1995 Ford Taurus

THIS PAST SUNDAY, ON JUNE 11, 2017 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A GRADUATION PARTY AND THERE WAS A LOUD "POW" ONCE I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP. MY STEERING WAS VERY STIFF (AS IF I WAS DRIVING AN ANCIENT LARGE TRUCK WITH NO POWER STEERING, ALSO MY EXHAUST SYSTEM AT LEAST PARTIALLY CAME UNDUN. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CRIPPLED CAR TO OUR REGULAR REPAIR SHOP, WHO TOLD ME THAT I HAD A SUBFRAME RUST-COLLAPSE. I HAD TALKED TO A SHADETREE MECHANIC FRIEND, WHO SAID THAT IT WASN'T AN ACTUAL SUBFRAME COLLAPSE, BUT THE NEXT LAYER UP, THE ENGINE CRADLE WHOSE SLEEVES ARE NO THICKER STEEL THAN THE UNIBODY SHEETMETAL. ONE OF THE SLEEVES RUSTED THROUGH. SUPPOSEDLY THE ENGINE CRADLE SLEEVES ARE REMOVABLE/OR THE CRADLE ITSELF. MY MECHANIC FRIEND AND THE TOW FELLOW THAT BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO MY HOME, BOTH SAID THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS QUITE RARE, THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH AN INCIDENT. THE CRADLE RUST THROUGH CAUSED MY FRONT SUBFRAME TO PARTIALLY COLLAPSE AND THE ENGINE IS TILTED DOWN ON THE RIGHT-FRONT. THIS DISCONNECTED THE EXHAUST AND BOUND-UP MY RACK-AND-PINION STEERING, RENDERING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS CAR IS NOT A RUST-BUCKET, NO RUSTY BODY PANEL HOLES, AND EVERYTHING ELSE STILL WORKS! JUST THE PAINT AND CLEARCOAT ARE FLAKING-OFF. I HAVE LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND SEARCHED LOCAL SALVAGE YARDS, BUT CANNOT FIND A GOOD ENGINE CRADLE/SLEEVES. YET, THERE ARE SCADS OF GOOD TAURUS ENGINES CHEAPLY AVAILABLE. WHY DIDN'T FORD OFFER REPLACEMENT ENGINE CRADLE/SLEEVES? WAS THERE NO RECALL? I'D BET I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON THIS HAPPENED TO!! I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS CAR FIXED! I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE SUBFRAME FALLEN AFTER THE ENGINE CRADLE FAILURE. PLEASE SEND ME AN E-MAIL ADDRESS I CAN UPLOAD THEM TO. I LOSE THIS PAGE IF I TRY TO UPLOAD HERE (4TH TIME!)

IT WAS DISCOVERED IN 2005 THAT BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN NEAR THE BOTTOM ON MY 1995 FORD TAURUS. A PORTION OF THE COIL SLIPPED PAST THE BOTTOM SUPPORT OF THE STRUT LEAVING THE SHARP BROKEN EDGE ABOUT 1/4 INCH FROM THE TIRE. IT IS ESPECIALLY WORRISOME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THIS SHARP EDGE WILL PROBABLY PUNCTURE THE TIRE IF THE COIL SPRING SLIPS FURTHER, PAST THE BOTTOM SUPPORT OF THE STRUT. THIS WOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP THE ROTATION OF THE TIRE. AS AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE SITUATION, THE PORTION OF THE BROKEN COIL SPRING NEAR THE TIRE WAS GROUND DOWN GIVING IT ABOUT 1/2 INCH CLEARANCE FROM THE TIRE. THE COIL SPRINGS HAVE NOT YET BEEN REPLACED, BUT REPLACEMENT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 125,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE DEFECT WAS DISCOVERED. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN ON ASPHALT AND CONCRETE ROADS IN AVERAGE CONDITION. COIL SPRINGS SHOULD NOT FAIL IF A CAR IS DRIVEN USING NORMAL CARE. IT WAS DISCOVERED IN 2010 THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN NEAR THE TOP. *TR

THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION BROKE AT THE CENTER OF THE SPRING CAUSING THE FRACTURED COIL TO SNAP OUT AND CONTACT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE SIDE WALL. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DROP FROM THE LOSS OF SUPPORT OF THE SPRING AND THEN THE VEHICLE FURTHER DROPPED FROM THE SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THE END RESULT WAS A TIRE THAT WAS LOCKED UP AND A UN-CONTROLLED SPIN OUT OVER A DITCH THAT WAS OVERFILLED WITH WATER RUNOFF FROM A CURRENT HEAVY STORM . THE DITCH WAS ABOUT 8 FEET DEEP AND THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED OVER THE WATER. MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME AND STATED THAT THIS WAS AN EVER INCREASING OR RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD TO REPLACE MANY FRONT SPRINGS ON THIS SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE, A FORD TAURUS. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 1995 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT STEERING WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO VIBRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A REALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT NEED AN ALIGNMENT BEFORE HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES AND THE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 41,658 MILES. *AK

ALL 4 SUSPENSION COIL SPRINGS BROKE ON OUR 1995 FORD TAURUS. THE DISCOVERY DATE IS LISTED AS THE INCIDENT DATE, YET THE APPEARANCE OF THE BREAK AREAS IS THAT IT IS NOT RECENT. I HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED AS RECOMMENDED, AND THE BRAKES ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM BEING THAT HIGH UP ON THE LIFT. THE BRAKES ARE ALSO HIDDEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON THE GROUND AND SPRINGS COMPRESSED. ONLY WHEN REQUESTING PREVENTIVE INSPECTION OF THE STRUTS (OUTCOME FINE, NOT LEAKING) ON A LIFT AT EYE LEVEL WITH THE SPRINGS EXPANDED ARE THE BRAKES EVIDENT. I LOOKED UP ON NHTSA ONLINE DATABASE AND SEE A RECALL FROM AUGUST 2004 ON 1999-2001 FORD TAURUS. I ALSO SEE EXTENSIVE REPORTING ON THE INTERNET OF SIMILAR BRAKES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 1993. ONE REAR SIDE FENDER CLEARANCE IS DIMINISHED, AND THE 1999-2001 RECALL STATES THE MAIN SAFETY HAZARD IS A BROKEN PIECE OF SPRING PUNCTURING A TIRE WHILE DRIVING. *JB

PASSENGER REAR COIL SPRING BROKE PRIOR TO PURCHASE IN 2002 @ APPROX 61,185 MILES, DRIVER REAR COIL SPRING BROKE @ APPROX 88,000 MILES. REPAIR SHOP SENT ME TO FORD AS THERE HAS BEEN RECALLS ON SPRINGS. FORD DEALER SAID NO OPEN RECALLS FOR THIS CAR, FAILED TO MENTION THE GOV'T INVESTIGATION. NO CONSEQUENCES YET - TIME WILL TELL. WILL REPAIR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT DIFFICULT W/O JOB. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE - IF FORD WANTS THEM THEY CAN HAVE THEM AS SOON AS THEY REPLACE & REPAIR AT NO CHARGE. SPRINGS SHOULDN'T BREAK PRIOR TO 61,185 - WHY ISN'T FORD TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS?? *NM

HAD BEEN DRIVING AUTO AND WHEN ENTERING PARKING AREA I HEARD A LOAD BANG AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO WOBBLE. I STOPPED, GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT AND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SPRING HAD BROKEN AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. AT THIS TIME, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REPAIR DAMAGE OTHER THAN PUTTING ON TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE TO PARK THE VEHICLE. *NM