1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHEN HAVING THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED AND AN ALIGNMENT DONE, OUR MECHANIC NOTED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE IS SEVERELY RUSTED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HE CLAIMED THAT IT WAS FAR WORSE THAN IT EVER SHOULD BE AND IF THIS WAS A GM, THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. HOWEVER, THIS IS A FORD AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR- WAS HEARING A LOT OF DEEP SOUNDING SQUEAKING FROM THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE. ALSO SOME CRACKING SOUNDS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AND FOUND THE SUBFRAME WAS VERY BADLY RUSTED. WE REPLACED THE SUBFRAME. THE REPAIR SHOP TOOK PICTURES FOR US AND WE WERE HORRIFIED TO SEE HOW SEVERE THE SITUATION ACTUALLY WAS. IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO RUSTING COMPLETELY THROUGH. 1999 WINDSTAR WITH 98,000 MILES. COST TO REPAIR WAS APROX. $1500. THE CAR RIDES VERY SMOOTH NOW THAT IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE FEEL. WAS NOT AWARE HOW BOUNCY THE CAR WAS RIDING. NOW IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE A NEW SUSPENSION. *TR

CONNECTOR COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SENSOR ON THE BRAKE RESERVOIR ON MY 1999 WINDSTAR 3.8 LITER IS BURNED - MELTED. THIS CAUSED THE BRAKE LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE ABS TO SHUT DOWN AND THE LIGHT TO COME ON. ALSO, THE A/C DOESN'T WORK AND THE FANS DON'T WORK. *TR

ON MAY 22 MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR VAN STARTED TO MAKE A SQUEALING/WHINING NOISE AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 IN THE MORNING DURING WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 40 MINUTE DRIVE TO MY MOTHERS HOUSE. DUE TO THE WEIRD NOISE I STOPPED AND CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE IN MY TIRE (RIGHT REAR) WHERE THE SOUND SEEMED TO BE ORIGINATING FROM. THE PRESSURE WAS A LITTLE LOW SO I TOPPED IT OFF AND CONTINUED ON MY TRIP. THE SOUND CONTINUED AND I DECIDED TO STOP AT A SERVICE STATION ABOUT 20 MORE MILES INTO THE TRIP. THE SERVICE STATION WAS LITTLE HELP, THEY CHECKED MY POWER STEERING FLUID, DROVE THE VAN AROUND THE PARKING LOT A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT MADE NO NOISES. THE ATTENDANT TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA AS TO WHAT THE SOUND MIGHT BE AND ASKED IF I COULD RETURN IN AN HOUR WHEN HIS SUPERIOR WOULD BE THERE. I AGREED TO RETURN AFTER DROPPING OFF MY KIDS AT MY MOTHERS. AFTER GOING ON DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT ANOTHER TEN MILES I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL START TO FLOAT AND DRIFT AND MY BRAKES BECAME USELESS AND THE VAN CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT AND THERE WAS A HUGE BANG AS THE ENTIRE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BECAME DISABLED. AS WE ALL PILED OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WE FOUND THE REAR WHEELS POINTING INWARD UNDER THE VAN AT A BACKWARDS ANGLE. SOME MEN CAME TO HELP ME WHO WERE NEARBY THEY INFORMED ME MY AXLE WAS SNAPPED. LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE I COULD CLEARLY SEE THEY WERE RIGHT. MY VAN WILL BE REPAIRED THIS WEEKEND. I CALLED FORD THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME TO EAT THE REPAIRS MYSELF. IN WV A YEARLY INSPECTION IS REQUIRED, I PASSED INSPECTION AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL WHICH TELLS ME THERE WAS NOTHING VISUALLY WRONG WITH MY AXLE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WITHOUT ANY OUTSIDE DAMAGE OR FORCE (ACCIDENTS, FORCE ECT) AN AXLE CAN JUST SNAP IN TWO. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ANY FASTER MY 4 CHILDREN AND MYSELF WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR HARMED AS AT THE MOMENT IT BROKE I HAD LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES WERE FAILING. ONLY PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN BUY MINI-VANS, THIS IS SCARY. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. ABS WARNING LIGHT IN DASH HAS BECOME ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC CODES INDICATE ABS ECM RELAY FAILURE. FAILURE IS DUE TO A POOR DESIGN, AND POOR MATERIALS CHOICE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. MODULE FAILURE EFFECTS THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND RESULTS IN UNEXPECTED, RANDOM BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE. REMOVAL OF FUSES OF CIRCUITS 101 AND 102, DE-ENERGIZE ABS SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL AND MAKES THE VEHICLE OPERABLE AGAIN, WITHOUT ABS BRAKES OR TRACTION CONTROL. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR. ABS LIGHT APPEARS ON DASH RANDOMLY. THIS INDICATES THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ABS SYSTEM. THROUGH RESEARCH, I HAVE NOTICED THAT PARTS NEAR A CIRCUIT BOARD ARE GETTING HOT CAUSING EXPANSION CAUSING THE ABS SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND FURTHERMORE THE BRAKE SYSTEM ISN'T FUNCTIONING THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO. I CARRY MY PRECIOUS FAMILY IN MY VAN. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE ON HIS VEHICLE CRACKED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,641. THE CONTACT CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPRINGS FRACTURED JUST LIKE THOSE SPECIFIED ON FORD WINDSTAR 1997 AND 1998 ASSEMBLED AT OAKVILLE PLANT BETWEEN AUG 1996 THROUGH JULY 1998. THE DEFECTIVE SPRINGS FORCED FORD TO ISSUE RECALL 01S19. MY 1999 WINDSTAR WAS SHIPPED NOV 1998 AND I SUSPECT WITH BAD SPRINGS BECAUSE OTHER 1999 FORD WINDSTAR OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME SPRING BREAKAGE CAUSING PUNCTURED FRONT TIRES. MY SPRINGS WERE FOUND DEFECTIVE AND NOW FAIL NH SAFETY INSPECTION. PLEASE ACT SWIFTLY MY FUNDS ARE VERY LOW! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS CRACKED IN HALF AND THE REAR TIRES WERE BENT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AVAILABLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE WARRANTY MILEAGE; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 87,000. UPDATED 04/13/09. *JB

WE HAVE A 99 WINDSTAR WITH A BROKEN ENGINE CRADLE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VAN ALONG WITH MY SON TO A LOCAL RETAILER. SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDER THE VAN. MY SON WHO WAS SITTING TON THE PASSENGER SIDE SAID HE FELT IT UNDER HIS FEET. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD EVEN THOUGH THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT. SHE WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME SO DECIDED TO TAKE IT BACK HOME. SURPRISINGLY SHE WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME. I CRAWLED UNDER THE UNIT AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD SNAPPED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR. IT WAS THEN THAT WE STOPPED DRIVING THE VAN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND THEY WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS IDENTICAL TO OURS. IT SEEMS THAT THE AC DRAIN HOSE IS SITUATED OVER THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE BREAK. APPARENTLY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THIS CAUSES THE FRAME TO RUST OUT. I CALLED FORD TO COMPLAIN AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND PASSED ON BUYING A NEW PART DUE TO THE COST. I HAD TO TAKE A DAY OFF FROM WORK AND GO JUNKYARD SHOPPING TO FIND A REPLACEMENT PART. I LOCATED ONE AND WE HAD THE UNIT TOWED TO LUCAS FORD IN BURLINGTON, N.J. WHERE MY WIFE WORKS PART TIME. THE PART WAS DELIVERED AND THE DEALER DID THE REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH A BAD RACK AND PINION UNIT THAT WAS DISCOVERED AT THE SAME TIME. THE UNIT HAD 77,817 ON THE ODOMETER AT THE TIME THE WORK WAS DONE. I CAN UNDERSTAND MECHANICAL ITEMS GOING BAD BUT THIS WAS A STRUCTURAL ITEM. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE SAY HAD SHE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE DOING 65 MPH INSTEAD OF ON A LOCAL ROAD DOING 40 MPH. I COULD SEE IF THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT BUT IT ISN'T. I CONTACTED FORD ONE MORE TIME AND COMPLAINED AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED FORDS AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BUT THIS EXPERIENCE ALONG WITH ONE I HAD CONCERNING MY 1985 THUNDERBIRD CONTROL MODULE HAS LEFT A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH AS TO HOW THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR