Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar STRUCTURE

On november 3rd, 2009, the rear axle failed in my 2001 ford windstar while i was on the highway. the car had begun performing erratically so i was not traveling at high speed, but even at low speed it was essentially uncontrollable when the failure happened. in the weeks leading up to the actual failure, i had experienced handling problems with the vehicle. after my mechanic replaced the front struts and rear shocks the car still didn't handle right. they thought this might be because the rear alignment was not a little out of spec - they were waiting for shims to come in to correct that when the axle failed. in addition to my unhappiness about the complaints - the vehicle kind of swerved when going around corners, especially highway on/off ramps - the only warning the car gave in the weeks up to the failure was seemingly-random indications from the tire-pressure warning light. in end end, the garage i took the car to ended up replacing the rear axle assembly and the two rear tires - when the axle failed the tires had rubbed against the tire wells. when searching online for other reports of this problem i came across several here, and posted my own. (my own description as well as four pictures of the failed part are on the site under november 3rd 2009: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/windstar/2001/drivetrain/rear_axle_snapped_in_two.shtml. *tr

I was driving a 2001 ford windstar minivan with 154k miles on a rainy night at highway speed on a 3 lane interstate with 5 children aboard. i heard a loud noise from the vehicle and lost all control as the steering and braking wasn't working right. as i tried to get onto the shoulder, it kept swerving toward the left, back into the lanes. when it finally stopped moving, we were sticking out into traffic and i feared we would be hit. the tow truck driver showed me that the right tire wasn't even pointing straight ahead anymore and said that the axel probably broke. the mechanic told me that the frame cracked and in his opinion, he wouldn't recommend fixing the vehicle. the insurance company said the right front lower control arm mount rotted off which pulled out axel and broke tie rod end and so on, due to normal wear and tear. i received zero dollars for my auto claim and my family of seven had to use our 3 seater pickup truck as the family vehicle for months after the incident. i live in a snow belt state and i do not believe that normal wear and tear occurred in a mere 8 years. i have pictures of the vehicle after the incident as well. thank you for the opportunity to provide information for open investigation #pe10-026. my hope is that my story is useful enough to help prevent this same thing from happening to other 2001 ford windstar owners. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact heard a loud noise outside of the vehicle while he was backing out of a parking space and shifting into the "reverse" position. the vehicle suddendly failed to operate in reverse. immediately, the gear shifter was placed into the "drive" position; followed by no power response. the driver turned the engine off and inspected the vehicle. the front passenger wheel was turned outwardly when the right shaft disengaged from the differential. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated that the failure was contributed to the engine cradle which exhibited severe rust and caused the lower control arm to break. the vehicle was repaired for malfunction. the contact had concern of the safety risk involved. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 71,000.

The mounting ears on the right front subframe (h-frame that all the suspension, steering , and drivetrain) that connects the lower control arm to the frame rotted off the frame allowing the passenger side tire assy. to swing out from under the vehicle causing a loss of control. fortunately it happened when turning left at a intersection and not on the freeway. the whole front h frame has to be replaced. the vehicle is an 01 ford windstar with approx. 61,000 miles, always taken good care of and garage kept. original owner never any accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. he stated that while driving at 55 mph, the right front subframe broke and the right wheel made a left turn and caused the vehicle to slow down and stop. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where they replaced the front sub frame at the owners expense. the dealer was contacted and they stated that there were no open recalls and that there was nothing they can do for him. the failure mileage was 105000 and current mileage is 107000. updated 5/6/10 *cn the consumer stated the right front control arm and frame mount broke. updated 06/18/10

I was backing out of a driveway when the car began rocking and then i heard a grinding noise. when i looked at the rear end i realized the rear axle had snapped in half. *tr

2001 ford windstar. subframe rusted away where it attaches to the main frame. consequences might be loss of steering, rollover or other serious accident. fortunately, the problem was discovered and repaired at the cost of $1700 before a serious accident occurred. *tr

Our not for profit owns a 2001 ford windstar which failed to pass nys inspection because the sub-frame is rusted through. this vehicle had less than 160k miles on it. we wash our vehicles every month or so in the winter to rid them of salt so that corrosion is kept to minimum. too bad ford doesn't stand by their products like toyota, (which paid owners of defective pick-ups which had underbody corrosion 1 & 1/2 blue book value for vehicles). another reason not to buy american: shoddy materials, shoddy workmanship & uncaring customer satisfaction. *tr

I own a 2001 ford windstar with just over 119,600 miles on it. on friday, august 6, 2010 i was driving home from work. i was going between 35 and 40 mph. suddenly i heard a loud noise somewhere close behind me and i saw smoke and/or dust coming from the rear of the van. i thought i had blown a tire but when i got out and looked all the tires were fine although i thought the rear tires were tilted toward each other. when my husband came to pick me up, we looked under the rear of the van and noticed that the rear axle had broken almost in half. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact inspected the vehicle and detected that the subframe exhibited substantial rust corrosion. the vehicle had not been diagnosed. the contact had concern of the potential safety hazard. the failure mileage was 90,000. the vin was unavailable.

Front subframe rusted through at passenger side mounting point requiring replacement of the front subframe. the condition was noticed immediately after failure due to a change in the direction of the steering wheel and a popping noise during turns, confirmed and repaired at an independent repair shop before any further damage accumulated. i noticed a recall issued on kias of the same vintage for the same problem. *tr

2001 windstar was fishtailing when i hit bumps. looked under there and the rear axle was cracked. only hanging together by less than 1" got another from a junkyard and it is cracking now too. safety issue!! ford should pay!!! *tr

My wife lost control of vehicle, 2001 windstar, 71,000 miles, right front lower control rod broke loose from engine cradle and she lost control of steering. i had vehicle towed to ford dealership. subframe rusted out at right lower control rod mounting, vehicle is not driven in winter,do not understand how this could have rusted out and caused a possible catastrophic failure. subframe has been ordered, estimate for repairs from ford dealer is $2,000.00. i have not contacted ford motor company, it appears that they do not care about this failure judging from other customer complaints for the same failure. if this is caused by water dripping from the ac compressor or a defect in the subframe metal, ford should be assisting in these repairs. i have been a loyal ford customer for 30 years and can not believe they would not help with this type of safety issue. *tr

Before ford recalled for this problem, my rear axle broke in half at 65 mph on the highway resulting in loss of control and fumes filling the car from tires rubbing against wheel wells. in march of 2011 ford recalled and reinforced the subframe. inspection is now due on my vehicle and my mechanic will not pass it due to the installment of the recalled reinforcement. reportedly the installation was performed and attached to an equally as corroded part and failure is once again imminent. i returned the vehicle to the ford dealer that made the recall repair and was told that it is indeed safe. i am now stuck with a potential repair bill of $700.00 that will not fix the problem due to the model year parts having the same issues, or just driving the vehicle until failure occurs (again) and going back to ford with a lawsuit as i cannot in good conscience sell this vehicle to anyone else. *tr

I own a 2001 ford windstar. a little over a year ago i was driving with my family southbound on the henry hudson bridge, driving to manhattan from the bronx in nyc. i was proceeding at approximately 50 mph, the speed limit for that road. i was driving along when all of a sudden the entire front end of the vehicle collapsed. the front-end sub-assembly completely failed! i lost complete control of steering for the vehicle. the vehicle began to swerve, but i was able to apply the brakes and eventually stop the vehicle before a collision with other vehicles occurred. the entire front-end sub-assembly had to be replaced. the repair work, including parts and labor, cost me approximately $2,000.00 out of pocket. i contacted the ford dealer where i bought the vehicle, but they refused to compensate me for the damages. i just read an article in the wall street journal that the nhtsa is investigating ford motor company for this very problem. *tr

While driving 2001 ford windstar on a 1-hour trip toward home, i noticed the back wheels fish tailing that occurred in every rough spot in the road. i immediately thought the tire was going flat and pulled over to check it. since the tires visually looked fine, i drove to the next exit to a gas station and checked the tire air pressure and found it was at proper levels. i was still unsure what could cause the "fish tailing" or "hydroplaning" feeling, yet i was able to make it the rest of the way home without a major accident; although my car kept "fishtailing".. the next morning, my husband took the windstar to a service mechanic to inspect the tires. what he found was a rear axle that was "rusted from the inside out" about 3/4 of the way. the mechanic's initial estimate is $1000 (for replacement of new axle and labor). we are relieved that the rear axle didn't break while we were driving as the car could have flipped and killed all of us. what could cause corrosion on the inside? the rear axle should be made to never corrode or break under normal road driving conditions. after researching on the internet, i have found other 8 year old, same make/model windstar owners reporting the same conditions. this is an unsafe part especially noting that people are keeping their cars longer due to economy. ford should own up to this part failure and recall and replace this part at no charge to the owners immediately! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repairs under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields). the dealer advised that due to excessive corrosion of the frame, the rocker panels were defective and would collapse. the manufacturer was contacted who was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to consult with the local dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 170,000.

I started hearing a knocking -- popping noise whenever i turned the wheel. i took it to the mechanic and he said it could be the buckles in the steering rack. when i brought the van to be fixed, the mechanic stated that my problems are worse than that. the rear axle carrier is cracked and needs to be replaced and the front subframe to body is almost completely rusted through and needs to be replaced. he stated that he has seen this problem alot in 2001 ford wnidstars with mileage over 100,000 miles. my van has 108,000 miles. i have had many problems with this van including replacing struts, steering rack, abs lights constantly on the dash. check engine light on. all these issues have been addressed and still no resolution. i am very frustrated. this latest "mechanical" issue going to cost me way above $2000. i have always driven ford cars/vans. i am not sure if given the opportunity, if i would buy another ford vehicle. i am very disappointed with ford. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while attempting to make a left turn at an unknown speed, the vehicle made a very loud banging noise. the dealer stated that the engine cradle was rotted out. the repair cost was estimated at more than $500. the failure and current mileages were less than 110,000. updated 04-23-09 updated 04/24/09.*jb

The cradle on my 2001 ford winstar broke off on the passenger side due to rust. other side is fine. but in the passenger is totally broken off, making popping and cracking noises. vehicle is unsafe to drive. *tr

I own a 2001 ford windstar and while driving the rear axle beam snapped in half this should not happen this is not a isolated event ford should be held accountable for this. *tr

While pulling out of my driveway, the rear axle on my ford windstar snapped in half. clean break with both rear tires holding up the rear of the car. *tr

In 2008, i experienced a failure of the subframe on my 2001 ford windstar cargo van. i do mostly small-town driving - i.e. not over 45 mph, with occasional trips on the nys thruway. i purchased the van used at 57,000 miles from johnson ford, kingston, ny. the failure occurred at 85,419 miles. i drove my van to a local business at about 45 mph, a distance of 4-5 miles. that day or the day previous i had heard a funny noise as i turned the wheel, but it was not repeated. (i realized afterward that this was the sound of the subframe cracking, but it was not loud enough to really raise any concern when i heard it.) on the day of the failure, i arrived at my destination, parked my car, and a few minutes later, when i came out of the store, i discovered that my tires had apparently broken off and were leaning inward , the car was undrivable. i had it towed to my local mechanic and he was able to find me a used subframe to replace the one that broke. there was. of course, no information from ford at that time regarding this defect. i have now (feb. 2011) received a recall and had my subframe checked by the dealer and am waiting for the call about a "reinforcement kit", while still being expected to drive this vehicle. i do not consider this a safe vehicle, with or without the "reinforcement" . i believe that ford should be compelled to buy back all windstars still on the road as they were improperly engineered and therefore violated nhtsa law as to merchantability. i want a vehicle whose parts are all safe, not a vehicle patched together with epoxy and baling wire. my life and everybody else's lives are at risk from any of these vehicles that are left on the roads. i am unwilling to drive this vehicle anymore, and i am now compelled to purchase a new vehicle, which i cannot afford. for the present i am borrowing a vehicle from a family member, which is ok in the short-term, but it doesn't address my long-term needs. *tr

The lower control a-arm on the passenger side broke loose from the frame causing the van to dropto the ground. this luckly happened when i just pulled into a parking spot in front of a wendy's. *tr

Rear subframe axle assembly part #2f2z 4b435 aa broke in half causing loss of control of vehicle & loss of brakes. *tr

I own a 2001 ford windstar. i noticed strange sound when cornering and brought car to dealer. the rear axle is severely cracked. being a front wheel drive car, the rear axle is more of a stabilizer, an inverted, u shaped length of steel. crack is half way up one side of u and over the top. $500 part plus labor would be $1000+ repair. still deciding to repair or scrap car. it is too unsafe to drive. dealer states they've never seen anything like it. on web boards, i have seen several cracked / broken axle complaints. this is a real safety issue. axles should be inspected for cracks. the vehicle was not involved in any collision or incident and dealer can vouch for maintenance record. dealer thinks crack started small and grew with each turn - especially when turning over a hill or into a low point in the road when flex pressure is largest. they've worked on car several times over past year ' replacing brakes . . . the crack is glaring now and hard to miss. i agree that it probably started small. axles on windstars should be examined carefully for hairline cracks which will grow. *tr

We had just left the expressway. we pulled into a parking lot and went to turn into a parking space and the shaft which was attached to the wheel connecting it from the frame to the wheel, broke at the point of the factory weld causing the wheels to do the "splits"and pulling out the driveshaft from the transmission. the dealer called the car "totalled" .this car is in great condition except for the metal socket holding the tie rod from the wheel to the frame allowing the drive shaft to be yanked out. this is a factory weld that broke and if it had broken while on the freeway, we could have been killed. ford motor refused to do anything to remedy the situation. *tr

Had just gotten onto highway going about 45 mph ,changed lanes to accelerate and felt like a tire blew out ,heard something dragging, luckily exited off quickly pulled over to find that rear axel had broke and both tires were on their way to caving in. no accident or injury-thank god. called ford dealership and was told no recalls on axles and this was a "common occurrence." *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the rear sliding doors would not unlock. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 103,000.

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact took the vehicle to a repair shop for inspection and the mechanic explained that the subframe and engine cradle were rusted and needed to be replaced. the mechanic further stated that the failure was very uncommon. the contact believes that this is a manufacturer defect. the failure seems to originate from the air conditioning unit. through online research, the contact found numerous others experiencing the same failure. the manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for the failure; therefore, they expected the contact to pay for the repairs. the current and failure mileages were 108,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that during routine inspection for an oil service, a mechanic located excessive rust in the engines sub frame. engine failure while driving increases the risk of vehicle crash.the vehicle has not been repaired. he notified the dealer and the manufacturer of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 87,000.

The exterior and underpart of the van has tons of rust on it. the exterior is the least of my worries, but all the metal pieces under the car continue to rust like no other. *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

Nhtsa expands ford windstar corrosion probe to front subframes. i have not had an accident due to this but have had to have the h-frame in the front of my windstar replaced due to corrosion where the driver side front wheel connection had corroded through and the wheel was going to potentially come off. it was making a lot of noise and not performing correctly so my mechanic took a look to see if the shocks, ball joints needed replacement. he found the h-frame corroded and required replacing. this was 2 year ago and cost about $2000 to replace. i am now having issues with my rear end which is causing loud noises going over bumps and vibrating at speed. went to the same mechanic and he says that the u-frame holding up the rear end is cracked and corroded. eventually it will break through and drop the car. since this is a 2001 ford windstar with 80,000 miles, i have decided not to undergo the repairs but to look for a new vehicle. the windstar has been garage kept for its entire life. *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

There was no crash or injury, i was just wanting to know if there was a recall on the paint on a 2001 windstar. i just bought one and did not realize the roof paint is peeling. i called the dealer and i guess i am screwed. *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. the contact noticed that the paint on the roof and rear of the vehicle had abnormal discoloration and was becoming progressively worse. two months later, he noticed water leaking through the windshield. a professional technician stated that the hooks holding the windshield together were defective. the vehicle has not been repaired. the dealer stated that there were no recalls regarding this failure. the failure mileage was 55,000 and current mileage was 63,000.

Paint blistering and coming off, 2001 ford windstar se, color is emerald. has come off on the hood down to bare metal and also the panels under the doors. *tr

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

Front sub frame rusted through front end collapsed while driving 25 mph. *tr

There is a re-occurring door failure and extensive rust damage on 2001 ford windstar. the first incident occurred in oct 2006 when the front stabilizer bar failed causing the van to loose control. ford will not release the record of repair. my van is a modified wheelchair van and we are experiencing a severe sag in the floor on the passenger side, have had to replace the transmission, had multiple repairs due to rust and yesterday the top guide rail for the sliding door cracked and the top of door fell down almost hitting the car next to me. the tracks are extremely rusted and as the floorboard, becoming a safety hazard. i believe the rust issue in this vehicle are far more extensive than the 2 recalls currently in place. this may also be acerbated by authorized modifications to allow wheelchair access. in essence, the van is rusting apart. *tr

The passenger front door opened as the consumer turned a corner. the door was closed and there was no indication from the computer it was ajar. *jb

On 3/22/05 i was completely stopped at a traffic light with no-one behind my van when my back liftgate window exploded. this is the second window in the past 5 months to explode in my van. (see complaint of incident 10-23-04) the only commonality between these events was that both mornings were cool and the inside of the van had been warmed for 20-30 minutes. the dealer and glass repair company asked if the frame had been bent in the past, but this van has never been in an accident of any kind -not even a fender-bender.*ak

While the vehicle was parked, the rear liftgate window shattered twice. *ak with both occurrences, the weather was moderate, parked, locked and unoccupied, no keys were in the ignition. *sc

On 10/22/04 i dropped my child at school, and exiting the parking lot the left rear side window of my 2001 windstar van exploded. i was in a school parking lot, traveling approximately 10 mph. on 3/22/05 i was completely stopped at a traffic light with no-one behind my van when my back liftgate window exploded. the only commonality between these events was that both mornings were cool and the inside of the van had been warmed for 20-30 minutes. *ak

Sliding door shut on its own. toddler was caught in the door, and the door struck his hand. there should be a sensor for people exiting or entering the vehicle.*ak

Numerous things have gone wrong since we bought the vehicle. items covered under warranty: electric seat stopped working twice, and transmission wouldn't shift when it was supposed to. items not covered under warranty: brakes replaced at 30,000+ miles-told was normal for them to wear out so quickly; rack and pinion replaced at around 55,000 miles; months after brakes replaced, brakes grind loudly when coming to a stop (brakes checked numerous times, but was told they were ok); abs brake light comes on and stays on after driving (not illuminated on start up, but comes on later); back dome light not secure-falls out; dome lights sometimes come on when braking; check engine light on for months, didn't have it checked, but turned off by itself; sliding door drags-rusted on vechicle frame.*ak