Problems with 1999 Ford Windstar STEERING

I had the rear axle replaced by the recall, and which i paid $300 for the work. the axle now does not align properly and i have been told that shims are required. without them the rear axle eats my tires. ford has a policy to my understanding that new parts installed by ford have a lifetime warranty. i believe that ford should fix or pay for this work so as to make my van safe, why should i have to repair an axle that was just replaced less then 10000 miles ago.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving 60 mph, there was an abnormal popping noise and the power steering failed without warning. the vehicle was towed to sunset ford (11700 gravois rd, saint louis, mo 63127) where it was diagnosed that the power steering needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was advised by the dealer that they would not repair the vehicle due to threats made by the contact and to have the vehicle towed from the premises. the manufacturer was notified of the issue and advised the contact to take the vehicle to another dealer. the failure mileage was 160,000.

This vehicle was serviced at 102,654 miles, in march-april of 2011 by koons ford of maryland, (invoice#w70829, dated may 5, 2011) in response to ford recall, related to "broken front subframe" and "collapsing rear axle".--front subframe was, at that time, broken on the right side, due to rusting. replacement was not done, instead it was patched via a bolted together "clamshell" reinforcing device. it now has become apparent that after using the vehicle after this initial frame separation, the metal of the left side was unduly stressed, and has now broken at its weldment point, resulting in an unsafe vehicle, that swerves to the left, if brakes are applied while in motion on the street or other roadway. wheels are no longer kept in alignment, with left front wheel free to move to the front or rear, in response to applied stress! this subframe failure affected many such vehicles, and it has become evident that inspection and repair was inadequate, resulting in a new, unsafe condition! (subframe should have been replaced, due to stress!)-photos are attached, showing displaced frame, and separated weld joint.

Too make a long story short.i had about three recall on my ford windstar and now my whole van shut down on me.my computer i guess got it on auto theft lock and i can't even turn over now.it's just sitting in my parking lot just helpless.i have another recall but i cant take it to the ford dealership because i cant turn over.oh yea.it kept cutting off while im driving,don't let me stop at a light it will cut off on me there alot.it does that alot.i bought it from a car lot but he doesn't want to do anything about it.so i lost out of my money.when i turn it also cut off.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). while driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. the contact was able to coast to the side of the road. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the subframe fractured and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 225,000...updated 05/21/15 *bf the consumer stated that the recall was incorrectly performed. he signed over the title. updated 11/19/15 *js

I have 3 problems with my 1999 ford windstar which currently has 60,000 miles. one of them is the glass in front when i'm driving in the rain i have to turn on the wipers the driver's side in the middle part of the wiper stays wet while the passenger side cleans very well. the other problem i've always had is the powersteering when i'm driving, i'm going to turn to the side and the car turns off the guide gets hard and i can't straighten it to turn it on again. the last problem is the transmission, one day the family went all together in the car and shortly after we realized that it was overheating we parked in the grass we turned off the car and the part of the engine caught fire after the accident we realized that the transmission liquefied oil. i had the transmission repaired and began to give some tiresome every time i changed gears. the car is currently parked with the damaged transmission. i understand there is a recall for this transmission

I have 3 problems with my 1999 ford windstar which currently has 60,000 miles. one of them is the glass in front when i'm driving in the rain i have to turn on the wipers the driver's side in the middle part of the wiper stays wet while the passenger side cleans very well. the other problem i've always had is the powersteering when i'm driving, i'm going to turn to the side and the car turns off the guide gets hard and i can't straighten it to turn it on again. the last problem is the transmission, one day the family went all together in the car and shortly after we realized that it was overheating we parked in the grass we turned off the car and the part of the engine caught fire after the accident we realized that the transmission liquefied oil. i had the transmission repaired and began to give some tiresome every time i changed gears. the car is currently parked with the damaged transmission. i understand there is a recall for the transmission

Was driving around 40 mph, realized the van had a weird odd steering problem swerving to left and then to the right. i made it home then looked towards the back rear axle i seen a real large crack in the rear axle. the van back side was sitting really low like the axle was about to completely crack. im not risking driving being a safety hazard. i seen there was a recall for it but ford says its not valid. i found many other people having the same issue similar to mine. would like this issue resolved, i shouldn't have to repair a issue that is fords problem with salt on roads during the winter corrodes the metal of the rear axle for it to crack was the recall i found. *tr

The 1999 ford windstars front lower control arm and sub frame (chassis) major corrosion-related fractures. failure resulted in the loss of steering. in its report to the n.h.t.s.a. ford said it did not conclude that the low rate of reported incidents involving the control arm indicated a greater safety problem, but the recall would be undertaken anyway to confirm our commitment to safety and to address any potential vehicle owner concerns. *tr

Driving along when right front started to veer right and wobble. these models are not safe. ford is aware of this yet, will not honor a recall which affects these models. although there is a corrosion sub frame break on 1999 ford windstar's and that is exactly what happened( mechanic will testify) to mine, they keep making excuses and will not honor the expenses for their faulty design. my vehicle is a 99 ford windstar in very good shape, new tires battery,etc. it is now sitting in my driveway because of a frame broken thru by corrosion. the front right almost put me into the ditch on the way home. this is a design flaw which was is or should be covered by recall. ford previously recalled the same models 99-2003 for this exact problem. i have contacted my ford dealer (rapids ford, wis rapids), they said the recall no longer applies. how can this be? this is a very unsafe situation. *tr

The engine carriage is rusted out, and the rear axle is cracked due to rust. the main arm of the ball joint is completely pulled away from the frame because of the rust. i contacted baab ford in reed city michigan, because i was told by the mechanic i took it to originally that this was a recalled product. baab ford told me yes it is a recall issue, but no they wont fix my vehicle because the vin doesn't come up as one of the vehicles effected by the recall. i contacted ford motor company as they had advised me, ford motor company told me, my vehicle isn't on the recall list, regardless of the fact that it has both of the problems that 1998 - 2003 ford windstar was recalled for. the vehicle speeds up whenever it hits a bump and also pulls towards the center line especially on slippery roads or where loss of traction occurs. it also wears out tires every 2 weeks. *tr

Lived in the salt belt state of il. when i was driving, front subframe falling off and some components were touching the ground due to severe front subframe rusted out. i lost steering control and gear control on a multiple lane road. ford has never sent any notice to me regarding any recall. this is a known issue via nhtsa action number: pe10026 and i would like ford to repair the rusted subframe and all other broken components directly caused by subfram falling off. ford refused to provide any car rental by saying ?this is an old recall and we do not give car rental now?. *tr

Lived in the salt belt state of pa. frame rusted out and i lost steering control and almost had an accident.this is a known issue via nhtsa action number: pe10026 and i would like ford to recall and fix this at thier cost. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward violently. the failure would occur sporadically and at any given speed. the vehicle would sway abnormally when being driven and the steering wheel would often seize without warning. additionally, the contact experienced the vehicle lunging forward and violently jerking when in drive or reverse on multiple occasions. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure) however, the failure persisted. the manufacturer advised the contact that the timeframe had expired for the contact to have additional repairs performed that had not been scheduled within the required timeframe for the recall repairs. the vehicle was to be inspected, diagnosed and repaired. the approximate failure mileage was not available. updated 8/14/14*cn updated 8/22/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle and steering wheel began to wobble excessively. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 119,101.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph when the vehicle began pulling to the right abnormally. the contact then received notification of a manufacturers steering recall and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the vehicle was not repairable. the dealer offered to buy back the vehicle but later advised that the vehicle was able to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 105,000 and the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 03/31/11*lj the consumer also stated the rear axle cracked. for offered to buy the vehicle back. updated 07/01/11

Noticed vehicle unstable while driving. diving left or right during acceleration and braking. upon investigation found complete rust-through separation of sub-frame at rear body mount on passengers side. right control arm mount on sub-frame is also badly rusted. entire subframe is able to move front and back on the passengers side resulting in erratic vehicle movement while driving. fortunately we caught it before something really bad happened, but this is definitely a safety defect, and could have had disastrous results.

1999 ford windstar lx. engine cradle failure at mount point passenger rear. reference nhtsa # pe10026. i am in the same situation. the passenger rear engine cradle mount has failed causing steering problems and loss of control. the passenger tie rod and control arm are now bent. at this point the vehicle is not safe, but i am forced to drive it. the vehicle is pulling severely to the left. this condition is worse on acceleration due to the bent steering components. the failure occurred while driving @ 50 mph causing difficulty steering. *tr

I bought a 1999 ford windstar lx it had 130000 miles on it when i bought it it was making a weird noise when i would turn so i had the power steering pump replaced but it continued to make the noise then a couple months later it became very hard to steer almost impossible to turn and still making the noise so i am now being told its the rack and pinion and also being told by a few different mechanics that they have seen this problem before its very unsafe because its all of a sudden you cant turn the wheel as im investigating further about this problem there is other similar complaints something has to be done now im going to try to replace it but am looking at purchasing a used one and am concerned that it will have the same problem and i might not be able to turn causing a major accident so to me this is a major safety issue that should be addressed to ford. *ln

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact stated that the entire front suspension and steering mechanism malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. the failure mileage was 216,000.

Took my van into midas for an oil change, the mechanic called me out and showed me the k frame is rotted and hanging off the vehicle on passenger side of vehicle. this is also caused additional front end damage. mechanic told us do not drive this vehicle. it has been sitting in the front of our house since. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving 50 mph the vehicle lost power steering. the contact has not had the power steering diagnosed. the failure mileage was 177,000.

Ford windstar cracked axle in california. had ford replace the axle----this was not under a recall notice 6 months ago. as it was announced today, we are amazed that california would not be considered a cold weather state (poor designation, given that cars move). we frequented lake tahoe (calif), sierra nevadas (calif), and nevada (have to cross thru snow to get there) in our family's minivan. our repair is already paid for & van sold (this scared us) so my memo is not for my family, but for everyone in the state of california. please reconsider & add ca to your recall. *tr

My abs light started to flash and is now on constant,my brakes work but not the greatest. my air bag light will start to flash and then come on constant once the vehicle is shut off and restarted the light usually stays off but will do this at random. i have had on several occasions where i hear a popping noise in the front end while making turns. we have replaced most of the front end and still have the issue. i also have a problem with it idling real fast then down to nothing it bucks and sputters when plugged into a computer it says the vehicle runs lean so we replaced the o2 sensors and things and it did not help. i do not feel safe driving my vehicle at all most of the time however i need to get to and from work and the scary part is i have to haul my children and the elderly person i care for around it . very disappointed ford[xx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The front sub frame dropped down due to rust at the rear attaching points. this caused a loss of steering. the vehicle is a 1999 ford windstar van. i called ford motor company & they said there was nothing they could do, that there is no warranty or recalls for this problem. it seems that this is a serious safety issue. although there was no accident or injuries, it could very well have caused a serious accident. *tr

Subframe gave out, engine dropped and car was towed to my home.i had just exited a highway going 55mph. i was driving the to car to attend a work related event early evening. i drove past the entrance and proceeded to turn around on the road. as i approached the intersection the van lost power. i stopped being able to steer and brake. i turned hard on the steering wheel to move off the road. i was able to pull into a turn lane and fortunately there was very limited traffic on the road. the car came to a full stop on its own and there was a loud scrapping noise coming from under the front of the car. i was towed to my home. the tow driver stated the " subframe had given away and was dragging on the ground. it required a flat bed truck to tow. my mechanic confirmed the subframe had collapsed . the cost to fix was prohibited and i was concerned about the safety of the vehicle i contacted ford about the problem and they responded that there was no recall at that time. the car remained in the driveway in the event there was a recall on the vehicle for over one year. i finally decided to donate the car having not been contacted by the manufacturer. i was contacted that there was a recall identifying the problem in 2011 i am filing this complaint due to the fact that i was financially disadvantaged by the delays of the manufacturer to identify and notify me of the recall in a timely fashion. *tr

I own a 1999 ford windstar lx. i bought it used from a dealer, and it had less the 40,000 miles on it. in the past year, i have had to replace the rack and pinion, the front springs, struts, tie rods and power steering pump. i have spent well over $1,000 on repairs in the past year. i now am told that the wheel bearings need to be replaced. because of all these issues, i have been unable to drive my van for extended periods of time. i have two children who need to be driven to school and other events, and have been unable to do so when needed due to the constant issues with this van. i have researched it and know that this is a recurrent, consistent issue for these vans. ford should reimburse owners who have had to pay money for faulty equipment. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the transmission failed while the vehicle was idling at a stop sign. the contact was able to drive home in reverse at 35 mph and the transmission was replaced. the rack and pinion is gradually getting worse and the contact experiences difficulty when turning the vehicle. the dealer stated that fluid was leaking at the boot replacement and the repair would cost $600. the vehicle is currently parked at his residence. the manufacturer stated that the component was not under recall or warranty, so they would not be able to assist. the current mileage was 72,000 and failure mileage was 69,000.

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was driven 30 mph, there was a popping noise, and the steering shifted pulling the vehicle to the right. the vehicle was driven to the residence, where the contact inspected the steering and found the steering was turned to the left. when the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, the vehicle was put onto a lift. the subframe was found to be rusted out and had a fracture. the front left tie rod was bent due to the frame failure on the opposite side. the sub frame section supporting the engine and transmission and the left outer tie rod were replaced. the manufacturer was notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving through a foot of water, or in the rain, the steering locked up. the dealership was unable to determine the problem.

Purchased the windstar used in 2001. after about a year the steering started to make funny (whining) noises and sometimes it would get tougher to turn wheel. at 65k my family and i were driving across country and the power steering went out completely. we had to drive the last 800 or so miles to our new home with no power steering. took it to a repair shop, suspecting the power steering pump and they said it was not bad, just needed fluid. i had checked the fluid when it originally went out and it was low, but not empty. it drove fine (still noisy) for about a month and then steering went out again. i returned to the same shop and again told me that i needed fluid. i told them i had never seen a leak, but i would check every day to figure out where the fluid was going. about three days later i was driving home from work and the noise became very loud again and when i pulled into my driveway i could see the trail of power steering fluid i left behind. i looked under the car and the fluid was pouring out from the boot on the drivers side. i took it to the same repair shop and they said "blown rack and pinion". thanks. *jb

1999 windstar,. paint peeling on front hood, replaced the following: transmission (4 times), inner and outer tie rods (2 times) power steering system, intake manifold gaskets and system(twice), interior lights that flicker intermittently and stay on for periods of time for no reason.*ak

Ford windstar 1999- transmission, rack and pinion and manifold ford would not help so i took them to small claims court in ontario and won full cost to all three matters. *jb

On 7/29/05, my 82-year old mother, purchased a 1999 ford windstar, with less than 44,000 miles on it. my mother receives minimal social security & i, too, am on social security for disability. we could not afford an extended warranty on top of car finance $200./mo.) we did have a dealership limited warranty of 60 days and 3,000 miles. before that warranty expired, we took the vehicle to be evaluated by our regular mechanic he found only two problems &e actually congratulated us on finding such a great car. we took the minivan back to branford subaru where we purchased it and they made the repairs immediately. now that we are one month and 50 miles over the limited warranty, power steering fluid is leaking. exxon diagnosed the problem as the rack and pinion steering. i had to leave the minivan at bens exxon because the leak was so bad i was having extreme difficulty steering & was losing more than 2 quarts of oil per day. my mechanic found a tsb about it but mantilia ford dealership refuses to fix it because we are past the original 3-year warranty. they referred me to ford corp customer relations who gave me he same answer. obviously, ford would not recommend the replacement of the original steering rack with a revised unit unless the original unit was defective. although that fact is not actually stated in the bulletin, it is very clearly implied.now, here we have an 82 year old and a 59 year old, both on limited income from social security, who took every precaution possible to buy a reliable vehicle and avoid expensive repairs stuck with a vehicle with a defect known to ford motor company but that we cant have ford fix because we did not buy the vehicle within the 3 year original warranty period! i have checked your database and found that out of the first 255 complaints against the 1999 ford windstar, 26 were about the rack and pinion steering! i stopped looking after 255. i am appealing to you to see what remedies can be pursued.

Dt: contact states that there was a loud noise in the power steering that got worse when turning. it was getting harder to turn. it felt like it was slipping at times. there were metal filings in the power steering fluid. dealer replaced the power steering gear and a pump. she was told the power steering was leaking fluid. she was still hearing a slight noise when she turns to the left. manufacture has not been contacted yet. *ak

Sudden loud grinding noise in steering wheel, rack and pinion leakage seal failure. need to replace rack and pinion before leak damages pump. replace rack and pinion. *nm

1999 ford experiencing problems with rack and pinion system, and left lower control arm. *mr all of the hold down buttons were stripped out and stripped in the gear housing causing gear failure. *sc *jb

Car only has 72000 miles. had car at dealership from march 17- march 24 for various problems. they replaced a tie rod, 2 control arms for $1100 and when that did not fix the problem, replaced the power steering pump and the steering rack. car was still not right - had appt to bring back in on friday april 1st. on march 30th, i was accelerating at a stoplight and the vehicle had an abrupt transmission failure. (when we got it back from the dealer it had a vibrating issue but we did not have warning this was coming) just a huge bang and then it wouldn't move. the police had to help me remove the vehicle from the intersection and assist with my two small children. it had to be towed at my expense $70. warranty expired at 60k. took it to another repair establishment (due to issues with the dealer) - will be $2200 to rebuild entire transmission. will be contacting manufacturer. *ak

When my windstar passes through a puddle of water, power steering is lost for 5 to 10 seconds. if the vehicle is negotiating a curve and enters water during the turn the vehicle would lose control which would prevent the driver from staying within his/her lane and causing a head on collision or exit the road surface. *jb

Have now replaced the rack and pinion system and power steering pump twice in our 99 ford windstar. first time was at 68,660 miles, and just replaced again at 156,912 miles. have seen other complaints on your website related to this problem and wanted nhtsa to be aware that this is a serious defect in this vehicle. *jb

Transmission problem with 1999 ford windstar on several occasion. *bf (transmission slippage) these problems have existed since the vehicle was first purchased; engine trouble, vaporization leaks, and a broken gear. there were also worn front brakes, steering was inoperative, and there was a vacuum leak due to the upper intake manifold. *sc *jb

Rack and pinion steering failed. leaked fluid until there none was left. this caused power steering to fail. *ak

I was driving down the road and all of the sudden i have no warning and no steering. power steering fluid was everywhere. it took my wife and i too turn ths van into a parking lot. unfortunately i had my 3 children in this van with me. i have not had the money to replace the rack and pinion or the power steering pump. i am not even sure if i should or not. i also would like to know if there is anyway to know if the previous owner(s) got the recalls taken care of.*ak

When the consumer made a turn, the vehicle made a noise. please provide further information. *jb

Ford windstar xl 1999- front end clunking noises serviced 3-4 times before it was fixed. repeated repairs to various front end components replaced at my expense including power steering pump, rack & pinion, tie rods, u-joints costing $2000 or more. continue to suffer from groaning, noisy, & stiff steering. also ongoing engine pinging upon acceleration after numerous repairs. random power sliding door function. metallic rattling, jingling noises from under car both when idling & driving. *tr

Two problems occurred in one month. first, the power steering went crazy. the ford dealer told me that it was leaking and had to replace the entire power steering assembly. but i was not sure because i do not know if ford dealer was trying to rip me off. then i took it to carx in racine, wi to take a look at it. he said same thing but he can't fix it because he had to order the part. then i decided to wait and leave. about 2 miles later, the transmission blew up in the middle of the road. the engine was running but can't drive or gear. i had it towed to towne ford inc. in racine, wi. the towne ford inc said that he found the problem. the problem was one of the gears snapped off the metal part. they had no idea why it happened. so, my option is to replace the entire transmission instead of several parts because of the cost and warranty coverage. but my van isn't old yet. it is 1999 ford windstar and it has 50,000 miles on it. it is still kind of new. why did the transmission blow up at 50,000 miles? what is the life expectancy on transmission? by miles or age? also, why did power steering get leaking?*ak

Power steering leaking at steering rack on 1999 ford windstar. approx. 63,000 miles on vehicle. intial inquiry with mechanic; replacement of rack. vehicle should not be driven until repaired, loss of power steering at driving speeds can cause loss of control. what is being done regarding this premature failure?*ak

Strange noise coming from van when i turn, rack and pinions gone bad, ford refuses to do anything and told me that i would never get anything from them for reibursement of repairs and that they don't care what the nhtsa or goverment say. i only have 36,000 miles on my van even though it is a 1999 windstar this should never have happened. for does not care about their reputation or product or consumers. *ak

My van started making a screeching noise everytime we made any turns, we checked the power steering fluid and it was fine. van sat in the yard cause it was embrassing to drive with the loud screeching noise and since we had a 2nd car we just left it in the driveway. then when my husbands car got hit by another car we had no choice and had to drive it. as soon as we try and drive it out of the driveway we new something major is wrong it took 2 people to turn the wheel on the van just to back out of the driveway. so i called my step dad and explained what it was doing and he said sounds like the power sterring pump went out on it so we take it to a very reliable mechanic and found out not only is the power sterring pump bad the rack and pinons are gone also. i can't believe with a van that is not that old to have this happen so quickly. i have been numerous forums about the ford windstar and i see pages and pages of complaints about the same thing i'm dealing with now. what does it take before a company stands behind there product and issue a recall.*ak

Rack and pinion steering had to be replaced at 42,000 miles due to an end seal failure. most of the power steering fluid leaked out within 2 days of the leak. there is a know problem with this by ford they have issued 2 tsb's. this part should never fail at this mileage, it is a poor design with either wrong materials selected for the seal and no life testing was conducted to verify the design. ford should be embarrassed to talk about quality when cramp like this happens.*ak