1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATING UNIT FAILED. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATES AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V399000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) OCTOBER 2009 AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 55-65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ABNORMALLY SURGING AND LOSING BRAKE FLUID. IN MAY 2010, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT RELATIVELY LOW, UNKNOWN SPEEDS WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO TWO YARD FENCES. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM WAS DISCONNECTED. THERE WERE TWO MORE FAILURES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NEVER ANY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENTS PRIOR TO THE RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 113,000. UPDATED 07/26/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/07/10

MY REAR AXEL IN MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR BROKE THIS AM WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS PULLING OUT OF YOUR DRIVEWAY. WE HAD NO WARNING THAT IT WAS BROKE. NO ONE WAS HURT AND WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT FIXED YET BUT WENT OUT AN LOOKED AT IT AN IT LOOKS TO BE ALMOST DEAD CENTER OF THE AXEL THAT IS BROKE IN HALF. *TR

I TOOK MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR IN FOR RECALL WORK . THEY JUST PUT IN A FUSE LINK. SINCE THEN MY SPEEDOMETER AND TECH HAVE BEEN GOING WILD AND I AM GETTING AND MY ABS LIGHT ALWAYS COMES ON. MY CRUISE CONTROL DON'T WORK RIGHT EITHER AMONG OTHER ISSUES LIKE LEAN CODES! *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 1999 FORD WINDSTAR- BROKEN REAR AXLE BEAM STEERING ARM AT DRIVER SIDE WHILE DRIVING. ALSO FOUND ANOTHER CRACK ON THE BAR ARM. VIN # [XXX] .

ON DECEMBER 17, 2009 WE TOOK OUR 1999 FORD WINDSTAR IN TO THE CERRITOS FORD DEALERSHIP IN CA. WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS BEING RECALLED (RECALL # 09S09) AND AS IT TURNED OUT THE VAN WAS LEAKING AND THEY REPLACED THE LEAKING SWITCH AND HARNESS. BEFORE THE WORK WAS EVEN DONE, I TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ABS LIGHT THAT WAS ON OUR DASHBOARD. THE RECALL SUMMARY STATES THAT THE "WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE." ON OUR INVOICE, THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO NOTE OUR CONCERN REGARDING THE ABS AND NEVER STATED WHETHER OR NOT THEY INSPECTED THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR. ALTHOUGH I AM AWARE THAT THERE COULD BE OTHER FACTORS CAUSING THE ABS LIGHT TO SHOW UP, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT FULLY COMPLETED. I AM AWARE THAT THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING COULD RESULT IN A CAR FIRE. I JUST WANT CONFIRMATION THAT THE INSPECTION WAS DONE AND IF THE CONNECTOR NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED, THAT FORD TAKES CARE OF IT WITH NO OUT-OF-POCKET FROM ME. I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT CERRITOS & FORD CO. DIRECTLY. I WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED ALTHOUGH THEY CANNOT SAY WHETHER OR NOT THE INSPECTION OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR WAS PERFORMED. THEY SAID I COULD PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY COULD DETERMINE IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE ABS THAT WERE A RESULT OF FRAUD OR POOR WORKMANSHIP. EITHER WAY, ALL OF THIS WILL COST ME A LOT OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING I ASKED TO HAVE TAKEN CARE OF AT THE TIME I BROUGHT THE VAN IN FOR THE RECALL. I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES PERTAINING TO THIS VAN THAT I BELIEVE ARE RECALL RELATED. OUR TAIL-LIGHTS WON'T WORK DESPITE NEW BULBS, OUR BRAKES SOMETIMES SPUTTER AND DON'T ALWAYS STOP IMMEDIATELY. WE'VE HAD 4 CLOSE CALLS RELATED TO OUR BRAKES AND I WONDER HOW MUCH OF THIS IS RECALL-RELATED. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 114,000 MILES DESPITE HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO PRIOR ISSUES OF THIS NATURE. I WAS AT A RED LIGHT APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM THE ON-RAMP OF I-25 WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND JERKED BEFORE ACCELERATING; AFTER PULLING OVER TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE (AS I WAS SURE I HAD HIT/RUN OVER SOMETHING), I FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL AND PROCEEDED ONTO THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES AT FREEWAY SPEED UNTIL I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. UPON TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY REV REGARDLESS OF THE GEAR I USED, AT WHICH TIME I CONTACTED AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP TO TOW THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, I AM AWAITING A CALL FROM THE SHOP AFTER THEIR FULL DIAGNOSIS, WHICH I WILL UPDATE THIS COMPLAINT. A SUDDEN PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS PERPLEXING AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY COSTLY. AFTER READING PAGES OF COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE HIGH(ER) MILEAGE OF MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE I HAVE PROVIDED. PLEASE CONSIDER SERIOUSLY INVESTIGATING THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE BEFORE A LIFE IS TAKEN AS A RESULT. *TR

WE WERE MAKING THE NORMAL TURN INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I GOT HOME I LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND SAW THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD BROKEN. *TR

THIS WAS A FORD 1999 WINDSTAR RECALL ON THE ABS SYSTEM. THE RECALL STATED THAT A FIRE MAY OCCUR IN CONNECTION WITH THE ABS. I TOOK THE CAR IN, HOWEVER THE BRAKE FLUID LEAK INSIDE THE CAR HAS GOTTEN WORSE. FROM TIME TO TIME THE CAR SMOKES UP, AND THERE IS A BURNING SMELL. THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS IS STILL A HAZARD WITH ALL THE FLAMMABLE BRAKE FLUID IN THE CAR. I LOOKED IT UP AND OTHERS HAVE CALLED THIS PROBLEM "BRAKING DISTANCE SUDDENLY INCREASED SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC". BRAKE FLUID LEAKING INTO THE CAR. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR CONSTANTLY. I HAVE CLEANED MY CAR WITH THE THOUGHT THAT I SPILLED OIL, HOWEVER AFTER READING UP FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL, THIS WAS NOT MENTIONED AT ALL TO ME BY THE FORD DEALER. I WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE DEALER THAT FIXED IT TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL DO OR SAY. I GUESS I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON MAY 17, 2010 I HAD TWO OCCASIONS WHEN IT FELT LIKE I HIT SMALL PATCHES OF ICE AND THE VAN SWERVED ON ME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A WARM SUNNY DAY WITH DRY ROADS. I CALLED TRAGESSER FORD OF ROSS OHIO AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE VAN IN ON MAY 19, 2010. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THE REAR AXLE HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKEN AND THAT I WAS LUCKY I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THEY SAID ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE A SAFETY PROBLEM THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE AXLE. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON MAY 26, 2010 WITH A COST TO REPLACE THE AXLE OF $817.82. *TR