1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TOOK MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR TO HAVE FRONT TIRES REPLACED AND MECHANIC NOTICED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUBFRAME MOUNTING BOLT IS SEVERELY RUSTED. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE FOR THE REAR AXLE, I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE RUSTING OF THE SUBFRAME MOUNTING BOLT AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AND PAY FOR THIS MYSELF BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE, I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT, AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT!!! *TR

1999 WINDSTAR VAN WHEN CHANGING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE OUR MECHANIC SAW THE RIGHT FRONT DRIVE AXLE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION #PE 10016 IS CONSISTENT WITH THIS PROBLEM.I WANT TO BE ADDED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS FOR THIS PROBLEM. WE WERE LUCKY WE HAVE A GOOD MECHANIC WHO SPOTTED THE PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS AT A FORD DEALERSHIP IN MISSOURI. . I WISH SOMEONE WOULD GO AND SEE THIS PROBLEM FIRST HAND. ALL OTHER CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM WERE NOT DETECTED AND WERE IN A CRASH. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY SEE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE CAR IS WRECKED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A FORD WINDSTAR VAN 1999 THRU 2003. THERE IS NO WARNING AND WHEN THAT FRONT AXLE BREAKS THERE IS NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ANYONE WHO DRIVES ONE OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THIS IS NOT LIKE THE REAR AXLE PROBLEM, BECAUSE YOU CAN AT LEAST STEER THE VEHICLE IF IT BREAKS. WHEN THE FRONT GOES YOU HAVE NO CONTROL. I AM TOLD THE REPAIR WILL COST $1200.00 DOLLARS. FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIR. *TR

FRONT CROSS MEMBER ON PASSENGER SIDE WAS DISCOVERED TO BE CRACKED WHICH COULD HAVE FAILED AND CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT TO BE DRIVEN UNLESS IT COULD BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A WELDING SPECIALIST REPAIR THE CRACK. *TR

FRONT A SUBFRAME WAS ALMOST COMPLETE RUSTED OUT AND DETACHED FROM FRONT END. THIS WAS NOTICED BY MY REGULAR MECHANIC DURING AN OIL CHANGE. THE COMPLETE FRONT A FRAME ("SUBFRAME") HAD TO BE REPLACED, INCLUDING CONTROL ARMS, ALIGNMENT; FRONT BRAKE PADS. COST WAS $1687. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH THE CONTACT WAS TURNING A CORNER WHEN SHE FIRST EXPERIENCED A CRACKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE STATED THE SUB-FRAME OR THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

NOTICED VEHICLE UNSTABLE WHILE DRIVING. DIVING LEFT OR RIGHT DURING ACCELERATION AND BRAKING. UPON INVESTIGATION FOUND COMPLETE RUST-THROUGH SEPARATION OF SUB-FRAME AT REAR BODY MOUNT ON PASSENGERS SIDE. RIGHT CONTROL ARM MOUNT ON SUB-FRAME IS ALSO BADLY RUSTED. ENTIRE SUBFRAME IS ABLE TO MOVE FRONT AND BACK ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE RESULTING IN ERRATIC VEHICLE MOVEMENT WHILE DRIVING. FORTUNATELY WE CAUGHT IT BEFORE SOMETHING REALLY BAD HAPPENED, BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY DEFECT, AND COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS.

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THE REAR AXLE BROKE ON 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. ALMOST LOST CONTROL BUT MANAGED TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD SAFELY. THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH PROBLEM WHERE ALL OF THESE AXLES NEED TO BE REPLACED ! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS REMAINED IN THE ON POSITION. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TURN THEM OFF; HOWEVER, THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ALSO FAILED TO LOCK IMMEDIATELY UPON ACTIVATION OF THE IGNITION. THE BRAKE AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETECT THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE.

1999 FORD WINDSTAR SUBFRAME RUSTING AND HAVING TO BE REPLACED. VAN FAILED SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE OF A HOLE IN SUBFRAME DUE TO RUST. TOTAL COST PAID OUT OF POCKET IN 2008 $1240.56. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR SEL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND ALL THE GAUGES WHERE FLUCTUATING BACK AND FORTH INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES. HE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AND PERSISTED FOR EIGHT MONTHS. ON OCCASION, THE CONTACT COULD CORRECT THE FAILURE BY STRIKING THE DASHBOARD WITH FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ABS ELECTRONIC STABILITY MODULE UNIT WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,119.