NHTSA Complaint #10373832 — 2002 MERCURY SABLE

I AM WRITING THE NHTSA IN ORDER TO WARN OF A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY FATAL, HAZARDOUS CONDITION ON A MERCURY AUTOMOBILE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY A PREVIOUS RECALL NOTICE ON EARLIER YEAR MODELS OF THE MERCURY SABLE BUT NOT ON THE YEAR MODEL THAT I OWN. I OWN A 2002 MERCURY SABLE. IN FEBRUARY OF 2010 I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON MY DRIVER'S REAR SIDE WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. WHEN I REMOVED THE TIRE I FOUND THAT A SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE SIDE OF THE TIRE AND HAD CUT THE TIRE IN A CIRCULAR MOTION CAUSING A RAPID EXPULSION OF AIR. ON JANUARY 1 OF 2011 THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE FLATTENED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED AGAIN. THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE SIDE OF THE TIRE. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000. CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V332000 EXACTLY DESCRIBES THE CONDITIONS THAT I HAVE ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 MERCURY SABLE AND THE RECALL COVERS 1999-2001 AND DOES NOT ADDRESS THE REAR SPRINGS. WERE THESE TO OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THIS CONDITION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL TO THE VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER TO WARN THE PUBLIC OF THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. EXPANSION OF THE RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE THE LATER YEAR MODELS AND THE REAR SPRINGS OF ALL VEHICLES THAT UTILIZE THESE SPRINGS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED AT A FORD/MERCURY DEALERSHIP AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE, RECALL OR OTHERWISE, CONCERNING THIS CONDITION. *TR