Lucky Escape

[Doodlebug]

My wife had a lucky escape yesterday.

The front spring on her Corsa broke and dug into the tyre causing the damage shown in the picture.

She was very lucky this happened at a slow speed, less than 30 MPH, I hate to think what may have happened if she was doing 70 MPH.

Our mechanic said that broken springs are happening more frequently these days, potholes and speed bumps perhaps?

[sparkystav]

Thats very dangerous!

dont know who you should complain to, the council or the maker!

[Boxbrownie]

Definately report it to GM customer services, make sure you get onto the technical department not just a call centre lacky!

That is the kind of fault that can result in at the very least a service action and at worst (for the manufacturer) a recall.

[Asi]

i would do what stav said.

[dave1]

My wife had a lucky escape yesterday.

The front spring on her Corsa broke and dug into the tyre causing the damage shown in the picture.

Our mechanic said that broken springs are happening more frequently these days, potholes and speed bumps perhaps?

The subject of broken springs has been brought up quite frequently by Daily Telegraph readers in the "Honest John" column and answered by the following:http://' target="_blank">82. BROKEN COIL SPRINGS: Why does this happen so much on European built cars?

For a number of reasons.

Coil springs for European built cars are made cheaply. The load borne by a spring should be spread at each end.

If the spring is not around a strut this is done by 'pigtailing' the end of the spring, which means bending it at right angles across the base of the spring.

If it is around a strut the load can be spread by flattening or tapering the end.

Unfinished European coil springs sit in cups on the suspension that fill with dirt and road salt and encourage corrosion.

Shocks from potholes, speed humps and speed cushions usually finish them off.

I get an average 2 - 3 reports of this every day.

Springs on Far Eastern cars are more commonly properly finished off, which is why they generally last much longer.