NHTSA Complaint #10731848 — 2002 MERCURY SABLE

AS I WAS BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A NOISE AND THEN A HISS. THEN THE CAR RESISTED FURTHER MOTION. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. I TRIED TO REINFLATE IT BUT COULD NOT. I REMOVED THE FRONT WHEEL AND MOUNTED THE MINI SPARE TIRE. THERE WAS A COMPLETE CIRCUMFERENTIAL TEAR OF THE TIRE SIDEWALL NEAR THE TREAD. I ASSUMED IT WAS A SPONTANEOUS FAILURE OF THE TIRE. WHEN I BOUGHT NEW TIRES TODAY AT COSTCO, THE MECHANIC SAID HE COULD NOT PUT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ON THE CAR BECAUSE A PIECE OF BROKEN SPRING WAS PROJECTING OUTBOARD AND HITTING THE SIDEWALL OF THE NEW TIRE. INSPECTION SHOWED THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN BUT THE POINTED END WAS AIMED INWARD. THE INFERIOR COIL WAS BROKEN OFF AND WAS LOOSE BUT COULD NOT BE EASILY REMOVED FROM THE STRUT. I TOLD THE MECHANIC TO REMOUNT THE MINI-SPARE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. UNTIL I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE THAT FOMOCO HAD PARTIALLY ADDRESSED YEARS AGO IN OTHER MODEL YEARS BUT NOT 2002. IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF THESE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT REST OR SLOW SPEEDS, BUT I ALSO THINK THIS IS A FUNCTION OF THE FACT THAT CARS SIT MOST OF THEIR LIVES. THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO OWNERS FOR TIRES AND REPAIRS, BUT LUCKILY THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURIES. BECAUSE THE FAILURES ARE SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC, THERE IS CERTAIN TO BE A SERIOUS AND PERHAPS FATAL INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE. FOMOCO AND THE US GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTING THE UNKNOWING AND TRUSTING PUBLIC TO THE RISKS OF LUCK, BECAUSE IT WILL EVENTUALLY TURN BAD. APPARENTLY FOMOCO DOES NOT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT ITS DRIVERS TO REPAIR THE DEFECT, OR MITIGATE THE DANGER AND DAMAGE, OR EVEN INFORM OWNERS OF THE DANGER. NHTSA ACT NOW, DO YOUR JOB, AND PROTECT US FROM THOSE WHO BUILD AUTOMOBILES, BUT DON'T CARE.