NHTSA Complaint #10273678 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

THE FRONT END OF MY 2002 FORD TAURUS HAD BEEN MAKING SOME CREAKING AND GROANING NOISES. WE THOUGHT POSSIBLY THAT IT COULD BE THE TRANSMISSION, BUT AS I FOUND OUT, IT WASN'T. ON JUNE 7, I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE HIGHWAY TO STOP FOR SOMETHING ON MY WAY TO WORK, AND AS I PULLED INTO THE PARKING SPACE, I HEARD A LOUD CRACK. I LOOKED TO SEE IF I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING, AND I STARTED BACK TO WORK. A FEW BLOCKS LATER, THE FRONT LEFT STARTED SMOKING, AND MY TIRE WENT FLAT. I WENT TO JACK THE CAR UP TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, AND THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED. THE SMOKE HAD BEEN COMING FROM THE SPRING RUBBING AGAINST AND ALSO PUNCTURING MY TIRE. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN A FEW MINUTES BEFORE AS I WAS COMING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, AS MY STEERING WAS GREATLY AFFECTED. WE CHECKED WITH THE FORD DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY SAFETY RECALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF SITUATION, WHICH I REALIZE NOW IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD. WE BOUGHT NEW SHOCKS/STRUTS FOR BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR, AND ALSO ARE REPLACING BOTH BALL JOINTS ON EACH SIDE; I ALSO HAVE TO BUY NEW TIRES. *TR