2003 FORD TAURUS Complaints

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! *TR

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. *TR

WITHOUT ANY WARNING MY GAS PEDAL OF MY VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD - THE CAR JERKED AND THEN NOTHING. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I HAD TO ROLL AND THEN PUSH MY VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THANK GOD THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME OR I WOULD OF BEEN HIT - IT WAS VERY SCARY. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. HAD TO WAIT FOR AAA AND THEN GET MY CAR TOWED TO TRANSMISSION PLACE. THEY REPLACED AND IT COST ME $1,133.58. *TR

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 NHTSA 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.

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. *TR

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.

THE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE NEXT TO IT, CAUSING THE TIRE TO EXPLODE.

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. *TR

I HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT LAST DEC AND NOW AM EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, MY SIGNAL LIGHTS/HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AND WAS TOLD THE WIRES AND HARNESS NEED TO BE REPLACED. HINGES THAT HOLD REAR WINDOW IN HAVE SNAPPED OFF, WINDOW HELD IN PLACE BY LOCK. *TR

I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I JUST BROKE MY NECK ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO SO IT WAS HARD FOR ME ALONE TO PUSH THE CARD TO SAFE AREA. THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 FORD TAURUS WITHOUT ANY WARNING SIGNS WOULD NOT GO FURTHER LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I TRIED PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE, REVERSE AND THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THE MOTOR WOULD REV UP LIKE IT WAS IN PARK. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL FORD. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS MODEL OR AT LEAST PAY TO FIX ALL THESE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS I AM READING ABOUT. THE AMOUNT THAT IT COST TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION IS THE SAME AMOUNT THE CAR IS WORTH IF THAT. WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET FORD INVOLVED WITH THIS PROBLEM AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THIS REALLY LEAVES A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH ABOUT FORD. ONE UNHAPPY CUSTOMER TELLS THE WHOLE WORLD 100 HAPPY CUSTOMERS BARLEY GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT A COMPANY, BUT I BELIEVE IF FORD WOULD DO A RECALL ON THESE 2003 TAURUS TRANSMISSIONS EVERYBODY WOULD CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT HOW FORD DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. ALL THESE TRANSMISSION COMPLIANT SOUND THE SAME. SO IT MUST BE THE PRODUCT NOT THE DRIVER. *TR