NHTSA Complaint #10307662 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

2002 FORD TAURUS LAST MONTH I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH OF THE REAR SPRINGS LAST WEEK I HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK/PINION TODAY AS I JUST STARTED TO DRIVE FORWARD IN MY DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT RIGHT SPRING BROKE AND PIERCED THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE. I WAS GOING SO SLOW IN THE DRIVEWAY THAT THE SHARP EDGE OF THE BROKEN SPRING STARTED SLICING INTO THE TIRE AS IF A PERSON WERE PEELING AN APPLE. IT SCRAPED INTO THE TIRE UNTIL IT PIERCED THROUGH THE SIDEWALL. THANK HEAVENS THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AT 70MPH I HAVE READ ABOUT THE PRIOR RECALL INVOLVING THESE SAME PARTS ON THE 2001 AND EARLIER FORD TAURUS MODELS AND ON 2003 AND EARLIER FORD FOCUS MODELS WHICH USE THE SAME PARTS. HOW IN GOOD FAITH COULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THESE PARTS WERE GOING TO JUST DISAPPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH. FORD CONTINUED TO USE THESE PARTS UNTIL THEY WERE GONE AND JUST ROLLED THE DICE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT BY YOUR AGENCY. YOU MUST HELP THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE DRIVING VARIOUS MODELS OF FORDS WITH THESE SAME PARTS THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY, VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD SPRINGS. THE EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE REAR SPRINGS BEING DEFECTIVE WERE A THUMP WHEN THE R/R SPRING BROKE AND THE CAR DROPPED A LITTLE BIT. WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS REPLACING IT, I HAD HIM CHECK THE L/R SPRING AT WHICH TIME HE FOUND THAT ONE ON THE VERGE OF CRACKING. THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT TOO WAS FOUND TO BE BAD. AND AS I EXPLAINED ABOVE, I WAS DRIVING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AT APPROX 2 MPH AS I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20' AS I HAD TO STOP AND PICK UP MY WIFE WHO HAD WALKED TO THE MAILBOX. THE REAR SPRINGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AS IT WAS LAST MONTH. THE RACK AND PINION IS GOING TO BE RETURNED FOR THE CORE DEPOSIT UNLESS YOU ASK ME TO KEEP IT. THE FRONT SPRINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS I WILL BE CHANGING OUT THE L/F SPRING ALSO. PLEASE HELP ALL OF US AND POSSIBLY PREVENT A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. *CN