NHTSA Complaint #10849815 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

WHEN BACKING UP FROM BEING PARKED, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE EXPLODED AND THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE CAR DROPPED. THE CAUSE WAS A BROKEN COIL SPRING WHICH PUNCTURED MY NEW TIRE. 74K MILES. I AM UPSET THAT THE NHTSA HAS INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR 15 YEARS WITH FORD TAURUS' VINTAGE 2000 THROUGH 2005 AND CONCLUDED ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN "NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS". PREVIOUSLY I HAD THREE SPRING FAILURES ON ANOTHER (2001) TAURUS. I HAD A FRONT SPRING BREAK AND HAD BOTH FRONT SPRINGS REPLACED. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS BROKE TWO YEARS LATER. BOTH FAILURES CAUSED TIRE FAILURES. SHORTLY BEFORE GETTING RID OF THE 2001TAURUS, I NOTICED A REAR SPRING HAD FAILED, BUT DID NOT DAMAGE THE TIRE. I DO EXPECT A FEW "SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS" TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S TOO BAD SOME OF US WILL HAVE TO SACRIFICE OUR LIVES OR LIMBS FOR THE GOOD OF THE REST OF US. IF SUCH A DREADFUL THING HAPPENS, I FEEL NHTSA MAY BE EQUALLY LIABLE WITH FORD FOR WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUITS FOR NOT REQUIRING FORD TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IN THEIR INVESTIGATION, NHTSA ALSO MENTIONS THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS TOPIC. THAT IS BECAUSE CONSUMERS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA. I ADVISE THE NHTSA TO REQUEST THE NUMBER OF REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM FORD ALONG WITH PARTS SUPPLIERS SUCH AS ADVANCE AND AUTOZONE. I WOULD ESTIMATE MILLIONS OF SPRINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOR JUST THE 2002 AND 2003 MODEL YEARS. I'D BET MY CRAFT BEER MONEY ON IT. BTW, THE TRUE CAUSE OF FAILURE IS THAT ROAD DIRT AND SALT CAUSES THE BALL BEARINGS IN THE MOUNT TO BIND WHICH IN TURN RESTRICTS THE SPRINGS FREE MOVEMENT. THE SPRING DOES NOT RUST, THE BINDING OF THE BALL BEARINGS AGAINST THE SPRING SURFACE CAUSES THE FAILURE. POOR DESIGN CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED.