Sway Bar problems of the 2002 Ford Taurus

Left front coil spring snapped in two places - approx 3/4 of a coil at the top and approx 1/2 coil at the bottom. Sliced tire all the way through the inside sidewall - almost all the way around. Also damaged the top mount of the sway bar link. This is my daughter's car. Had this occurred at speed on a two-lane highway I shudder to think of the result - the drag would have sent the car immediately into oncoming traffic! as possible background, we had a cold snap recently where the temp got down to single digits. My daughter's Taurus was parked beside our garage. There was a sudden loud, metallic bang in the area of her car - sounded almost as if a rock had been thrown at it - but even louder. I went outside to investigate but I couldn't see anything obvious. Next time my daughter attempted to drive the car she only got a few feet down the drive when she stopped to alert my wife of a 'horrible grinding noise'. My wife thought it was just rusty brakes due to non-use of the car while she was away at college. When my daughter put it back in gear and pulled out into the street the left front corner collapsed to the ground. I had the car repaired today but now I'm seeing evidence on the internet that these coil springs have been failing and continue to fail even beyond the 1999-2001 models previously recalled. I also have a 2004 sable and a 2007 Taurus. How can I not be concerned about a possible spring defect on them as well?? regardless, how can Ford be allowed to trivialize our lives with such a glaring risk which can only be mitigated by proactive recall? (it sure would help to know the resolution of prior recall - was it better metal or thicker coil spring?) anyway, please help!.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 mph, the front driver's side tire blew. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the tire was shredded. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the coil springs fractured and punctured the tire. The mechanic advised that the coil springs, struts and sway bars needed replacing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 90,000.

2002 Ford Taurus ses with aprox 125k miles front left coil spring broke about six inches from the bottom end, the spring extended to the next coil, the broken end cut through the front left tire. The front left tire looked as if it was cut with a razor, the spring completely severed the tire at the junction of the top of the side wall and the tread. Both sides of the tire remained seated on the rim. The spring broke when backing out of a drive that is level with the street. The operator heard a clunk and thought that ice had broken free from the fender, as experenced in winter operations. The car was operated 100 feet then the operator felt the flat tire. The front left corner of the car was low to the ground without the full support of the spring the left front sway bar link broke under the extra weight. The broken peice from the link was about 60 degrees of the outter ball retention cup (upper end of the link). It is plastic. This car is the model year after an established recall for the same issue, a report was fillled with Ford. The FL strut and spring where replaced. The right spring was bought with the left and will be installed with a new strut shortly. Also the left front sway bar link will be replaced. All failed componets are retained by the owner, (we where able to get the stuff out of the drive)with the exception of the tire. Tthe owner has photos of the tire and the spring ( still installed ) the morning this happened. Inspection of the spring at the break shows signs of intergranlure corrosion through the spring eminating from filiform corrosion on the surface. Owner bought the car used, it is unknown if the spring was original or a replacement.

I was backing my 2002 Ford Taurus out of a parking space when the tire blew. I had to have the car towed. The front coil spring broke and put a hole in my new tire. Had to replace broken spring, sway bar link, new strut and new tire for a cost of $441. 82. Had replaced the back springs a month earlier.

My car is a 2002 Ford Taurus ses, today I sat down in the drivers seat, but when I did I heard a loud crash much like if someone dropped a metal pan on the drop, and the car sunk noticeably. I wasn't sure what to do, so I was going to drive it around the block to test it, but I barely made it three feet. As soon as I put it in drive the car began shuddering and making a shrieking noise. I immediately stopped and put it in reverse, but as I soon I took my foot off the brake it made a nasty noise and the tire was shredded. We got it towed to the mechanics and he said the spring snapped. He said that fixing it would require replacing the front strut assembly, springs, sway bar and the links.

My 2002 Taurus with 76,097 miles that has been garage kept for 7. 5 years had the front drivers side coil spring rupture. Fortunately it broke when I put it in gear and moved about three inches in my driveway. If I had been driving down the highway, I would have flipped and rolled as I would have had no time to brake. When it broke, it took only about a half second to shred my tire and drop the rim to the ground. The ruptured coil spring put a 5-6 inch gash in my tire and broke the sway bar link. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer told me that they (Ford) knows that there is a problem and they refuse to issue a recall. My service representative also had this happen to his car. I asked the dealer to replace both front springs, broken sway bar link, and struts. When I was leaving the rep told me that I still have two of the same springs in the rear and that I may experience the same problem with one of those, as was his experience too. I also had to buy a new tire. Total cost of $989. When I started to research the problem, I noticed that this had happened to so many other people and that there was no recall, I was deeply concerned. I believe that this should be investigated fully as it has the ability to cause loss of life. Thank you for your time.

While backing out of a driveway, the right front coil spring broke allowing it to slip past the bearing plate and rip open the front tire. Required a tow and replacement of the spring, sway bar stabilizer and the tire. Also had to have a front end alignment. Because the 2002 Taurus is notorious for this problem, I had to replace both front springs.

I have a 2002 Ford Taurus station wagon. While pulling out of the driveway there was a loud noise. I immediately pulled back into the driveway to get the vehicle off the street and called a mechanic. Upon removing the left front wheel he discovered that the left front coil spring had snapped and that the jagged edged of the spring had sliced through the tire side wall. The car was towed the mechanics garage where upon further investigation he found that the left front sway bar link and the left front strut assembly were also damaged. The failure has occurred only once - so far. The consequence in this case were not catastrophic - loss of use of the car for 2 days and a $950 dollar repair bill although I hate to think of the consequences had I been driving at highway speed and had this happen. I'm afraid it would have resulted in complete loss of control of the vehicle and a serious crash perhaps with serious or critical injuries or death. My research shows that Ford recalled the 1999-2001 Taurus models in northern states for this same defect and paid to replace both right and left front coil springs modified with a guard to prevent such catastrophic damage should a spring break again. This recall should be extended to include at least the 2002 model year which I'm told uses exactly the same springs as the 199-2001 model Ford Taurus.

Front suspension spring broke, disabling the car. The sudden break took out front left sway bar support. Car was immediately disabled. This is dangerous. Could cause a car to loose control and possibly flip. Issue was addressed on Ford Taurus models for 2001. The issue has not been addressed for Ford Taurus models for the year 2002 this is my car.

I was backing out of my garage and heard a loud hissing sound and my vehicle stopped moving in reverse and wouldn't move forward, I got out and observed my front left(drivers front) tire going flat. I looked under the vehicle and couldn't see anything, so jacked the Taurus up and saw that the front spring had broken and stuck into my tire(which deflated it quickly) and also had broken my stabilizer link off at the strut ,I had to replace my spring, strut, sway bar end link, and front left tire to correct the failure.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that as she was driving in reverse at approximately 5 mph, the front end locked up on the driver side breaking the strut assembly spring and the left sway bar link. As a result, the tire on the driver side separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where the strut assembly spring and the left sway bar link were replaced. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was outside of the warranty and had no open recalls. The failure mileage was 81,781.

Driver's side spring broke destroying the tire, bending the strut and breaking the sway bar link. The car had to be towed and the repair was over $550. The car was parked when the incident occurred.

Left front coil spring broke on my 2002 Ford Taurus sel abruptly while driving down a clear winter road resulting in both front coil springs needing to be replaced along with a sway bar link. So far no other damage to the tires, struts, vehicle, or occupants is apparent. I am being charged for the repairs, plus towing, and rental car while my car sits in the garage for 5 days over the weekend waiting for parts. I see there is a recall on Taurus for coil springs up to the 2001 model year and that many other people indicate coil spring failure on model year 2002 and 2003 Taurus. Why is the recall not extended to cover these model years?.

Backed out of garage, front of car shook then left front end dropped. The tow truck driver retrieved a piece of the broken spring out of the tire, which was the cause of the puncture. This is the only occurrence under current ownership. To correct the problem, the car had to be towed to the garage where the left front spring and tire were replaced. In addition, the sway bar link was broken when the spring broke therefore this part also had to be replaced. The blessing here is that this defect occurred while backing out of my own garage rather than a highway--hence greatly decreasing my risk of personal injury.

Ford Taurus 2002 station wagon parked overnight; in morning found that the front left tire was flat. Discovered that the front coil spring surrounding the vertical strut had broken , punctured the tire. . . Ripped gash that could not be repaired. Required new front struts coil springs and sway bars and a new tire. . . Total cost was apprx $1200. Mechanic reports that hew has seen this before . Question ? what if this spring failure has occurred at highway speed?.

While backing up, I heard a terrible noise and the car dropped to the ground. Upon further investigation, the driver's side front tire was flat due to the spring breaking and puncturing the side wall of my tire. My car was taken to the repair shop where they replaced the springs, sway bar, struts, and tire. They also had to do a 4 wheel alignment. The old parts are not available.

Car: 2002 Ford Taurus ses indecent: exiting driveway and heard loud noise, that shook the car, pulled over and discovered front drivers side spring had broken, in turn hitting tire and and braking sway bar. Note:July 15, 2004 | recall id# 15302 hide details recall reason suspension:front:springs:coil springs recall date July 15, 2004 model affected taurus potential units affected 899060 recall summary on certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, the front coil springs could fracture due to corrosion associated with salt used on the roadways during the winter. A fractured spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire. Consequence if this occurs, the tire may rupture resulting in a rapid air loss, which could result in a crash. Remedy dealers will install protective spring shields. In addition, Ford is extending the warranty coverage of the front coil springs in all other states, for fracture only, up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until July 31, 2005. If either front coil spring fractures, dealers will replace both front springs at no charge to the owner. An interim notice was sent to owners on August 2, 2004. Parts are now available for the 2000-2001 my vehicles and owners were sent a letter on January 10, 2005, advising them to bring in their vehicles for repair parts are expected to be available for the 1999 my vehicles by the end of February 2005 and owners of these vehicles will be notified then. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford motor company 04s17 my car has the same issue, but with the has the plate.

My fiance was driving southbound on I-75 when the front driver's side coil spring broke, causing damage to sway bar link, tire and strut. This caused her to almost crash into left concrete barrier. Vehicle was towed due to it no longer being drivable. A few months back the rear passenger side spring also broke causing us to replace strut mount, strut and spring.

I placed my car in reverse to back out of the driveway when I heard a swoosh and the front of the car dropped. I got out and noticed I had a flat tire. I removed the tire and found part of the coil spring on the ground and a white cap. After removing the lug nuts the tire was stuck to the remaining coil spring. I twisted the tire off the coil spring and found the coil spring had broke in two. The strut assembly and the sway bar linkage was broken as well. I am sure there may be more damage once I get the car towed to a garage. I am glad I was not driving at any speed when this happened.

Slowly backing up and heard a loud noise and immediately the front drivers side tire went flat. Had to have car towed to the youngblood Ford dealership (madison, GA) I was told the front drivers side coil spring broke loose and it destroyed the drivers side sway bar and also destroyed the tire. I saw that the 1999 through 2001 Ford Taurus had a recall for this same problem. It is evident this problem was not resolved on my 2002 Ford Taurus.

The car was parked in the drive way and when I backed up to leave, front driver side spring broke, destroying the tire and the sway bar end link. From my research this is a very common problem on the Ford Taurus. Glad I wasn't on the highway at 65mph.

While backing out of my driveway (12/17/08), the driver's side/front of my 2002 Ford Taurus simply collapsed. The front coil spring had completely snapped dropping the front vehicle structure onto the tire. A jagged coil spring piece had also ripped a large gash into the interior sidewall of the tire resulting in an immediate loss of all tire pressure. The repair resulted in replacement of the front coil spring pair (passenger side coil spring was corroded and in very poor mechanical condition), a sway bar link, strut mount, and new tire (total cost-$600). Additionally, I needed a rental car to get to work during the repair period (additional $132). Due to the catastrophic nature of the tire failure, if this incident had occurred at highway speed, I suspect that severe injury/death could have been a possible outcome.

On 12-17-2008 I drove my 2002 Ford Taurus out of my driveway. After driving approximately 300 yards I smelled rubber burning. Returned car to driveway and noticed left front to be setting much lower than normal. Car was towed to mechanic (firestone) and left front spring and strut were broken. I was told this is a common problem for Taurus. Replaced both front springs, struts, sway bar links and left front tire (spring tore into tire) plus a front end alignment. Cost = $1400. I was lucky because this car is driven mostly on the interstate at highway speeds. Something needs to be done before someone is killed or hurt!.

I was coming to a stop light when I heard a loud bang noise. I put the car in park and looked around the car but at this time saw no damage. I was a block from home so I drove home. At this point I did notice the front end was low, so I jacked the car up and saw the spring was broken. Upon breaking it also snapped in half a sway bar and damaged the tire. All I can say is I was lucky. I drive the expressway every day, if it would of happened then I could be dead or could have killed someone else or both.

Backing out of garage heard a noise, left front tire went flat. Inspection found the tire was torn from a broken front coil spring. Replaced both front coil springs and suspension sway bar links. This could have been a disaster if it would have happened while driving at highway speeds.

Drivers side spring busted in half ripping the tire apart. . . . When we went to put the spare on the coil dropped off hitting the pavement barely drove it to firestone with the coil hitting the spare tire. This happened while in the driveway when I was ready to go to work. Firestone also found the back passenger suspension coil also cracked and a bad hazard. I had to have all four suspension coils replaced along with the sway bars and a wheel alignment. I was lucky to have it bust apart in the driveway and not on the highway I was very lucky. This was a costly repair. . . . . . . Updated 02/04/09.

Front drivers side coil spring broke while driving. The spring failure resulted in a broken strut, left side drive axle, and left side sway bar link.

I drive a 2002 Ford Taurus. I was backing out of the driveway when my front-left coil spring broke, severely damaging the adjacent tire. I had to replace both front springs, the sway bar link, front tire and have the car towed to the garage. I also had to have a front end alignment after replacing the tire. The repair cost ~$800. The mechanic installed plastic guards alongside the coil springs in case they broke again so the tire wouldn't be shredded. My previous car was a 1996 Taurus and the exact same thing happened to it; luckily in both cases I was not driving at high speed on a busy roadway. I notice that Ford currently has a recall for 1999-2001 Taurus (NHTSA recall # 04v332000), but not the 2002. Anecdotally, from speaking with mechanics and the dealership, this is a chronic problem with the Taurus in general, not just the 99-01 models.

2002 Ford Taurus , found broken rear spring on passenger side of car, now have to replace both rear struts and springs along with rear sway bar links. $1000. 00 repair I don't think I should have to pay for . From I've read this is a very common problem with this car. May replace the front struts and springs also because I've found those have been breaking alot also. Spoke to Ford customer service, they said tough luck pay for it yourself.

Backing out of the garage heard a loud bang, stopped car, drivers side of car was almost completely laying on the ground, the drivers side coil spring had broken and pierced and flattened the front tire also the upper strut mount had stressed so much that the ball bearings had popped out. Had a heck of a time to get a jack under the car to put on the spare so we could have it towed to the shop. Replaced the both front coil springs, replaced both upper front strut mounts, replaced both front tires, front driver side sway bar end link was damaged when coil broke and car leaned. Also found the rear struts to be bad and had both rear struts and coil springs replaced. Then had to have a 4 wheel alignment done. This coil spring failure at less than 22000 miles coasted over $1,000. We are just glad that we were not driving at highway speeds when the coil spring failed!!.

2002 Ford Taurus 108,000 miles, broken front left spring 12/10/07, broken right rear spring 12/20/07, upon checking right rear, also checked left rear, broken left rear spring also, appears to have been broken for a long time. Replaced front springs and struts-$500 (labor was done by myself), replaced both rear springs ($330) labor done by myself and sway bar links on both sides, $70.

Events leading up to the failure was a approximately 100 mile round trip on the interstate traveling 65 mph, the evening prior to the incident. The failure consisted of the driver's side coil spring breaking and severly damaging the front diver's side tire and sway bar. The incident occurred while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot and not being driven. The make and model of the car was a 2002 Ford Taurus se. The dealership had to replace both front coil springs, replace the driver side sway bar, replace the tire, and realign the suspension.