Fiesta/fusion Front Springs

[fusion66]

This is an old subject but still relevant and copied here as parts are the same between models. My Fusion 2004 1.4tdi has broken springs twice, each time with little mileage and 3 years between. Annual mileage never exceeds 4,000.

It seems the most common breakages are offside front and just abouthalf a turn (7 inches) from the end of the first (bottom) coil.

There is a Fiesta thread which mentions probs with vehicles built inthe Cologne plant, Germany, in 2003/4. It seems Ford do not admit the problem although it is clearly a safety issue. As far as I know there has never been a recall - Bad job Ford!

I have had 2 Dagenham Fiestas (Mk2 and 3), 2 Sierras and 2 Escorts and put about 100,000 miles on each with no failures.

Look at the Fusion design and it is not conventional (with British Dunton designs) as previous Fiestas have square ended springs which sit properly. It seems the design is Continental as there are reports of VW, Audi. Merc, BMW, Renault and GM failures.

Fusion springs are tapered at each end and sit in a spiral housing in such a way as to encourage wear of the plastic covering, trapping dirt, grit and salt and premature rusting. It seems rust starts as a result of the plastic covering being pierced by friction plus grit or a small stone. Rust in the tiny hole then spreads causing the spring to fail.
They always fail in the same place and one discussion thread indicates that broken parts can be interchanged between springs and they fit perfectly. Also, interchangeable with broken nearside springs.

In an attempt to alleviate the fault Ford released a zinc plate modification which prevents rust through electrolytic action (sacrificial anode).

Has anyone got a part No. for this or any further information on spring failures?

Ta muchly

[Gary.J]

Not sure how much of a design or manufacturing flaw this is. I've also had to replace a set of Peugeot Partner front springs recently which is about the same age as the Fiesta I did earlier this year. When you consider the stresses on springs, and the poor quality of our road surfaces, 10 years or so isn't a bad life for something that regularly takes a hammering and is always hard working. Also to bear in mind that the suspension usually spends most of its life with a layer of mud/dirt on, which holds in moisture every time it rains, as most people don't take wheels off and clean everything behind.

[fusion66]

Some further research and thinking .........

Fiestas to Mk III have a different type of spring.. tubular – not tapered at the ends, and the last coil at each end is finished to provide a flat face with the mount in which it sits.
Later Fiestas and Fusions have tapered ended springs (the coil shape continues) which sit in a spiral housing at the bottom. Although the spring is coated with plastic this soon wears away, so does the paint on the strut. Road dirt, chips and stones get underneath (between the underside of the spring and the strut) which quickens the destruction of the paint and plastic coating.
Just a small puncture in these results in rust setting in which then runs up into the coil – a close look at a broken spring reveals all as the rust trace can be seen and followed.
By the very nature of the spring flexing right to the end of the coil the spring is weakened (always almost exactly 7 inches from the end) then snaps. It is quite common when rust reaches a specific distance into the spring for it to snap often while the vehicle is stationary. Usually the driver side front spring breaks first. The majority of reports note this and it has happened to my Fusion twice in 3 years, about 12,000 miles apart.
Previous models do not flex in this way as the end is flat, sitting flat in the mount and does not flex at all.
It is little or nothing to do with roads, salt or potholes.
It seems that Fiestas designed at Dunton (Essex) and built at Dagenham are free from this as they use the earlier design. It also seems to be a Continental problem centred on Germany ( Ford’s Cologne plant). Other German and Continental makes have reports of similar design and failure problems.
It seems obvious that one design is good and failure free whilst the other is a continual source of trouble and possible danger.
This can only equate to the design.
Ford designed it and therefore should admit there is a failure, the outcome of which is a safety issue, and however old the vehicle it should recall and effect a permanent and successful modification/repair free of charge.
There is no other explanation – one design works forever and the other does not.