Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER
94E036000MONROE AUTO CORP.from 01/01/1994 to 11/01/1994E (Equipment)9800012/15/1994MFRFORD MOTOR COMPANY11/25/199412/01/1994
Defect SummaryThe arc welds on the sway bar bracket, where it attaches to the strut reserve tube, did not fuse properly.
Consequence SummaryOver time, a portion of the bracket can tear away from the strut, falling into and puncturing the tire or causing damage to the wheel, which could result in an accident.
Corrective SummaryMonroe dealers will replace the strut free of charge.
NotesEquipment description: aftermarket shock absorbers for 1986 - 1994 ford taurus and mercury sable passenger cars; part 71780, 81780.if the vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided free of charge within a reasonable time or the remedy does not correct the defect, please contact monroe at 1-800-521-6754. also, contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS
98I002000FORD MOTOR COMPANYfrom 08/01/1992 to 07/31/1993I28100006/30/1998ODIFORD MOTOR COMPANY06/24/199807/09/1998
Defect SummaryThis is not a safety recall in accordance with federal regulation 573. however, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of new york, michigan, ohio, illinois, wisconsin, pennsylvania, massachusetts, indiana, new jersey, maine, connecticut, new hampshire, rhode island, vermont, minnesota, iowa, missouri, kentucky, maryland, delaware, and west virginia. ford is providing an extended warranty through the year 2001 for replacement of fron tsprings due to fracture. the front coil springs can fracture as a result of corrosion in combination with small cracks in the springs.
Consequence SummaryThe front tire could deflate due to a broken front coil spring contacting the tire, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryCustomers with vehicles that have broken springs are to return their vehicle for spring replacement. both springs will be replaced even if only one spring is fractured.
NotesFord has decided to provide an extended warranty through the year 2001 for replacement of front springs due to fracture.owners can contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
98V094000FORD MOTOR COMPANYfrom 08/01/1992 to 07/31/1993V (Vehicle)28100011/04/1998ODIFORD MOTOR COMPANY05/06/199805/06/1998
Defect SummaryVehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of new york, michigan, ohio, illinois, wisconsin, pennsylvania, massachusetts, indiana, new jersey, maine, connecticut, new hampshire, rhode island, vermont, minnesota, iowa, missouri, kentucky, maryland, delaware, and west virginia. the front coil springs can fracture as a result of corrosion in combination with small cracks in the springs.
Consequence SummaryThe front tire could deflate due to a broken front coil spring contacting the tire, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryDealers will install a spring catcher bracket which will prevent a fractured spring from contacting a tire.
NotesOwners of these vehicles received two notifications.the first notification was mailed july 16, 1998, advising owners that parts were not yet available.the second notice was sent (a postcard) on november 4, 1998,that parts are available. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SUSPENSION - FRONT
953402/01/199539217Rattling or clunking noise from the fron suspension. *tw03/30/1995
951101/01/199539127Premature wear on the inner edges of rear tires. *tw03/16/1995
SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS
98S1507/01/1998615138Safety recall involving installation of the protective spring shields on certain vehicles front coil springs - stabilizer link replacement parts on national backorder. *tt01/02/2001
98S1510/01/1998615127Safety recall and owner notification to install protective spring shields on the front coil springs of affected vehicles to reduce the possibility of tire puncture should spring facture occur. *tt12/29/2000
SUSPENSION - REAR
BC889095040104/01/19953031400Unknown11/01/1995
955603/01/199539880Premature wear on inner edges of rear tires may be caused by rear camber and toe settings that are not within specification. *tw11/01/1995

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
SUSPENSION
PE93100FORD MOTOR COMPANY12/02/199306/30/1994POLYCAST ROAD WHEEL CRACKS
 There is no summary currently available
RQ99017FORD MOTOR COMPANY08/09/199902/16/2000FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING98V094000
 Odi opened pe97-035 and ea97-026 after receiving four complaints of front spring breakage on 1993 ford taurus vehicles.on may 5, 1998, ford motor company filed a defect information report concerning front spring breakage on 1993 ford taurus and mercury sable vehicles built from august 1, 1992 through july 31, 1993 and registered in 21 states with high corrosion; safety recall 98v-094.odi has received three reports of failed new springs or inadequate protective shields, 17 reports of out of scope front spring fractures, including six tire punctures, and ten reports of shields contacting tires and noise problems to the extent that some dealers are removing the shields.all of the odi reports occurred within the geographic scope of safety recall 98v-094.this rq is to determine the extent of remedy failures and out of scope problems in safety recall 98v-094.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SUSPENSION
06/15/2003106000
 About 1 month after the mass air flow sensor was replaced and about 6 months after my head gaskets were replaced, my sable started to hesitate when warm. the vehicle has no power. the fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter and throttle position sensor have all been replaced with no effect. the timing has also been found to be right on.
420003012/01/2000
 Entire vehicle starts to vibrate uncontrollably. dealer denied problem. ak scc ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****751026
SUSPENSION - FRONT
11/01/19931111/01/1992
 Steering has binding noise, front end suspension rattles and vibrates.
05/22/200005/01/2000
 While driving on the freeway, the car began to shake uncontrollably. the car overheated and caused the engine to fail. the engine fan malfunctioned which caused the car to overheat.
01/01/19980
 While driving front of car shaking upon stopping. also, brake rotors had to be replaced. *ak
07/01/1993
 Excessive wear on front tires, can not keep front end alignment correct, tires wear on inner sides, vehicle shudders when brakes are applied, vehicle also shudders for no reason when driving , this comes and gos . tires replaced at 33,000, 85,000 miles and as of this writing new tires need( 110,000) new tires put on 7/98 85,000 miles, recall done 12/98 for front shields to prevent excessive wear.
1
 Front end welds broke. mjs
09/04/19984
 Vehicle has broken down five times in five weeks due to transmission mount breaking. also, enertia switch failure/vehicle pulling and shaking after right front tire changed/ignition switch stuck. *ak
07/30/1996110/01/1993
 Front end out of alignment, causing uneven tire wear. *dh
05/11/19951
 Vehicle veers to right. *sd
SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS
03/01/200233000212/12/1993
 In 1993 i helped my mother purchase a new mercury sable in racine, wisconsin where she lived. by 2001 my mother was at an age she should not be driving for several reasons. the big event was when she broke her hip and we also learned she was starting to lose her short term memory. in late 2001 we had the 1993 mercury sable with only about 30 to 35,000 miles stored pending deciding if another family could use the car. in early 2002 we had the title transferred to my son and he started to drive the car. he told us within a week there was a terrible noise and we had the car checked at our local ford dealer in lexington illinois. there service manager, danny, told me both front coil springs were broken. i found this very odd because of the low miles on the car and it was not driven much in the winter salt. i had danny save both of the old springs for me because i thought the ford motor company should cover the expense. both left and right springs were broken in the same area and the original paint was on the springs, indicating to me they had very little if any salt damage. i still have the springs in storage. i also learned later that ford had some sort of recall for front coil springs, but they needed to be repaired by december 2001. ford did not pay the $340 bill that i paid to replace the springs in early 2002. you might ask, why am i documenting this now. two reasons, one i just learned of the web site and two, i own a 2000 ford taurus and just received a letter about a problem with the front coil springs. apparently, ford did not learn from the earlier problem. i learned later how the broken springs could have caused tire failure and a serious accident. although my mother always had her car serviced at the dealer, they apparently never checked it for the recall item. i feel there needs to be a more accountablity on the part of the manufacturer(ford) to assure all cars are checked. my mothers car was overlooked, primarily because of her age.*ak
01/09/2004165285109/30/1993
 My 1993 mercury sable was subject to a front suspension recall in 1998 (nhtsa item # 615138). the problem has happened again on my car, same problem, same reason (corrosion). the original recall has expired so i have no options to resolve the issue. ford did not fix the problem, they simply repaired the damage with parts subject to the same defects. they will not help me so i'm lodging this complaint.*ak
07/15/200348100104/30/1994
 While backing out of the garage, the front coil springs snapped, causing the suspension to fall. the dealer had been contacted. *ak the springs punctured the front tires. recall# 98v094000 the sales dealer had gone out of business. *scc *jb
06/16/20031
 The vehicle was parked, when the front coil spring broke. *ak *jb
05/25/2002
 Front coil spring recall was done in december of 1999, after that consumer always heard a noise coming from underneath vehicle. consumer took vehicle to dealer numerous times, no problem was found. during routine repair work mechanic found passenger front coil spring broken.*ak
03/06/20010
 Consumer had driven over a ditch. then, front right coil spring did break and punctured tire.*ak
02/21/20000
 While driving and going over a bump heard a clunking noise like something was loose. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and the dealer said consumer needed new springs. *ak
11/24/1998
 Had received recall notice in the mail98i002000, concerning front coil springs. called dealership. was informed that no parts are available. cannot order parts. would have wait for manufacturer to send parts to dealer. *ak
 Vehicle was serviced under recall 98v094000, front coil springs. the fender has been trimmed very sloppy. dealer said it could have been done better, but it's too late. *ak
06/15/1997108/16/1993
 Front spring coil broke while vehicle was in motion. consumer has had the vehicle repaired. consumer came across a recall for the front coil springs , this vehicle was not included in recall. *ak *ml
03/28/1999207/01/1996
 Coil springs broke, and were replaced with ford replacement parts. however, they broke again within a 1 year after recall repairs. manufacturer has been contacted. 98v-094. *ak
203/13/1995
 Recall repair on recalled coil spring guard performed, but now the guard hits while driving(making noise).
03/28/1999207/01/1996
 The front passenger side spring cracked, and put a hole in the tir, causing the tire to deflate. i was pulling out of driveway and lost complete control of vehicle. what would have this been like if this had happened saturday on the way back from baltimore at 65 or 70 mph? both springs were replaced at ford's expense last year when both were broken. these are ford replacement parts, i thought they were supposed to have corrected this problem. i had my wife, son-in-law, and my two granchildren in my car this afternoon on the interstate at 65mph. i am calling ford tomorrow (monday) about this problem and probably won't be to nice. thank you and please contact me if you need any additional information. *ak
09/13/1998
 Had received recall notice (#98v094000) in the mail. called dealer & set up an appointment. took vehicle on that day. after arriving at dealer's, was informed by mechanic that parts for front coil springs were not available, and does not know when they will be. would contact owner when they come in. *ak
09/13/1998
 Received recall notice 98i002000 in mail. called dealership for appointment. took vehicle in on appointed day. after arriving, was informd by service manager, that parts for coil springs were not available. does not know when parts will be available, but would call owner when they come in. *ak
06/12/1996
 When driving the vehicle there is a very loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle, and when applying the brakes the noise is still there. consumer thinks the problem is coming from the front coil spring that needs to be repaired. *ak
2
 Recall repair work not completed on two components (headlamp switch 98s01 and coil springs), due to dealership problems.
04/24/1995
 Recall 98v094000, front coil spring . dealer could not place the spring catcher bracket/shield in which prevents the front coil spring from puncturing the tire when it breaks. but there was no room for the shield which caused a banging noise, and rub against the tire which could result in a blowout. dealer removed bracket after three tries at installing bracket, last time it wa srubbing on tire. manufacturer said case was closed. *ak
01/07/1999201/25/1995
 Vehicle was involved in a recall concerning the front coil spring. manufacturer recall #98s15/98mo2, nhtsa recall #98i002000. it was repaired once with a shield to protect the tire and the spring finally broke. the shield did not protect the tire coil spring, split tire in half while consumer was traveling at 15mph. dealer has been contacted. *ak
3
 Defective coil spring (which were recalled) caused 3 sets of tires to wear prematurely on one side more than the other.
01/09/199811/10/1993
 Left front coil spring broke when the vehicle was parked causing the front of the vehicle to drop.
06/01/19981
 Springs and coils failed.
 Consumer received recall letter.dealer replace two front springs. recall number 981002000. *ak.et.
 Consumer received recall letter concerning front coil springs. contacted dealer, no parts available to remedy recall problem. recall number 981002000. please give any further details.*ak
03/01/1994
 I am not happy with the design and installation of the coil spring shields added to catch the coil spring when it fractures. the shields add an additional place for road salt to collect which will hasten failure. it was also necessary to cut the inner fender to alleviate rubbing between the spring shields and the inner fender. i am also concerned that a spring failure will result in the suspension collapsing and cause a loss of steering control due to the tire contacting the suspension and inner fender.
07/07/1998
 The consumer received a recall letter for front coil springs. since the date that they received the recall letter the parts have been unavailable. the recall number is 98i002000. parts arrived 4-dec-1998. *ak *ml
07/08/1998
 The consumer has been experiencing problems with dealer. the consumer received a recall letter in july, and since the date that they received the letter, the parts under the recall have been available. recall number 98i0020000. *ak
11/01/1993109/01/1993
 Whenever driving the vehicle and making a right or left turn there is a very loud noise coming from the shield of the coil spring, and when driving up and down in the parking lot or the driveway, the loud noise is still there. the dealer can't find the problem. *ak
07/08/1998
 The consumer received a recall letter for front coil springs. however, the coil springs have not been available since july 1998 when the letter was received. the manufacturer has been contaced. recall number 98i100200. *ak
1
 Dealer denied recall services of front coil spring.
05/07/199803/01/1995
 Coil spring broke when pulling out of a parking space and a sharp edge punctured the tire.
01/09/1998111/11/1993
 Suspension coil spring broke. corrosion pit observed at origin of fracture. coating on spring failed in area of fracture.
07/01/1996103/01/1995
 The right front coil spring broke while driving between 60-65mph. *ak consumer stated vehicle dropped all at once while driving, spring wedged against tire causing a sudden stop.*jb
04/05/1997107/20/1996
 Coil spring broke at the lower end of the spring as it leaves the support plate on the strut. the spring then telescopes over the strut. had this happened at highway speed loss of vehicle control could have resulted.
SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR
03/08/2000106/05/1995
 Rattling noise when the vehicle hits bumps due to pass rear stabilizer link failure. yh
SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE
10/04/1994103/12/1994
 Rear struts and rod bushings replaced, fuel leaking due to fuel line failure.
SUSPENSION - REAR
01/15/2001104/01/1997
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
09/15/1999108/01/1993
 R+r sway bar bushings failed. nlm
09/15/1999108/01/1999
 Sway bar failed. mjs
12/22/1999103/01/1995
 Rear stabilizer bar (sway bar links) of the vehicle broke. yh
11/12/1999108/01/1993
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
1
 Rear sway bar replaced. mjs
05/02/1995103/12/1994
 Brake pads failed, rear radius arm weld failure resulting in noise.
10/06/1997103/12/1994
 Outer tie rod ends failed, rear axle seal leaking due to failure.
05/19/1997102/15/1995
 Rear suspension control arm failed.
SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER
10/04/1994103/12/1994
 Rear struts and rod bushings replaced, fuel leaking due to fuel line failure.
07/09/19969
 Rear shocks worn. *sd
SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS
08/28/1998
 While driving there is a thumping sound. mechanic looked at the vehicle, stated one side was lower than the other. another mechanic stated the coil spring in the rear caused tires to go out. *ak