1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

1999 FORD WINDSTAR RIGHT FRONT STABILIZER BRACKET RUSTED OFF FRAME. NOTICED LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET RUSTED BAD AND READY TO COME LOOSE. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WITHOUT WARNING THE FRONT SUBFRAME BROKE LOOSE FROM THE MAIN CHASSIS WHEN THE CAR WAS MOVING FORWARD AT A STOP LIGHT. THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION DROPPED, DISCONNECTING THE STEERING WHEEL FROM THE STEERING RACK AND RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING AND CONTROL. SUBFRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AT THE POINT OF FAILURE. I KNOW OF ANOTHER PERSON WHOSE 1999 WINDSTAR DID THE EXACT SAME THING ONE WEEK EARLIER. CAR ENDED UP BEING SCRAPPED AS REPAIR COSTS FAR OUT WEIGHED THE CAR'S VALUE. THIS COULD RESULT IN INJURIES OR FATALITIES IF THE CAR WERE MOVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. FORD IS AWARE THIS IS HAPPENING BUT IS NOT ADVISING OWNERS TO HAVE THEIR CARS INSPECTED. LOTS OF POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OLDER WINDSTARS ON THE ROAD. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR REAR DEAD AXLE CRACKED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED. CHECKED INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME PROBLEM AND SAME LOCATION OF CRACK. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I HAVE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR REAR DEAD AXLE CRACKED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED. CHECKED INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME PROBLEM AND SAME LOCATION OF CRACK. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I HAVE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *TR

BROKEN REAR AXLE ON A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 35 MILES PER HOUR AND THE AXLE JUST SNAPPED IN HALF. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS AROUND 85000 MILES ON IT. THE REASON I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE ONE MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID HE HAD TOWED THREE OF THESE SAME SITUATIONS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND TOWS ABOUT 12-15 A YEAR. THE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED IT SAID THAT HE HAS FIXED 4 OF THEM. NOW THIS IS JUST IN MY LOCATION SO I CAN'T IMAGINE COUNTRY WIDE THAT FORD IS NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS AND I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE WAY TO REPAIR IT IS TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME PART THAT IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

I AM FILING A COMPLAINT ON THE ABS LIGHT IN MY 2001 FORD WINDSTAR SE SPORT. THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT BOTH COME ON SPORADICALLY AS I DRIVE THE VAN. THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE INDICATES THIS IS A FAILURE OF THE ECM, WHICH CAN CAUSE GREATER DISTANCE TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY STOP. I ALSO OWN A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX, WHICH HAS THE SAME ABS LIGHT INDICATION. DURING A FULL SPEED (75 MPH) EMERGENCY STOP IN DECEMBER OF 2009 WITH MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX, I SKIDDED ON THE INTERSTATE AND LOST CONTROL, ENDING UP ON THE LEFT-LANE SHOULDER BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE 1999 WINDSTAR ALSO HAD SPORADIC ABS LIGHT INDICATIONS (6 MONTHS) UNTIL THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY BEGINNING IN LATE 2006. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FORD WINDSTAR HAS THIS ISSUE REGULARLY. IN FACT MY FIANCEE IS CONSIDERING BUYING ANOTHER 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX AND THE ABS LIGHT IS ALSO CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED IN THAT VAN AS WELL. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE MORE THAN A MERE COINCIDENCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE; HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. HE THEN DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR AXLE SUPPORT BAR WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

I AM A RETIRED FORMER TECHNICIAN/MANAGER FOR FORD DEALERS FOR 41 YEARS. TO KEEP MYSELF BUSY, I WORK ON FRIENDS VEHICLES. RECENTLY I HAVE NOTICED A CONCERN WITH FORD WINDSTARS. THE REAR AXLES (I-BEAM ASSYS) BREAK IN HALF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE REAR OF THE VEH TO LOSE CONTROL. THE FIRST ONE I SAW ( A 2001 MY VEH) WAS ONLY CRACKED HALF WAY, I REPLACED IT BEFORE IT BROKE. LAST WEEK I HAD ONE ( A 1999 MY VEH) TOWED TO ME BROKEN IN HALF. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS GOING SLOW & WAS PULLED OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. I ALSO NOTICED THE CRACK & THE BREAK OCCURRED AT ALMOST THE SAME LOCATION ON THE AXLE (APPROX. 12" FROM THE LEFT SIDE). IN BOTH CASES I REPLACED THEM WITH USED PARTS FROM AN AUTO WRECKING YARD. THIS WAS DUE TO THE OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH PRICE OF A NEW PART FROM FORD. I ASKED AROUND AT LOCAL SHOPS & EVEN WITH SOME OF THE TECH'S WHERE I USED TO WORK & WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD INDEED SEEN THIS CONCERN BEFORE. I WAS WONDERING IF THE NHTSB WAS AWARE OF THIS CONCERN. AS A FORMER FORD DEALER EMPLOYEE, I KNOW MANUFACTURERS HAVE PROGRAMS ASKING CUSTOMERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR A "SAFETY CHECK" & POSSIBLE REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO "SUGGEST" TO FORD BEFORE ONE OF THESE AXLES BREAKS AT SPEED CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE. I HAVE ACCESS TO THE BROKEN AXLE IF ANYONE CARES TO INSPECT IT. I ALSO CUT THE CRACKED SECTION OUT OF THE FIRST AXLE & GAVE IT TO THE OWNER TO RETAIN SHOULD ANYTHING PROGRAM-WISE EVER OCCUR. NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THE CONSUMER PORTION OF THIS FORM IS MINE, NOT THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLES REPAIRED. SINCE THERE IS MORE THAN ONE VEH INVOLVED I LEFT THE VIN SECTION EMPTY. IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY I CAN SUPPLY BOTH VINS. BUT SINCE THE YEAR OF PRODUCTION DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER THE VIN SEEMS IRRELEVANT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THRU AN INTERSECTION, THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED HARD ITSELF, AND THE VAN WAS UNDRIVABLE. THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS RUSTED THRU AN HAD BROKE OFF FROM ITS MOUNTING POINT. HE SAID THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW FROM FORD, AND THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL WINDSTARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO RECALLS YET, AND FORD WILL NOT HELP, YET. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. COINCIDENTLY ALL THE OTHER WINDSTAR MOUNTS BROKE IN THE SAME EXACT PLACE. THE MECHANIC HAS QUOTED US $750.00 TO REPLACE WITH A USED PART AND $1300.00 FOR A NEW PART. SO FAR ALL OF THE USED PARTS ARE ROTTED (RUSTED THRU), IN THE SAME PLACE AS MINE AND NOT WORTH USING. IF WE CANNOT FIND A QUALITY USED PART SOON, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE WITH NEW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS RUSTED AND WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY CRACKED. THE MECHANIC STATED HE OBSERVED THE FAILURE OFTEN IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000 MILES AND THE CURRENT WAS 132,000.