1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THE SUBFRAME ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR IS SEVERELY CORRODED AT MOST OF THE CONNECTION POINTS. WHENEVER WE MAKE A TURN WE COULD HEAR THE RATTLING/GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THIS POINT, BUT I AM CONSIDERING DOING SOME REINFORCEMENTS AND HOPING THERE WILL A RECALL VERY SOON. *TR

ABS BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY GOES OFF AND ON SPORADICALLY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY DURING MY ANNUAL CAR INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY SUBFRAME IS DANGEROUSLY RUSTED THROUGH AND WILL COST 1,200 TO REPLACE IT WITH A USED ONE. I QUESTION HOW LONG A USED ONE WILL LAST SINCE IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE A/C DRAINAGE HOSE IS DIRECTLY OVER IT AND MOST CERTAINLY THE CAUSE.. THIS DEFINITELY HAS RECALL WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF THE ENGINE FALLS OR ANYTHING ELSE AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS LOST. THE CAR BEING BUILT WITH THE A/C DRAINAGE OVER THE SUBFRAME ALLOWING SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CAR TO RUST IS SO NEGLECTING AND IRRESPONSIBLE. WHAT IS TAKING FORD SO LONG TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM. I READ A MILLION SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL I HAVE.... 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX CURRENTLY 90,500 MILES. *TR

MY BOYFRIEND AND I WAS ON OUR WAY HOME WITH OUR 6 KIDS DRIVING DOWN ROUTE 280 NJ ON THE NIGHT OF SEPT. 23, 2010. AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY, ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THE STEERING BECAME VERY POOR AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT, I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND MY BOYFRIEND THEN GOT OUT AND INSPECTED THE CAR. HE JACKED THE CAR UP JUST TO FIND THAT THE SUBFRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS RUSTED AND BROKEN. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. THE PRICE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED WAS $1000 IN PARTS AND LABOR. I RECENTLY WENT ONLINE TO FIND OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO OTHER 1999 - 2003 FORD WINDSTAR OWNERS AS WELL. *TR

THE SUB FRAME ON OUR 1999 FORD WINDSTAR BROKE AT THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE BREAK OCCURRED JUST AS MY WIFE HAD LEFT THE HIGHWAY AND WAS FORTUNATELY TRAVELING ONLY ABOUT 20MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER AND IT COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE ROAD, AS THE HALF SHAFT HAD PULLED OUT OF THE TRANSAXLE. MY WIFE LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN TO GET ASSISTANCE, AND BY THE TIME THE TOWING SERVICE THAT WE CALLED HAD ARRIVED, THE LOCAL POLICE HAD THE VEHICLE REMOVED FROM THE ROAD DUE TO ITS LOCATION. WE THEN HAD IT TOWED FROM THE POLICE IMPOUND TO OUR GARAGE. AN ESTIMATE OF $1200 WAS GIVEN BY OUR SHOP BUT I FELT THAT IT WAS TOO MUCH TO SPEND ON THIS REPAIR. WE TOWED THE VEHICLE HOME AND I REPLACED THE K-FRAME MYSELF, AND HAD IT ALIGNED BY OUR FORD DEALER. IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT MANY OF THE FRAMES IN THE SALVAGE YARD HAD A SIMILAR RUSTED CONDITION IN THE SAME LOCATION. THE FRAME I LOCATED HAD BEEN REPLACED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, STILL HAD FRESH PAINT AND PART NUMBERS ON IT. IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN A STRAIGHT-LINE, DECELERATING SCENARIO AT SLOW SPEED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE AT HIGHER SPEEDS OR WITH TURNS. IT IS ALSO RELEVANT TO NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD RECENTLY PASSED ITS ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION, AT A FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THIS FRAME WEAKNESS WAS NOT DETECTED. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS REGARDING FRONT SUBFRAME CORROSION. BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE CORROSION IS SO SEVERE THAT YOU CAN STICK YOUR FINGER THROUGH THE FRAME. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN A WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS BEING PERFORMED FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE OF NEW FRONT TIRES. IT WAS CONFIRMED BY THE LOCAL BILL MCCOY FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE PENDING NHSTA INQUIRE BUT DID CONFIRM PRE-MATURE REAR AXLE CORROSION PER PRESENT RECALL. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF FURTHER INFORMATION IS REQUIRED.

1999 FORD WINDSTAR RIGHT PASSENGER FRONT SUB FRAME RUSTED THRU AND BROKE APART CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO BE THROWN OFF CENTER AND DIRECTIONAL NOT TO WORK. IT WAS FOUND WHEN AL OF A SUDDEN WE HERD AN EXHAUST NOISE AND LOOKED UNDER THE FRONT OF VEHICLE. IT HAS SEPARATED AT LEAST 1" 1/2 AND WE WERE TOLD BY A FORD MASTER MECH WHO LOOKED AT THE VAN SAID IT CAN NOT BE DRIVEN AS IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH POSSIBLE INJURIES OR DEATH. *TR

I HAD MY CAR IN TO A FORD DEALER IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR THE RECALL OF THE REAR AXLE. WHEN THEY WERE DONE CHECKING THE REAR THE MECHANIC TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE SUB FRAME ON THE RIGHT FRONT. THE FRAME HAD RUSTED AND BROKE AROUND THE BOLT. LUCKILY IT DIDN'T BREAK WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. *TR

THE SUBFRAME ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR RUSTED OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED IN 20 09. WHENEVER WE MADE LEFTHAND TURNS WE WOULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE. I FIRST BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO BE SERVICED IN 2004. THE SERVICE TECH COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER 3 MORE TIMES BETWEEN 2004 AND 2009, EACH TIME A DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS WAS MADE WITH RESULTING EXPENSE. THE SUBFRAME WAS FINALLY DETERMINED TO BE THE PROBLEM. AS I INDICATED IT WAS REPLACED ON1/2/2009 AT A COST OF $1014.75. *TR

RECALL ID# 09V399000 WAS COMPLETED FEW MONTHS AGO, NOW ABS ON DASH IS ON FEW MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE IS PUT IN MOTION. DEALER PINPOINTED TROUBLE TO ABS CONTROL MODULE. OVERHEATING OF THE BOARD COULD BE THE RESULT OF THE LEAKING SCDS ON THE MODULE CONNECTOR. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $ 1,000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

AFTER RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT A RECALL FOR THE REAR AXLE ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR I DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE ENTIRE VEHICLE I FOUND THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ALSO, AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS IT WILL BREAK OFF AT ANY POINT IN TIME. I THINK THAT FORD OBVIOUSLY HAS CORROSION ISSUES WITH THESE VEHICLES, AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I WILL BE TOWING MY VAN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE REAR AXLE INSPECTED TODAY. I HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THE FRONT SUBFRAME, BECAUSE THIS COULD REALLY HURT SOMEONE. *TR