NHTSA Complaint #10500563 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED IN TWO PLACES - APPROX 3/4 OF A COIL AT THE TOP AND APPROX 1/2 COIL AT THE BOTTOM. SLICED TIRE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE INSIDE SIDEWALL - ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND. ALSO DAMAGED THE TOP MOUNT OF THE SWAY BAR LINK. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S CAR. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT SPEED ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY I SHUDDER TO THINK OF THE RESULT - THE DRAG WOULD HAVE SENT THE CAR IMMEDIATELY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! AS POSSIBLE BACKGROUND, WE HAD A COLD SNAP RECENTLY WHERE THE TEMP GOT DOWN TO SINGLE DIGITS. MY DAUGHTER'S TAURUS WAS PARKED BESIDE OUR GARAGE. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD, METALLIC BANG IN THE AREA OF HER CAR - SOUNDED ALMOST AS IF A ROCK HAD BEEN THROWN AT IT - BUT EVEN LOUDER. I WENT OUTSIDE TO INVESTIGATE BUT I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING OBVIOUS. NEXT TIME MY DAUGHTER ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR SHE ONLY GOT A FEW FEET DOWN THE DRIVE WHEN SHE STOPPED TO ALERT MY WIFE OF A 'HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE'. MY WIFE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST RUSTY BRAKES DUE TO NON-USE OF THE CAR WHILE SHE WAS AWAY AT COLLEGE. WHEN MY DAUGHTER PUT IT BACK IN GEAR AND PULLED OUT INTO THE STREET THE LEFT FRONT CORNER COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. I HAD THE CAR REPAIRED TODAY BUT NOW I'M SEEING EVIDENCE ON THE INTERNET THAT THESE COIL SPRINGS HAVE BEEN FAILING AND CONTINUE TO FAIL EVEN BEYOND THE 1999-2001 MODELS PREVIOUSLY RECALLED. I ALSO HAVE A 2004 SABLE AND A 2007 TAURUS. HOW CAN I NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE SPRING DEFECT ON THEM AS WELL?? REGARDLESS, HOW CAN FORD BE ALLOWED TO TRIVIALIZE OUR LIVES WITH SUCH A GLARING RISK WHICH CAN ONLY BE MITIGATED BY PROACTIVE RECALL? (IT SURE WOULD HELP TO KNOW THE RESOLUTION OF PRIOR RECALL - WAS IT BETTER METAL OR THICKER COIL SPRING?) ANYWAY, PLEASE HELP! *TR