Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

2001 ford windstar rear axle failure. *tr

I had been hearing a clunking noise after my wife reported it to me when she was backing up. it took a few days before i heard it as well. i couldn't figure out if it was the exhaust or suspension. a few weeks goes by and it got worse. managed to look under it at a gas station and saw a crack on the back side of the axle from bottom to almost the top. normal driving, no towing. i haven't fixed it yet because i don't want to spend $1000 on a repair using another failure prone part, same reason i haven't attempted the abs repairs on the van. *tr

On june 18th my wife and son returned from a trip to youngstown, we live in cleveland. my wife ask me to take a look at the car she said it was driving funny. while driving at 70 to 80 mph, she said she was all over the road and at one point almost lost control of the car, when she pulled in i noticed the rear tire was low so i put air in it and took it for a test drive around the block. i kept hearing the wheels making a chirping noise as if i was in a skid. when i got back i had her drive it and i followed in our other car to see what i might notice, it was obvious there was a problem with the rear end. i made her return home and looked under the car to find a huge crack in the axle. i don't understand how ford could let this happen to a major part of the van. i was going on a vacation the next day and was planning on using this van! i can't imagine traveling down to myrtle beach with my family with a loaded van doing 70 mph. someone is going to die from this defect and i am very lucky my wife didn't when she was driving it. please make ford do a recall or i am sure we will be reading the in the news of someone's death when it does happen and you did nothing! *tr

Been driving my 2001 ford windstar. and the back started making noises and shifting. everytime i apply the brake or back up it makes the loudest sound. well after putting it up on the jack to look underneath the car. we noticed a crack about 8 inches long and continues around the bottom of the axel. estimate to repair is going to be over a $1000.00. there needs to be something done about this. *tr

I heard a clunking noise for about a month my husband looked under vehicle and seen rear axle was broken in half. the van was towed and a used rear axle was put on. we do have old axle. *tr

This is on a 2001 ford windstar with less than 100,000 miles. it started when my wife was complaining about a rubbing noise in the rear that seemed to be worse on corners. i was driving the car during a light rain shower on a right curve at about 35 mph. the back of the car felt like it was about spin out on me. i backed off the gas and it felt better. the next day while driving it again i notice that there was tire squeal mostly on right turns. when i got home i could see that the top of the left rear tire was leaning in. i could also see where the tire was rubbing on the inner wheel well. after removing both rear wheels and looking around i found the axle beam cracked almost all the way around. i have since found out that this is not uncommon in 2001 ford windstars, and probably other years of this model. we were planning on taking this vehicle on vacation duringthe july 4th weekend. i can't imagine what would have happen if this broke all the way through at highway speeds with a load of luggage and my family at highway speeds. i will not even drive this vehicle to turn it around in my driveway let alone take it on the road. i have not started to see what can be done to fix this because nothing is open today, but atleast i can fix it myself if i can find the parts. *tr

The rear axle of my 2001 ford windstar has snapped in two pieces while riding at 45 mph. the van swayed violently but i was able to bring it to a safe stop. prior to axle snapping i heard and felt cracking metallic sound from the rear of the vehicle. i investigated this on the internet and found that have been numerous incidents involving ford windstars and broken rear axles. i could not imagine what would happened if my family was in this vehicle at the time the rear axle snapped in two. the extra weight in the car may have caused the vehicle to go completely out of control and cause serious injury or death to my passengers and myself. i am wondering why the 2001 ford windstar has not been recalled to fix this very serious defect. this is a very expensive repair and is a result of poor design and defects in manufacturing. please don't wait for a family to be killed in one of these vans before you recalled them. this a very real problem and the consequences could be deadly. *tr

We had our 2001 ford windstar being checked by a garage before a long trip and were told our rear axle is cracked almost in half. *tr

My 2001 ford windstar minivan was in for air conditioning service and a tune-up on june 1, 2010 and the vehicle was diagnosed with multiple cracks in the rear axle. the mechanic issued a stern warning about driving the vehicle, especially at highway speeds because the axle was in danger of splitting and could cause loss of control. he indicated that it looked like the u-shaped axle design collected water and road salt and caused rust, which led to the cracks. *tr

Rear axle on 2001 ford windstar ltd. broke in 2 pieces. vehicle is at mechanic who stated never saw anything like that before. *tr

On may 29, 2010, my wife was driving her 2001 ford windstar van at 55 mph on the highway when the rear axle suddenly cracked in two pieces. the broken end of the axle then began digging into the highway and caused a loss of control. luckily she was able to avoid concrete barriers and other vehicles of the construction area that she was in and ended up in the ditch. the rear tires went out of alignment and the tops of the tires were angled in causing them to rub against the wheel wells. we are still in the process of assessing the total damage caused by the rear axle failure. *tr

2001 ford windstar rear axle broke about 18" in from drivers side tire. my wife was pulling out of a parking lot when it happened. *tr

As i was driving home from work, the vehicle began to wobble from the rear, resembling a flat. i immediately pulled over to the side of the road. after having the vehicle towed to my home a few days later, i looked underneath and saw a deep fracture in the rear axle. i called a ford dealer and was told that there is no recall regarding this defect and if i had the vehicle brought in for repair that i will be charged. *tr

Rear axle cracked. *tr

I am the original owner of a 2001 ford windstar. while driving at highway speed, the rear axle snapped, which resulted in the loss of control of the vehicle. as a result, i was involved in a collision with a vehicle in the next lane. *tr

2001 ford windstar rear axle broke in half. *tr

My 2001 ford windstar was making an abnormal sound and 'swaying'. when i looked underneath, i saw a large crack in the rear axel. further inspection by my mechanic revealed approximately a 70-75% crack through the axel. i was told it could be replaced with either a new axel (on backorder from ford) or with one from the junkyard. i chose neither as i was concerned over the safety of my children. *tr

1. vibration in steering wheel. 2. rear axel broke in 2 places on the new jersey turnpike. the car veered uncontrollably almost causing a serious accident. 3. the car was towed 90 miles to our local service station where axel was replaced with a used part. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. he stated that while driving over a bump at unknown speeds, the rear end of the vehicle swerved and produced an abnormal noise. upon further investigation, the contact found that the rear suspension had fractured. the dealer advised the repairs would be at the contact's expense. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were 106,000. updated 10/27/10. *lj

2001 ford windstar se sport rear axle broke in half with no warning. fortunately, the car was coming to a stop at a traffic light, not at highway speeds, when a loud clunk was heard. managed to pull into a parking lot nearby, and the rear tires were tilted inward. the axle was snapped in half towards the driver's side. tow truck driver said he has seen several of these the past two years and doesn't know why a recall hasn't occurred. my ford dealer said this was the third one they saw. *tr

My axel broke on my 2001 ford windstar and i almost got killed on a highway. i had to pull on narrow shoulder lane. i had it towed and had to pay 625. to have it fixed. i just read this week they are investigating and their is class action suit about these axles how do i get recall info and report this? *tr

2001 ford windstar rear axle broke in half about 16 inches from left rear wheel. isn't it funny how there have been so many complaints about this issue for all model years of the windstar and no complaints with the freestar's rear axle. this is due to ford knowing that the axle on the windstar was faulty and re-designed the axle for the freestar. i don't know why people post a complaint on this site; because if there isn't a fire or a crash they could care less. i cannot believe that this isn't a safety issue that isn't worth looking into. i am so tired of these government agency that are in bed with the auto manufacturers. do your jobs and save some lives. *tr

On may 7, 2010 my 2001 ford windstar the axle broke on me coming from picking up the kids from school causing an accident with the van flipping over two times. *tr

2001 ford windstar mini van with about 80,000 miles. rear axel snapped in half while driving my kids to soccer. we were lucky that we were in a residential area close to home. it cost us close to $900 to fix. we have the old part which showed rust. mechanic said he had never seen anything like it and recommended we report it. we would like a recall and reimbursement for the repair. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar that has the rear axle cracked almost completely through. i cannot drive the van because it's making a lot of creaking sounds as if the axle will break. i've contacted ford and have not gotten any response. *tr

Alex. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving at speeds of 25 mph, the rear axle broke in half. the vehicle was left at the scene of the incident and was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 115,000.

My husband was backing out of the driveway at work, when the tires were turned inward because of the break in the rear axle. after having it towed my husband bought a rear axle from another vehicle and replaced the broken one. *tr

My van windstar 2001 rear axle broke during driving. ford asked what did we do to drive so poorly to cause this? gave us a price of $1,500.00 at least to repair. *tr

2001 ford windstar rear axle beam about to break in half. *tr

With no warning the rear axle of our 2001 ford windstar broke in half at 120,000 miles. there was smoke. the neighbor came running after us to tell us. many people have the same problem. we were lucky. will the next people be so lucky? this is a very dangerous problem. all 2000 & 2001 ford windstars should not be used until this issue is taken care of. *tr

Windstar 2001 broken down rear axel o rear complete suspension, this part broken in the left side . *tr

Rear axle snapped on 2001 ford windstar lx van while driving at highway speed. *tr

2001 ford windstar rear axle broke while driving down the road. 118k miles on the vehicle. no previous accidents. no warning signs the axle was about to break. *tr

A loud noise from the rear suspension while turning led me to look under the rear end and find the rear axel had a crack approximately half way through it in the center. *tr

The car was making noise that i couldn't pin point. then it started feeling like it was swaying side to side intermittantly. then it felt like the car skipped or skiddded on a turn, i pulled into my driveway and the car bounced, lurched and jolted to a stop. i got out and looked and my rear tires looked like this / \ instead of | |. i did a google search for broken rear axle and it auto filled in windstart. this is the 4th problem i've had with this car. two of the others involved the abs system. one of those was finally recalled but only after i fixed it myself. i'm afraid that i will have to junk the car. it's unfair that i've had to poor so much into this car that i will never be able to recoup or be made whole. i just thank god nobody got hurt w/ this or the abs problem.

While driving at highway speeds the rear axle cross member on my 2001 ford windstart lx failed. nothing unusual occured prior to this in terms of driving or on the road. rear axle had to be replaced at cost of $1,300.

Rear axle cracked in half causing further damage to the van. *tr

I own a 2001 ford windstar. we are the original owners and have performed all routine maintenance on the vehicle. it began making a grinding noise in the back when turning into our driveway which has a slight ridge at the end of it. we had our mechanic check it and he found that the rear axle is cracked half way through. fortunately we found this before it broke while traveling on the highway. i don't know what we are going to do to fix it yet because we can't afford an $1100 repair bill. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at approximate speeds of 55 mph, the sub frame and control arm fractured and fell off of the vehicle. the contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and proceeded off of the road. the failure mileage was 82,000.

2001 ford windstar rear axel cracked in half while driving down the street and hitting a pot hole. loss control of car, not hitting anything or anyone; just swerved into other lane and unable to drive van. tires damaged and left tire tilted inward. possible damage to rear brakes. *tr

2001 ford windstar making noise in rear , when i looked under the van i saw the axle was broken in half !!! i am on the highway every day. *tr

While driving 65 mph in my 2001 ford windstar the rear axle snapped in half i hit the guard rail,blew the tires,and was extremely lucky not to be killed. i now find out it is an inherent problem that ford refuses to recognize. *tr

No events led up to this serious safety issue. we have owned a 2001 windstar lx with 235,000 miles on it. it has been plagued with numerous recalls even so far as having the front floor mats replaced. on march 6, 2010, after driving over two hours at freeway speeds (70 mph), we parked in a parking lot to watch a sporting event. when leaving and backing out of the parking spot, the rear axle broke in two pieces. after searching this issue on the web, i am finding this is not an isolated incident. there was no previous sound or indication that the axle was about to fail. in fact, the michelin rear tires on the vehicle have close to 100,000 miles on them. had we been on the road at 70 mph, this would have probably been a fatal accident for four people in the car, not to mention any car in the vicinity. currently i am waiting to see if i can get a used axle to replace. i will make sure that the old part is saved for further research. i'm sorry i do not have the vin number as the car is in ypsilanti, mi awaiting repair and i am in grand rapids, michigan which is about 2 hours away. i will gladly submit the vin number at a later date if i can be contacted about this matter. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving approximately 55 mph, the rear of the vehicle began to sway back and forth. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the rear axle fractured. the vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. the vehicle was also included in recall 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told the vehicle did not need to be repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

2001 ford windstar. rear axle snapped. *tr

2/26/2010: we discovered that the rear axle was cracked on our 2001 ford windstar. this axle might have cracked over 2 years ago based on the length and amount of rust. we had our vehicle serviced at ford at least twice a year while it was under warranty for 7 years or 70,000. our vehicle is at 61,400 miles now. if there was a crack we were not told. if this was discovered under warranty that would have been much safer and less expensive. the bill was $961.30 and only $252. was labor. we have maintained our vehicles pristinely with proper servicing this should not have happened. we believe that our family's lives were endangered as a result of this fracture/crack of the rear axle. *tr

2001 ford windstar approximate mileage 122,000, broken rear axle, no accident no rust , just completely cracked, needed new rear axle installed. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar minivan and in february 2010 i was driving my daughter and her friends home from dance when the rear axle beam cracked in half and i was fortunate enough to be able to get off the highway and pull into a parking lot before the back wheel fell off. this cost me $800.00 to fix using a used part. *tr

During a rear tire check on our 2001 ford windstar it was discovered that there is a crack in the rear axle beam. friends of ours have the same year vehicle and last year their windstar rear axle beam broke in two and locked up the rear wheels, luckily there was no accident. i have been monitoring our axle beam since then and now it is cracking. i don't dare have my wife drive it, especially on the highway. why has ford not recalled this??? this could be catastrophic at highway speeds if it snapped. i need to get this fixed immediately and have heard it is at least $1,000 !! *tr