CarComplaints.com Notes: Most people need a car where the coil springs don't puncture or shred tires while driving. The Taurus fails in that respect.
The 1999-2003 Ford Taurus has a huge problem with coil springs breaking, which can puncture or even shred tires while driving.
The US government spent THREE YEARS (2008-2011) investigating the 2002-2003 Taurus coil springs. Although Taurus/Sable from earlier years were recalled, ultimately the NHTSA did not force a recall. They determined that because there had been no deaths & very few bad crashes & injuries, the broken coil springs defect was no big deal & not a safety defect. Tell that to all the owners who had close calls...
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,219 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that on May 27, 2010, while driving at 20 mph, the front suspension broke and punctured the tire which caused a loss of vehicle control. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The vehicle was then towed to a repair shop where the front suspension and coil spring were replaced. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The current and failure mileages were approximately 98,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While driving at 45 mph, the contact noticed a grinding noise. After examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear driver side coil spring had broken. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the coil spring was replaced. One year after the repair, the contact was driving 45 mph when the front passenger side tire became flat because the coil spring had broken. The vehicle had not been inspected at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The current mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While reversing, the contact heard a noise. He then noticed the left front tire had become flat. He had the vehicle lifted and found that the left front coil spring was broken. The contact planned to call the manufacturer and have the vehicle repaired. The current and failure mileages were 127,224.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when he pulled into his garage, the front driver side coil spring failed and punctured the tire. He put the spare tire on and drove to a local repair shop. The mechanic advised the contact to speak with the manufacturer about recalls. When he called the manufacturer, he was informed that his vehicle was included in recall 04V332000 (front coil springs). The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving at speeds of 40 mph the front driver side coil spring broke and punctured the front driver's tire. The contact was able to install the spare tire and drive to a local repair shop. The mechanic replaced the front strut assembly and installed a new tire. The manufacturer advised there were no recalls on the vehicle and would provide no assistance. The contact believed the failure should be a recall issue due to the nature of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
- Oak Ridge, NJ, USA
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The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While driving at 60 mph, the contact stated that he noticed a loud, clicking noise so he pulled over to the side of the road. He noticed that the front driver side coil spring was broken. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where both front coil springs were replaced. The contact had not spoken with the dealer or the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 172,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. When the vehicle was taken in for routine maintenance, the mechanic stated that the front left spring was broken. The mechanic replaced both front springs and struts. Within a few weeks, the contact heard a loud noise when the vehicle was parked. Upon inspection, she saw that the front right spring was broken. The vehicle was taken back to the repair shop and the front springs and struts were replaced. The contact called the manufacturer but she was told that they would not offer any assistance with the repair cost. The failure mileage was 63,119. The current mileage was 63,124.
2002 Ford Taurus defective springs the consumer stated she was pulling out of a parking lot when she heard a noise. She promptly stopped driving, and discovered the front driver's side tire was flat. She put the spare tire on and returned to where she purchased the tires, only to learn the warranty did not cover the situation. The consumer was informed the tire would not be replaced, because the damage was caused by a broken coil spring and not because of any inherent problem with the tire itself. A month and a half later, the driver's side rear tire was damaged in the same manner which was due to a defective coil spring. The consumer discovered a recall regarding the coil springs for the 1999-2001 models.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving between 10-15 mph the front coil spring fractured and punctured the front drivers side tire. The tire and spring combination also fractured the stabilizer bar link and punctured the axle boot. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer but made the necessary repairs himself. The manufacturer was contacted but would provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While the contact was driving at approximately 20mph, he noticed a clunking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. Shortly after, the front end of the vehicle suddenly dropped to the ground. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who informed him that the front coil spring needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that when he attempted to drive in reverse, he noticed that the front left wheel was dragging and the tire was flat. He removed the tire and observed that the front coil spring was fractured and punctured the tire. The coil spring and stabilizer were replaced by the contact. The manufacturer stated that because there were no recalls on his vehicle, they could not offer any assistance. The current mileage was approximately 83,500 and the approximate failure mileage was 83,440.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact discovered that the front driver side tire was flat. The contact called a tow truck to change the tire and notice the coil spring was broken. The vehicle was towed to a locate mechanic. The local mechanic replace the front coil spring, strut and the driver side tire. The contact reported the issue to the manufacturer regarding the front coil spring. The contact feels a recall should be issued for this year make and model due to numerous complaint on the internet regarding the coil springs. The failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 11/16/10 updated 11/16/10
2002 Ford Taurus front left driver side spring failure. Luckily, car was not in use when it happened. It was sitting in the driveway idle for 1 full day (March 12). Tried to use it tonight, moved a few inches, seemed like something was hung up. There was a sound of something rubbing against rubber. Examined suspension being closer to the ground than usual. Found front driver side spring broken near the bottom. It has extended past the bracket which holds it. It is putting extreme pressure onto the tire. If I was to drive it further, it would most definitely puncture the tire and cause more damage to other parts of the vehicle. I do not know the status of the strut. Could have been deadly if it happened while traveling on the highway. Also looks as if at least one of the rear springs has broken. Will be calling Ford dealer to get estimate for repairs. Looks as if it is happening to many of the cars manufactured after the 1998 to 2001 recall, also the 2002 and 2003 model years.
2002 Ford Taurus front left driver side spring failure. Luckily, car was not in use when it happened. It was sitting in the driveway idle for 1 full day (March 12). Tried to use it tonight, moved a few inches, seemed like something was hung up. There was a sound of something rubbing against rubber. Examined suspension being closer to the ground than usual. Found front driver side spring broken near the bottom. It has extended past the bracket which holds it. It is putting extreme pressure onto the tire. If I was to drive it, it would most definitely puncture the tire and cause more damage to other parts of the vehicle. Could have been deadly if it happened while traveling on the highway. Also looks as if at least one of the rear springs has broken. Vehicle has 102,000 miles and used in Wisconsin. Will be calling Ford dealer to get estimate for repairs as I hear there is no recall as of yet. Looks as if it is happening to many of the cars manufactured after the 1998 to 2001 recall, also the 2002 and 2003 model years.
I have a 2002 Ford Taurus. This morning, the left-front coil spring of my Taurus broken and it ripped the tire. All of this happened when it was parked in the garage without driving. Before this, it worked fine with no problems. Also I will have to replace the spring, strut and tire for my car.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. While the vehicle was traveling at a speed of 10 mph the contact attempted to make a turn and noticed a popping noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. After examining the vehicle the contact noticed that the front passenger side tire had become flat as a result of being punctured by the coil spring.the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that both rear struts were damaged. The current and failure mileages were 48000.
The contact has 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact had the front coils springs fail on the vehicle, as a result it blew out the two front tires. There is a recall on the older model Taurus with campaign number 04V332000. The dealer had not been contacted at the time of the complaint. The failure and current mileages was 55000. Updated 05/04/10. Updated 08/24/10
I drive a 2002 Ford Taurus. I was backing out of the driveway when my front-left coil spring broke, severely damaging the adjacent tire. I had to replace both front springs, the sway bar link, front tire and have the car towed to the garage. I also had to have a front end alignment after replacing the tire. The repair cost ~$800. The mechanic installed plastic guards alongside the coil springs in case they broke again so the tire wouldn't be shredded. My previous car was a 1996 Taurus and the exact same thing happened to it; luckily in both cases I was not driving at high speed on a busy roadway. I notice that Ford currently has a recall for 1999-2001 Taurus (NHTSA recall # 04V332000), but not the 2002. Anecdotally, from speaking with mechanics and the dealership, this is a chronic problem with the Taurus in general, not just the 99-01 models.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. When the consumers son was attempting to enter the vehicle, he noticed that the front driver side tire was punctured by the coil spring. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where the contact had the coil spring replaced. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 75000. Updated 04/01/10. The front springs. Left front link. Lower ball joint and tire were replaced. Updated 06/04/10
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Amelia, OH, USA