Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS - CAP/COVER/HUB | |||||
| 13396 | 10/01/1999 | 6092185 | Some vehicles equipped with starburst type wheel caps may exhibit wheel caps that rattle or appear loose. *tt | 11/27/2000 | |
| 7309 | 10/01/1999 | 6090885 | Subject regarding starburst type wheel caps that rattle or appear loose. *tt | 03/31/2000 | |
| 7134 | 10/01/1999 | 6090751 | Some vehicles built from 5/20/98 to 12/31/98 equipped with starburst type wheel covers may exhibit a loose wheel cap or rattle noise from the wheel caps. *tt | 03/29/2000 | |
| 13256 | 09/01/1999 | 6090662 | Information regarding starbusrt wheel caps loose/rattle. *mjs | 03/22/2000 | |
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | |||||
| 04L23 | 10/01/2004 | 10010637 | Literature program 04l23. customer maintenance reminder - aluminum wheel lug nut torque. *tt | 12/03/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | ||||||
| EA03004 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/10/2003 | 08/30/2004 | WHEEL STUD FRACTURE | ||
| The subject vehicles range in age from 4 | ||||||
| PE02085 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/18/2002 | 04/10/2003 | WHEEL STUD FRACTURE | ||
| Analysis of odi and ford data has identified 1619 incidents of wheel stud fracture in my 1998 through 2000 ford windstar vehicles, including 69 wheel separations and 11 crashes.ford has not been able to identify any design or manufacturing defects in its analyzis of the problem.ford maintains that the failures are caused by either:(1) inadvertent overtorquing of lug nuts during removal or installation; or (2) fatigue due to insufficient clamp load between the wheel and the brake rotor or drum and hub assembly.according to ford, corrosion, dirt, or damage present on the road wheel at the nut inteface could contribute to the latter condition. analysis of odi complaint data indicates that the subject vehicles experience wheel stud failures at significantly higher rates than peer minivans.this investigation has been upgraded to further assess the frequency, scope, and trend of the alleged defect condition in my 1997 through 2000 windstar minivans. | ||||||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | ||||||
| EA03004 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/10/2003 | 08/30/2004 | WHEEL STUD FRACTURE | ||
| The subject vehicles range in age from 4 | ||||||
| PE02085 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/18/2002 | 04/10/2003 | WHEEL STUD FRACTURE | ||
| Analysis of odi and ford data has identified 1619 incidents of wheel stud fracture in my 1998 through 2000 ford windstar vehicles, including 69 wheel separations and 11 crashes.ford has not been able to identify any design or manufacturing defects in its analyzis of the problem.ford maintains that the failures are caused by either:(1) inadvertent overtorquing of lug nuts during removal or installation; or (2) fatigue due to insufficient clamp load between the wheel and the brake rotor or drum and hub assembly.according to ford, corrosion, dirt, or damage present on the road wheel at the nut inteface could contribute to the latter condition. analysis of odi complaint data indicates that the subject vehicles experience wheel stud failures at significantly higher rates than peer minivans.this investigation has been upgraded to further assess the frequency, scope, and trend of the alleged defect condition in my 1997 through 2000 windstar minivans. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | |||
| 06/24/2009 | 1 | ||
| I was driving on the interstate and my tire came off of my car. all of the lugs to my driver side front wheel broke. i called a mechanical shop that owns their own wrecker. they repaired the wheel, which included rotor, lug work. my vehicle was also damaged in the body. the fender , the door,the parts all around the area where the tire flung off. i have discovered on the internet that there exists a recall on vehicles the same year make and model as my vehicle. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2008 | 120000 | 1 | |
| While driving on the highway the right front wheel came off the car. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 96145 | ||
| In the past four years we have had the wheel bolts on the right front wheel break off six times. the last time, the fix was to replace the wheel. that was done in may 2003 and no problem since with that wheel but its only been two months. now in july 2003 we have had the bolts break on the left front wheel twice! on july 22 2003, we had a new wheel and all five bolts replaced on the left front. one week later the van is again at the ford dealership because three bolts have broken on the newly replaced left front again. | |||
| 05/15/2001 | 37000 | ||
| This van has all the defects and complaints listed on thegovt. recalls the nhtsa site and others ihave too much info to put on this site if there is anyone i can send my complaint to please let me know iam putting it back into the shop again ive been thru a nightmare along with trying to assure my 4 kids that they were safe in this van thankyou angela wallace and by the wat the dealer that sold me this van will not cooperate at all | |||
| 03/02/2003 | 40000 | 1 | |
| While driving at 35 mph passenger's side wheel came off. this caused loss of control. *ak | |||
| 10/19/2002 | 155000 | 1 | |
| Front passenger wheel fell off at 40-45 mph. vehicle is at dealership at this time. *ts *tt | |||
| 09/03/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2000 | |
| While vehicle was parked, consumer noticed a flat tire. wheel had a crack in it that caused the tire to go flat. contacted dealer. this is a common problem, which is caused by a defect*ak *jlg | |||
| 09/08/2001 | 1 | ||
| While the insured was traveling the right front wheel broke off and the vehicle wheel rolled backwards into wheel well causing fender damage. claim# 43-r781-260 *yh | |||
| 11/08/2000 | 1 | ||
| Insured was traveling 65 mph when all of a sudden the wheel flew off the vehicle, claim 13-7144-933. *jg | |||
| 05/27/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated while driving, the right fron wheel separated from the vehicle, causing damage to the front fender.(claim#25-5525-512)*jb | |||
| 11/27/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle, *ak | |||
| 07/28/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1999 | |
| At the 75000 mile check up with henry curtis ford, we asked that they check out an abnormal noise in the front left wheel. they reported that they could not hear any problem. we drove the van to utah the next week. on the way back the noise became increasingly worse. we drove it locally for two weeks with the noise becoming worse. we called for another appointment after it sounded like something broke. we tried driving to the dealership but ended up needing a tow when the wheel broke. about six weeks later the right front tire began to lose air. thinking that we had picked up a nail we went to the tire shop to get the tire repaired. the shop discovered that the wheel was leaking air at the welds. after calling around to find a new wheel they came and told us that wheels were hard to find because so many were leaking and breaking at the welds. quite frankly i am afraid to let my wife put herself and our children at risk of the wheels breaking while she is going somewhere. i went to the dealer to see what they knew about this and they said they knew nothing. i asked who the manufacturer of the wheels is and they were not able to give me that information. i am under the impression that this is the only wheel for that car. i am concerned for the safety of other families who might be traveling in a van that they feel is safe when the dealer can't even find the problem and sends them off to their destination with a false idea of safety. i shudder to think what would happen to a family traveling at 75 mph down a mountain pass in nevada and a wheel breaks. have you had other reports of this nature? | |||
| 09/01/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Metal part of wheels - all four- cracked. two were in bad shape. forunatly no accidents. heard cracking sound first then inspected an noticed cracks | |||
| 10/20/1998 | 3 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Repeated incidents of unusual tire wear; this vehicle now has 21,900 miles on it and it is on literally its third set of tires. the tires keep cupping and causing the van to become misaligned; caribou ford has had this vehicle in its shop in excess of 10 times for this and other related problems. the shift cable then broke (thankfully) when i was stopped in a parking lot, and the vehicle was in park. i don't know what i would have done if i'd been on the highway or elsewhere, moving. please let me know if you have had any similar complaint concerning the tire wear/misalignment problem. the vehicle vibrates significantly at highway speeds and lower as a result of this problem, which i do consider a safety problem. you can literally see the steering wheel shake. i appreciate your investigating this problem. thank you for your time.( dot number: tire size: p215/7 ) | |||
| WHEELS - CAP/COVER/HUB | |||
| 07/12/2000 | 2 | 07/21/1997 | |
| Consumer was riding for a period of time and stopped to rest. consumer was heading back on road and 1 minute from where he was, front of vehicle went down. consumer thought it was a flat tire. a tow truck came and found coil spring had broken. would have to go to a ford dealershop to be repaired. consumer wanted manufacturer to cover repairs. a letter was sent, but response from them was they couldn't do anything for consumer. *ak vehicle had been taken to dealer several times prior to incident due to a strange noise that was occurring in the front end, dealer inspected front end extensively and never found anything wrong. there are plastic hub covers on the wheels, consumer has had 3 blowouts which have ruined the covers, they are not able to handle the repeated wear and tear. *slc | |||
| 02/02/1998 | |||
| Hub cap clips on all caps are damaged. | |||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | |||
| 04/18/2007 | 33300 | 5 | |
| 1998 ford windstar van. front passenger lug bolts. all five lug bolt failed with no warning. vehicle mileage 33300. no notice before failure. no shaking or vibrations. 60 mph at time of incident. all parts saved. replaced 5 lug bolts, 5 lug nuts, rotor. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2006 | 1 | ||
| 1998 windstar lug nuts sheared off. *ts the left front wheel came off the vehicle as a result of the lug nut shearing off. the vehicle landed on it's wheel. *nm | |||
| 04/16/2006 | 91600 | 5 | 10/10/2000 |
| On 4/16/06 i was driving the vehicle and felt something strange in the right front wheel. i checked to see if the tire was flat and found nothing noticeable. i continued on my way drove about one more mile when all five lugs of the passenger side front tire broke causing the tire to fall off. the tire damaged the fender and door. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the mechanic inspected and replaced the lugs. he could not find any reason for the lugs to break. 1998 ford windstar. *nm | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 149000 | 2 | 12/12/2001 |
| 1998 ford windstar. 2 driver side wheel lug bolts broke off while driving. both studs sheared completely off. replaced both studs from ford parts and 3 weeks later 1 of the new replacement lug bolts broke off. *nm | |||
| 11/10/2005 | 116000 | 1 | 12/15/2000 |
| The front passenger wheel departed (i.e. fell off) the vehicle while traveling 40 mph on a paved road. the vehicle stopped on a soft shoulder at the side of the road. all five studs holding the wheel on were sheered off. the wheel itself was not damaged, however major body damage was made to the wheel well and front door. the vehicle was repaired (except for the body damage) at the cost of $1300, replacing the rotor, brake, spindle and strut. *nm | |||
| 10/20/2005 | 95000 | 2 | 08/30/2004 |
| 1998 ford windstar. passenger side tire fell off while slowing to almost 1 km/h (luckily). all 5 studs sheared completely off. replaced all studs from ford parts and 3 weeks later 2 studs showing. very scary, still working on problem. *nm | |||
| 08/27/2003 | 104000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 |
| Dt: the contact owns a 1998 ford wind star. in 8-03 his wife was making a slow left hand ascending turn at 15-20 mph and the front right wheel sheared off. all five lugs:bolts broke off. it happened again on 9-13-05 after it had been repaired by ford. she was making a slow ascending turn when all of the five lugs:bolts broke off again.*ak *jb | |||
| 07/08/2005 | 5 | 01/07/2003 | |
| We were about 30 miles from home on our return trip from ohio to iowa when, while accelerating out of a rest area, steering column began shaking vigorously. we began to slow from 60-65mph and merged into the right lane. while the vehicle was going around 50mph the right front end dropped and the right front tire bounced off into a field. we retained control of the vehicle and pulled over without injury. upon examination, the tire studs had all broken clean off. all except two were lost. the two had a locking mechanism. the damage due to the collision with the road after the wheel fell off was covered by our insurance, though technically the initail mechanical failure did was not, though since the studs were part of the rotor which was damaged they were replaced with the rotor. the parts damaged and replaced include the rotor, front brakes, control/stabilizing arm, right fender and passenger door. | |||
| 12/06/2004 | 1 | ||
| Four of five lugs:nuts detached from the wheel unexpectedly causing the wheel to vibrate and almost detach from the vehicle. taken to dealer for checkup and repairs. *ak | |||
| 87000 | 1 | ||
| While driving down the freeway the front passenger side wheel seperated from the vehicle due to all five studs snapping off.*mr | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 61000 | 1 | |
| A vibration began suddenly in the steering wheel while driving. after getting rapidly worse, the right front wheel came off of my 1998 ford windstar at 45 mph when the lug bolts broke, causing the vehicle to crash into the ground. i retrieved the wheel and found all five lugs, with their lug nuts still attached, captured between the hubcap and the wheel. the police officer who responded repeatedly stated that he was amazed that the vehicle did not roll over and that i was lucky there were no injuries.*ak | |||
| 02/26/2004 | 104648 | 5 | |
| While driving at highway speed lugs and nuts popped off. dealer stated there was nothing they could do. *ak | |||
| 02/27/2004 | 96714 | 1 | 10/20/2000 |
| Lugs nuts keep breaking off. happens about every 2 to 3 thousand miles. usually 2 to 3 lugnuts break off each time. i'm scared to drive the car. was told to mention mention that there is an onging investigation going on with this. the investigation # is 3983673 - action # ea03004.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 1 | ||
| While traveling on ohio turnpike front left wheel came off vehicle, crossed the median, and hit a car traveling in the opposite direction.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving left front tire came off the vehicle and rolled into the path of another vehicle which struck the tire (ohio traffic crash report). *mr *nm | |||
| 2 | |||
| Consumer owned a 1998 windstar that lost lugs in three instances since vehicle was bought. this always happened to the right front tire. consumer maintained that replacing the lugs was not a solution since the lugs on that tire were replaced twice. the lugs won't remain tight. over tighten them and they would break. under tighten them ,and the lugs nuts would loosen, and then lugs would break. there was no middle ground except to constantly check them for tightness. *ak | |||
| 12/13/2003 | 9 | 07/30/1999 | |
| Since april 2001 i have had my 1998 ford windstar in the shop nine times to replace front wheel studs that had sheared off. my hometown mechanic after replacing studs on the right front five times finally suggested we replace the wheel because several of the holes appeared oval instead of round. this seemed to have eliminated the problem on the right but since then i have had three incidents of studs shearing off on the left front wheel. at a ford dealership in cincinnati, oh, i had to replace (in the left front) 3 studs and at that time had a new wheel put on. after driving from cincinnati to atlanta georgia i again was at a ford dealership in conyers georgia with three more broken studs (on the left front) and this time they also replaced the hub assembly. now after over $1300.00 in repairs my windstar is again in the shop having broken studs replaced on the left front wheel. by the way none of the ford dealerships would admit ever hearing of this problem before.*ak | |||
| 01/08/2002 | 60000 | 4 | 02/10/2001 |
| I was driving at 65 mph and felt a vibration as though i may have a flat tire,checked and the tires were fine so i proceeded forward only to have the front left wheel collapse inward, all 5 lugs were sheared completely off, the service center had no explanation for this occurrence, one month to the day the same thing occurred again and i was again charged the repair cost and new bolts and lugs were installed along with the tire being rotated to the back,this lasted for 6 months and the lugs broke again, i am just now learning that there are other consumers with this problem. lug nuts should not be sheared off as though a hot knife cut through butter. i purchased my vehicle when it was 2 years old and though i have had no other major problems but this is one that could cost me or my children our lives. *la | |||
| 07/20/2002 | 2 | 05/08/1997 | |
| In july of 2002 two lugnut studs from my left front wheel broke while i was driving my vehicle. in march of 2003 three lugnut studs from my right from wheel broke while i was driving. a forth lugnut stud broke on my right front wheel when i took my car in for maintenance. | |||
| 11/05/1999 | |||
| 1998 windstar's front right wheels lug bolts sheered off causing wheel to fly off while driving on highway. *nlm | |||
| 03/30/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the left front wheel lug nuts sheared completely off, which caused the wheel to come off. *jb,,,extensive damage which included replacing tire, wheel, lugs:nuts and body damage to door and front fender from skidding on wheel after tire fell off. could not open driver's door. *ak | |||
| 10/20/2002 | 5 | 09/01/2099 | |
| All 5 left front lug bolts sheared and car lost wheel at 70 mph on freeway. road was straight and i was able to pull car to right shoulder. i note 29 similar incidents over last 4 years on nhtsa website, but no recall. why not? previously my mechanic had 3 of right front lugs break at less than spec torque. all right front lugs were replaced. at that time the left lugs took torque and (unfortunately) were not replaced. these lugs caused life threatening hazard. dt | |||
| 07/01/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that all 5 studs on the right front wheel sheared off while driving. dlr advised that all studs snapped at the same tread length. ts | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 3 | 08/01/2098 | |
| Front left wheel vibrated at highway speeds. inspected lugs: nuts and found 3 broken ones.*ak | |||
| 10/20/2001 | 2 | 05/01/2098 | |
| Reported problem in may 2001, now replaced lugs: nut sheared off wheel,help!*ak | |||
| 11/27/2001 | 1 | ||
| While in motion, passenger tire came off vehicle due to lug nuts breaking off, causing vehicle to slam to the ground, skidding into a vacant lot, hitting a 2x4 board, claim 48-5214-929. *jg | |||
| 08/31/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the lug nuts on the front wheel broke off, causing the wheel to separate from the vehicle.(claim#43-r774-617)*jb | |||
| 09/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states the bolts on the right front wheel sheared off.(claim#27-7046-604)*jb | |||
| 08/30/2001 | 1 | ||
| While the insured was driving the tire fell off due to two lug nuts had cracked. claim# 33-0348-233 *yh | |||
| 08/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the right wheel separated from the vehicle causing vehicle to slide.(claim#60-c263-071)*jb | |||
| 06/06/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the wheel bolts sheared off, causing wheel to separate from the vehicle and strike the roadway.(claim#02-0442-821)*jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer possibly experienced problems with the wheel studs breaking off.(claim#38-j687-126)*jb | |||
| 11/16/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the studs broke off the wheel, causing the vehicle to strike the ground.(claim#33-0269-919)*jb | |||
| 12/16/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, the studs on the hub broke off, causing damage to the wheel and vehicle, claim 25-5623-634 | |||
| 12/20/2001 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| On two separate occasions, while driving at 60 mph, the front lug nuts that hold the tire in place fell off from the driver's side and passenger's side, almost causing loss of tires. personal mechanic replaced lug nuts and studs. *ak *tt | |||
| 12/19/2000 | |||
| Front passenger side tire has fallen off three times while the consumer was driving. bolts that hold tire in place kept breaking off the lugs: nuts. contacted dealer, and the dealer did not know what the problem was. *ak | |||
| 11/24/2001 | 6 | 03/01/2001 | |
| 6th time in 6 months lugs: bolts have sheared, normal driving w/ no incident. wheels, hubs, tie rods and lug bolts have all been replaced w/ no change in regularity of event. no substantive vibration experienced. mechanics have all been advised of history. cowles ford, c&j auto, d&b auto, aaa and and firestone have serviced the incidents. requested review on tsb's and other complaints to ford - to no avail. real serious - one to four lugs have sheared on each incident; involved both front wheel assys and one rear assy.*ak | |||
| 10/29/2001 | |||
| While driving 35 mph heard a noise from passenger's side front wheel. he pulled over, and took off hubcap to check tire. as soon as hubcap was off, 3 of the 5 lugs: nuts fell off with post attached. *ak | |||
| 08/31/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| My front passenger wheel came off my car when i came to a stop to allow a car pass by, i went to make a left handed turn when my entire wheel came off my car and shot across the road. my husband came to look at the car and well as a tow truck had to take our car home, both made the comment that all five bolts scheered off. state farm our insurance company plugged this information into their system and said that it is a ford issue and that i need to fill out this complaint form for ya'll to investigate. state farm is saying that it has to do with the rotar and vibration if the wrong parts are installed this situtation could happen. well i told state farm and i will tell you, the rotars are from the factory and so the wrong parts were not used and it is not a possiblity because it did happen to me. forturnately i was not injured and my precious girls were not in the car with me, but i don't want this to happen to anyone else or for that matter who is to say the other rotar won't do this on the other side. please call me if you have any questions or need additional information. thank you for your time with this matter.*ak | |||
| 07/27/2000 | 4 | 05/01/1998 | |
| All 4 wheels have had lugs: nuts sheared off and have fallen into the hubcap. *ak | |||
| 02/07/2001 | 11/01/2000 | ||
| My concern is why all five studs that hold the wheel on broke at once, resulting in lose of steering. the body shop and the insurance agent could offer no good reason for this failure, they said maybe the lug nuts were over tight. now i'm concern about it happening again to another wheel if something is defective. *ak | |||
| 10/25/2000 | 1 | 05/18/2000 | |
| Left front wheel lug bolts sheared off causing the tire and wheel to come off and hit another vehicle, consumer requests reimbursement. *slc | |||
| 10/05/2000 | 0 | ||
| Front wheel bolts fell off, and tire came off. *ak | |||
| 11/08/1999 | 1 | 04/23/2000 | |
| While driving at 70 mph front right wheel lugs sheared off causing wheel to come off.*ak *slc | |||
| 01/05/2000 | 0 | ||
| Passenger's side front tire bolts sheared off and wheel rolled down the highway. car rested on front disc brake. then it came to a stop. mechanic said the bolts broke off, and nuts were still on them. *ak | |||
| 01/21/2000 | 5 | 11/01/1999 | |
| My wife was turing left at a red light and was waiting for pedistrians to cross the street. as she turned the corner the right front tire snapped off of the hub and almost hit a lawyer! all five of the studs broke off, the metal indicated they were fresh breaks. there was not any indication of the nuts being lose, the nuts were still screwed on the studs. the wheel and nuts did not look scared as if they had been lose. pior to the wheel coming off there had been no shimmy or vibration at all. i had driven the vehicle the previous night and had not felt anything out of the ordinary. she had only accelerated from the left turn position about 15ft and could not have been going faster than 5 mph. the vehicle had not been serviced after we purchased it. thank god she was not on the interstate in 5'oclock traffic! *ak | |||
| 04/01/1999 | |||
| The left wheel lugs: nuts broke off or sheared off which may cause the wheel to fall off. occurred twice. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 11/28/1999 | 12/01/1998 | ||
| 1)all 5 lugs: nuts sheared off from the right front passenger hub, causing the wheel to leave the vehicle. the body of the vehicle traveled approximately 200 feet until it stopped. 2)the rear brakes had to be replaced with new pads and rotors. dealer couldn't explain why this was a problem. 3) the next day the right passenger mirror electical system no longer worked. 4)the parking brake consistently does not disengage after use. we no longer use it, possibly creating a safety hazard. 5) the vehicle intermittently stalls out at low speeds or upon stopping. additionally the initial gears shift hard and loud. 6) the rear seat will not move on the track. *ak | |||
| 04/08/1999 | 1 | ||
| Lug nuts broke off of right front tire and hub of wheel/brake drum, resulting in tire falling off of vehicle and causing damage to vehicle. (ohio traffic crash report). mjs | |||
| 03/05/1999 | 1 | ||
| Vibration from rear drivers side wheel due to 4 lug nuts falling off wheel, wheel was being secured by 1 loose lug nut. | |||
| 03/27/1999 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| While driving at 70 mph 2 lugs: nuts came off, and the consumer had to pull over to the side of the road. consumer took off the hub cap and noticed that two of the lugs: nuts came off, and the other three were coming off. the studs sheared off inside the lug nuts. *ak | |||
| Missing or improperly adjusted lug nuts are a factory problem on 1998 units manufactured in canada. | |||
| WHEELS - MULTI PIECE | |||
| 12/15/2001 | |||
| Front driver's side rim began to leak. then two weeks later, front passenger side rim began to leak. dealer has been contacted, but is unable to remedy problem until new year. also, contacted sears and was told that welding for rims is unacceptable. please provide further details.*ak | |||
| WHEELS - RIM | |||
| 06/23/2005 | 70000 | 1 | 02/14/2001 |
| My front driver side wheel was making a clunking noise. thought it was something inside. i took it to a les swabb tire dealer to have it looked at. the reason for the noise was a cracked rim, about 6 inches long. they said this is not supposed to happen, very dangerous. it costed me $45.00 to replace the rim. they suggested to look into other reports. on your web site i found several reports of others having the same problem, some had to replace all 4 rims. they said if this cracked all around my tire would of fell off. scary thought for my family and other drivers on the highways,etc. i called ford to report this and requested them to replace all 4 rims. they refused to take responcibility for this. tried to blame it on my tires and my driving. tires are all new and driving shouldn't crack the rim like it did. i think it is sad they are not concerned nor care this could cause a fatal crash. i am going to call king 5 news. i am not comfortable driving my van now. this should be a recall, dangerous. please make ford take responcibility for this, before a fatal crash if has not happened already. | |||
| 12/08/2003 | 41800 | 3 | 05/23/1998 |
| We have had to replace the rim on our 1998 windstar's right front wheel three times due to rim breakage and subsequent tire deflation. two different tire repair shops reported seeing this problem frequently in ford windstars. the ford dealer where the car was purchased denied any problem or responsibility. *la | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| Rims will develop cracks. consumer had to already replace right front wheel for this problem, and currently has to replace left front wheel.*ak | |||
| 01/04/2001 | |||
| All four of wheel rims are cracked. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 06/22/2001 | 1 | ||
| During oil change mechanic discovered cracks in left front and rear rim. please add further comments. *ak right rear rim cracked and was replaced, now the left rear and left front are cracking. *slc | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 3 | ||
| Three of rim wheel bases have cracked. this caused a clonking sound when driving. dealr has been contacted.*ak wheels usually crack 6-7 months after brakes were serviced. tire tread separation and out of round are caused by the faulty wheels. *yh | |||
| 01/30/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Wheel rim is causing a leakage in tire dealer is aware and waiting on parts. *ak left front tire exploded while driving and was replaced with new tire. that new tire became flat. a bad wheel rim was determined as the cause. *yh | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 11/01/1999 | ||
| Numerous problems with hatch, mechanic says wheel mounting bent,accident or frame defect | |||
| 11/28/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving 25 mph consumer heard a noise and noticed right rear rim had cracked. *ak | |||
| 06/05/1999 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| 2 of 4 wheels on our windstar developed wheel leaks on the weld line joining the tire bead flange to the center hub section of the wheel (original suspicion was tire or valve stem leak, but soaping rim shows air bubbling through weld). first failed wheel replaced by dealer. second wheel replaced by local garage (dealer wanted $50 deductable) and is available for examination. i've never heard of such a defect, but ford dealer mechanic volunteered that they've seen windstar wheels leak. garage replacing second wheel made similar comment. a friend with 1996 windstar had two wheels fail with same problem. dealer rejected claim of accelerated tire wear caused by first failure ($80 replacement cost). second tire has wear on outer edges and will need premature replacement ($80!). as a safety-related defect (loss of tire pressure due to wheel leakage could lead to tire failure and potential loss of vehicle control) ford logically should be responsible for all costs related to correcting this defect. based on the limited sample i've seen (4 of 8 wheels on two vans failed; factory and independent mechanics specifically aware of problem with windstar wheels), logically qualifies it as an epidemic failure (albeit with a low sampling certainty, pending expansion of the sample base). it's likely that ford motor co. has service records to confirm these observations. | |||