NHTSA Complaint #10075308 — 1998 FORD CONTOUR

I NOTICED I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I TOOK IT OFF WENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED,THEY TOLD ME IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE SIDE WALL HAD BEEN PUNTURED.I THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ONLY TO FIND OUT THE NEW TIRE WOULD NOT WORK, THERE WAS A LOUD CLANKING SOUND WHEN YOU TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR. I THEN PUT THE SPARE (PONY) ON AND TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR THE TIRE GOT HOT AND SMOKED.SO WE TRIED TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE COMPANY WE BOUGHT THE TIRE FROM,IN THE PROCESS WE HAD A BLOW OUT AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN. ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE SPRING HAD BROKEN ,PUNCTURED THE TIRE ON TH INSIDE SIDEWALL AND WRAPPED AROUND THE STRUTT AND BENT IT..BECAUSE OF YOUR DEFECTIVE SPRINGS.. WE ARE FORCED TO BUY NOT ONLY A NEW TIRE BUT A SET OF SPRINGS AND NEW STRUTTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD PRODUCTS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS. THAT IT HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS AT THE VERY LEAST.....WHY HAS THE'RE BEEN NO RECALL ON THESE SPRINGS????? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DISASTROUS SITUATION HAD IT HAPPEN AS WE WERE GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I FEEL THAT SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION IS IN ORDER....MY CAR IS A FORD CONTOUR A 1998 WITH ONLY ROUGHLY 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE SERVICE WORK IS BEING DONE BY SEARS AUTO CENTER BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE PURCHASED THE NEW TIRE. YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD ENCOURAGE MY CONTINUED FAITH IN FORD PRODUCTS, WHICH HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SHAKEN. RESPECTFULLY YOUR, RACHEL G MILLER. *AK