2003 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

MY AXEL CRACKED ON LEFT SIDE, NOISE ALERTED ME TO THE DANGER. CAREER MECHANIC, NEVER SEEN A RUSTED OUT OR CRACKED REAR AXLE. I ALSO WORKED OUT OF MY HOME ON CARS RUNNING MY OWN SHOP FOR DECADES. AGAIN I HAVE NEVER CHANGED A CRACKED REAR AXLE. THE FIRST RECALL WAS IN MY OPINION ONLY A POOR ATTEMPT AT POSTPONING THE INEVITABLE AXEL FAILURE TO A LATER DATE. NOT A NORMAL FAILURE FOR A SUPPOSED NAME BRAND LEADING AUTOMOTIVE MAKER. FORD'S LATEST AD ON TV SAID SOMETHING LIKE THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AT THE END OF THE AD, WHAT A JOKE, FALSE ADVERTISING OR SHOULD MY CLAIM FOR $1,420.28 BE PAID AND SHOW THEY CARE? THE ORIGINAL AXEL WAS IN MY OPINION A BIT THIN AND I READ THAT THE METAL WAS NOT THE BEST ON A FEW WEB SITES. ALSO FILLING THE HOLLOW AREAS FOR THE AXLE ASSEMBLY WITH FOAM ONLY RETAINED WATER AND ACCELERATED RUSTING WHICH OF COURSE ONLY WEAKENS A BAD AXEL DESIGN. THE NEW DESIGN REAR AXLE IS DEFINITELY HEAVIER, NO FOAM AND HAS NO OPEN AREAS TO HOLD WATER. THE NEW DESIGN SEEMS TO HAVE ADDRESSED ALL THE ORIGINAL AXLE'S DESIGN FLAWS. WHICH SHOWS FORD DID KNOW THERE WERE DESIGN FLAWS. JANNELL FORD OF HANOVER MASS (781-982-4500) CONTACTED FORD WITH MY SHOCK THAT AXEL WOULD NOT BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN AFTER SEEING THE SUPPORTING PICTURES; FORD WOULD NOT REPAIR THE AXEL ON SECOND RECALL EVEN THOUGH SEVERELY CRACKED! THEY SAID THE FIRST RECALL BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. JANNELL FORD SERVICE MANAGEMENT AGREED THAT OUR VAN WAS IN PRISTINE SHAPE, RUST FREE AND WELL CARED FOR. PLEASE SEE REMAINDER OF MY LETTER IN DOWNLOAD FILES. THANK YOU!

ALTHOUGH MY VAN HAS BEEN THROUGH ALL RECALL REPAIRS/INSPECTIONS AS I PULLED INTO MY LOCAL GAS STATION TODAY MY REAR AXLE BROKE.*DT VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CLOSEST DEALERSHIP (DAVE KNAPP FORD LINCOLN) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PASSED INSPECTION DURING THE RECALL. AS VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE LEFT BRACKET APPEARED TO BE PLACED INCORRECTLY. *DL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, AN ODOR OF BURNING RUBBER WAS PRESENT. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AND TIRE WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR AXLE HAD FAILED. THE MECHANIC ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON A PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V193000 (POWER TRAIN). THE LOCAL DEALER KRAPOHL FORD & LINCOLN (1415 E PICKARD RD, MT PLEASANT, MI 48858) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

IT HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. NEEDS WIRING HARNESS, NEEDS FRONT AND REAL AXLE REPLACEMENT. DANGEROUS. ALARM GOES OFF AT RANDOM. WON'T HOLD CHARGE. STEERING WHEEL BEARINGS ARE SHOT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON A CITY STREET AT 35 MPH AND THE REAR AXLE BROKE ON THE DRIVER SIDE UNDERNEATH THE RECALL BRACKET INSTALLED BY FORD. RECALL 10S13 WAS PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE IN 2008 OR 2009. THE BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED AS SPECIFIED BY FORD AND OBVIOUSLY WERE INADEQUATE TO FIX OR PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM THE ORIGINAL RECALL. FORD SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS POORLY DESIGNED AND EXECUTED REPAIR TO THE AXLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY AT A FORD DEALER THAT VERIFIED THAT THE BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY PER 15S27 AND FORD DENIED COVERING ANY OF THE REPAIR COST. I HAVE BACKGROUND STUDY AS A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER (I'M A LICENSED CIVIL ENGINEER) AND I USED TO WORK IN AN AUTOMOTIVE PARTS AND MACHINE SHOP. GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE, IF YOU REFER TO 10S13 THERE IS A LOCATION ON THE AXLE REFERRED TO AS A "TOOLING HOLE" ON PAGE 18 THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED IF FORD EVER INTENDED THESE REPAIR BRACKETS TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL. I CANT IMAGINE ANY ENGINEER DESIGNED THESE THINGS AND DISREGARDED THE OBVIOUS, TYING THE LOAD TO THIS HOLE. I HAVE THE VEHICLE BACK AND I'VE USED THIS HOLE ON BOTH SIDES TO PULL THE AXLE BACK TOGETHER AND MAKE IT AT LEAST MOVABLE UNTIL THE NEW PART ARRIVES, SO NOT ONLY DOES IT MAKE SENSE STRUCTURALLY, BUT IT WORKS PHYSICALLY AS WELL. WHY THE NHTSA WOULD ALLOW FORD TO CALL THIS A FIX AND MAKE THESE VEHICLES ACCEPTABLE TO DRIVE IS BEYOND ME. THE AXLE ALSO HAS A HORIZONTAL CRACK IN THE MIDDLE, ITS BEEN THERE SINCE THE BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED. I DO NOT BELIEVE FORD HAS BEEN HONEST OR USEFUL IN TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES, AND IT APPEARS THE NHTSA IS BACKING THEM ON IT. CURIOUS HOW A RECALL FOR A CRACKING PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED BUT ITS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY? I WOULD SAY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE WAS NO POINT IN ANY OF THE RECALL WORK AS NOTHING WAS FIXED. FAILURE IS IDENTICAL TO PRE-RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INCLUDED IN A RECALL REGARDING THE CRADLE SUB FRAME ASSEMBLY, FOR WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR, WHILE IDLE AND DURING ACCELERATION THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC BECAME AWARE THAT THE REAR AXLE AND SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED WHICH CAUSED THE TRACTION CONTRAIL TO FAIL. THE CONTACT CONTACTED OTHER CERTIFIED MECHANICS WHO CONFIRMED THE SUB FRAME AND REAR AXEL HOUSING ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

THE REAR AXLE ON MY FATHER-IN-LAW'S MINIVAN SNAPPED IN HALF, EVEN THOUGH THE BRACKETS FOR THE FIRST RECALL WERE INSTALLED AND THE BRACKETS WERE THEN INSPECTED AND SIGNED OFF ON DURING THE SECOND RECALL. BOTH RECALLS WERE SIGNED OFF AS COMPLETED AND SAFE BUT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, WITH FOUR SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR, THE AXLE SNAPPED IN HALF. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO BOTH FORD DIRECTLY AND THE DEALERSHIPS AND NO ONE WILL ASSIST. CLEARLY THE BRACKETS WERE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE FIX FOR THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. FOUR CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR EVEN KILLED DUE TO FORD'S NEGLIGENCE TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. FORD FAILED TO PROPERLY CORRECT THE ISSUE WITH THE FIRST RECALL AND APPARENTLY DIDN'T CORRECT IT WITH THE SECOND EITHER.

THE REAR AXLE HAS CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE AND I CANNOT DRIVE IT NOW. THIS WAS INSPECTED TWICE UNDER FORD RECALL. THE FIRST TIME THEY PUT BRACKETS ON THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND THE REAR AXLE. THE SECOND TIME THEY RECALLED IT BACK TO REINSPECT THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE SINCE THEY HAD MANY THAT WERE NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED THE FIRST TIME. SO , THIS IS TWICE THEY HAD IT INSPECTED, AND FAILED TO SEE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THUS PUTTING MY LIFE AND THAT IF MY FAMILY AT RISK FOR DEATH. THANKS FORD! AFTER THE 2ND INSPECTION, THEY SAID IT WAS SAFE, BUT OFFERED TO REPLACE THE AXLE IF I WANTED TO PAY ABOUT $500 ON MY OWN. THAT WAS SUSPICIOUS IN ITSELF.

DRIVING IN TOWN AND REAR AXLE BUSTED IN HALF NEXT TO FORD'S SO CALLED BRACKET FIX.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, WHITE SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THEN IT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEEMED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000.