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:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,395 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.
2002 Ford Taurus - front strut and coil spring failure. On 12/31/09 as I was backing out of driveway the right front coil strut spring snapped and punctured the tire. (tire was 6 mos old with only about 9000 miles of use) I had the vehicle serviced at a local mechanic shop then on the same day and within hours of first event as I was backing up the left spring snapped and punctured the new tire I had just purchased. I had purchased two new tires since I had to change the tires as a pair. I now have had to purchase a third new tire to replace the new one on left side that was punctured in the second incident. The break point of both springs is identical to the point where the spring broke the metal is snapped identically in the exact same spot on each spring and the fracture line at the break point is the exact same on each broken piece. I have saved the pieces of the spring. I find it very suspect that the springs would snap within hours of each other at the exact same spot on each spring. All told the damages incurred will amount to over $600. I am extremely fortunate that this did not occur while driving as just a day prior I had returned home on a 250 mile highway trip.
Broken coil springs front and rear on a 2002 Ford Taurus. Resulting in punctured tires in both cases. They broke within 7 months of each other. Living in mass.
Front coil spring on 2002 Taurus sheared and broke. This resulted in the broken coil to slip over the compression bracket, and puncture the front tire. Fortunately this occurred as I approached my driveway as compared with the consequences had I been on the freeway. The local Ford dealer said they have seen this problem numerous times but also said that Ford has not acknowledged the defect and would not be covered by Ford.
My wife was backing our 2002 Taurus from our garage when she heard a loud explosion from the front of the car. We discovered that the left coil spring had broken and also punctured our tire. Replacement of the springs, struts and tires cost over $1,000.
Last week a front coil on my Taurus fractured--very likely due to inadequate corrosion protection--and protruded into my tire--shredding the sidewall of the front left tire. If we had been driving at a higher speed, this would likely have lead to serious injury or death to myself, my wife, or my 9 month old child. I have been unable to obtain proper guidance as to if Ford Motor Company will include my vehicle in its customer satisfaction program 03M02--or any other program that provided for extended warranty coverage of the front coil springs for certain 2000-2003 Ford vehicles due to manufacturing defect. A cursory search of the internet--specifically the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website--uncovered that this is a widespread problem --as evidenced by Ford's recall of Taurus's from 1999-2001.
Both my 1995 and 2002 Ford Taurus front coil springs snapped in normal conditions while parked. This relates to your ongoing investigation #EA08018. The two repairs cost nearly $2000. I have the '02 broken spring. The first occurrence, I thought was bad luck - the second sent me to your website where I learned more of the history. I hope you can push Ford to deal with all the snapped coil springs. It's just shoddy quality control. Your online forms allows for the entry of just one of my vehicles. If you want the VIN for the older one, let me know.
I am seeking info on my 2002 Ford Taurus wagon. I had a Maine state inspection on 10/28/09 and passed.this was done at vip auto parts in scarborough, Maine. I drove 10 miles to my daughters home on the Maine turnpike at 65 mpr. When I left and started the car the left front tire blew up, sounding like a shotgun had been discharged. L called a towing company as the car would not forward or back. I asking if I am entitled to reimbursement thru Ford? I certainly believe I should as I have been informed by four mechanics that if the strut/coils assembly had let go while on the turnpike at 65 miles per hour my wife and I would most likely have been killed. I have also been told there had been a recall fro this car fro this issue for 1998-2001 Ford.
While backing up, I heard a terrible noise and the car dropped to the ground. Upon further investigation, the driver's side front tire was flat due to the spring breaking and puncturing the side wall of my tire. My car was taken to the repair shop where they replaced the springs, sway bar, struts, and tire. They also had to do a 4 wheel alignment. The old parts are not available.
Backing out of parking space and front right coil spring broke and punctured front right tire. Needed to have both front coil springs and front strut assemblies replaced. Also needed new tire, new tire valve stem and wheel weight. Kept old parts and old tire showing puncture.
Ford Taurus sel 2002 front coil spring failure. I was stopped in front of a speed bump to let people cross the street, when I engaged on the speed bump at very low speed( foot of brake pedal) there was a big bang and the front of the car just splattered on the street. I knew something very bad had just happened. Half an hour before, I was on the highway doing 70...lucky for it didn't happen then...
All four coil springs have failed on this 2002 vehicle. If this were to happen at high speed a front end failure and or punctured tire could lead to a serious accident. The fronts failed last week, the rears about 8 months ago.
My car is 02 Ford Taurus, the front coil spring is broken. And I have met many people who have the same problem with me. But the company only cover the 1999-2001 models. The company should consider the cases related with model of 2002.
Ford Taurus 2002 station wagon parked overnight; in morning found that the front left tire was flat. Discovered that the front coil spring surrounding the vertical strut had broken, punctured the tire...ripped gash that could not be repaired. Required new front struts coil springs and sway bars and a new tire...total cost was apprx $1200. Mechanic reports that hew has seen this before. Question " what if this spring failure has occurred at highway speed"
I was driving along the city streets in minneapolis. I crossed some railroad tracks going approximately 25 mph. The tracks were well concealed and did not cause the car to bounce. I heard a loud metallic noise and pulled over immediately. Once I was in the parking lot I noticed that my front end on the driver side was sagging, and the wheel well was resting on the tire had the car towed to a shop and was informed that the front coil had snapped and slammed down onto the stabilizer link, breaking it. Thankfully I was going slow enough, and there was not much traffic so there were no other incidents caused by the failure of the spring coil. The bill to repair the stabilizer link and the coils will total approximately $400, plus $100 for the tow, since the car was not drivable in said condition.
I woke up in the morning to go to my car and found that the tire on the front driver side had a flat tire. My son went to help me put on the spare tire, but after he took the flat tire off he saw that it had been punctured oddly, and saw that the cause of the puncture was a broken coil spring which is part of the struts. The coil spring was broken so badly that it had a sharp point where it was broken, and a center portion- about 4 to 5 inches of the spring actually had been broken off completely. The whole front end of the car fell and almost broke his hand while he was examining this, luckily he was quick enough to move his hand away. He was able to put the spare tire on, but the coil spring was actually touching and rubbing on top of the spare tire. I drove the car, very cautiously and slowly to a repair shop. They found that all my struts were bad, and the coil spring on the back passengers' side was also broken and actually rusting away. The total estimate for everything, including 4 new coil springs and struts, new tire, new tie rods was $1,239 plus tax. I had to have it fixed, there wasn't any way I could take the chance of driving this car out of the repair shop. I was laid off of my job this past January, so this is a big set back financially for me. I am lucky this didn't happen when I was driving at a high speed, it could have caused a bad accident.
My daughter was backing our 2002 Ford Taurus out of the driveway when the driver's front coil spring fractured and punctured the tire causing a blowout. Fortunately this didn't happen on the interstate where the consequences may have been much higher.
2002 Ford Taurus LX, rf front spring broke at bottom coil. Rf coil spring was replaced at my cost. Same problem as 99-01 Taurus/Sable. My 2002 is not included in the recall and needs to be. Could have caused an accident. Broken piece was very close to sidewall of tire.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Edinboro, PA, USA