2000 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE SERVICE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE'S UNDER CARRIAGE WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V194000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. UPDATED 11/09/15*LJ UPDATED 12/08/15.*JB

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES START DANCING BACK AND FORTH, THEN THE TACK GAUGE MAXED OUT AND STUCK UNDER THE SHIFT INDICATOR. I WENT TO A FORD DEALER IN FORT WAYNE IN. AND THEY REMOVED THE CLUSTER AND BROKE OFF PART OF THE TACK NEEDLE SO IT CAN'T BECOME STUCK AGAIN. STILL TO THIS DAY (A YEAR LATER) THE GAUGES START DANCING AND SOMETIMES FREEZE IN A POSITION. ONCE IT SHOWED I WAS DOING 80 MPH WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. SOME DAYS THEY WORK THEN OTHER TIMES THEY DONT. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD WINDSTARS. LOOK UP DANCING GAUGES WINDSTAR ON YOU-TUBE AND SEE ALL THE ISSUES PEOPLE SHOW. IF THIS IS SUCH A BIG ISSUE WHY ISNT SOMETHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT? RESPECTFULLY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).? *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABNORMAL SWAYING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V194000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE BENT OUTWARD AND THE SUB FRAME WAS CRACKED. THE BRACKETS AND THE BODY MOUNT ATTACHMENTS FAILED TO SUPPORT THE FRAME AND UNDERBODY OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE BRACKETS WERE NOT CORRECTLY INSTALLED TO SUPPORT THE FRAME. THE MECHANIC RETAINED THE VEHICLE FOR PARTS AND INDICATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS EXTENSIVE. THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE A REMEDY BECAUSE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS ALREADY COMPLETED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MPH, THE REAR AXLE SNAPPED IN HALF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V195000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY JULY 24, 2015 AT ABOUT 10:00 P.M. THE BACK OF MY 2000 FORD WINDSTAR STARTED BOUNCING. I SLOWED DOWN FORTUNATELY AND A FEW BLOCKS LATER THERE WAS LOUD BANG AND THE VAN VEERED INTO A RIGHT TURN AND SPUN AROUND COMING TO A STOP LESS THAN A FOOT FROM A LARGE LIGHT POLE. I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO WALK TO MY HOUSE AND I CALLED AAA AND THEY TOWED THE VAN BACK TO MY WORKPLACE. UPON INSPECTION I SAW THAT THE AXLE HAD SNAPPED IN TWO RIGHT NEXT TO A REPAIR THAT FORD HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE UNDER A RECALL. WHEN I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AXLE RECALL HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN 2010 AND ANY FURTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT ON AN EXPRESSWAY WHEN THIS HAPPEND AS IT WOULD LIKELY BE ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WRITING THIS AND NOT ME, NOT TO MENTION OTHER VEHICLES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND ME AT THE TIME. I WOULD NOW WORRY ABOUT ANY WINDSTARS DRIVING AROUND ME.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN ON 896, IN THE LEFT HAND LANE, WHEN MY 2000 FORD WINDSTAR LX VAN STOPPED RUNNING. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST STOPPED. (I DID HAVE SOME TRANSMISSION SLIPPING PREVIOUSLY BUT IT HAD STOPPED.) (I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE VAN HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS). I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND CALLED THE DELAWARE STATE POLICE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. AS IT WAS. IT HAPPENED THIS MORNING WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK. I HAD PEOPLE COME FLYING UP BEHIND MY VEHICLE AND BLOWING THEIR HORN AT ME. THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT RUSH HOUR OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT BE HERE RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS MY CHILDREN WOULD BE MOTHERLESS!

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY VAN VAN STOPPED ACCELERATING AND ACTED LIKE I WAS IN NEUTRAL. LUCKILY I HAD NO CARS BEHIND ME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED IF THERE HAD. MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW ONE AT 2400 DOLLARS. I HAD NO GEARS FORWARD OR REVERSE BUT THE VAN WOULD STILL RUN AND TURN ON FINE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. AS A PARENT OF FOUR KIDS WHO REGULARLY ARE IN THIS VAN I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED THESE FOR SAFETY WITH ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS. WILL IT TAKE SOMEONE DYING FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? I CAN DEFINITELY SAY I WILL NOT BE BUYING A FORD AGAIN SINCE THEY CAN'T STICK BY THERE MOTOR AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT!

I BOUGHT MY VAN USED JUST A MONTH BEFORE I NOTICED THIS DEFECT, I CAME OUTSIDE TO GET IN THE VAN AND NOTICED THE REAR WHEELS LEANING SLIGHTLY INWARD AT THE TOP. MY SON IN LAW INSPECTED IT FURTHER TO DISCOVER THAT THE REAR AXLE HAD BENT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON ALL FORD WINDSTAR MODELS BETWEEN 1998 AND 2003. WE NOTIFIED FORD AND THEY TOLD US THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN RECALLED AND REPAIRED IN 2011 AND THE REPAIR HAD A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. MY SON IN LAW CHECKED AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WERE REPAIR SLEEVES WRAPPED AROUND THE REAR AXLE AT BOTH ENDS. THIS REPAIR DID NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE HAD CRACKED RIGHT UNDER WHERE THE REPAIR SLEEVE WAS PLACED AND HAD BENT BAD, BAD ENOUGH THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE RUBBING THE INNER FENDERS AT THE TOP AND THE VAN WAS SITTING MUCH LOWER IN THE REAR END THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THANK GOD I HAD NOTICED THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE AXLE COMPLETELY CRACKED IN HALF THE REST OF THE WAY BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE HOLDING THE REAR WHEELS ONTO THE VEHICLE AND IF I WAS DRIVING THE WHEEL AND PART OF THE AXLE COULD HAVE FLOWN OFF TO WHO KNOWS WHERE AND POSSIBLY KILLED ME AND WHOEVER ELSE WAS IN THE VAN. I'VE HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE REAR AXLE WITH ANOTHER PART FROM ANOTHER VAN WHICH IS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND WILL SOON HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. FORD TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PAST THE ORIGINAL "FIX" WHICH WAS WARRANTIED FOR ONLY 12 MONTHS. THE RECALL WAS NOT A GOOD FIX AND SEEMS TO HAVE ONLY BEEN A BAND AID TO KEEP CUSTOMERS QUIET UNTIL THE WARRANTY ON IT RUNS OUT. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND IN FACT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, COINCIDENTALLY AROUND THE SAME TIME AS MY INCIDENT HAPPENED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE DRIVING OVER A BUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER AN UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 285,000.

A.B.S. LIGHT ON. SUSPENSION BROKEN IN RIGHT FRONT TIRE. DASHBOARD GAUGES NOT WORKING PROPERLY