NHTSA Complaint #10383080 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, SLOWED TO TURN LEFT AND HEARD A POP FROM THE PASSENGER REAR SIDE, FOLLOWED BY A GRINDING NOISE. PROCEEDED ANOTHER BLOCK TO THE HOME DRIVEWAY, CHECKED VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SPRING HAD BROKEN AND WAS EATING THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. CHECKED THIS SITE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND A NHTSA INVESTIGATION, FOR BOTH FRONT AND REAR SPRINGS BREAKING ON THE SAME MODEL YEAR TAURUS. CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND FORD CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN PAYING FOR THE REPAIR AND ACCEPTED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, AND TIRE REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE. DURING THE REPAIR, ALSO FOUND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SPRING WAS BAD, BUT HAD NOT COMPLETELY FRACTURED. ALSO REPLACED THE SPRING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 47700 MILES, HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR AND HAS NEVER PULLED A TRAILER OR CARRIED ANY TYPE OF LOAD. HAD JUST LEFT THE INTERSTATE MOMENTS BEFORE THE SPRING BROKE. HAD THE SPRING BROKEN AT 70 MPH, DESTROYING THE TIRE, THE RESULTING DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND INJURIES MAY HAVE OCCURRED. *TR