Came home from work and noticed the front end was making all kinds of loud noises that sounded like something was fractured. I looked up the front left side wheel well and noticed that the front left coil spring had fractured and was being held up by the shield I had put on the car under the warranty recall a few years back. I drove the car to the shop and left it overnight. I called in the morning to get the recall information, which the springs are covered under. The car was taken in to be repaired. The only problem is the shocks were so old that they needed replaced when the front springs were replaced. The cost of that set me back about $235 when all was said and done. I have to say the front end rides better now.

Ok. So struts need replaced. No big deal, until we started the job.

To get the strut assembly off, you have to destroy the lower ball joint, which doesn't like to come off, so plan on replacing that too(Thanks Ford!). After we finally got the strut assembly off, we saw the broken spring, the full circle of chunk laying inside the rest of the spring, around the strut. Looking at the broken end, you can see where corrosion ate through part of the spring, weakening it obviously.

I am glad we went through this and found the problem to the tire on that side going bald along the inboard side of the tire, before I replaced the tires and had a new alignment.

A year ago there were two safety recalls released on my taurus. I was never notified for either. I found out due to the fact my front coil broke and got embedded into my front tire. We took the coil off to get flat tire off. No money to fix it, it sat. A friend of ours mentioned recall. I called Ford complaints in MI. They informed me of the law that requires them to send me a recall notice and the other breath it was my responsibility to notify them when I bought the car so I would get recall notification. My fault I did not receive two of them at different months. I informed them it was not my problem. I bought this car from the same Ford dealer that the original owner bought it from brand new 2 years before I bought it. Not too difficult to find me when it is also registered. The dealership got Ford to pay for the towing to their garage. But when they towed it the axle broke. The Ford headqtrs. refuse to pay for the axle because we took off the coil to get the tire off. They want $400. That is also my fault. If they had sent me the notices for recall I would have had it fixed and would not be in this bind. I have not had my car since the end of April in less than two weeks it will be Sept. 1. I have no money to fix it and no money to get an attorney or someone to help me. I want my car fixed paid by the Ford. They are responsibile. I will never buy another Ford. I always did and so did my parents. NEVER AGAIN......