2002 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE COIL SPRINGS ON MY 2002 FORD TAURUS. I WAS LUCKY NOT TO BE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FRONT ONE BROKE. I WAS MORE OR LESS SETTING IDLE WHEN IT BROKE. THE SPRING WENT THROUGH THE TIRE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENS. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW. AFTER I REMOVED THE TIRE I REALIZE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. AS I THINK IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN I CALLED FORD INFORMING THIS INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND MY MECHANIC ADVISED TO CHANGE BOTH SIDES OF FRONT COIL SPRINGS AND STRUTS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED IN TWO DAYS. *TR

TL* 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.

LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING CAME LOOSE AND SHREDDED TIRE ON 2002 FORD TAURUS WAGON WITH 95,116 MILES. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES [XXX] SAID THAT THIS FAILURE WAS NOT RELATED TO NHTSA RECALL 04V33200 FOR DEFECTIVE COIL SPRINGS ON 1999-2001 FORD TAURUS. FORD REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. NORMAL ACCELERATION UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS, UPON RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL THE THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT DECELERATE WITHOUT HEAVY BRAKING. PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. DISCOVERED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD PUSHED ITSELF BACK OUT OF A LOCKING FERRULE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE WITH PLASTIC TABS, AND LODGED SIDEWAYS SO THE THROTTLE WAS BEING HELD OPEN. PUT THE CABLE BACK IN PLACE AND IT APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY SEATED BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TWICE MORE BEFORE I COULD GET THE VEHICLE HOME. THE PLASTIC TABS HAVE BECOME BRITTLE AND BROKEN AND NO LONGER PROPERLY HOLD THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FERRULE TIGHTLY IN ITS SOCKET. I SEE NOW FROM INTERNET RESEARCH THAT I COULD HAVE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED THE CABLE TO COMPLETELY ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. BUT IN THE DARK & COLD AND BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE MECHANICS OF THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE I DIDN'T HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME. UPON A BIT OF INTERNET RESEARCH I SEE THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON FAILURE MODE FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART ON 2001-2006 FORD TAURUS' AND OTHER FORDS THAT USE A SIMILAR MECHANICAL CRUISE CONTROL METHOD. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE... THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD EASILY CAUSE A CRASH AND FATALITIES. IT WAS A PRETTY UNNERVING EXPERIENCE AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH CARS AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING OVER 35 YEARS... I'D HATE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING HAD FAILED, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

THIS IS AN APPARENT PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THE FORD TAURUSES WHERE THE HEATER JUST STOPS WORKING. EACH TIME IT STOPS WORKING IT SEEMS TO COST OVER 2,000.00 TO FIX THE ISSUE. THE ACTUATOR MOTOR, THE HEATER CORE, AND THE BLOWER DOOR ALL CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED. EVEN AFTER REPAIR IT SEEMS THAT IT WILL ONLY WORK FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR BEFORE IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AGAIN. JUST OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. WE HAVE REPLACED THE HEATER SYSTEM 3 TIMES AND IT JUST DID IT AGAIN. RESEARCH ON LINE SHOWS THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH MANY OF THE FORD PRODUCTS THAT USE THE HEATER SET UP LIKE THE TAURUS. IT MAY ALSO INCLUDE THE FOR F150 TRUCK WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT OF THROTTLE CABLE BECOMING STUCK AND CAUSING ACCELERATION TOOK PLACE WHILE MERGING ONTO I-25 FROM UNIVERSITY BLVD IN DENVER, CO. ACCELERATED TO HIGHWAY SPEED (60 MPH), HOWEVER, ONCE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NO LONGER DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. EXITED INTERSTATE AT COLORADO BLVD AND HAD TO APPLY HEAVY PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRY TO ACCELERATE. RPM'S WERE ABOUT 5,000 WHILE STOPPED, AND ONCE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN ACCELERATED WITHOUT HE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED. RPM'S ONCE AGAIN CLIMBED WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT IN PARK. UPON TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND INSPECTING THE ENGINE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING WAS BROKEN AND THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD COME LOOSE. TEMPORARY REPAIRS WERE MADE USING A HOSE CLAMP, HOWEVER, THE ACCELERATION HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES (AT LEAST ONCE EVERY FEW MONTHS) SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE CABLE HOUSING HAS DEGRADED FURTHER, PROMPTING FIXES TO BE MADE TO THE THROTTLE CABLE WHENEVER AN INCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD BECOME FLAT. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TO TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 126,000. UPDATED 05/23/13*LJ 05/31/2013 *JS

WHILE BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP, FOLLOWED BY A HISSING SOUND IN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE (THE DRIVERS SIDE). I THOUGHT I RAN OVER A NAIL AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TO INVESTIGATE. SEEING JUST A FLAT TIRE I TRIED PULLING BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO CHANGE THE TIRE, HOWEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I INVESTIGATED FURTHER AND DISCOVERED THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND WAS IMPALED IN MY RECENTLY PURCHASED NEW TIRE! I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - I WOULD HAVE LOST ALL CONTROL AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT!!! I NOTED MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT SPRINGS ON FORD TAURSUS' ENDING IN 2001. I STRONGLY URGE THE NHTSA TO PLEASE EXTEND THAT RECALL TO INCLUDE THE NEWER FORD TAURUS' THAT SEEM TO STILL EXPERIENCE THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEFECT. HOW MANY LIVES HAVE TO BE LOST OR PROPERTY DAMAGED BEFORE FORD IS HELD RESPONSIBLE? *TR