Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | ||||||||||||||||
| 11V030000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | V (Vehicle) | 425288 | 02/21/2011 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 01/26/2011 | 01/26/2011 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Ford is recalling certain model year 1999-2003 windstar vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, utah, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. a separation of a front lower control arm rear attaching bracket may result in a lower control arm separation. a separation of both front subframe rear body mounts may result in separation of the steering intermediate shaft. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could result in reduced steering control increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm rear attaching brackets, and both body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe, and make the necessary repairs free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin on or before february 21, 2011. owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Ford's safety recall no. 11s16.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||||
| 17525 | 01/01/2004 | 10007354 | Windshield cowl panel grille (leaf screen) breaking at the grille opening. *tt | 06/14/2004 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 2214 | 10/28/2002 | 10013062 | Roof ditch material cracking. this includes 1997-2003 f-150 and 2002 blackwood models. *eh service tip. *tt | 04/07/2005 | |
| 16423 | 11/01/2002 | 10008350 | Servicing body side molding or cladding / contact request. *mj | 07/28/2004 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||||
| 02184 | 02/09/2004 | 0423 | 10007365 | Power sliding door operation and diagnostic service tips. *tt | 06/16/2004 |
| 15679 | 08/01/2004 | 17971 | 636308 | Sliding door(s) contacting the rear quarter glass. *tt this information updates previous information, dated 03/01/2002. *tt | 11/07/2002 |
| 15464 | 12/01/2001 | 630571 | Concerns with rattle/squeak noise from sliding doors. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS | |||||
| 030104 | 12/01/2002 | 10008151 | Crease in the headliner above the left a-pillar. *tt | 07/22/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | ||||||
| PE04022 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 03/03/2004 | 07/01/2004 | POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENING | ||
| The subject vehicles are equipped with single or dual power sliding doors (psd).approximately 111,000 vehicles have dual power sliding doors.the psd is opened by any of 5 methods, the inside or outside manual door handle, the key fob, the overhead console switch and the b-pillar switch.the door may be opened only under these conditions: ignition key is in off/accessories/on/start position, gear selector in park, vehicle speed less than 6 mph, and door unlocked.the psd latch is located at the rear of the door and has a secondary and primary latch position.full and proper closure engages both the secondary and primary latch.with the ignition in the on position, as the gear selector is moved out of park the door automatically locks and that action mechanically isolates the latch, secondary and primary, from all latch release connections.in addition to the reports alleging door opening while driving, ford has received approximately 5,700 reports that allege the door does not close properly or pops open with no mention of while driving.ford's investigation into these report included owner interviews, vehicle by-backs and testing of consumer vehicles.it found that allegations of door opening while driving were in fact reports of doors not being properly closed initially and subsequently opening to the secondary latch position as a result of vehicle vibrations or driving maneuvers.ford's testing of consumer vehicles did not result in any recurrence of psd opening while being driven.odi interviews with owners affirmed the allegations of psd opening while driving; however owners indicated the event is not a regular occurrence (i.e.,it occurred only once or has not occurred recently) and that the unintended psd opening may not be able to be duplicated.in contrast, the improper closing of the psd (latching on the secondary but not the primary latch) can be duplicated, and odi verified this during an inspection of a consumer vehicle.in this condition (secondary but no primary latch), when the vehicle's gear selector is moved out of park position, a warning chime sounds and warning message appears on the instrument panel.most reports and warranty claims were filed in the early service-life of the vehicle and peaked around the 18-month in-service time period.odi and mfr complaint trends are declining over the last 8 quarters.there is no alleged injury associated with occupant falling out while the vehicle is in motion.no failure mode causing full door opening while vehicle is in motion has been verified (reproduced by odi or by trained service technicians at dealerships) during this investigation.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | ||||||
| PE04022 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 03/03/2004 | 07/01/2004 | POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENING | ||
| The subject vehicles are equipped with single or dual power sliding doors (psd).approximately 111,000 vehicles have dual power sliding doors.the psd is opened by any of 5 methods, the inside or outside manual door handle, the key fob, the overhead console switch and the b-pillar switch.the door may be opened only under these conditions: ignition key is in off/accessories/on/start position, gear selector in park, vehicle speed less than 6 mph, and door unlocked.the psd latch is located at the rear of the door and has a secondary and primary latch position.full and proper closure engages both the secondary and primary latch.with the ignition in the on position, as the gear selector is moved out of park the door automatically locks and that action mechanically isolates the latch, secondary and primary, from all latch release connections.in addition to the reports alleging door opening while driving, ford has received approximately 5,700 reports that allege the door does not close properly or pops open with no mention of while driving.ford's investigation into these report included owner interviews, vehicle by-backs and testing of consumer vehicles.it found that allegations of door opening while driving were in fact reports of doors not being properly closed initially and subsequently opening to the secondary latch position as a result of vehicle vibrations or driving maneuvers.ford's testing of consumer vehicles did not result in any recurrence of psd opening while being driven.odi interviews with owners affirmed the allegations of psd opening while driving; however owners indicated the event is not a regular occurrence (i.e.,it occurred only once or has not occurred recently) and that the unintended psd opening may not be able to be duplicated.in contrast, the improper closing of the psd (latching on the secondary but not the primary latch) can be duplicated, and odi verified this during an inspection of a consumer vehicle.in this condition (secondary but no primary latch), when the vehicle's gear selector is moved out of park position, a warning chime sounds and warning message appears on the instrument panel.most reports and warranty claims were filed in the early service-life of the vehicle and peaked around the 18-month in-service time period.odi and mfr complaint trends are declining over the last 8 quarters.there is no alleged injury associated with occupant falling out while the vehicle is in motion.no failure mode causing full door opening while vehicle is in motion has been verified (reproduced by odi or by trained service technicians at dealerships) during this investigation.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | ||||||
| EA10007 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 12/20/2010 | 03/17/2011 | Front Subframe Corrosion Failures | 11V030000 | |
| In a january 26, 2011 defect information report, ford motor company (ford) notified the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) that it will conduct a safety recall to address corrosion related fractures in the front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe in approximately 425,288 model year (my) 1999 through 2003 ford windstar vehicles manufactured from april 1998 to july 2003 and either sold or currently registered in the following high corrosion (salt-belt) states:connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, utah, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin (nhtsa recall no. 11v-030, ford recall no. 11s16).according to ford, separation of a front lower control arm rear attaching bracket may result in a lower control arm separation and separations of both front subframe rear body mounts may result in separation of the steering intermediate shaft.either condition could result in diminished vehicle directional control, increasing the risk of a crash.dealers will inspect the lower control arm rear attachment flanges and the rear body mount sections of the subframe on the right (passenger) and left (driver) sides of the vehicle.owners of vehicles that pass the inspection will be notified when to return for installation of reinforcement brackets to extend the durability of the front subframe assembly in affected areas in the presence of corrosion.owners of vehicles that do not pass inspection, but can be repaired, will be offered transportation until parts become available.repurchase offers will be extended to owners of vehicles that cannot be repaired with the reinforcement brackets.this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| PE10026 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 07/20/2010 | 12/20/2010 | Front Subframe Corrosion Failures | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has identified 346 complaints to odi and ford alleging fracture, cracking and or excessive corrosion of the front subframes in model year (my) 1999 through 2003 ford windstar vehicles.approximately 97 percent of these complaints (334) involve vehicles that have been operated in salt belt states, which make up approximately 60 percent of the subject vehicle sales in the united states.the front subframe, sometimes referred to as the engine cradle, is a structural component of the windstar vehicles that carries the engine, transaxle, steering rack and certain front suspension components (e.g., lower control arm).for complaints with sufficient information to identify the location of the failure, most describe problems with the rear mounting bracket for the front passenger-side lower control arm with some related to the rear body mount attachment located in the same general area of the subframe (right-rear section near the front passenger wheel).the remainder of the reports allege fracture of the front subframe at other or, most often, unspecified locations.almost all of the complaints that specified the side of the vehicle indicated that the problem occurred on the right/passenger side (106), with only a few indicating the left/driver side (2) or both sides (3) were affected.ford and several complainants attributed the right-side failures to the routing of the air-conditioning lines above the front subframe on that side of the vehicle, further noting that condensation has been observed dripping onto the front subframe in the area of the affected components (the a/c drain tube is also located on the right side, near the front subframe).odi has identified 93 complaints related to lower control arm attachments, including 80 that appear to involve complete separations.all but one of these involved vehicles from salt belt states.all three crash incidents appear to be related to lower control arm separations, including one road departure into a road-side sign resulting in a totalled vehicle and a lane departure into another vehicle.almost half of the odi complaints related to control arm separation occurred at speeds greater than 20 mph and about a quarter occurred at highway speeds.three-quarters of these complaints allege experiencing difficulty controlling the vehicle and about 40 percent appear to have resulted in departures from the intended lane of travel.testing by both ford and nhtsa have demonstrated that lower control arm separation from the rear attachment bracket results in significant toe out of the affected wheel, which affects the driver's ability to control vehicle direction.according to ford, moderate braking improved vehicle controllability by reducing the amount of toe out, possibly explaining incidents that did not allege a loss of control.odi's analysis of complaints related to the rear body mount identified 41 complaints (odi only).these complaints generally report experiencing progressively worsening noise concerns when turning, accelerating or braking.although, some of the complaints that appeared to involve a complete separation of the body mount alleged difficulty steering, the effects on vehicle control from this failure mode do not appear to be as great as those resulting from control arm separation.however, odi is seeking more information regarding two complaints which alleged that body mount failure resulted in disconnection of the steering wheel from the steering rack (one occurred during vehicle service).this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea10-007) for subject vehicles sold or currently registered in salt belt states to further assess the scope, frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect in these vehicles.odi will continue to gather information about vehicles outside the salt belt as well. | ||||||
| EA10007 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 12/20/2010 | Front Subframe Corrosion Failures | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has identified 346 complaints to odi and ford alleging fracture, cracking and or excessive corrosion of the front subframes in model year (my) 1999 through 2003 ford windstar vehicles.approximately 97 percent of these complaints (334) involve vehicles that have been operated in salt belt states, which make up approximately 60 percent of the subject vehicle sales in the united states.the front subframe, sometimes referred to as the engine cradle, is a structural component of the windstar vehicles that carries the engine, transaxle, steering rack and certain front suspension components (e.g., lower control arm).for complaints with sufficient information to identify the location of the failure, most describe problems with the rear mounting bracket for the front passenger-side lower control arm with some related to the rear body mount attachment located in the same general area of the subframe (right-rear section near the front passenger wheel).the remainder of the reports allege fracture of the front subframe at other or, most often, unspecified locations.almost all of the complaints that specified the side of the vehicle indicated that the problem occurred on the right/passenger side (106), with only a few indicating the left/driver side (2) or both sides (3) were affected.ford and several complainants attributed the right-side failures to the routing of the air-conditioning lines above the front subframe on that side of the vehicle, further noting that condensation has been observed dripping onto the front subframe in the area of the affected components (the a/c drain tube is also located on the right side, near the front subframe).odi has identified 93 complaints related to lower control arm attachments, including 80 that appear to involve complete separations.all but one of these involved vehicles from salt belt states.all three crash incidents appear to be related to lower control arm separations, including one road departure into a road-side sign resulting in a totalled vehicle and a lane departure into another vehicle.almost half of the odi complaints related to control arm separation occurred at speeds greater than 20 mph and about a quarter occurred at highway speeds.three-quarters of these complaints allege experiencing difficulty controlling the vehicle and about 40 percent appear to have resulted in departures from the intended lane of travel.testing by both ford and nhtsa have demonstrated that lower control arm separation from the rear attachment bracket results in significant toe out of the affected wheel, which affects the driver's ability to control vehicle direction.according to ford, moderate braking improved vehicle controllability by reducing the amount of toe out, possibly explaining incidents that did not allege a loss of control.odi's analysis of complaints related to the rear body mount identified 41 complaints (odi only).these complaints generally report experiencing progressively worsening noise concerns when turning, accelerating or braking.although, some of the complaints that appeared to involve a complete separation of the body mount alleged difficulty steering, the effects on vehicle control from this failure mode do not appear to be as great as those resulting from control arm separation.however, odi is seeking more information regarding two complaints which alleged that body mount failure resulted in disconnection of the steering wheel from the steering rack (one occurred during vehicle service).this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis for subject vehicles sold or currently registered in salt belt states to further assess the scope, frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect in these vehicles.odi will continue to gather information about vehicles outside the salt belt as well. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 05/25/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated the vehicle was repaired for the recalls associated with nhtsa campaign id numbers 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly) and 11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields). upon receiving the vehicle from the authorized dealer the vehicle would shake violently while driving at various speeds. the contact would also hear rattling and banging noises. the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the contact was informed a bracket on the frame was hanging off and the piping was still corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 12/16/2010 | 167000 | ||
| Ford windstar van, which was already subject to rear axle recall, and the rear axle did break on it in may, and was replaced and i received reimbursement for the replacement from ford. however, another incident happened in december. my 21 year old son was in an accident driving this van on thursday, dec. 16. the van lost traction and pulled to the right, pulling him into a ditch and down a steep embankment. the front of the van was ripped off, tires slashed, van almost flipped over, and the airbags never deployed. he hit a dirt embankment head on going about 30-35 mph. the roads were icy that day, and he was on a curve... the van would not respond to steering to correct the direction the van was going. i experienced something similar last winter; the van seemed to pull to the right, going off the road without allowing the driver to control the vehicle. however, when i went off the road, it was in a shallow ditch and it caused no damage to the van. my son was not as fortunate, and he could have been severely injured. i feel that this may have something to do with the current investigation into the front suspension... the van could not be controlled, and pulled to the right. our insurance co. is taking care of this, and i don't know the current location of the van. it is totaled, i know that. i asked state farm to check out the front suspension for weakness or rust, but don't know if they'll know what to look for, especially since the front is so damaged from the wreck that the tires are turned sideways, and i believe the front axle is broken. please send someone to look at my van, and see what caused this wreck; my son could have been killed. thank you for the work you've done so far.... your organization is so valuable to consumers. | |||
| 08/21/2010 | 120000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar rear axial assembly/ axial beam. van has 120,000 mileage. rear axial beam sheared in half during highway travel, catastrophic failure caused van to almost roll over and skid out of control, since back tires, no longer connected, were flopping and wobbling. skidded over 200 feet. no injuries luckily. upon view of axial assemble it was rusted from the inside. insurance did not cover this mechanical failure. $600 dollars to repair with used part. pittsburgh pa. | |||
| 08/17/2010 | 72588 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while backing out of the driveway he heard a loud bang and the entire rear axle broke. she stated that both rear wheels went inward when the failure occured. the vehicle will be towed to the dealer. the contact was unable to provide a vin. the failure and current mileage was 72,588. vwb | |||
| 08/11/2010 | 144000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar broken rear axle 144,000 miles no accident ford dealership to repair 1,200.00 quoted | |||
| 06/18/2010 | 91000 | ||
| I was entering the highway as i started to accel i heard a loud thump. immediately my car began swurving and almost tipped over, it felt as though the rear tires fell off. there was a large amount of smoke and sparks coming from the rear of the car and i struggled to stay in control of the vehicle. utlimately the rear axle broke in half without warning and out of no where. i did not hit anything and was driving safely. luckily there was a break in traffic or i have no doubt i would have hit other cars on the road. the car came extremely close to flipping, it tipped at one point and would have flipped on the passagener side if not for my quick reaction. the vechile was towed and my mechanic immediately told me axles do not break like this and he advised me to call ford to see if there was a manufacters problem with the axle. i called my local dealer and was advised that ford have experienced no problems like mine and my car is out of warrenty so there is nothing they could do. only after i came home and searched the web did i realize there are thousands and thousands of other windstar owners who experienced the same kind of breakage and i believe a more aggresive ingestigation needs to take place. the axle needs to be repaired and if this is a manufacturers defect it need to be fixed before someone is killed | |||
| 05/08/2010 | 76200 | ||
| Rear axle failure; ford windstar 2002. | |||
| 05/07/2010 | 113000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar. picked my daughter up at college to come home for the summer. college 4 hours from home. missed a turn to get on highway. turned around in a gas station and thought i had a flat tire as the steering felt funny. stopped, got out to look, here the rear axle had broken about 12 inches in from the wheel on the drivers side. called aaa, got towed, tow driver tells me he has picked up at least 6 windstars in last year with same problem and all in the exact place where it has broke. i just thank god i wasnt back on i 80 going 65 when it happened. someone is going to get killed by this. i was lucky. plus had to miss work, buy a used axle, stay in a hotel, etc..... ford should stand behind their product and reimburse these expenses. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | |||
| The passenger door does not close all the way vechile was not in a accident had placed in shop numerous times but to know avail. there was a recall on the 1999 windstar for body but not on the 2002. could this also apply to my other vechile since i do not feel secure driving my children in this vechile. the shop said as long as the door locks i have nothing to worry about. please call or email me at 410-595-5452 or holden_monica@yahoo.com. | |||
| 07/16/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| I was traveling at approximately 30 mph, heard an unusual noise, felt like i hit a bump, momentarily lost control of vehicle, traveled approximately 50 more feet to side of road with all kinds of intermittent bumping, screeching and unusual sounds. i got out and saw my driver's side rear tire folded into the wheel-well. i saw the same thing on the other side. had to have a flatbed take it to a garage. rear axle had broken in two and will be replaced. there is some other possible damage to equipment near rear axle that has yet to be determined. *tr | |||
| 01/29/2009 | 92300 | 1 | |
| While driving at a low speed (35 mph), suddenly and without warning or apparent reason, the rear axle snapped on my 2002 ford windstar minivan, locking the rear wheels and causing me to lose control of the vehicle. the axle, (ford calls it a housing looked as if it had simple snapped in half. - at the dealership, i learned that a similar incident had been reported a month earlier. - my concern is that this may occur repeatedly and to others traveling at highway speed. the windstar minivan is the vehicle of choice for people with young children. this failure caused both rear tires to fail to move, and in my opinion is a catastrophic failure of a critical component of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 1 | |||
| When 18 wheeler(s),tractor trailer(s), and or trailer(s) passed the vehicle, it shaked violently, as if a tire was blown. the dealer said the problem was due to an engineering flaw. mr scc *jb | |||
| 10/12/2002 | 2700 | 1 | 09/14/2002 |
| The vehicle was shaky and unstable to ride and or steer under heavy eighteen wheeler traffic, when they passed the consumer's vehicle (aerodynamics or design problem) *nlm *scc *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 10/06/2010 | 74042 | 1 | |
| Attempted to change lanes, motorist from behind sped up, applied brakes, abs lights flashed on dash, car did not slow, pressed brakes harder and rear brakes locked up, causing me to side swipe guard rail. *tr abs lights and brake lights have remained on for over 2 years. have spend thousands of dollars attempting to repair this problem, to no avail. brakes are intermittent at best. abs and brake lights are still on. | |||
| 10/06/2010 | 74042 | ||
| Attempted to change lanes, motorist from behind sped up, applied brakes, abs lights flashed on dash, car did not slow, pressed brakes harder and rear brakes locked up, causing me to side swipe guard rail. abs lights and brake lights have remained on for over 2 years. have spend thousands of dollars attempting to repair this problem, to no avail. brakes are intermittent at best. abs and brake lights are still on. | |||
| 06/19/2011 | 88000 | 1 | |
| Abs brake lights on, after research, its a common problem with faulty abs modules. subframe is rotting out with the mounting points of the subframe peeling away. o/d light coming on intermittently, after research, common problem points back to a bad vehicle speed sensor. mileage does not seem to be a factor. faulty hard lines for rear heating. multiple cracks in lines cause radiator fluid loss. very very common problem, looked at 10-15 windstars in pull-a-parts lot, all with faulty hard lines. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2011 | 88000 | ||
| Abs brake lights on, after research, its a common problem with faulty abs modules. subframe is rotting out with the mounting points of the subframe peeling away. o/d light coming on intermittently, after research, common problem points back to a bad vehicle speed sensor. mileage does not seem to be a factor. faulty hard lines for rear heating. multiple cracks in lines cause radiator fluid loss. very very common problem, looked at 10-15 windstars in pull-a-parts lot, all with faulty hard lines. | |||
| 05/09/2012 | |||
| Right rear wheel well body panel rotted a hole that extends into the sliding door roller area and interior to the seals of the vehicle. while this has not caused an accident, i am concerned about the integrity of the sliding door and protrusion into the passenger cabin. | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 119500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at speeds of 30 mph, she heard an unusual banging noise. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she was advised that the main beam had fractured. the mechanic performed the necessary repairs by welding the beam securely to the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on her vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 119,500. | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 152934 | 1 | |
| When driving my 2002 ford windstar mini van on the highway we noticed a loud slamming noise from the rear causing the vehicle to lose control, swerving to the right shoulder and stalling with the tail end still in the middle of the two lane highway, as the tractor trailer behind us who was very alert nearly missed a rear end collision with our vehicle. upon inspection of the underside of the vehicle we noticed the rear axle beam was split in two, rusted and rotted out and hanging to the ground, a tow truck was notified and the operator stared in disbelief that the axle had broken in half. this obvious defect could have cost us our lives. this defect needs to be addressed immediately before a some lives are lost as a result of the ford windstar rear axle beam breaking while occupants and passengers are riding in this vehicle. this incident was reported to the ford customer service assistance center and they took the information about the vehicle and the nature of the complaint advising me to speak to a ford service manger and for the defective vehicles broken axle to be inspected by a ford dealer.fords customer assistance rep advised me not to return a call to them because they have the incident on file and the ford service manager would follow up on the complaint. upon speaking to the ford service manager he asked a bout the type of problem year and model of the vehicle. being a 2002 windstar with 153,000 miles he stated that because of the mileage and the age of the vehicle ford would not assist me in getting this situation resolved. he also stated that the cost to repair this problem would be 5 hours labor charge @ $100.00 per hour and the cost of the axle beam would be $500.00 plus what ever other damages incurred. as these would be my out of pocket costs plus a $275.00 tow charge. needless to say how costly this event became as well as the possible worst case scenario a fatal accident could have occurred as a result of this defect. this must be addressed. *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 2 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar. consumer states that when the vehicle went in for inspection for a recall the consumer was informed that the axle was cracked. *kb the consumer was informed it would be 3-4 months before the vehicle is returned to him. prior to the axle failure, the transmission had to be replaced and the rear door would spontaneously open. *jb | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 1 | ||
| The rear door on the drivers side for more that a week now opens on it's own while i am driving along the highway. for more than two years the door have been a problem due to the fact that either of them will close on the first attempt when the automatic button to close them is used. 3 times in 2 weeks, car has stalled while driving at 25 miles per hour. *tr | |||
| 01/23/2007 | 49000 | 8 | 05/27/2002 |
| Rear sliding passenger doors fail to close when using auto close feature. the vehicle has been taken to the dealership and each time the doors are serviced. shortly after being serviced the door stop latching closed again. the door slide harder on the vehicle equipped with the auto close feature so some operators will use the auto feature and then latch the door by manually pushing on it. miscommunication has lead to driving with the door not latched. when driving with door unlatched the power locks, and interior lights may cycle on and off causing a distraction to the driver and increase risk of accident. *nm | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 2 | 02/27/2003 | |
| Dt: the door ajar light is on, checked all doors trying to open without touching the handles, and have cleaned the connections. also, checked them to make sure there was no debris, and light was still on. had an issue last year, cleaned it, and it went off, but now it was on. *ak. | |||
| 01/16/2005 | 6 | 05/06/2002 | |
| Power sliding doors open while driving down the road. power doors do not release when person is in the way. power doors do not close and operate to specifications. vechicle has been serviced by extreme ford in overland park, ks numerous times. there continues to be issues surrounding this problem. power doors have also chipped rear glass ford has replaced glass once already. **ak | |||
| 11/27/2004 | 27503 | 1 | 08/12/2002 |
| 1) we were driving home from tulas,ok after the thanksgiving day holiday on saturday afternoon. pulled into our driveway. opened the power doors.) the right side power door trapped my daughters right leg when it was opening and did not sense there was resistance. the door broke her femur. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2002 | 17500 | 6 | 03/15/2002 |
| While driving at any speed, intermittently the back right sliding door comes ajar. the problem has occurred on three occasions. the dealer has no idea what causes the problem. currently, the consumer has a problem with the back/left side door closing securely. *ak the door had been leaking since the vehicle was purchased. the door had a significant difference in space between the front door in comparison to the driver door. also the cruise control was inoperative. *sc *jb | |||
| 07/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| While traveling on the highway and without prior warning side doors will open and close intermittently. *ak | |||
| 02/18/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| The power sliding doors do not reverse direction when they encounter resistance. my 2 year old son placed his hand in the opening and it was almost crushed. if i hadn't been standing directly behind him and could pull extremely hard to get the door to reverse directions i feel he probably would have suffered severe injury to his hand. dt | |||
| 07/29/2002 | 1 | 06/28/2002 | |
| Sliding door sensor doesn't respond quickly enough when objects are in the way to avoid closing. consumer's arm was bruised due to getting caught as door was closing. dealer was notified. *akconsumer is concerned for the safety of her grandchildren. the dealer did not seemed interested in the problem consumer presented to him, stating that is the way they are supposed to be. *jg | |||
| 07/10/2002 | 1 | 06/21/2002 | |
| Both power sliding doors will not retract while being closed if an object is in the doorway. consumer is concerned young child might get caught in the door.*akconsumer also stated that the manufacturer felt that there was not a way to adjust the sensitivity of the doors. consumer said that he physically had a chance to test a chrysler mini vans slide door sensitivity and it retracted much easier. *scc | |||
| 02/10/2002 | 1 | 11/29/2001 | |
| Back doors will not open sometimes, and will not close sometimes.*ak consumer was informed to call dealership periodically, because the manufacturer was working on a solution, however it has been 8 months and there is still no remedy. *jb | |||
| 03/25/2002 | 100 | 03/01/2002 | |
| Power sliding doors have sensors to retract upon sensiing object, doors due not retract timely, pressure is felt on a adult arm,wrist, child, infant could be crushed. tested various other ford windstars and all sliding doors had different sensing, some were weak and some were tight, not two the same. if a adult cannot push the door or stop the forward motion, then a child would not stand a chance.*ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Driver side sliding door does not open and close all the time. this has been reported three times to the repair shop and all repair attempts have failed to date.*ak over the 18 month period we have owned the vehicle, we have had the drivers power seat repaired, multiple electrical shorts fixed, vcp system repaired twice, as well as several other more minor electrical issues fixed. the quality of this 2002 ford windstar limited has been very poor. | |||
| 04/05/2002 | 200 | 04/03/2002 | |
| Sliding doors can result in serious injury | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact received notification of recall number:11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs; however, the entire mount was rusted and the recall did not correct the failure. the dealer advised him that they were only responsible for what was indicated in the recall and offered no further assistance. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileages were 130,000. bw | |||
| 05/25/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar with 120000 miles. the contact took the vehicle in for recall 11v030000 structure: frame and members:underbody shields. the repair was completed. when the contact had the recall repair reinspected by the dealer she was informed that the rust that was still present in time could make the engine fall out of the vehicle. the dealer sprayed the vehicle with an anitrust agent but that did not work. the contact stated that the recall repair was inadequate and needed to changed. bl | |||
| 05/25/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar with 120000 miles. the contact took the vehicle in for recall 11v030000 structure: frame and members:underbody shields. the repair was completed. when the contact had the recall repair reinspected by the dealer she was informed that the rust that was still present in time could make the engine fall out of the vehicle. the contact stated that the recall repair was inadequate and needed to changed. bl | |||
| 04/28/2011 | 125320 | ||
| Backing out of the driveway there was a horrible sound, like the brakes sticking. employee got out & the tire was cut completely around. the estimate is $900 to replace the springs & struts on both sides. i feel this is directly linked to the investigation & findings of the salt belt corrosion issues, but there is no recall for the specific components effected on the vehicle. | |||
| 07/11/2010 | 89000 | ||
| West her ford of amherst advised us to replace the front sub frame on our 2002 windstar because it was cracked due to road salt. although it passed nysi, they told us it wasn't safe to drive, so we spent $1600 to replace it (rather than replace the vehicle). now, they've recalled the rear axle from the same model and year vehicle for the same problem (cracked due to road salt). | |||
| 12/04/2010 | 171097 | ||
| While driving our van first seemed to be pulling in the back to the right (rear passenger side. my husband inspected the tire and thought maybe we need to get new tires soon. it seemed to be somewhat drivable when we were on the dry pavement, but we have alot of snow covered roads as well and on these the vehicle was almost completely unmanagable. it was constantly fishtailing the whole way down our snow covered rural road. when we finally got home, my husband pulled it into the garage. right away he noticed the rear passenger side wheel was turned inward, which had not been visible a few hours earlier when he had inspected it. when he looked underneath, sure enough the back axel was broken about 1/4 of the way from the right wheel. i am grateful we made it home saftely. three times on our way home our van was fishtailing and another vehicle was coming from the opposite direction and we nearly had an accident. very scary! i couldn't drive over 45 mph on the pavement, or 20 mph on the snow covered, slush covered roads. the van felt like it was sliding all over from the back. | |||
| 10/31/2010 | 130000 | ||
| The rear axle of my 2002 ford winstar broke yesterday. i was traveling about 15 mph when i hear a not too loud bang and when i exited my car and saw the wheel, i knew right away what had happened. i contacted ford this morning and i was told that it would take minimum 3-6 months to fix. | |||
| 10/14/2010 | 66000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar front sub-frame corrosion extensive corrosion to sub frame mechanic insists the automobile is not safe to drive in current condition | |||
| 09/25/2010 | 114356 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar 114,356 miles driver side rear axle has a hole rusted in bottom of the u shaped axle | |||
| 06/17/2010 | 118000 | ||
| 1.my wife was traveling east bound on rt59 in stow, oh at 36 mi/hr. there had been a knocking noise coming from what we thought was the rear driver's side tire the week prior. we had a mechanic work on the breaks and fluids and aekd to investigate the sound. the machanic was unable detect anything wrong with the vehicle. so we continued to drive the vehicle. 2. the 2002 ford windstar's rear axle broke in half causing my wife to lose tempary control of the vehicle. she was able to regain control and pull over, avoiding serious injury. 3.we had the entire rear axle replaced at a cost of $1200. | |||
| 06/13/2010 | 104000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar rear axle is cracked on both sides. vehicle has 104,000 miles. well maintained and never abused. i was shocked and in awe when i noticed this today while i was rotating the tires. i went on the internet and found this was a common problem and under investigation. i am a safety professional and a member of the american society of safety engineers (asse). my two children ride in this vehicle every day. some of these vans are used at daycare denters and small bus companies. this is a serious defect. i have read comments about people down-playing this, and feeling this is a waste of time. this investigation is completely justified and rational. owr van is in great shape and showing no other signs of major rust or defects. if this had failed on the highway, the results could have been deadly. these are family vehicles designed specifically for transporting a bunch of kids. i drove two 5 year olds to a birthday party 40 miles on the highway yesterday with no knowlwdge of the problem. feel free to contact me. i can provide pictures. thank you | |||
| 05/10/2010 | 118000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar with 118,000 miles. rear axle cracked. had to replace axle for 1000. my family could have been killed. i have seen many complaints about this. do something. | |||
| 02/18/2010 | 96990 | ||
| Went over a small pot hole and rear axle broke. needed to replace rear axle. axle also needed to be repaired for crack in 2009 | |||
| 05/28/2010 | 203000 | ||
| Backing up when rear axle broke on vehicle. | |||
| 05/23/2010 | 137807 | ||
| While driving our 2002 ford windstar at approximately 40 mph on route 22 in union, nj, the rear axle broke in two. the vehicle started exhibiting some control problems with the rear end swaying prior to a loud bang followed by the vehicle dragging to a stop. the rear tires rubbed against the inside wheel wells producing odor and smoke at the vehicle came to a stop | |||
| 05/18/2010 | 112000 | ||
| 2002 ford windstar; the rear axle broke in two while driving at 40 mph. both tires tilted out, axle cracked a little to the left of center while looking at it from the rear of the vehicle. fortunately my wife was able to control the van. i understand this has happened in hundreds of windstars, and something needs to be done before people die, if they have not already. | |||
| 10/10/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 ford windstar sel. in october of 2009 my van started pulling to the left and became hard to control on the road. when i looked at my van from the back i could see my back tires were bowed outward. i took my van to the auto shop and was told the back axle was cracked and ready to bust. i have read about this same thing happening to other consumers with 2002 windstars and i think it's a major safety issue and a recall should be issued. i had a large repair bill and my brand new back tires were completely destroyed and had to be replaced due to the bowing of the tires as a result of the busted axle. *tr | |||
| 03/15/2010 | 52000 | ||
| Yesterday, march 15, 2010, i was driving back to work after lunch and noticed an unusual rubbing and rattling sound at the rear of my 2002 ford windstar van. i pulled into a parking lot to look at the tires (i thought one might be defective) - i didn't notice anything unusual. i continued on to work (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile away and parked my vehicle. i got down and looked under the rear of the vehicle and saw that the rear axle had broken completely in half and the right rear tire was leaning into the fender well. it was obvious that i would not be able to drive the car so i called a tow truck to have the vehicle removed to a repair center. the result was that i had the part welded back together but the tires are still cocked out at an unusual angle which i am pretty sure will cause the tires to wear in an unsafe way. not only that but the rear end of the van sits at an odd angle now. i just purchased the car in october 2009 and it only has 52k miles on it. i went online and checked to see if there have been any complaints regarding this problem and found that there have been numerous complaints about this model vehicle with the very same problem. i was surprised that were so many. i sent an inquiry to ford motor corp and am awaiting a response in regards to repair or replacement parts support. | |||
| 12/25/2009 | 81000 | 1 | |
| Our 2002 ford windstar se on chrstmas night on our way home from in-laws the rear axle snapped in half, after searching online i found that this happened to 2 other people and feel this is a life threatening problem and ford should make a recall on issue. being this happened on a holiday we have to wait till monday morning when our mechanic opens shop to find out what we are going to do. also our insurance company was notified and is sending someone on tuesday to appraise the damage. here is the link to those people this happened to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sunu9d7ejmu this one even made the news. thank you for taking your time to review this issue. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. during an oil change a mechanic discovered frame corrosion. the vehicle has not been driven because the engine can fall out without any prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 152934 | 1 | |
| When driving my 2002 ford windstar mini van on the highway we noticed a loud slamming noise from the rear causing the vehicle to lose control, swerving to the right shoulder and stalling with the tail end still in the middle of the two lane highway, as the tractor trailer behind us who was very alert nearly missed a rear end collision with our vehicle. upon inspection of the underside of the vehicle we noticed the rear axle beam was split in two, rusted and rotted out and hanging to the ground, a tow truck was notified and the operator stared in disbelief that the axle had broken in half. this obvious defect could have cost us our lives. this defect needs to be addressed immediately before a some lives are lost as a result of the ford windstar rear axle beam breaking while occupants and passengers are riding in this vehicle. this incident was reported to the ford customer service assistance center and they took the information about the vehicle and the nature of the complaint advising me to speak to a ford service manger and for the defective vehicles broken axle to be inspected by a ford dealer.fords customer assistance rep advised me not to return a call to them because they have the incident on file and the ford service manager would follow up on the complaint. upon speaking to the ford service manager he asked a bout the type of problem year and model of the vehicle. being a 2002 windstar with 153,000 miles he stated that because of the mileage and the age of the vehicle ford would not assist me in getting this situation resolved. he also stated that the cost to repair this problem would be 5 hours labor charge @ $100.00 per hour and the cost of the axle beam would be $500.00 plus what ever other damages incurred. as these would be my out of pocket costs plus a $275.00 tow charge. needless to say how costly this event became as well as the possible worst case scenario a fatal accident could have occurred as a result of this defect. this must be addressed. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| I was traveling at approximately 30 mph, heard an unusual noise, felt like i hit a bump, momentarily lost control of vehicle, traveled approximately 50 more feet to side of road with all kinds of intermittent bumping, screeching and unusual sounds. i got out and saw my driver's side rear tire folded into the wheel-well. i saw the same thing on the other side. had to have a flatbed take it to a garage. rear axle had broken in two and will be replaced. there is some other possible damage to equipment near rear axle that has yet to be determined. *tr | |||
| 05/14/2009 | 125000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 ford windstar has a cracked rear axle! my fiance noticed it fishtailing alot and a noise from the rear of the van. i checked right away and saw the tire leaning in on the passenger side. upon looking underneath i saw the axle cracked almost completely in two! searched the internet and got hundreds of hits on windstars with the same problem!! *tr | |||
| 01/29/2009 | 92300 | 1 | |
| While driving at a low speed (35 mph), suddenly and without warning or apparent reason, the rear axle snapped on my 2002 ford windstar minivan, locking the rear wheels and causing me to lose control of the vehicle. the axle, (ford calls it a housing looked as if it had simple snapped in half. - at the dealership, i learned that a similar incident had been reported a month earlier. - my concern is that this may occur repeatedly and to others traveling at highway speed. the windstar minivan is the vehicle of choice for people with young children. this failure caused both rear tires to fail to move, and in my opinion is a catastrophic failure of a critical component of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 06/30/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Clunking noise heard in right rear of 2002 ford windstar. inspection by owner found crack in rear axle beam. ford dealer replaced axle beam stating it was cracked due to improper jacking. they pointed out two dimples in the underside of the axle beam as evidence of the improper jacking, and stated that the crack started there. after the rear axle beam was replaced, i investigated the underside of the new beam, and found the identical dimples were present on the new beam. these dimples are, i believe, caused by the forming of the beam by the manufacturer and not due to improper jacking. i believe that the rear axle beam of my ford windstar cracked because of an inherent defect caused during the forming process. *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 11/23/2012 | 97000 | 1 | |
| Brought in van for recalls 09s09, 10s13 and 11s16. this was for the subframe issues and speed control switch. speed control switch was supposed to address leaking brake fluid. brake fluid still leaking and now dealership is charging me for brake switch repair and bleeding of brakes. also abs light came on after service and now dealership says abs sensor needs to be replaced. i believe these are all related to original recall but dealership says no. *tr | |||
| 04/14/2012 | 105000 | 1 | |
| To whom it may concern, i am seriously concerned about this vehicle and the way i am treated by ford motors. the car suddenly while driving on highway came to a complete stop and almost flipped. thank god that injuries were not that serious but the car is now total loss. after taking the car to private mechanics, it was determined that subframe broke and the axles, control arms all broke. it was then discovered that this was part of a recall. car was towed to ford motors dealership. a request has been made to provide me with safety report on the vehicle. ford and its dealership forced me out of their dealership and kicked me out. the car is their for months and i have been sending ford online messages via email and phone but they are not willing to buy the car or give me its value nor fix the car. i have been without a car for more than 4 months now and ford is not doing the least to even trade the car for another one. i am seriously disappointed. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 162210 | 1 | 07/15/2008 |
| 2002 ford windstar. consumer writes in regards to numerous recalls for vehicle, the last involving the subframe snapping and separating from the body causing loss of control *tgw the consumer also stated the rear axle snapped in half. | |||
| 02/08/2011 | 84526 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was inspected under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields) and the contact was advised that there was no sign of corrosion of the sub frame and members however, the engine motor mount was found to be severely corroded and cracked. the dealer was unable to guarantee that the recall repair would be effective to the failure. the manufacturer was then contacted and advised that because the recall did not include the engine mount, they would not assist. the failure mileage was 84,526 and the current mileage was 86,000. | |||
| 01/30/2003 | 16000 | 2 | 12/13/2001 |
| In the front of the car under my feet as i drive, every once in a while i hear a loud metal noise and i can feel the vibration. it's hard to explain the noise but it sounds most like a low sounding pop. it generally happens when i'm turning or going over a bump. i have been told by the dealer that the bolts on the sub frame were loose and had to be tourist. they have had to do this twice now and my car currently has 35,000 miles on it. i first noticed the noise in january of 2003 and my car probably had about 16,000 miles on it then. *cb | |||