1998 Ford Taurus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRONT END WAS LOWER TO THE GROUND. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING FAILED. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE SPRING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

I OWN A 1998 FORD TAURUS. AFTER READING ANOTHER REPORT OF MALFUNCTIONING OF FRONT COIL SPRINGS I HAVE DECIDED TO REPORT THE SAME TYPE OF INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED TO THE VEHICLE IN 2005. THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE, THE ENTIRE SPRING WAS LODGED THROUGH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE - THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE, AND HAD TO BE MOVED ON A FLAT BED TOW TRUCK TO THE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT COILS SPRING FAILED AND DAMAGED THE FRONT TIRES. THERE WAS A RECALL # 04V332000 CONCERNING SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 62,257.*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. I GOT OUT TO INVESTIGATE NOTHING WAS BLOCKING THE TIRES. I THEN PULLED THE CAR FORWARD AND HEARD A BANG. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT DUE TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION (SPRING). WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME (AAA) HE SAID HE HAS SEEN "MANY" TAURUS' THAT THIS HAPPENS TO. I AM GLAD I WAS NOT ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THIS HAPPENED...*NM

1998 FORD TAURUS WITH 68000 MILES. FRONT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED. ONE FULL BROKEN COIL STILL ON STRUT. DAMAGED RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT. ONLY FOUND PROBLEM AFTER HAD LOOKED AT FOR LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID. APPARENTLY COIL FAILURE PULLED RACK APART ON END. RECALL FOR 1999-2001 ISSUED NHTSA #04V332/FORD RECALL 04S17. SEE OTHER WEBSITES WITH PEOPLE WITH 1998 MODEL YEAR HAVING SAME PROBLEM. WHY WASN'T RECALL EXTENDED TO 1998 MODEL YEAR? OR WAS IT? CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND NEVER IN ACCIDENT OF ANY KIND. OBVIOUSLY THE DESCRIPTION IN THE RECALL FITS MY SITUATION. *NM

ON SATURDAY, MARCH 11,2006, I PARKED MY CAR IN MY CARPORT AT 7 PM, HAVING DRIVEN 30 MILES THAT DAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. IT REMAINED THERE UNTIL MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 13, 2006, WHEN I DISCOVERED A FLAT FRONT LEFT TIRE. THE AAA TOWER NOTICED THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY A COIL WHICH HAD BROKEN OFF FROM THE SPRING, PREVENTING HIM FROM RELEASING THE TIRE FROM THE WHEEL. THE FORD DEALER SAID MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER, MY CAR CLEARLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SPRING BREAK WAS CLEAN, THERE WAS NO RUST, AND THERE HAD BEEN NO PROVOCATION TO CAUSE A BREAK. HAD I BEEN DRIVING, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE REPAIR BILL WAS $875.00 TO REPLACE THE FRONT SPRINGS AND STRUTS AND TIRE. THE TOWER, FORD DEALER AND BOTH REPAIR MECHANICS EXAMINED THE COIL THAT BROKE OFF. I DO NOT HAVE THE PART. *JB

VEHICLE IS A SE WAGON, BUILD DATE 8/4/1998. PURCHASED NEW 8/26/1998. MILEAGE AT FAILURE IS 29,608 MILES. WHILE REVERSING AT UNDER 5 MPH, LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AT LOWER RETAINER. THE SPRING SLICED THROUGH THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT 1998 VEHICLES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER ANY RECALL, ONLY 1993 AND 1999 THROUGH 2001. FORD WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT RECORD THE FAILURE. TOTAL BILL WAS $1,075 FOR REPLACING BOTH FRONT STRUTS, TWO FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS, 1 TIRE, ALIGNMENT, AND TOWING. FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED IN DRIVEWAY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE A LOUD SNAPPING NOISE WAS HEARD. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT DRIVER TIRE BECAME FLAT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V332000, REGARDING THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CONSUMER HAD BOTH SPRINGS REPLACED AT HIS EXPENSE. UPDATED *JB