NHTSA Complaint #10321423 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 FORD TAURUS THAT I FEEL IS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY CONCERN WITH MY VEHICLE IS THAT I DISCOVERED THAT IT HAS THREE BROKEN SPRINGS, ONE OF WHICH CAME VERY CLOSE TO CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY TIRE, I DISCOVERED THIS AFTER I HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. UPON INVESTIGATING I DISCOVERED A BROKEN FRONT SPRING. FOLLOWING THIS I DISCOVERED BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AS WELL. I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ODD TO HAVE THREE BROKEN SPRINGS ON THE SAME CAR. RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB I FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I CONTACTED A FORD DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT FORD HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THE FRONT SPRINGS BUT NOT THE REAR. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD REQUIRE FORD TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. OBSERVING HOW CLOSE THE SPRING WAS TO MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TIRE I FEEL THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD THE SPRING CAUSE SUDDEN TIRE FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT A SPRINGS SUDDEN FAILURE WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HANDLING PROBLEMS AS WELL. AGAIN, THREE SPRING FAILURES? IT WOULD APPEAR THIS MAY BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM SUCH AS A DEFECTIVE HEAT TREATING PROCESS OR INFERIOR STEEL USED IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE SPRINGS. *DT