1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

1999 FORD WINDSTAR FRONT SUBFRAME ROTTED OUT, CRACKED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

BOUGHT THE VAN IN SEPT. 2002 WITH 55,000 MILES, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN A WEEK OF HAVING IT. TOOK IT BACK TO CAR LOT WHERE WE BOUGHT IT, THEY TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER, COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT IT CAME UP A LEAN CODE THEY TOLD ME I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PUT GAS CAP ON THE RIGHT WAY. THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. KEPT DEALING WITH LIGHT ON TO THIS DAY. MAY 2003 HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, GOT IT BACK STARTING HAVING SAME PROBLEMS,TOOK IT BACK THEY SAID THEY FORGOT TO REPLACE A WIRE, STILL HAVING PROBLEMS TO THIS DAY WITH TRANSMISSION IN FACT OCT. 2010 HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED THEY SAID SHAVINGS FOUND IN MOTOR WILL NEED TRANSMISSION REPLACED AGAIN. DOME LIGHTS FLASH ALL THE TIME. THE GAUGES GO HAYWIRE ALL THE TIME, PEG FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. HAD THAT REPLACED AND DID IT AGAIN. TOOK IT IN FOR RECALL DEC. 28,2010 CRACKED REAR AXLE STILL AT DEALER. NOW JUST HEARD THAT THE RECALL FOR SUB FRAME WILL GET PAPERS IN FEB. GUESS IT WILL BE THERE LONGER. OUR DUMB MISTAKE WE BOUGHT ANOTHER WINDSTAR IN SEPT. 2010 A 2003 ALL WE COULD AFFORD, THAT HAS PROBLEMS WITH ABS LIGHT. TOLD OVER $800 TO FIX. WE NEED TWO NEW CARS, DON'T FEEL SAFE IN EITHER.

CRACKED & CORRODED "K" FRAME WHICH SUPPORTS ENGINE& TRANS. IN FRONT END OF 1999 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. REPLACED K FRAME TO REMEDY PROBLEM. *LN

I TOOK THE WINDSTAR TO HAVE THE TWO RECALLS REPAIRED AND WHEN THE BASIL FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS DONE WITH THAT THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY VAN WAS UNDRIVEABLE BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT SUB FRAME WAS CRACKED. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $1600. TO REPAIR IT. WITH ALL THE RUST ON THE DOORS AND DOOR SILL I FIND IT RIDICULOUS TO SPEND THAT AMOUNT WHEN THE RUST WOULD BRING DOWN THE VALUE OF THE VAN TO ALMOST NOTHING. THIS IS THE FIFTH FORD I HAVE HAD AND YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE RUST FACTOR. GETTING BACK TO THE SUB FRAME I PHONED THE NUMBER LISTED ON THE FORD WEB PAGE BUT AFTER ABOUT FIVE PHONE CALLS I DECIDED TO CALL THE CORPORATE OFFICE. I WAS DIRECTED TO A VOICE MAIL...GAVE MY INFORMATION AND WAS TOLD WE WOULD HEAR FROM THEM IN SO MANY BUSINESS DAYS. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THEN WE RECEIVED A FORM TO FILL OUT ABOUT HOW WELL WE THOUGHT OUR PHONE INQUIRY WENT. WE HAD A LETTER ABOUT THE AXEL RECALL AND THIS WEB SITE IS LISTED SO I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 216,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING THE INSPECTED BY THE STATE, THE INSPECTOR NOTICED THE SUBFRAME WAS BROKEN IN TWO PLACES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE THE SUB FRAME REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE SUB FRAME AND AT THE TIME THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECENT STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS: UNDERBODY SHIELDS (11V030000) RECALL AND STATED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE RELEASED THIS RECALL LONG AGO. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM PULLED LOOSE FROM THE SUBFRAME CROSSMEMBER DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. THE LEADUP TO THE INCIDENT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. THE CONTROL ARM PULLED LOOSE AT 70 MPH AND CAUSED THE WINDSTAR TO VEER BACK AND FORTH USING 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO COME TO A STOP. LUCKY FOR ME WAS THAT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN MY IMMEDIATE AREA AND NO OTHER CARS WERE INVOLVED. *TR

FLEET OWNED 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOCATED IN THE CHICAGO AREA SINCE NEW. COMPLAINT WAS THAT THE EXHAUST WAS LOUD AND LOOKED TO BE HANGING LOW. THE EXHAUST FLANGE ON THE FLEX-PIPE SECTION RUSTED THIN AND BROKE OFF FROM THE Y-PIPE. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OF THE SUBFRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THE SUBFRAME WAS HANGING DOWN ABOUT 1.5" FROM WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. THE EXHAUST Y-PIPE FLANGE IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT SHOULD NORMALLY BE, WHICH TELLS ME THAT THE ENGINE/TRANS ASSEMBLY IS LEANING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR MOUNT OF THE SUBFRAME IS CRACKED WHERE IT MEETS THE BODY. ALSO NOTED THAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SUBFRAME WHERE THE ENGINE MOUNT ATTACHES AND THE SUBFRAME REAR CROSSMEMBER MEET, THE SUBFRAME IS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. I CAN FORESEE THIS PROBLEM EVENTUALLY CAUSING THE AXLES TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE TRANS, WIRE HARNESSES GETTING DAMAGED, LOWER CONTROL ARMS BECOMING DETACHED FROM THE SUBFRAME, EXHAUST DAMAGE, STEERING RACK DAMAGE, WHEEL ALIGNMENT ISSUES, ETC. THE ONLY REPAIR THAT I CAN SEE MAKING THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN WOULD BE SUBFRAME REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY SUSPENSION BROKE ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LEAVING ME WITH NO STEERING. I RAN OFF THE ROAD AND THANKFULLY WENT INTO A FIELD. VERY SCARY. THIS IS A 1400. REPAIR. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS FOR OTHERS AS WELL. I AM JUST WONDERING WHY THIS PART WAS NEVER A RECALL? APPARENTLY REAR AXLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. THE FORD COMPANY DID TELL ME THIS MAY BE A FUTURE RECALL BUT IS NOT AS OF YET. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE OR WHAT BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER. *TR

I HAVE 1999 FORD WINDSTAR 3.8 LITER WITH 123,297 MILES, I OWN THIS CAR SINCE 2000. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SUBFAME END AT THE MOUNT IS RODED OUT,SPLIT AND CAME OFF THE BUSHING. I HAD TAKEN IT TO SEARS ON 01/21/11 AND HAD ADVISED THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAD CONTACTED FORD DEALER AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REAR AXLE FOR RUSTING. THIS IS SIMILAR SITUATION AND SHOULD DO REPARIS AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. THE DEALER GAVE ME FORD TOLL FREE NUMBER. WHEN CONTACTED FORD THEY ADVISED THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS AS THE WARRANTY IS OVER. I EXPLAINED IT IS A BAD PRODUCT AND FAILURE DUE TO RUSTING IS SIMILAR SITUATION AS AN AXLE RUSTING. IF AN AXLE RUSTING IS HONORED BY FORD WHY NOT FRAME RUSTING. THEY SAID I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENCES AS THERE IS NO WARRANTY. I WENT TO WELL KNOWN BODY SHOP MACCO THEY ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WILL COST 1000 PLUS 950 LABOR TO PUT THE ACCESSORIES BACK. I CAN NOT EFFORD TO SPEND THIS KIND OF EXPENSE. I HAD ALREADY PUT 2500 IN TRANSMISSION AFTER I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE REAR ELECTRONIC MODULE HAS FAILED WHICH WILL COST 800 DOLLARS. I HAVE TO KEEP POURING MONEY IN THIS CAR. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED. *TR