2003 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD . IN MUNCIE INDIANA . THE REAR END ON THE RIGHT SIDE WENT DOWN ALL MOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK . FOUND O UT THAT DAY WHEN I GOT IT TO THE AUTO GARAGE THAT THE REAR END HAD RUSTED THREW . AT 66,000 MILES . HOW CAN A COMPANY PUT OUT CRAP LIKE THIS THAT MIGHT HAVE COAST ME MY LIFE ? IT WOULD HAVE IF I WAS NOT A SEMI DRIVER WHEN I WAS WORKING . AND NEW HOW TO HANDLE A VAN IN CASE OF A PROBLEM LIKE THIS U HAVE ME TO THANK THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED . I THINK FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR ME .

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I STOPPED AND PARKED THE CAR. UPON MY INSPECTION THE DRIVER REAR TIRE WAS LEANING OUT ON AN ANGLE.A MECHANIC INSPECTED IT AND NOTICED THE REAR AXLE WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS NO NOISE OR PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS TIME. THE REAR AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE REAR AXLE SUDDENLY FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE REAR AXLE CRACKING. DURING MY RECENT STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION, THE REAR AXLE WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. THE REAR AXLE WAS REINFORCED PER RECALL NOTICE IN 2011, BUT WHERE THE REINFORCEMENT IS AT, IS WHERE AXLE IS CRACKED. FORD WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AXLE DUE TO THE RECALL ALREADY BEING PERFORMED AND IS OUTSIDE THE 12 MONTHS/12,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE REINFORCEMENT THAT THEY PROVIDED DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE, IT ONLY PUSHES THE ISSUE OUT. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS EXACT ISSUE HAPPENING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE REAR AXLE COMPLETELY FRACTURED INTO TWO PIECES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

2003 FORD WINDSTAR TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AT 87343 MILES. I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF REPORTS ON 2003 FORD WINDSTAR TRANSMISSIONS FAILING UNDER 70K MILES. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE RECALLED.

WENT TO PULL OUT OF PARKING SPACE. NONE OF THE GEARS WORKED. ENDED UP HAVING VEHICLE TOWED. THANKFUL MY HUSBAND WASN'T ON THE WAY TO WORK GOING 60-65 MPH. CONTACTED FORD AND WAS TOLD TOO BAD SINCE IT WASN'T DIAGNOSED BY ONE OF THEIR DEALERS SHOPS BUT BY A MECHANIC WE'VE BEEN USING FOR YEARS. I'M WONDERING WHY THE FREESTAR WAS RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE AND NOT THE WINDSTAR. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT 63K MILES.

THIS VEHICLE WAS MINE AND GIVEN TO MY DAUGHTER IN LAW FOR THEIR FAMILY. SHE PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO LEAVE HER DRIVEWAY AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. NEITHER THE DRIVE OR REVERSE WAS WORKING...NOTHING WORKED. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND THE REPORT WAS...TRANSMISSION!! IT WAS DOUBLE CHECKED BY A FORD DEALER AND THE OUTCOME INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER SPECIFICALLY. DOING A BIT OF RESEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE...WHY???? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FOR A FAMILY VEHICLE BY A DOMESTIC NAME BRAND SUCH AS FORD, THAT THE FAMILY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MORE THAN 96000 MILES OUT OF THEIR VEHICLE!! THE COST FACTOR FOR REPAIRS IS IN THE $1500 TO $2000 RANGE AND THE LAUGHABLE PART IS THAT THERE IS NO RECALL!!!!! HELLO, WHAT KIND OF PRODUCT NOTED FOR A PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS NOT RECALLED TO FIX THE ISSUE FOR HARD WORKING FAMILIES WHO TRUST FORD TO MAKE A GOOD PRODUCT? FORD...YOU NEED A RECALL HERE!!! OR SOME KIND OF REDUCED OR PRORATED WAY TO FIX THIS FOR WAY LESS MONEY THAN THE ABOVE STATED. I'D LIKE A RESPONSE TO THIS COMPLAINT PLEASE WITH YOUR EXCUSES LINED UP NEATLY FOR ME TO FOLLOW. I FEEL HORRIBLE HAVING GIVEN HER THE CAR AND THIS HAPPENS. SHE AND OUR SON ARE HARD PRESSED TO PAY FOR THIS KIND OF REPAIR. HOW CAN FORD STAND BY AND ALLOW THIS KIND OF THING TO HAPPEN?.....UPDATED 10/20/15 *BF ...UPDATED 09/20/16 *BF UPDATED 11/16/2017*CN

THE GAUGES IN THE VEHICLE KEEPS GOING NUTS. MOVING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER,TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, GAS, TEMPERATURE, BATTERY. THE TACHOMETER GAUGE HIT THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR AND NOW THAT IS PUSHED OVER TO 1. IT APPEARS THERE A MANY FORDS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT FORD REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FIX IS WELL OVER $400 JUST FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ALSO THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE POWER STEERING WHINING NOISE THAT ALL FORDS HAVE. IF THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM THEN HOW COME THE NTSA DON'T MAKE THEM FIX THE PROBLEMS.

THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. THEN THE VEHICLE IS FINE FOR DAYS THEN IT COMES ON AGAIN FOR NO REASON. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN INFREQUENT AND HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEFORE MORE OF A ISSUE. USUALLY THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY AND DOES NOT COME BACK FOR WEEKS. I WENT TO THE LOCAL ADVANCE AUTO SO THEY COULD PULL THE CODE AND IDENTIFY WHICH WHEEL WAS SENDING THE CODE SO I COULD NARROW IT DOWN AND REPLACE PARTS AS NECESSARY. THE CODES PULLED ARE FOLLOWED. C1185, C1198, C1194, C1254,C1246, C1250, C1242, C1214 & C1210. THAT'S RIGHT 9 ABS CODES CAME OUT. THE 1ST ON IS THE PROBLEM C1185, THE REST ARE FAILURES AT EACH WHEELS INLET OUTLET VALVES. WHEN SEARCHING THE C1185 ISSUE I FOUND 100'S OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THIS ISSUE AND MANY DEALERSHIP HORROR STORIES. TOO MANY BACK YARD HACKS TELL PEOPLE TO DISCONNECT THIS OR THAT, OR PULL THE ECM ONLY TO HAVE THAT NOT FIX THE ISSUE AND OTHERS TELLING HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO RESOLDER THE ABS MODULE CONNECTIONS AND FIX THE ISSUE. THE ONE COMMON PROBLEM THAT CAUSED ISSUES WAS HAVING A DEALERSHIP BRAKE JOB DONE AND THEN THE ABS SYSTEMS FAILS THE NEXT DAY OR FOLLOWING WEEK. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DID NOT NOTICE THIS ISSUE AFTER DOING THE BRAKES, BUT I DID HAVE THEM DONE PRIOR TO THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURES STARTING.