2003 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE. SUDDENLY, THE CONTACT REALIZED THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS COLLAPSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

STARTED HAVING WIPER ISSUES (INTERMITTENT DID NOT WORK) RANDOMLY FOR A COUPLE WEEKS, THEN HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WITH NO OTHER CARS, FIRST FOR A COUPLE SECONDS OFF THEN ON THEN OFF FOR GOOD AFTER A FEW MORE SECONDS. AFTER ANOTHER 10 MIN OR SO THEY WENT BACK ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO WIPERS DID NOT WORK, OR RADIO, WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS. ANOTHER TIME DURING HEAVY RAIN IN DAYTIME THE SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN, WIPERS WENT OFF. THIS WAS ON BUSY HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THEY WENT ON AGAIN AFTER 10S AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE AND PULL OVER. VERY SCARY. HAPPENED OFF AND ON AGAIN. TURNED OUT FORWARD CONTROL MODULE WAS BAD. DEALER REPLACED ONE I GOT FROM JUNKYARD, NO MORE PROBLEM.

TRANSMISSION SLOW TO ENGAGE AFTER SITTING. THIS IS NOT ONLY A REPEAT PROBLEM AFTER BEING REPAIRED, BUT ALSO AFTER BEING TOTALLY REPLACED BY FORD DEALER. ABS NEVER RECALLED FOR SCDS 09S09. CONSTANTLY RESETTING AND DISENGAGING. AFTER 15 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, I HAVE YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF OR HAD ANYTHING REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION QUIT WORKING, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ( WHEN THE RPM'S WENT UP AND THE TRANSMISSION QUIT PULLING) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, NO PLACE TO GO. NEARLY CAUSING A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. WITH THE ABS PROBLEM, ANYTHING INDICATING A BRAKE FAILURE, POSSIBLE ONBOARD FIRE, OR LOSS OF CONTROL, LEAVES YOU WITH A HUGE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE.

I HAVE THE FAMILIAR 9 C CODES FOR THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WITH THE COLD SOLDER JOINTS THAT EFFECTS THE ABS FUNCTION. THERE IS A 23 PAGE 2CARSPRO.COM FORUM WITH INDIVIDUALS SHARING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE DEFECT ON THEIR WINDSTAR VEHICLES. THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MATTHEWS CURRIE FORD (130 N TAMIAMI TRAIL, NOKOMIS, FL 34275, 800-248-2378) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED AND THE TORQUE BAR WAS RUSTED OFF THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

MY REAR WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY, WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE AXLE BEAM REINFORCING FLANGE CRACKED WHILE I WAS TURNING LEFT FROM A STOP LIGHT. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE REAR AXLE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS, SO I TOOK MY VAN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP IN KNOX, INDIANA (BEST FORD). AFTER A FEW DAYS, THEY SAID THAT FORD WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE REAR AXLE. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED, HOWEVER, I SEE ON THIS WEBSITE THAT A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE IS INCOMPLETE AND THAT FORD HAD AN ADDITIONAL RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME ON THE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WAS RUSTED AND BECAME STUCK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BE OPENED. THE CONTACT HAD TO LIFT UP THE DOOR AND PUT IT BACK ON THE DOOR TRACK SO THAT IT COULD CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FAIR OAKS FORD LINCOLN (1351 E OGDEN AVE, NAPERVILLE, IL, (630) 357-7100) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DOOR HAD A RUSTED HOLE THROUGH THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,595.

I PURCHASED THIS WINDSTAR IN JULY 2012. MY WIFE AND KIDS USE IT AS A DAILY DRIVER. WE ALSO USE THE MINIVAN FOR LONG TRIPS. IN JULY 2018, ONE MONTH BEFORE THE FAILURE, WE TOOK THE MINIVAN TO CAPE COD AND BOSTON. WE HAD 6 PASSENGERS IN THE CAR. THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE DROVE DOWN TO OCEAN CITY, MD AGAIN WITH THE 6 PEOPLE. WHEN THE AXLE CRACKED, I WAS PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE AXLE BROKE ON THOSE TRIPS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND 6 PEOPLE IN THE CAR?? PLEASE SEE PDF ATTACHMENT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ABS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT, AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

WAS ON THE STREET DRIVING, LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON DASHBOARD VAN SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, BLEW OUT, WAS DRIVING AGAIN VAN WAS ILDE UP REALLY BAD AND WHILE MY FEET WAS ON THE BRAKES IT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN AND RAN INTO SOMEONE ELSE VEHICLE, AND ALSO VAN WAS ON THE ROAD STARTED RUNNING BAD BROKE DOWN ON A BUSY STREET ONCE I WAS PUSHED TO A SAFE LOCATION ALL MY FLUIDS WERE ON THE GROUND AND THE VAN WAS SMOKING REALLY BAD AND LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD WERE FLASHING.