NHTSA Complaint #10253384 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

ON 5/3/08- WHILE BACKING MY 2002 FORD TAURUS OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I GOT A FLAT TIRE. UPON INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM, I NOTICED I COULD NOT GET A JACK UNDER THE CAR IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE TIRE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE PROBLEM ENDED UP THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE, RUINING IT. BEING THAT THIS IS THE SECOND FORD TAURUS THAT I HAVE HAD, I THEN REMEMBERED THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY (OLD) 2000 FORD TAURUS THAT INVOLVED PUTTING A BOOT ON THE COIL SPRINGS TO PREVENT THE COIL SPRING FROM PUNCTURING THE TIRE, UPON FAILURE. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000- NHTSA ACTION # PE04044. ALTHOUGH THE ABOVE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A 2002 TAURUS, I AM QUESTIONING WHY THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO RESPOND TO THE MY1999-2001 PROBLEM, HAPPENED ON A MY 2002 VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM SET ME BACK CLOSE TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WAS GRATEFUL THAT THE PROBLEM HAPPENED ON THE APPROACH OF MY DRIVEWAY, NOT ON THE FREEWAY THAT I WAS HEADING TO. THIS TYPE OF COLLAPSE COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES, IF IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINT LINE CONCERNING THE ABOVE ISSUE, AND ALL THEY INFORMED ME OF, IS THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE COIL SPRINGS, IF NEEDED, TO INVESTIGATE THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE CONCERN THAT I HAVE ! *TR