I immediately wrote to Ford Canada when it happened, because I found loads of complaints on US sites and I know that there was actually a recall for the identical problem in the US on Ford vehicles from 1992-2004 models. Mr. Larry Nurse of Ford Canada tells me that it is a "coincidence that this happened to may car and that Ford Canada is in no way connected to Ford U.S. What a crock of crap is that??? I am sure since mycarstats.com has hundreds of the identical complain listed, it is a PROBLEM. Like all the others, I lost a brand new tire as well when it happened. Thank heavens I was just backing out of the driveway and not on the highway when it occurred. I will NEVER deal with Ford again.
2007Dec 10
Taurus SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 86,000 miles
Spring shattered, driving on smooth road, fair weather. Spring tore entire inside sidewall of tire apart. This happened ten minutes from freeway offramp. If it would have happened at freeway speed it would've stopped the tire completely possibly causing a rollover or collision. I have been told that this is a common issue but no recall. I had a similar problem with my last vehicle ('96 Ford Windstar). I will never own another ford! This company takes no responsibility and cuts corners at the cost of lives.
2007Apr 12
(reported on)Taurus SES V6
- Automatic transmission
- 89,000 miles
Broken front spring... apparently common problem but not included in Ford's recall.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jul 17
Taurus SE 3.0L
Same as many already reported. Put the car in reverse, went about a foot, driver's front tire blew out. Once I realized the spring had broken I checked the Ford website to see if it had been recalled. No such luck. Then I googled the problem and was shocked to see hundreds perhaps thousands of complaint about the same problem. The shop I took it to said you should only replace the struts/springs in pairs so we did that. Glad it happened in the driveway and not on the road at high speed
Roger D.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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