1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

MY ABS LIGHT IS ON, BRAKE LIGHT COMES OFF AND ON, NOW MY SPEEDOMETER AND THE RPM METER ARE NOT WORKING... *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE INSPECTING HIS VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE REAR AXLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,405.

I HAVE BEEN HEARING A CLANKING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR. I BROUGHT IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME I HAD A CRACK IN MY REAR AXLE. HE SAID IT WAS THE THIRD WINDSTAR HE HAD SEEN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM -- TWO 1999 WINDSTARS (ONE BEING MINE) AND A 2001 WINDSTAR. THIS IS POSSIBLE A RECALL SITUATION. *TR

THE REAR AXLE (OR REAR SUPPORT BEAM)BROKE IN TWO ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WE HAD HEARD SOME NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR AND HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED THE DAY AFTER THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAD THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE REAR SHOCKS WERE GOING. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON SUNRISE HIGHWAY IN ROCKVILLE CENTER,NEW YORK WHEN THE CAR STARTED BUCKING AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. IMMEDIATELY THE CAR STARTED SWERVING TO THE RIGHT AND I STARTED T SMELL A BURNING ODOR. IT WAS QUITE A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE AND I THANK GOD THAT NEITHER I OR ANYONE ELSE WAS HURT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS I NOTICED THE LOOK OF HORROR ON THE FACES OF THE FEW BYSTANDERS ON THE SIDEWALK. I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I SAW WHEN I GOT OUT. THE REAR WHEELS WERE BOTH SPREAD EAGLE APART AND THE AXLE WAS BROKE IN TWO AND SCRAPING ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS A DISTINCT SCRAPE MARK IN THE ROAD FROM THE AXLE THAT TRACED MY PATH TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS I SEARCHED THE INTERNET I WAS DISTURBED TO SEE THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THAT FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. I JUST GOT MY CAR BACK TODAY, AUGUST 4,2009. I HAD TO PAY $870.00 FOR THE REPAIR AND THAT IS WITH A USED REAR AXLE SUPPORT FROM A JUNK YARD. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED FORD SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND RECALL THESE CARS!!! TO MAKE THINGS JUST A LITTLE WORSE, IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE MY 50TH BIRTHDAY ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. WHAT A BIRTHDAY PRESENT FROM THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. I HAD PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN 1999 AND AM THE ONLY OWNER. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND FORD SOLD ME AN EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT AT A SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT AFTER I HAD THE CAR FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAD WITH THE CAR FROM DAY ONE. THE CAR HAS 97,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT,NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD,MASTER CYLINDER,BRAKE BOOSTER,STRUTS,RACK AND PINION,AND MORE. *TR

THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON AND AFTER INVESTIGATION THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE ECM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON EVERY DAY AND THE BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE IS REDUCED. HAVE NOT REPLACED THE MODULE AS WE CAN NOT LOCATE ONE LOCALLY. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR 3.0L 4SP AUTO. ANTI LOCK BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (TESTED AT MY EXPENSE $70) HAS GONE BAD, SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS. I HAVE NO ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER OR ANTI LOCK BRAKES. THE ENGINE ALSO SHUTS OFF ON ITS OWN ON OCCASION, DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S RELATED OR NOT. VAN RUNS GOOD OTHERWISE, HAS 107000 MILES ON IT I THINK, SINCE THE ODOMETER HASN'T WORKED FOR 3 MONTHS. I CANT EVEN GET A REPLACEMENT MODULE UNLESS I GO TO FORD AND THEN I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT PROGRAMMED TOO. ITS SHAMEFUL HOW MUCH OF THE GAUGES ARE AFFECTED. I COULD LIVE WITHOUT THE ANTILOCK, BUT I NEED A SPEEDOMETER, MY VAN IS DEAD IN THE DRIVEWAY UNTIL I WORK ENOUGH OVERTIME TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE OUT. *TR

1. REAR OF VAN SWAYING AND A SQUEAKING NOISE..............2. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE REAR AXLE CRACKED AT THE MID POINT 3/4 THE WAY THROUGH..............3. PLAN TO REPLACE THE AXLE, HAVE NOT DONE SO AS YET. I WILL KEEP THE OLD AXLE OR MAKE IT AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.............."THE WHOLE STORY"..............OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS I'VE NOTICED WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE REAR OF THE VAN WOULD SWAY A LITTLE, AND OCCASIONALLY I?D HEAR A SQUEAK/SCREECH THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VAN. I DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF MY VEHICLE, I WAS SHOCKED, DISMAYED, DUMBFOUNDED, AND DISBELIEVED WHAT MY EYES WHERE SHOWING ME. THE REAR AXLE, A RATHER BEEFY LOOKING PIECE OF STEEL AND ENGINEERING, WAS CRACKED OF THE WAY THROUGH. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH TO MY SURPRISE I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH WINDSTAR VANS. APPARENTLY DOZENS OF WINDSTAR OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND APPARENTLY FORD LIKE THE VALVE COVER SNAFU HAS DECIDED TO IGNORE IT. PLEASE, BEFORE SOMEONE TRAGICALLY PAYS THE ULTIMATE PRICE MAKE THEM STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I BOUGHT A FORD WINDSTAR VAN FROM A USED CAR DEALER BY THE NAME OF RAY PRICE IN DEC. OF '07. WE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A VAN FOR SOME TIME AND I HAD LOOKED FOR ANY RECALLS BEFORE WE PURCHASED. I FOUND NONE LISTED. WE PAID OFF THE CAR LAST MONTH, AND THAT'S WHEN THE TROUBLE STARTED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE GARAGE 3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH BECAUSE IT KEPT STALLING WHEN IT WOULD IDLE FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME. THE MECHANIC FIXED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEALS AND THE SURROUNDING PARTS, REPLACING THEM AS NEEDED EACH TIME. I ALSO HAD THE SPARK PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES REPLACED JUST IN CASE. ON THURSDAY JULY 23RD, MY HUSBAND REPLACED THE BRAKES ON THE FRONT. HE DROVE THE VAN ALL DAY WITH NO PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THE OCCASIONAL STALL. WE STOPPED FOR MILK AT THE GROCERY STORE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM MY WORK AND HAD BEEN INSIDE FOR ONLY 5-10 MINUTES WHEN THE MANAGER CALLED OUT THAT OUR CAR WAS ON FIRE. WE RAN OUTSIDE, AND THE FIREMEN GOT IT OUT, BUT THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I SPOKE TO MY MECHANIC AND THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND BOTH TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD COME ACROSS A RECALL THAT HAD BEEN OUT A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT MY VAN. IT SEEMS THAT FORD RECALLED THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM IN THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT CAUSED ELECTRICAL FIRES JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO MINE. THE FIRE CHIEF SAID IT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE WHAT HE HAD SEEN BEFORE WHEN IT HAPPENED. SINCE THEN, FORD HAS DENIED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND WON'T LOOK INTO THE MATTER. MY CAR HAD BEEN ON THIS LOT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT. IF THE RECALL WENT OUT, IT WAS NEVER FIXED, AND A LAWYER HAS ALREADY SAID IT IS FORD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE MATTER. CAN YOU CHECK ON THIS FOR ME? *TR

MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR VAN, I WOULD SMELL A ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL AFTER DRIVING IT AND A LITTLE SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. MY DADA AND MYSELF CHECKED AND FOUND A SMALL BRAKE FLUID LEAK THAT WAS GETTING ON A ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. THIS WAS ALSO CAUSING SOME FUSES TO BLOW. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT IT WAS THE ABS ECM MODULE SWITCH UNDER THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR. I PURCHASED A NEW SWITCH AND REPLACE IT, AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY MORE PROBLEMS WITH IT. *TR

MY SISTERS 1999 WINDSTAR HAD A RUSTED SUBFRAME. I TOOK MY 1999 WINDSTAR TO A MECHANIC , THE SUBFRAME WAS STARTING TO RUST ON THE RIGHT SIDE. WITHIN 4 WEEKS , THE FRAME SPLIT WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 2 KIDS IN THE CAR. IT IS UNDRIVABLE. I CALL FORD ON 7/22/09 TO LET THEM KNOW OF A DESIGN PROBLEM (THE A/C DRAINTUBE DRAINS ON THE SUBFRAME ON THE RIGHT. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST ON THE CAR, BUT FORD SAID MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. ITS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE, ITS A DESIGN ISSUE. I AM HAVING IT FIXED AND I THINK FORD SHOULD REIMBURSE ME . THEY WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME. *TR