2001 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE REVERSING AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE REAR TIRE. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE AFTER THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED. THE TIRE HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE HAD FRACTURED AND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.

AFTER NOTICING WOBBLING OF MY BACK TIRE DRIVING MY DAUGHTER HOME FROM SCHOOL MY FATHER LOOKED AT ME VEHICLE TO NOT ONLY SEE THAT MY REAR AXEL HAD CRACKED (IN PROCESS OF INSEPCTION FOR RECALL REPAIR ON THAT) BUT ALSO NOTUCE THE THE FRONT SUB FRAME IS RUSTING SO MUCH THAT EVERYTHING ATTACHED TO IT IS STARTING TO DETACH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND. THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE SUBFRAME IN THE FRONT HAD CRACKED AFTER HAVING THE REPAIR/RECALL DONE BY FORD. THIS IS THE PASSENGER SIDE, RIGHT BY THE MOUNT TO THE BODY.

BETWEEN MY MARCH 2015 OIL CHANGE AND MY JULY 30 2015 OIL CHANGE THE CONTROL ARMS BROKE AND COMPLETELY RUINED A TIRE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. CHEWED IT UP VERY BADLY PUTTING ME AT RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT FROM A BLOW OUT OR LOSS OF CONTROL. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND BY THE SHOP AT THE OIL CHANGE. I AM FINDING ONLINE WHERE THERE IS MUCH CONCERN ABOUT THE CONTROL ARMS ON THESE VEHICLES. BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED BY THE SHOP. THE BROUGHT ONE OF THE TIRES INTO THE LOBBY FOR ME TO SEE AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CHEWED UP ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. IT IS A WONDER I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I HEARD A CRUNCHING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO SWAY ON THE ROAD. I HAD TO SLOW MY SPEEDS AND PULL OVER AT A SAFE SPOT, WHICH WAS A PARKING LOT TO INSPECT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. AFTER INSPECTION, I NOTED THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE WAS AT AN ANGLE WITH THE TOP OF THE TIRE INWARD TOUCHING THE FRAME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST REPAIR SHOP WHERE I FOUND FROM THEIR INSPECTION THAT THE AXLE WAS BROKE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEABLE. MY VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE FORD WINDSTAR AXLE RECALL, WHICH WAS SERVICED BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALER IN 2012. THIS VEHICLE HAD THE REINFORCEMENTS ADDED TO THE AXLE IN 2012. THE AXLE BROKE BETWEEN THE REINFORCED PLATES WELDED TO THE AXLE DURING THE RECALL CHECK. NOW AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR INSPECTION, I FIND OUT THAT FORD WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE ISSUE AND NOT REPAIR OR REPLACE THE AXLE DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME FROM THE RECALL. I FEEL LUCKY THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AXLE BROKE.

WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE TO GO SHOPPING EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE TILL I GOT ABOUT 25 MILES FROM MY HOUSE THAT IS WHEN I GOT STOPPED AT MY FIRST RED LIGHT THAT WHEN I WAS WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN THE ABS AND PARK BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON SO I PULLED OVER AT MY NEAREST CONVENIENCE SHUT THE VAN OFF CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE, I GOT BACK INTO THE VAN AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, FINISHED MY SHOPPING THE ABOUT 4 MINUTES AFTER I STARTED THE VAN TO COME HOME WHILE WAITING IN TRAFFIC THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT THE BRAKES FELT FINE SO I DROVE IT HOME. I HAD A BRAKE SHOP CHECK IT OUT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE (EBCM TO BE EXACT) AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IT JUST WOULDN'T HAVE ABS FUNCTIONING WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, CONTACTED FORD DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT WHEN THEY CHECKED IT THE LIGHT WAS OUT AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND BECAUSE IT WASN'T A RECALL NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT AND IF I WANTED IT BROUGHT IN TO FIX IT IT WOULD COST ME $785 DOLLARS. SO I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND TO ME A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND FIXED AS IT SEEMS THAT IT IS A BAD SOLDER-JOINT IN THE EBCM THAT IS CAUSING THIS ERROR AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE FROM WHAT I READ IN ONLINE POSTS. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A FREE FIX I JUST WANT FORD TO STEP UP AND FIX THE SAFETY ISSUES ON VEHICLES THEY MAKE

THIS VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES. DURING THE LATEST EVENT WHICH OCCURRED WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE MINIVAN JUST SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS NOT A STALLING WARNING OR ANYTHING. ALL LIGHTS APPEAR ON THE DASH AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VAN WHEN IT HAPPENS. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO RESTART YOU HAVE TO TURN IT OFF WITH THE KEY AND THEN START IT UP AGAIN. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIS. I'M VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BE MADE. WITH MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS I'VE SEEN ONLINE MANY OF THE MECHANICS DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IT'S SCARY TO SEE THAT MANY OF US ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME THING. DURING SOME OF THE OTHER INCIDENTS IT ALSO SEEMED TO HAPPEN DURING LOWER SPEEDS SUCH AS 5 OR 10 MPH HOWEVER TWICE IT HAPPENED GOING HIGHER SPEEDS, ONCE AT 25 MPH AND THE OTHER AT 30 MPH. THANK YOU FOR CHECKING INTO THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH OVER A MAN HOLE COVER, THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER ANY TYPE OF BUMPS, CRACKS, AND MAN HOLE COVERS ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000. MA 10/16/15 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A KNOCKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME ENGINE CROSS MEMBER WAS CORRODED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE REMEDY FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V030000 (STRUCTURE) WAS PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 4 YEARS AGO. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED ADDITIONAL FAILURES RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,400.