1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

I WAS AT A SEAR'S AUTO REPAIR CENTER,FOR A FLAT TIRE REPAIR. A MECHANIC HAD SHOWN ME THE SUB FRAME,(ENGINE CRADLE) WAS ALL RUSTED OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE,ALSO THE SPRING WAS BROKEN. I THEN PROCEEDED TO A COLLISION REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT .THEY TRIED TO FIND A USED SUB FRAME,BUT NO LUCK(THEY ALL HAD RUST ALSO)SO REPAIR SHOP IS ORDERING A NEW ENGINE CRADLE AND SPRING. *TR

DRIVING MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, WHEN I NOTICED A BANGING NOISE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. STOPPED BY A GARAGE AND FOUND THE NOISE CAME FROM THE PASSENGER TIRE SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH DUE TO THE ENGINE CRADLE ROTTING ON BOTH SIDES WHERE THE SUSPENSION CONNECTS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE,I FIND ITS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, ESP. IN REGIONS WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED MY REAR AXLE AND FIND OUT NOW THAT THEY ARE BEING RECALLED. IS FORD GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PARTS? *TR

REAR AXLE BEAM FAILURE..HEARD RECALL ON NEWS A MONTH BEFORE FORD OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR, CONFIRMED AXLE PROBLEM. 3 WEEKS LATER DEALERSHIP CALLED AND INFORMED ME THE VEHICLE WAS "UNREPAIRABLE". *TR

THE ENGINE CRADLE ON A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR HAS CRACKED COMPLETELY THROUGH DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR FRONT PASSENGER-SIDE SUBFRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND SEPARATED RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE CAN NOT CONTROLLABLY STEER OR BRAKE WITH THIS CONDITION. LUCKILY IT DIDN'T SEPARATE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED OR IT WOULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENDING. AN IMMEDIATE RECALL SHOULD BE PUT OUT ON THIS BEFORE ANYONE IS KILLED. *TR

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE BRAKE ABS UNIT LEADING TO BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR WITH TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES WITHOUT ANY WARNING. BRAKES WERE FINE WHEN VAN WAS STARTED. AT SOME POINT PRESSING ON THE PEDAL RESULTED IN ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKING EFFORT BEING APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS STOPPED USING EMERGENCY BRAKES AND EVASIVE MANEUVERING (THANKFULLY WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT) AND SHUT OFF THE ABS PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL FUSES FOR ABS UNIT WERE PULLED TO CUT OFF POWER. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH SINCE THERE IS NO WARNING THAT ANYTHING IS ABOUT TO GO WRONG THAT CAUSES DRIVER TO LOSE ALL BRAKES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED IN HALF DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY REPLACED THE REAR AXLE AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V385000 (SUSPENSION: REAR: AXLE: NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL DEFECT HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MEET EITHER ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE RECALL WHICH SPECIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST BE CURRENTLY REGISTERED OR ORIGINALLY SOLD WITHIN SPECIFIC STATES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE FRONT SUB FRAME ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED DUE TO RUST DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140000. UPDATED 12/30/10. *LJ UPDATED 04/06/11

I STARTED NOTICING A "CLUNK" NOISE BY THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE. THEN EACH TIME YOU WOULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE NOISE WAS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE. THEN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING. THEN EACH TIME YOU TOOK A RIGHT TURN AND OR DRIVE OVER A BUMP, THE "CLUNK" WAS NOT ONLY LOUDER YOU COULD ACTUALLY FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND ACTUALLY IN THE ENTIRE VAN. WE TOOK IT IN TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND WE WERE TOLD THE SUBFRAME HAD CORRODED THROUGH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED A RUST HOLE IN THE FRONT SUB FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 173000.