1998 Ford Taurus

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

MY 1998 FORD TAURUS EXPERIENCED THE DRIVER SIDE SPRING BREAKING AND SHOOTING INTO THE TIRE FLATTENING IT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP. I WENT LESS THAN AN INCH WHEN THE TIRE COMPLETELY DEFLATED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND REPAIRED INCLUDING 2 FRONT STRUTS,1 SET FRONT COIL SPRINGS ,1 UPPER STRUT MOUNT, 2 FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS, AND TIRE WITH FRONTEND ALIGNMENT. WHEN MY HUSBAND CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. AFTER THE RECALL FOR 1999, 2000, AND 2001 MODELS HE WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT TURN IT IN AS AN INCIDENT FOR FUTHER INVESTIGATION.HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTAE ETC THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME, MY FAMILY OR MANY OTHERS. THERE WERE NO KNOWN PROBLEMS OR NOISES ETC PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE BALL JOINT ON THAT SIDE OF THE CAR REPLACED SINCE THAT INCIDENT.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 FORD TAURUS STATION WAGON. ON 5 OCCASIONS THE CAR WENT INTO A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE I WAS STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE OR WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO STOP. IN EACH CASE I WOULD PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO HOLD THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. IN THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS, BRAKE PRESSURE WOULD HOLD THE CAR UNTIL I GOT IT OUT OF GEAR. IN THE LATER INCIDENTS BRAKE PRESSURE WOULD ONLY SLOW THE FORWARD MOTION. THE ENGINE RUSH WAS SO GREAT THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL IT WAS OUT OF GEAR. ON 2 OF THESE 5 OCCASIONS I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE CAUSE, SO FAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE DATE GIVEN BELOW IS AN ESTIMATE OF THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED. *JB

GOT BLOWOUT SO HAD 2 NEW TIRES PUT ON FRONT OF VEHICLE. DROVE 1/2 MILE DOWN ROAD GOT ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON BUSY HIGHWAY. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF ROAD SAFELY AND PUT SPARE (DOUGHNUT TIRE) ON AND RETURN TO WHERE WE HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON. WHEN THEY CHECKED AFTER REMOVING TIRE THEY FOUND THE COIL SPRING ON DRIVERS SIDE WAS BROKEN AND HAD PUNCTURED TIRE. WE NOW HAVE THE SPARE STILL ON VEHICLE AS WE CAN NOT AFFORD THE REPAIRS RIGHT NOW. *LA

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKESTHE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THIS CAUSES A LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A WORN HOUSING SHAFT UNIT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM