1998 Ford Taurus

WHILE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN, HAD THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BREAK ON MY 1998 TAURUS STATION WAGON, DESTROYING THE TIRE. REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOMETHING SIMILAR, CONTACTED LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO SAID THE RECALL ONLY COVERED 1999 - 2001 ONES. HAD BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AND TIRE REPLACED, ALONG WITH AN ALIGNMENT. AFTER RETURNING HOME, I CHECKED OUT THE DETAILS OF THE RECALL ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. INTERESTING TO SEE THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH A 98 THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL PROGRAM. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTLY, THEY TOLD ME THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, WHO SAID HE WOULD TALK TO THE DISTRICT SERVICE REP TO SEE IF FORD WOULD COVER MY REPAIR COSTS. REP SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT I HANG ONTO MY PAPERWORK IN CASE THE RECALL WAS EXPANDED IN THE FUTURE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE AIRPORT ON MAY 14, 2004, MY 1998 FORD TAURUS EXPERIENCED A BROKEN FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AT THE TIME. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED DOWN SO THAT THE FRONT TIRE WAS RUBBING ON THE BODY OF THE CAR (GENERATING TIRE SMOKE). I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT IF I DROVE THE CAR ANY FARTHER EVEN MORE DAMAGE WOULD OCCUR. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS BREAKDOWN OCCURRED IN A LOCAL PRISON AREA WHERE POSTED SIGNS WARN PEOPLE NOT TO PICK UP HITCH HIKERS. THIS MADE IT CHALLENGING FOR ME TO FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD LET ME USE THEIR PHONE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO GET IT BACK ROADWORTHY. TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, I HAD TO PURCHASE 2 NEW COIL SPRINGS, 2 NEW FRONT STRUTS, A NEW STRUT MOUNT, 2 NEW FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS, AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. IT THEN TOOK ME A FEW DAYS TO FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD SURFACE THAT HAD BUMPS ON IT. IN JULY I BECAME AWARE OF THE RECALL ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH 1999-2001 TAURUS AND SABLE SEDANS FOR COIL SPRING BREAKAGE. I CONTACTED FORD AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO 1998 MODELS. IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH 1998 VEHICLES ALSO. HOPEFULLY, MORE PEOPLE WILL UTILIZE THIS SITE TO DOCUMENT ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS TO RE-OPEN AN INVESTIGATION. *AK

PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM GOVERNMENT AGENCY. DROVE VEHICLE 197 MILES TO MY HOME. PARKED AT BACK OF DRIVEWAY UNTIL COULD TRANSFER TITLE AND PURCHASE INSURANCE. WAS MOWING GRASS BACKED UP CAR ABOUT THREE FEET. HEARD A LOUD "THUD/POP" WITH THE SOUND OR AIR ESCAPING, PULLED FORWARD ABOUT FIVE FEET. TIRE WAS FLAT. I THOUGHT I HAD A "BLOW-OUT" THOUGHT IT WAS ODD BECAUSE HAD A NEW SET OF TIRES WITH LESS THAN 400 MILES ON THEM. ASKED SON TO PUT THE DONUT ON SO I COULD TAKE THE TIRE TO GOODYEAR FOR REPLACEMENT. WAS THE LEFT FRONT TIRE INSIDE PART OF TIRE LOOKED AS IF SOMEONE HAD TAKEN A KNIFE AND CUT THE TIRE. UPON RETURNING FROM THE TIRE DEALER MY SON POINTED OUT THE BROKEN COIL SPRING ON THE LEFT FRONT (DRIVERS) SIDE. HAD CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE FOR REPAIR. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND THE MECHANIC AT THE GARAGE STATED THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A COIL SPRING FRACTURE. LET ALONE ONE FRACTURE IN THREE PLACE THE WAY THE COIL SPRING DID ON THIS VEHICLE. PAID TO HAVE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS SHOCKS AND STRUTS REPLACED. HEARD ABOUT RECALL FOR TAURUS AND SABLE 899,000 ON RADIO STATION. SO I STOPPED BY LOCAL FORD, HUDSON IN MADISONVILLE KY, THEY COULD FIND NO INFORMATION ABOUT A RECALL INVOLVING MY VIN. WAS GIVEN FORD CUSTOMER RELATION 800 NUMBER. CALLED AND WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS MY PROBLEM THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, SHE RETURNED MY CALL SOMEWHAT TIMELY, BUT REITERATED THAT MY VECHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, AND IT WAS MY PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME I VISITED YOUR SITE AND FOUND FOUR COMPLAINTS WITH 1998 TAURUS'S WITH ALMOST IDENTICAL COIL SPRING FRACTURES. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AND/OR THE INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE REOPENED. THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATION PERSON SAID THEIR ENGINEERS HAD NOT DETERMINED THERE IS A PROBLEM. I THINK IF YOU WAIT UNTIL FORD TAKES ACTION HELL WILL BE FROZE OVER. *AK