Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving 40 mph, the contact drove over a bump in the road and suddenly the rear end of the vehicle fell to the ground. he did not notice any differences beforehand. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the rear axle needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 148,000. phone update on 10/28/08: ms. corby drove over a dip on the road and immediately heard a loud crack. the vehicle swerved and smoke came out from the driver side rear wheel area. she said that there was brake fluid on the ground and that the rear axle had severed. the left rear tire slanted a lot and the right rear tire slanted less. no prior warning. she had four children in the van at that time. she drove over that road thousands of times and never had a problem.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving 10 mph and proceeding to a stop sign, the contact experienced a loss of steering control and the front wheels locked. the vehicle was inoperable and there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. roadside assistance was called to the scene and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. the technician stated that the failure was related to the lower control arm brackets at the subframe. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the failure and current mileages were 64,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle would make cracking noises while attempting to make a left or right turn. while undergoing a scheduled oil change, an independent mechanic found a huge crack in the rear axle. the manufacturer was called and instructed him to bring the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 120,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. whenever driving over a bump at various speeds, the contact noticed that the rear of the vehicle would sway from left to right. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the rear axle cracked in half. prior to the failure, the contact heard a creaking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 59,138. updated 11-19-08 *bf updated 11/20/08. *jb

Failure of the right lower control arm mounts at the subframe occurred with no warning or prior symptoms. my vehicle is a 2001 ford windstar with approximately 71k miles. my children and i were on a highway on-ramp approaching highway speed when the failure occurred, causing the wheel to swing out from the vehicle and the axle shaft to pull out of the transaxle. the van swayed and bucked with the rear end bouncing up and down off the ground nearly flipping the vehicle. i can't imagine what could have happened four or five seconds later at highway speed. the van was towed to a local service station where it remains about 100 miles from my home. my local dealer was contacted but the service writer said i would need to contact the ford customer relations center who in turn informed me that it was not within ford motor company's guidelines to offer any assistance. linda, the department supervisor, said that there is nothing she can do, unless the nhtsa issues a recall, because the van is out of warranty and out of the 5 year range they use for making "good relations allowances". i know there has been at least 12 or 13 similar complaints on the nhtsa web sight and others on blogs (ie allworldauto.com ) so i agree with one of your complainants that "this is a severe failure that is premature, not easily detectable, potentially fatal, and will likely occur more frequently as these vehicles age". i too, strongly urge the nhtsa to conduct an engineering investigation regarding this failure. *tr

Several weeks prior to september 13, 2008, we began hearing an intermittent creaking noise at the rear of the vehicle as our 2001 ford windstar would go over bumps at a slow speed (best example is driving over the curb leading up our driveway). on friday september 12th, while heading on a 45 minute trip to our weekend home with my wife and 2 young sons, i commented to my wife that i was planning on taking the vehicle in the following monday for an inspection. on saturday the 13th, while enroute to a restaurant, we heard a "whistling noise." we got out and discovered both rear wheels were leaning in at the top. we hobbled the car back and upon inspection the following day discovered that the rear axle was nearly severed in two. it appeared that it had rusted out from the inside. keep in mind that the vehicle is only a 2001 and is nearly rust free everywhere else save for a few telltale signs os beginning rust in the usually spots (wheel wells). given that the outside of the axle is rust free, i'm not sure how i would have detected it (or even expected it to happen in 7-year old vehicle) except for the creaking noise. i'm thankful that the axle did not fail while on the highway or while my wife was using the vehicle (she uses it daily to go to work and transport our kids to school). i did note that there were 6 other identical complaints on "carcomplaints.com." i do not have the car in the shop yet - arranging for repairs is today's' task. given the comments i've seen online in the aforementioned complaints it does not appear that 1.) ford has anything to say about the incidents and 2.) mechanics can't believe that a non-serviceable part like this would fail on a 2001 vehicle. *tr

My 2001 ford windstar has a crack in the rear axle. i've read on the internet about several instances of this happening and the axle cracks in two pieces causing at least that the vehicle is not drivable. if this would happen even at moderate highway speeds there could be devastating consequences. so far i don;t see a recall for this defect from ford. the mileage of my ford windstar is 71,000 miles. it seems that the axle is rusted from the inside but my vehicle has been garage kept since it was first purchased. i believe this incident should be recalled for safeties sake. i think all windstars with this axle design should be recalled and have the axle replaced. *tr

Abs brake light comes on and disables the abs brake feature. *ln

Without any warning the rear axel on my 2001 ford windstar minivan snapped completely in two. we had just gotten off a busy highway and luckily were going very slowly on a side street. we all would surely have been killed if this had happened 5 minutes earlier. *tr

I was pulling my van into a parking spot at my doctor's office. all of a sudden, there was a loud "boom" sound. the van felt like it dropped down closer to the cement. i noticed the brake fault light on the dash came on. i immediately put the car into park and turned the ignition off. i got out of van and both of the rear wheels were pointed in at the top of the tire. the rear axle had broke completely in two right in the middle. thank god my twelve year old wasn't with me and we weren't going 55 mph down the road. i've looked this up on-line and it seems to be a problem with ford windstar's. i question why there hasn't been any publications on this problem. this will cause a serious or catastrophic injury. *tr

2001 ford windstar 70,000 miles, had a minor fender bender took to the dealer for repair, once i received the van back an hour after the check engine light came on, called dealer they stated that they needed to reset the codes bring it back when i could. the very next day and every day after that until the final day i called stating the steering wheel seemed odd and i had to slightly turn it to the left to go straight. i again was told that they just needed to realign the steering wheel but not to worry. on the fifth day i called and said i wasn't sure the vehicle was safe to drive because the wheel now had to be turned half way to the left to go straight. again i was told not to worry just bring it in the next day. 3 minutes later the vehicle stopped and wouldn't move. a tow truck was called and it turns out the control arm that was just replaced fell off!! the dealer informed me it was not their fault due to the fact that the frame was rotted out, something they claim to have never seen. needless to say after hours on the phone with ford and the dealer so far i have gotten no where. so i decided to do some research online and found this site which informed me that there are almost 15 cases of the same thing reported! why does ford think this is not their problem and are they waiting for a fatal accident to do something about this? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact heard a loud banging sound along with a burning smell. the steering became very difficult to maneuver, but she was able to safely pull off the road. the contact noticed that the rear axle had completely failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they verified that the axle failed. the vehicle has not been repaired because the contact is waiting on a response from the manufacturer. she has pictures of the failed component. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. updated 6/16/08 *cn updated

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while accelerating from a stop, the contact felt as if the vehicle had a flat tire. when he pulled the vehicle over, the front end dropped and he heard the fan striking the metal. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the front passenger side control arm mount rusted from the subframe and the engine cradle. the dealer replaced the engine cradle. the vehicle is still under repair. the current and failure mileages were 44,139. updated 04/21/08 *bf

Broken rear axle beam. *tr

Broken axel beam. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving between 5-10 mph, the vehicle dropped and came to a stop. the contact noticed that both rear wheels were folded inward. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic and they stated that the rear axle snapped due to a defective part. the part was not rusted. the mechanic replaced the rear axle. the current and failure mileages were 68,200. updated 07/15/08 *bf updated 07/15/08

Government has never answered odo 10252007 (life threatening ford 2001 windstar axle defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving 30 mph, the driver side front tire blew out. the vehicle was pulled over, but the tire was unable to be changed due to broken parts. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the coil spring failed and caused the tire to blow out. the current and failure mileages were 136,000.

On or about december 15, 2007 my husband noticed when he hit a bump in the road the rear end of our 2001 ford windstar lx felt loose. we thought the shocks were starting to ware. on december 20, 2007 my husband started on his way home from work around 3:30 pm he headed south on i55 out of chicago and reached our driveway in the southwest suburbs approximately 5:00 pm. at 5:30 p. our family with two children got into the van to go christmas shopping. as we were pulling out of the driveway the van jerked and screeched. we thought we hit someone that had parked behind us. we jumped out to see what happened and noticed our rear tires looked funny and the back end was really low. when we looked under it we saw that the axle was broken in two. it had just snapped. if this had happened a half hour earlier this would have happened on the expressway in rush hour traffic and i hate to think what would have happened, or 15 minutes later when we were on i355 going christmas shopping with our children. we were more than happy to have this happen in our driveway but this is our only vehicle and we don't have the 1000.00 it will cost to replace the part. the van is no longer under warranty, it has 72,915 miles on it. how inconvenient! *tr

The rear axle on my 2001 ford winstar cracked and broke. this is a safety issue and engineering defect and should be corrected by ford and the dealer. *tr

On october 19, 2007 i backed out of my driveway, shifted into drive and began to go forward when i felt an alarming sensation in my car. i pulled over to the side of the road to inspect my tires. all looked fine so i returned to my car, shifted into drive again and began to go forward when i felt the rear of the car sway. i pulled over again and looked under the back of the car when i saw that my rear axel has snapped in two. on the day of the event my car had 65,700 miles on the odometer. i had my car towed to a local mechanic in wakefield, mass. both the tow truck driver and the mechanic seperately told me this was shocking and not something that should happen to a car. after analyzing my car the mechanic determined that the broken axel was a manufacturer defect. there is a clean break in the axel where the two broken parts fit together snug like a puzzle. there is no evidence of an accident or tampering to the axel. the mechanic showed me where there is a part of the axel where water can get in, but there is no way for the water to escape. as a result the axel rusted from the inside until it weakened and broke. my mechanic has photographed this part and is holding it at his garage for inspection. as an aside, i have also contacted the owner of stoneham ford, mark melkonian, to report the problem. he looked up my service account and verified i have "been faithful in the maintanence schedule." i, like my mechanic, believe this is a serious issue in which other consumers will soon, if not already, experience an axel break. had the axel given when i was on the highway with my children in the vehicle, the outcome might have been much more severe. i am afraid if this is not reviewed another family may have a critical outcome in the course of the axel giving way. could you please advise what i need to do to have someone look at this part of the car and how it simply cracked in two. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while making a left turn at 10 mph, the contact heard a loud noise. the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and it was discovered that the lower control arm bracket failed and the sub-frame was rusted. the repair would cost $1,000. the vehicle is no longer under warranty. the current and failure mileages were 130,000.

I was driving downtown to pick up pizza for my family, as i braked for a stop sign and came to a stop i heard a loud noise and experienced a very hard shaking from the front of the van as if i had been hit by something. after investigating and finding no visible damage o vehicle i drove home slowly. after traveling approximately a mile or so i began to smell something hot. as i began to pull over to the edge of the road i saw smoke, and then i experienced a blowout of the left front tire and the left front side of the vehicle dropped towards the ground. prior to this event i had no problem with the vehicle and heard no noises related to this. i am now having the vehicle transported to the local ford garage ,where they are going to replace the front springs, and assess for any other damage caused by this incident. *ak

Tl*- the contact stated that the 2001 ford windstar frame was cracked. on 02/23/07 the vehicle was raised to see if the cause of a loud noise which came from the rear passenger tire could be found. she stated that the tire leaned inward. it was observed that the frame had a crack about 3 inches from the brake drum. the contact had not called anyone to find out what should be done. a new framed was installed on the vehicle. she stated that she still has the tire that came from the vehicle. the contact will submit pictures of the tire and of the cracked frame from the vehicle. the current mileage was 90000.*ak the axle was replaced. updated 04/05/07. *jb

Tl* - the contact has a 2001 ford windstar. while the vehicle was parked heard a loud bang.he looked at the front suspension and noticed that the driver's side coil spring failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, where the van was being fixed. the contact called the manufacture r, and they told him that it was out of warranty, and they could not help him. the contact said that he had pictures, and will have the part to send.*ak

2001 ford windstar coil spring broke while backing slowly out of driveway. we heard a loud "snap" from the front right tire. upon inspection, we saw the coil spring had cracked in two pieces. ford windstars had a recall for 1997 and 1998 for this very problem. i believe this should be investigated. may be a recall needed here. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out at 7mph a snapping noise was heard from under the vehicle near the passenger side tire. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. upon inspection the dealer determined the front coil spring needed to be replaced due to road salt corrosion. the front coil spring is currently being replaced at the dealership. 08/02/06 updated. *tt

We own a ford windstar (2000) with 68000 miles, this morning as my wife was leaving for work the right front spring broke cutting through the tire side wall. if this would have happened on the highway there would have been no way to control the van or to safely stop. the spring coil was resting on the tread and the total suspension drop was so low that i had trouble getting the jack under the frame rail. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph a loud bang was heard. the vehicle then went out of control; going into a ditch, across the highway, and finally stopping in another ditch. the vehicle was towed to a dealership where it was determined the front control arm rusted away from the vehicle. *ak updated 04/17/06

When driving and turning in cold weather the front end makes a very loud noise. the struts where replaced under the 36.000 mile warranty but started making this loud noise again last fall of 2005. i can't believe they keep putting on bad struts there must be some kind of defect.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. when the contact first purchased the vehicle, it shut off. the rings in the engine had to be replaced. she also heard a rumbling sound when the brake pedal was depressed. an auto repair shop stated that the brakes were operating normally; however, after much complaining, the contact had the front brakes replaced. the windshield wipers stopped working after a new windshield was installed. the vehicle was diagnosed and the motor was found to be the cause of the failure. the motor was replaced. a couple of months later, the vehicle began leaking antifreeze and was towed to a repair shop. the contact was informed that the fuel injection hoses were leaking. the leak was repaired. three weeks later, the vehicle would buck and shut off. she was informed that the catalytic converter was completely destroyed. lastly, the contact noticed an issue with the rear of the vehicle. it would fishtail or wobble while driving various speeds. the dealer stated that the vehicle was no longer included in the factory warranty. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current mileage was 74,056 and failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Dt: the consumer states the front coil spring on his vehicle broke puncturing the tire on the left hand side. the service dealer states there are no parts available to have this repaired. there is a recall for this component, but the contacts vehicle does not fall under the recall campaign. *jb

We have a 2001 ford windstar mini-van. we took van in for service due to "check engine" light. wife also noticed thumping in tire well. egr regulator was changed for "check engine" light, but the thumping turned out to be two (2) broken front coil springs!! how does a highway driven mini-van get two (2) broken springs? that was three (3) weeks ago and the van is still in the dealership waiting for the replacment springs which we are told are on back order. appears to me that if these springs are on back order, there must be a pretty good demand for them. the fact that both are springs broke with highway usage indicates a possible design problem. i believe this should be investigated. may be a recall needed here.

I was traveling at 25-30 mph heard a heavy clunking noise, felt the steering wheel lose control of the wheels and pulled over almost immediately and called a tow truck. we replaced the coil springs on both front wheels. *jb

2001 ford windstar spring broke and tore through the tire on the vehicle.*mr a recall was issued but not for the consumer's model of vehicle. *nm

I have a 2001 ford windstar. the vehicle currently has 100,205 miles on it. i have had to replace the front strut bearings and struts at 75,000 miles and again at 100,000. i have also had to replace the inner and outer tie rods at 69,000 miles. and the left outer tie rod again at 100,000. i have had over $2,500 in repairs in the time frame of one year, not including 4-wheel brake job. i brought the vehicle in for service at 82,000 miles and told the ford dealership that i was again hearing the "bad strut noise". at this time the 1 yr, 12,000 mile warranty would have picked up the cost of the repair. i was told that there was not anything wrong with the struts. i would be interested to know if anyone else has had ongoing strut and tie rod problems. *nm

Vehicle's back end swayed left and right, making it difficult to maintain control. the cause was undetermined. *ak the consumer stated that the rear control arm broke while driving. the bolt was replaced and a rattling noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. the lower rear tight side bolt was no good. the conusmer stated that the engine light was on. tests found vacuum leaking from the intake manifold. lower and upper intake manifold gaskets were replaced. idle speed control was replaced. the brakes squeaked . when taking off from a stop light the vehicle idles high. *tc

The vehicle pulled to the left, the vehicle was in the repair shop for suspension problems on 3 occasions.*jb

When driving at any speed there is vibration in front end of vehicle. vehicle is at dealership at this time.*ak

While driving approximately 20 mph front left side axle broke. dealer and manufacturer were contacted. feel free to provide any further details concerning this matter.*ak

Both rear shocks have broken while traveling at highway speed of 65-70 mph. dealer was notified. feel free to provide any further details on this matter.*ak

Consumer stated arm rest on the passenger side of the vehicle is broken, cause unknown. *ak clunk noise in front end while turning or accelerating from a stop, can also be felt with vibration, passenger side dash area hanging. both sliding door rubber stops missing, driverside sliding door stop replaced. grinding noise in rear when applying brakes. when heat is on vent smells like something is burning. wipers will not clear windshield, washer solvent sprays in one spot. normal operation. *tt