2000 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN RESPONSE TO THE TSB LETTER THAT I RECEIVED REGARDING THE REAR AXLE PREMATURE FAILURE BACK IN FEB OF 2011. THEY PERFORMED RECALL (10S13) WHERE THEY INSPECTED AXLE (FOUND NO CRACKS), INSTALLED BRACKETS AND PAINTED THE AXLE. 4 YEARS LATER ALMOST TO THE DAY OF RECEIVING THIS "FIX" I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL WAS CAVING IN AT THE TOP, WHICH WAS A SIGN FOR BREAKING REAR AXLE. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS BROKEN REAR AXLE. I REQUESTED IT TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE SAME RECALL BUT WAS REFUSED SERVICE DUE TO THE SERVICE THAT I RECEIVED IN 2011. I CALLED FORD'S WARRANTY CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE BUT WAS REFUSED FOR ANY KIND OF SUPPORT. OBVIOUSLY FORD'S "FIX" WAS NOT ENOUGH TO RECTIFY THIS SAFETY ISSUE, SO I THINK THEY SHOULD REIMBURSE ANY COSTS RELATED TO GETTING THE REAR AXLE REPLACED. THE COST OF REPAIR IN TOTAL WAS $800.37. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY COLLAPSED ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO TILT INWARDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. IN 2010, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V195000 (SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE RECENTLY RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 218,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V195000 (SUSPENSION) BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE YEARS LATER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,723.

ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. SEVERAL FAILURES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. DEALER FAILED TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR TO HIM. FINALLY OBVIOUS FAILURE. LIMPED CAREFULLY TO THE DEALER. SAFETY HAZARD OF COURSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

WORK WAS PERFORMED ON THE SUB FRAME OF THE 2000 FORD WINDSTAR REFERENCED ABOVE ON APRIL 16, 2012, AS A RESULT OF A FORD RECALL NOTICE, NUMBER: 11S16. THE RECALL DESCRIPTION IS AS FOLLOWS: "CORROSION-RELATED FRACTURES OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKETS AND BODY MOUNT ATTACHMENTS MAY OCCUR. A SEPARATION OF A FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKET MAY RESULT IN A LOWER CONTROL ARM SEPARATION. A SEPARATION OF BOTH FRONT SUBFRAME REAR BODY MOUNTS MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." THE WORK DONE ON APRIL 16, 2012 WAS PERFORMED BY SHEEHY FORD IN GAITHERSBURG, MD. WHO INSTALLED NEW BRACKETS ON THE SUB FRAME, TO PREVENT THE SUB FRAME FROM BREAKING AND/OR ERODING. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF ADVANCED RUSTING ON THE SUB FRAME. ON AUGUST 30, 2014, THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO SHEEHY FORD, AFTER LOUD KNOCKING NOISES COULD BE HEARD UNDER THE HOOD. SHEEHY FORD LOOKED AT THE CAR, CONSULTED WITH THEIR TECHNICIANS AND REPORTED BACK ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 THAT THE SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH. THE SOUNDS COMING FROM THE CAR WERE DUE TO THE UNSTABLE SUB FRAME, WHICH HOLDS THE PARTS OF THE CAR IN PLACE. THEY ALSO ADVISED THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL REVIEW, SHEEHY FORD CONCLUDED THAT THE PREVIOUS WORK IN APRIL OF 2012 WAS SUFFICIENT TO HOLD THE SUB FRAME. THEY HAVE SINCE HELD FAST TO THEIR CLAIM THAT NO FURTHER "PROGRAMS" ARE AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE CURRENT PROBLEM OF A RUSTED SUB FRAME IN THE CAR. A COMPLAINT WAS ALSO MADE THROUGH FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. THEY TOOK THE COMPLAINT AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER OF: 5190828L6X2X4X, BUT ULTIMATELY THEIR DECISION IS THE SAME AS SHEEHY: NO OTHER PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO COVER THE COST OF ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIR TO THE CAR. 1/5/15.

IN JUNE OF 2012 THE ABS LIGHT BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY COME ON. REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE RELAYS AND THE LIGHT STAYED OFF UNTIL OCTOBER 2012. REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE ABS CONTROL UNIT. AGAIN THIS FIXED THE INTERMITTENT LIGHT, HOWEVER, WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THE LIGHT WAS COMING ON THIS TIME SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR WAS STARTED AND STAYING ON. IT CURRENTLY COMES ON WHEN I START THE CAR AND STAYS ON. I DON'T KNOW IF THE ABS BREAKING SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY WORKING. THE BREAKS DO WORK, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT AS LONG AS I CAN STOP THE CAR I IGNORE THE ABS LIGHT. I NOW WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 97500 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN GARAGED KEPT FOR THE LAST 77500 MILES. I GOT THIS AS A COMPANY CAR AT 19000 MILES AND PURCHASED IT FROM MY COMPANY AT 75000 MILES. *TR

I HAVE HAD AN INTERMITTENT ABS LIGHT ON IN MY VAN. I HAD THE CODES READ AT UTOZONE AND THEY ARE C1185 C1198 C1194. I HAVE READ ON SOME FORUMS THAT THIS ERROR IS DUE TO A FAULTY SOLDER JOINT IN THE ABS MODULE. IF THIS IS THE CASE, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL BY FORD. *JS

I WAS DRIVING AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE VAN JUST MADE A HUGE SOUND, AND WENT LEFT TO RIGHT AND BACK SEVERAL TIMES. VERY SCARY! I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF IT. I HAD JUST LEFT THE HIGHWAY! I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN AND MOVE THE VAN BY THE SIDE OF THE STREET. AFTER FULL STOP, WENT TO LOOK AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND AND LOOKED BROKEN IN HALF! I REMEMBER THE VAN WENT THRU A RECALL IN 2012 (07-19-2012) AND HAD BEEN TAKING CARE BY SUNTRUP FORD. I FOUND THE PAPERS TODAY ABOUT THAT RECALL AND THE INVOICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE LISTING OF THE WORK DONE PER FORD. MY TAKE IS THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY OR THE RECALL WAS NOT DEMANDING ENOUGH. THE BRACKETS INSTALLED DID NOT DO THE JOB TO MAKE THIS VEHICLE SAFE! I TOOK PHOTOS. *TR

I WAS HEADING TO THE STORE AS I DO ON A EVERY DAY BASES AND GOING THREW TOWN I HIT A SMALL HOLE IN THE ROAD AND I HEARD A HORN BLOW FROM BEHIND ME AS I LOOKED BACK I SEEN A BIG CHINK OF MY SLIDING DOOR SITTING IN THE ROAD INFRONT OF THE CAR . I NOTICED SMALL RUST ON THE UNDER LINING OF THE DOOR AS IT HAPPENS WITH CARS THIS AGE BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN IN MY 30 OD YEARS A CHUNK BRAKE LOOSE ALMOST CAUSING A ACCIDENT. THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY CAR/VAN/SUV TO RUST LIKE THIS AS IM MISSING HALF THE DOOR ON THE ONE SIDE OF THE VAN, I DID REPLACE IT WITH A JUNK YARD ONE BUT STILL. *TR