Broken sping

My wife went out to her 2007 Fiat Grande Pundo, parked underneath a carport, reversed out and heard a 'ping’. Almost immediatly, the nearside front went down with a broken spring. I've written to FIAT Customer Services and unsurprisingly no reply. The car hasn't covered many miles, and there's no speed bumps here, idea why this happened?

Asked on 5 December 2012 by GP, via email

Answered by Honest John
A spring will normally break when it is first put under tension when it is coldest and therefore most brittle. That's why, thankfully, they almost always break first thing in the morning before you have driven anywhere.
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