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2003 Ford Taurus suspension complaints

Page 5 of 12: complaints 101 to 130 of 313, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2003 Ford Taurus suspension problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Jan 3, 2011 · Suspension · 101,000 miles · MA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the front coil spring fractured causing the vehicle to mount the sidewalk. The coil spring caused the front driver side tire to burst as well. The contact had the vehicle towed to his place of residence and called the manufacturer. The manufacturer informed the contact there were no recalls for the vehicle and would not provide any further assistance. The contact stated the front coil spring malfunctioning could have caused a serious crash. The failure mileage was 101,000.

Filed Jan 1, 2011 · Suspension · 120,000 miles · NY

2003 ford taurus, pulling out of parking space, front right coil spring broke and damaged tire.

Filed Dec 29, 2010 · Suspension · 81,300 miles · IN

Tue 28dec2010 outside temp = 21f I entered driver's seat & immediately heard loud "bong!" sound of lf coil spring breaking. I am familiar w/ ford recall# 04v332000 (the federal safety agency reference #04v332000) and have been waiting similar recall for newer models during the federal safety agency action number: ea08018, ongoing for over two years now. I tried to drive off slowly to avoid tire damage but could not, as within the first tire rotation the broken spring slashed the entire inside sidewall of the lf tire. Repairs will cost $300 for strut/spring replacement + $60 tow + $150 for tire, total = $510, and I expect rf to break identically at any moment. It is outrageous that the investigation of a safety hazard identical to vehicles two years older has taken two years!

Filed Dec 25, 2010 · Suspension · 146,177 miles · PA

About 4 months ago as I was backing my car out of the garage, the front left coil spring broke which prevented me from driving the vehicle. I had to replace both of the front struts and coil springs which cost me several hundred dollars. Today, as I was backing out of my garage once again, the left rear coil spring broke. Again, I will need to spend several hundred dollars, this time to replace the rear struts and coil springs in order to assure my vehicle is safe to drive. My vehicle is only used to drive a few miles every day on smooth, paved roads so there should be no reason why I am having to replace these parts due to their breaking. I feel fortunate that the parts broke as I was exiting my garage, and not driving down the road at 50 MPH. I believe this ongoing issue is a safety concern and should be addressed. I hope some type of financial compensation can be agreed upon to cover the costs associated with this ongoing safety issue.

Filed Dec 22, 2010 · Suspension · 277,000 miles · WI

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact was driving approximately 5 MPH in reverse when the vehicle exhibited a loud noise from the front end of the vehicle. Suddenly, the front driver side of the vehicle collapsed to the ground causing the tire to flatten. The damaged tire was replaced with a spare tire and the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where they informed the contact that the failure could possibly be related to the coil spring. The mechanic advised that the vehicle be repaired at another repair shop because they were unable to provide any type of suspension repairs. The vehicle was in the process of being diagnosed and repaired by a second mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 277,000.

Filed Dec 21, 2010 · Suspension · 116,000 miles · IA

Was backing out of the driveway and heard a loud thump and then my tire deflated like a balloon. Had a tire guy come to fix it and he said it was due to a broken strut/spring. It had broken and slashed the tire. I am just thankful this did not happen on the interstate driving at a high rate of speed. Could have been deadly.

Filed Dec 21, 2010 · Suspension · 123,232 miles · MI

My 2003 ford taurus was simply sitting in my driveway and all of a sudden there was a huge pop. We looked to see the tire had gone flat! When I took the tire we discovered the flat was a result from the coil spring breaking and puncturing the tire. So now not only do I have to pay to fix the spring, but also a new tire. Obviously ford has not resolved the issue with the 2001 cut off model on a recall and they need to make right with their customers. I have been a loyal ford owner. They should be as loyal to their customers!!!

Filed Dec 20, 2010 · Suspension · 98,000 miles · IL

On 12/20/2010 left front coil spring broke and punctured tire while driving on state highway. Incident occurred just 2 miles after departure from home. Thought it was just a flat tire. The shoulder was narrow and the road was snow covered. When pulling off the road the car got stuck in the snow. Upon retrieval from the ditch and subsequent tow to the tire store we discovered the broken spring issue. We have not yet repaired the spring/strut problem as the tire store does not perform that type of repair. We are planning to replace both front springs and struts as well as rear springs to have some peace of mind. We purchased four new tires and will have it towed to the full-service repair shop on 12/21/2010. The tire store could not mount the new tire on the left front because of the broken spring. The tire store mounted the "mini" spare that could clear the broken spring. We feel ford should reimburse us for the cost of repairs. We are fortunate that there were no injuries!

Filed Dec 20, 2010 · Suspension · 108,945 miles · MN

On my 2003 ford taurus, the drivers side front coil spring assembly broke. This sliced my tire sidewall and caused my car front end to drop to the ground. Luckily this happened when parked in my garage. The bad thing is that it is minnesota and winter. I thank god I was not driving down the road. This would have been very, very bad.

Filed Dec 17, 2010 · Suspension, Wheels · 133,038 miles · OH

Drivers side front coil spring in the strut broke and slashed the adjacent tire. This was noticed when the car was beginning to be backed out of a parking spot. We had to replace both strut assemblies for safety sake, replace the damaged tire as well. We opted to replace the other three tires due to wear. Also, the garage recommended we replace the ball joints and lh side tie rod end. The front end was aligned as well. Total cost $1871. I am outraged that there is a recall for 1999 thru 2001 taurus cars but nothing covering up to and including 2003's. I also think it is ridiculous that the cutoff to repair this problem occurs when a car exceeds 100000 miles. This is a known design defect and all ford taurus cars should have been recalled and repaired. My daughter was lucky this failure occurred in a parking lot and not when going 65mph! Severe injury and death could have been the result and other people may have been involved! I implore the federal safety agency to force ford to engage in a retroactive recall for all affected taurus cars. It is inexcusable to have a design defect of this magnitude on the public highways. I can understand a broken spring can occur, but the complaints clearly show that the spring then slashes the tire, causing an immediate blowout and potential loss of control of the vehicle.

Filed Dec 17, 2010 · Suspension · 80,000 miles · MI

I pulled out of my driveway and realized I had a very flat tire. I called the service station up the street. He told me to drive it down slowly & he'd put the donut on it and order me a new tire. When he looked at my car at his shop, he said the driver's side, front coil spring had snapped and sliced through my tire. He said I was lucky it didn't happen on the freeway or I could have had a bad accident. He said I was also lucky I hadn't just put the donut on it myself and driven it over the weekend, because it would have snapped the donut while I was on the road. I looked up the problem online and realized many, many 2003 ford tauruses have had this problem. Ford has had to recall several makes & years, but the 2003 ford taurus has not so far been included. I had taken my car out 2 days earlier with no problems. It must have snapped while sitting in my driveway.

Filed Dec 17, 2010 · Suspension · 125,000 miles · OH

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus se (na). The contact stated that the front coil springs broke while the vehicle was being reversed at 5 MPH and punctured the tires. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the coil springs and tire were replaced. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000 and the current mileage was approximately 132,000.

Filed Dec 16, 2010 · Suspension, Wheels · 130,000 miles · PA

The suspension coil spring fractured and punctured the tire next to it, causing the tire to explode.

Filed Dec 8, 2010 · Suspension · 180,000 miles · NY

Front left coil spring broke while driving 20 MPH on a smooth paved village highway causing a puncture and resulting in a blow out of that tire.

Filed Dec 3, 2010 · Suspension · 113,000 miles · PA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The driver side coil spring broke and punctured the driver side tire. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic shop who replaced two struts assembly and a tire at the contact's expense. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified. The failure mileage was 113,000.

Filed Dec 1, 2010 · Suspension · 122,800 miles · MN

Came back from vacation (was not driving the car on vacation), backed up car in driveway and heard a loud snap. Looked and the tire was flat. Called a tow truck and when tow truck operator removed the tire to replace it, he found a broken front left coil spring, when we looked at the back side of the tire, it had numerous tears and punctures. We will need to replace the coil and the tire.

Filed Nov 22, 2010 · Suspension · 74,000 miles · OH

The front driver side spring broke on my 2003 ford taurus and blew out the tire. Making the car undriveable.

Filed Sep 21, 2010 · Suspension · 53,000 miles · LA

While backing out of driveway, heard a pop sound. Vehicle was immediately stopped and the right front coil spring had snapped into several pieces. Some damage to other components, tire appears to be undamaged. Repairs are pending. Vehicle was originally from the western new york state area.

Filed Sep 10, 2010 · Suspension · 49,503 miles · MI

Rear springs were found broken when having the oil changed. Broken spring could puncture rear tires, causing loss of control of vehicle. Had to replace broken rear springs, old parts are available.

Filed Aug 30, 2010 · Suspension · 159,280 miles · MN

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The vehicle was in the driveway where the left front spring broke and punctured the tire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where who replaced both front springs and four new tires at her expense for $1405. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was a recall but it did not include her year, make or model vehicle. The failure mileage was 159,280.

Filed Aug 7, 2010 · Suspension · 79,000 miles · IL

Both rear springs on vehicle broke and caused springs to slip off of lower spring perch. Sharp broken end of left rear spring came within 0.25 inches of contacting tire. Sharp end of spring came very close to puncturing tire. No particular event caused this failure. Don't know exactly when it happened. I just noticed the rear end of the car was sitting lower than usual. Car still drove fine. Took car to local ford dealer. They replaced both rear springs and struts at my cost of approximately $700. Old parts kept by ford dealer.

Filed Aug 3, 2010 · Suspension · 110,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the driver side coil spring fractured and caused the vehicle suspension to drop. The tire and axle were damaged as a result. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. The contact also stated that prior to the failure, he noticed the rear spring exhibited signs of rust. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000 and the current mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Jul 29, 2010 · Suspension · 21,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus se. The contact stated the vehicle was having a routine oil change performed when he was advised by the mechanic that the rear coil spring had fractured. The coil spring was repaired. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The current and failure mileages were approximately 21,000.

Filed Jul 19, 2010 · Suspension · 71,300 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. While driving approximately 4 MPH and making a turn, the contact heard a loud grinding and popping noise. The front end of the vehicle dropped down and the contact observed that the front drivers side tire blew out because the coil spring pierced it. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the front coil springs were replaced. The failure and current mileages were 71,300.

Filed Jul 13, 2010 · Suspension · 80,156 miles · IA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. While reversing from a parking space at 2 MPH, he heard a loud pop and the front driver tire went flat. He attempted to change the tire and noticed the coil spring was fractured in three parts. The coil spring punctured the tire and caused it to become flat. There was not a recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 80,156.

Filed Jul 12, 2010 · Suspension · 85,000 miles · OH

2003 ford taurus front and back coil springs broke and the front punctured the tires which also had to be replaced. The front suspension coil problems happened on march 1, 2010 costing $1149.01 which included the two new tires we had to buy that got punctured by the coils. The back suspension problems happened on may 10, 2010 costing $142.75. I have read many times that this is a problem and feel that ford should be held responsible for the costs of these repairs and it should be recalled.

Filed Jul 9, 2010 · Suspension · 75,367 miles · MI

Front and rear springs on 2003 ford taurus fractured. The front spring fractured while sitting in the driveway and wrapped itself around the brake lines and hit the tire. Had this happened while driving, the result would have been a catastrophic accident caused by total loss of control and braking. Both rear springs fractured on an unknown date but fractured at the bottom without total failure.

Filed Jul 6, 2010 · Suspension · 64,000 miles · WI

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. While driving in reverse at a very low speed there was a loud noise near the front driver side tire. Upon examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front driver side coil spring broke and pierced the tire. The coil spring was replaced by an independent mechanic. After the vehicle was repaired, the contact stated that he drove approximately 2 miles when the front passenger side coil spring broke and pierced the tire. The vehicle was not repaired for the second failure. The failure and current mileages were 64,000.

Filed Jul 2, 2010 · Suspension · 140,000 miles · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the front driver side coil spring broke. The contact replaced the front coil spring and noticed that the passenger side front coil spring was corroded. The contact had not called the manufacturer regarding the front coil spring. The contact stated that the coil spring could have caused a major crash if the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. The failure mileage was 142,000.

Filed Jun 29, 2010 · Engine, Suspension · 77,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was replaced. Approximately 5 months later the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic where the cam sensor was again replaced. The failure recurred again and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the cam sensor was reset. The failure has not recurred. Approximately 1 year later while driving at approximately 20 MPH the front passenger side tire blew out. Upon examining the vehicle the contact noticed the coil spring was broken and pierced the tire. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the front passenger side coil spring was replaced. The contact also stated that approximately 2 months later while attempting to operate the vehicle it would not shift into gear and would not move. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was in the process of being diagnosed. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 90,600.

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