1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THE REAR AXLE CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE LAST YEAR. I HAD IT WELDED. THIS YEAR IT CRACKED IN THE SAME SPOT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) ON SATURDAY MAY 15TH, AROUND NOONTIME, I WAS TRAVELING ON I-91 NORTHBOUND IN HARTFORD. THE VAN STARTED PULLING AND SWERVING LIKE I HAD FLAT TIRES. THE VAN HAS 124,210 MILES, AND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A BROKEN REAR AXLE. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST FOR A 'USED' AXLE IS AROUND $900.00. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN READING, THIS IS AN INHERENT DESIGN FLAW. VIN # [XXX] . *TR

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON ROUTE 81, THE CAR STARTED REACTING TO BUMPS MORE SEVERELY THAN USUAL, AND THEN THERE WAS A SHARP NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE CAR. AFTER PARKING THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY, WE SAW THAT THE REAR AXLE HAD BROKEN, BASICALLY DOWN THE MIDDLE. THE REPAIRING OF THE CAR COST $960.12. *TR

REAR AXLE 1999 FORD WINDSTAR SNAPPED IN HALF WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY REPLACED WITH ONE FROM JUNKYARD AND THAT ONE HAS CRACKED ALSO IN SAME PLACE APPROX 4/1/10 WELDED THAT PART. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) WE HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A BROKEN AXLE BEAM ON A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPENED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. THE CAR WAS SWAYING AND KNOCKING FROM THE REAR END AND WHEN WE GOT HOME THE REAR WHEELS WERE CANTERED OUT. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR TO FIND THE BROKEN AXLE BEAM AND THE ONLY THING LEFT HOLDING IT ALL TOGETHER WAS A THE TORSION BAR. I AM VERY GLAD THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY OR TOO FAR FROM HOME, SINCE WE USE THE CAR TO TRAVEL TO OHIO AND FLORIDA . WE THEN LOOKED ON THE INTERNET TO FIND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND NO RECALLS. ALTHOUGH OUR CAR HAS 150,000 MILES ON IT OTHERS HAD UNDER 100,000. OUR MAIN CONCERN IS THE SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR FAMILY. WE TRAVEL A LOT WITH OUR WINDSTAR AS DO SO MANY OTHER FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN DO AND IT SEEMS AS IF FORD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE DANGER. I HOPE THAT FORD DOES NOT WAIT FOR A DEATH TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM AS THE PART THAT FAILED SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. THIS PART IS A MAIN STRUCTURE OF OUR VEHICLE AND SEEMS TO BE POORLY DESIGNED. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY OTHER WINDSTARS ARE OUT THERE WITH AN AXLE BEAM READY TO BREAK AND HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE UNAWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER. THE YEARS OF WINDSTARS THAT I SAW ON COMLPAINTS.COM VARIED FROM 1999 TO 2003 AND ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. [XXX] *TR

OUR 1999 FORD WINDSTAR EXPERIENCED A CRACK IN THE SUBFRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE DUE TO RUST. TO REPLACE WITH A USED SUBFRAME, IT WILL COST APPRX $1,000, A NEW ONE IS MORE THEN THE CAR IS WORTH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND I HAD MY THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL RECURRING PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE AND FROM READING OTHER POSTS, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE SUBFRAME DUE TO A DESIGN PROBLEM ON FORD'S PART. *TR

REAR AXLE BREAKS IN HALF! FORTUNATELY NO OTHER CARS WHERE AROUND WHEN THIS HAPPENED, ONLINE FOUND VERY COMMON, FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING! *TR

ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL RANDOMLY DISCONNECT RESULTING IN LOSS OF TRACTION AND UNANTICIPATED SKIDDING. *TR

SMOKING FROM UNDER HOOD, LEAKING FLUID, NON-WORKING SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, GAS SENSOR, AND OIL SENSOR. FLICKERING DOME LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING. SCDS IS UNDER RECALL, BUT THE FLUID THAT WAS LEAKING FROM THIS MALFUNCTIONING SENSOR HAS CAUSED ALL SORTS OF ISSUES. FLUID LEAKED ON TO ABS BOX AND THE WIRES CAUSING SHORTS AND BLOWN FUSES. ALL DAMAGE HAS BEEN SAID TO STEM FROM THE ORIGINAL RECALL, BUT THE RECALL DOESN'T COVER THE FULL DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN CAUSED BY THE FAULTY SCDS'S. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR THE ABS DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT AGAIN MAKES THE ABS WARNING LIGHT GO OFF AND IT USUALLY STAYS OFF. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND OCCURS EVERY FEW WEEKS. WHEN THE ABS DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT IS ON I EXPERIENCE INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCE. *TR