Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 60 mph, a clunking type noise was present coming from the subframe and the vehicle became unstable. upon inspection, it was discovered that the front passenger side subframe mounts separated due to rusting. the cause of the rust was not determined. the vehicle was previously repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure); however, the failure continued. toycen ford (1000 chippewa crossing blvd, chippewa falls, wi) and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 220,000.

Rear axle broke under the bracket ford put on the axle for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband, 4 kids and myself when all of a sudden i heard a loud noise and my tire rubbing the wheel well. pulled over immediately and looked under the rear end of my van and i could see the brake. had it towed home. called ford and towed my van to the dealership. paid $300 between towing bill's and a service charge just to hear ford tell me they won't do anything to help me and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact took the vehicle to a aaa repair facility for inspection. the mechanic placed the vehicle on a lift and found rust and corrosion on the axles and subframe. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and found the same rust and corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension) was referenced. the failure mileage was 147,131.

This is due to a recall. the rear axle and subframe snapped and ford is not honoring fixing it even though it happened at the repair site of recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the subframe on the rear passenger sliding door was rusted and became stuck when attempting to be opened. the contact had to lift up the door and put it back on the door track so that it could close. the vehicle was taken to fair oaks ford lincoln (1351 e ogden ave, naperville, il, (630) 357-7100) where it was diagnosed that the door had a rusted hole through the frame. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 12,595.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the subframe had rusted and a hole was present located behind the front driver side wheel. the hole was approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. also, the instrument cluster would randomly stop operating. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the local dealer (dick brantmeier ford in sheboycan, wi) was notified along with the manufacturer, but no assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Hello i was driving my 2003 ford windstar minivan. i purchased around march 2016 i was taking my kids to school when the rear axel broke. i looked under and it looks like ford put enforcement brackets on it but it is broke at one of the brackets . thankfully i was able to keep control of my vehicle. 20 minutes later i would've been on the freeway. one man has already lost his life from the same thing with this vehicle. i have a lady from ford offering to give me any information she has because it is not right and there is things she has that i cannot find. i looked up my year on the vehicle and what was wrong and realized there are thousands of people with the same problem. not only that there has been three recalls since 2010 for the same thing. ford put brackets on to fix the first problem instead of just fixing the problem. that explains my brackets. ford realized the brackets wasn't working so in 2015 offered to replace them for 300 dollars. even though it was there fault. but that expired in dec 2015. i purchased the car around february march 2016. the problem is if its happening with so many windstar's why not fix the problem in the beginning instead of patching it and taking the easy way out. i'm sure the mans family and kids that lost there loved ones wish this would've been taken care of the right way. i was on the phone all day thursday with ford there not offering to help at all. there telling me it will be over 1,000 dollars to fix it. so we almost lost our lives someone could've died thankfully were okay. we have no vehicle the stress of getting kids to school and work and what we are going to do. i have 5 children plus 2 i have taken legal custody of from children services there is no way i can pay that. all because ford didn't want to fix it right and just replace it the first time around. how does a safety recall ever expire.

The passenger side sub frame has rusted through. the dealer had done the recall repair and still right in the spot of the repair the sub frame cracked and split. ford says there is nothing they can do even though this is a known issue and their repair didn't resolve the issue.

When i was pulling out of a parking lot onto a busy highway i could smell rubber burnig and i heard and felt a big loud bang,.then there was smoke all around van.it was the rear axle/ sub-frame fracture and yes there were recalls and work was done by ford dealer thank god me and my children were not hurt or killed this was very scary..

The rear axle on my vehicle cracked and caused my tires to rub against my vehicle, damaging brand new tires. when bringing the vehicle to the shop, was told that a patch had previously been made on the vehicle, but it was done badly and did not hold. ford would do nothing to right this and denied that there was a recall on the vehicle. i was driving to school while this occurred on city streets. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle a clunking noise was present coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the sub frame had cracked and separated due to rust and corrosion. the vehicle had previously been repaired under a related recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 236,000. *tr

Our engine cradle recently broke and needs to be replaced. we just found out this falls under recall number 15v608 (ford recall # 15s27). we would like this to be resolved at little or no cost to us, but we are unsure how to start the process with a recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while attempting to turn into the driveway, the contact heard a clunking noise and a snap. the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the subframe fractured and the tie rod snapped. the vehicle was not drivable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was invalid. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle independently veered to the left. the contact was able to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving various speeds, there was a noise underneath the vehicle. in addition, the steering wheel became loose and the contact had to steer the vehicle in excess to keep it in position. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the cradle fractured due to corrosion and the rack and pinion was protruding through the fractured site. the mechanic stated that the cradle needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 273,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while in park, the steering wheel seized. as a result, the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine cradle had corroded and needed to be replaced. the mechanic also stated that the cradle was previously glued. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 121,000.

The rear axle on our 2003 ford windstar cracked while my daughter was driving it. thank goodness it did not result in an accident and she was able to pull into a nearby lot. we purchased this vehicle new and it has been rusting from the inside out and now the axle. we did have the recall "brackets" placed on the vehicle, however, it appears they did not work! ford needs to take care of this issue with its customers and needs to understand a vehicle purchase is a difficult expense for most individuals. not only do most of us expect the vehicle to last, but we do not expect to be in danger because of negligence and cost-cutting measures that save them money, while screwing the consumer financially. this is completely unacceptable and i can only hope for the sake of all the consumers that have been affected by this negligence, there is serious consideration given to the litigation of this issue on behalf of hard-working people.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for a routine inspection and it was noticed that the rear axle had extensive rust and corrosion. the part needed to be replaced. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v608000 (suspension), 12v195000 (suspension), 12v194000 (suspension), and 10v385000 (suspension). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution. the failure mileage was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while at the local dealer for a recall repair, the technician diagnosed that the rear axle was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 187,000. update 01/15/16 ma *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while the vehicle was being serviced for nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000(suspension), the technician informed the contact that the rear axle corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to the axle replacement not being included in the recall. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the contact was informed that the recall only covered the bracket and only the ends of the axle were covered under the recall. the failure mileage was 141,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the contact was informed that the front subframe was severely corroded. the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be inspected because it was unsafe to use a lift to inspect underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

I was driving down the road . in muncie indiana . the rear end on the right side went down all most caused me to wreck . found o ut that day when i got it to the auto garage that the rear end had rusted threw . at 66,000 miles . how can a company put out crap like this that might have coast me my life ? it would have if i was not a semi driver when i was working . and new how to handle a van in case of a problem like this u have me to thank that no one was killed . i think ford needs to fix this problem for me .

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated issue and they discovered that the rear frame exhibited cracks. in 2011, the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v195000 (suspension); however, at the time of the repair the contact had not experienced a failure. the vehicle was not repaired for most recent failure. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 231,000.

Vehicle on lift for oil change when mechanic noted that the sub-frame was rotted through on the driver side just above and in front of the wheel. he also noted that a repair bracket had been installed as part of the recall on the part of the frame behind the wheel. he said he would not drive the car too much longer without getting it repaired. he advised that i should take the vehicle to the dealer and advise ford which i did. ford declined to offer any assistance since it was beyond the recall warranty period. the reinforcement bracket was obviously not sufficient to repair the corrosion damage to the complete sub-frame. *tr

Rear axle recall was inspected in 2/17/2011 by the dealer and was noted no cracks and just put some brackets. today 3/23/2015 went for a state inspection to the same dealer and failed due to crack in the rear axle(that was once recalled). now dealer/ford states that the recall was once managed, and no longer responsible for further issues... if an item was recalled, it should be fixed without cost. please address this with ford. thank you *tr

The frame cracked on the rear frame underneath the bracket that was put on for the recall repair. the bracket didn't hold. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 2-3 mph, the front passenger side wheel detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wheel detached from the shaft and needed to be replaced. the independent mechanic made the contact aware of a manufacturer's recall for the sub frame. the vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was confirmed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the dealer refused to repair the sub frame due to safety hazards during the repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown.

I have a 2003 windstar ford mini van. about 2 1/2 years ago they put a patch fix on the rear axle that was so when the axle breaks instead of the wheels separating it holds it together. well recently i was on my way to a major highway i thought my brakes locked up, but in actuality the patch fix broke and so did my axle. so a big thankyou for almost killing my 2 children in the back seat, does ford motors care? no they don't! because when i called the dealership they said ford is aware of this ongoing problem with numerous complaints and will not fix it again. but i can buy another part for $800.00. if they are aware of the problem and the patch was not a safe fix then why bother at all! i feel this company should put their children in the back seat and then maybe they would actually care to find a safe fix. *tr

Van started making a loud metal banging noise while on vacation. took to a local shop where i was shown that the subframe ( where the ac water leaks down) was completely rotted thru and broken, making the van unsafe to drive/ the van already had brackets on the subframe and rear axle installed by ford just weeks earlier, but this was not repaired or addressed. *tr

My wife driving to work thursday 40 mph and rear axle broke. left rear tire forced against wheel well causing significant smoke and tire damage. passing car flag my wife down and got her to pull over. when i checked it out later in the day found that rear axle was broke and not drivable. cost to fix at my total expense 1030.00 plus tax plus new tire. recall was performed in 2011 at kistler ford to install some kind of rear axle supports and also something done to reinforce front subframe. axle in back looks like it broke inside the reinforcements on or near the left side. kistler ford service manager stated he has seen this happen a few times after recall repair and ford not willing to take care of additional issues after the recall. that does not seem acceptable to me. seems their recall repair not sufficient. kistler ford service manager nor myself a(54yr old) have ever heard of axles failing under normal circumstances ever. this should never happen. this will kill and injure additional people. what if my wife driving 70mph down the highway when this happened? we were planning on taking my family of 5 to the smokey mountains end of this month. this could have been a terrible disaster. we bought this car new in 2003 keeping it well maintained with intention of passing it down to our 20,19 and 16 year old. there are reports of accidents and at least 1 death as the result of this defect. something needs to be done. i also recommended they examine the front subframe since there may be issues with that repair from reports seen on the internet. do not want to fix the rear and have that go bad also. sounds like they need to take these vehicles off the road. i have some pictures of the rear axle. *tr

Ford came out and tool my car to [xxx] cunningham to fix my call on a safety recall dated 2/28/2014 then refuse to fix my car state ford refuse to pay home for the recall repair he said i have to pay out of pocket. all repair are free of charge my car still at the shop at the shop because the front wheel cause by the power train axle assembly nhtsa 12v193000 and 11v030000 11s16 and 10s13 3/11/2014. can i get a copy of these recall mail to me thanks my car is still at [xxx] for 3 weeks now please help no renter was given to me as part of the recall. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the front axle fractured and resulted in the detachment of the front driver's side wheel. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. there was a recall related to the defect under nhtsa campaign id number 12v194000 (suspension). the dealer was contacted but refused to repair the vehicle for an unknown reason. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was unavailable. updated 04/22/14 ma

Mini van steering started making clunking noise while turning. then i notice steering wheel is not straight when car is driving straight and something was wrong with alignment. automechanic told me passenger side sub-frame rotted out and minivan is unsafe to drive. i investigated potential recall of windstar minivans - i am very upset that this could have caused me to crash on the highway. only a very thin piece of metal remains holding the frame in place. minivan is undrivable and need to replace subframe. *tr

The issue with my vehicle is with its subframe. the front driver's side portion of it is rusting out. i took it in on 11/4/13 to a licensed vehicle service place for a regular oil change, only to have the mechanic tell me the subframe is rusting out. after learning this news (and viewing the subframe myself to observe the condition), i took it into a ford dealership to have it further inspected. the second inspection was on 11/7/13. at the local ford dealership, they also inspected the rear axle (which was part of a ford recall in the past). the dealership could see where an attempt to apply some type of coating to it another time did not change the fact that there was now a six-inch crack running down the center of the axle. a service consultant from the dealership took many pictures to send to ford. i did not drive my vehicle home that day. a ford rep came in the next day, and one of the things he was to do was to inspect my vehicle. from what i was told, and from what the initial ford service consultant said, was that it was a unanimous recommendation to ford to replace the subframe. ford, however, refused, even after many attempts to have the "why" question answered, and they would not provide an answer. before our ownership of the vehicle, when the initial subframe recall existed, the vehicle's subframe apparently was not corroding profusely in 2011. brackets were installed, and the problem was considered "fixed." less than a year and a half into our ownership of the vehicle, the subframe is rotting, and ford will do nothing to repair it as she told me today (11/12/13) in my conversation with [xxx] from ford (1-800-392-ford). though they have the pictures somewhere in their system, they have considered the case closed. our family vehicle can not be safely used for the family. please hold ford accountable for the safety of their vehicles. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Rear axle completely snapped in two. also, the van has the abs and brake lights are on took in for a code read and nothing. the electrical acts very strange music and lights fade in and out and the cruise control is very jerky. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while reversing at unknown speeds, he heard an abnormal noise. upon inspection, it was found that the rear axle was fractured and the front sub frame was completely rusted. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id numbers: 11v030000 (structure) and 12v195000 (suspension). the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failures were confirmed. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

There was a safety recall initiated by ford for corrosion of the engine cradle - 2003 ford windstar structure: frame and members:underbody shields nhtsa campaign #11v030000. ford repaired the left side only, leaving the right side rusted and now several significant rust holes have appeared on the right side. ford disclaims any responsibility saying that they made the repair properly but i claim they made the repair inadequately. bad metal is bad metal and regardless of the fact that the holes were discovered over a year later is inapplicable as good metal does not rust through to the point of creating a safety hazard. if the engine cradle fails, the engine will fall from the vehicle, potentially while moving. gas will spew across the road and a fireball will ignite. other drivers will either hit the engine, swerve to miss it and hit other vehicles, and/or get caught in the inferno which will cause significant damage, human harm and needless deaths. ford initiated this safety recall because there was this safety issue and the issue remains. safety was not improved by simply repairing one side of the engine cradle allowing the other side to corrode to the point of sizeable rust holes being created in a short period of time following the initial inadequate repair. once a safety recall is initiated, it is in the best interests of the public to ensure that the repair is properly and completely made and therefore that the safety issue is fully resolved.

Mechanics at big mike naughton aurora denver ford, inc, and private mechanic discovered rust and cracks through out rear axle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the sub-frame exhibited a hole due to rust and corrosion. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where the contact was advised that there was a hole in the sub-frame. the dealer was notified of the failure who then advised that there were no recalls for the sub-frame. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who filed a complaint for the contact. the failure mileage was 139,379.

The rear drivers side automatic sliding door does not always shut all the way. it also does not usually open without pulling the lock at the same time as trying to open it. *tr

My dealership just confirmed that the front (passenger) side engine mount that is part of the subframe has corrosion to the extent that there are two perforations completely through the engine mount. i was told that the recall for the subframe has closed and that there is no recourse for getting financial assistance with this. however, the service manager ([xxx]) also admitted that the extent of corrosion and perforation did not occur in one year ( i had the original recall service done in may of 2011). therefore, i question why they did not bring this to attention of the recall and include the repair accordingly. this is a safety issue and i would appreciate any help you can give me. the dealership where i had the service performed is roy o'brien ford in st. claire shores mi and their phone number is 586-776-7600. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: under-body shields) however, the dealer recommended that the sub-frame also be replaced, due to corrosion. the manufacturer was made aware of the dealer 's recommendation to replace the sub-frame, but the manufacturer denied any assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 70,000.

About march of 2012 my 2003 ford wind star's lower control arm separated from the sub frame "engine cradle". i took my van to dealer. they did do a repair to sub frame, which i did not find satisfactory, ford corp. had them cut off what was left of any damaged brackets and clamp steel brackets onto a sub frame that is already damaged due to heavy rust and corrosion. now about one year later "march of 2013" the sway bar mount, which is part of the sub frame has rusted out. making driving very unsafe and unstable. this problem should have been rectified when the recall was done in 2012. i took van back to the dealer. they sent pictures to ford corp. ford did not approve any repairs to sub frame stating that it was not part of original recall. now how is that possible if the sub frame and sway bar mount are all one component. it's all one welded piece of steel. there is no fix at this time but to replace the sub frame. now if the sub frame is under recall and the sway bar mount is part of the sub frame, then i feel ford should rectify the problem. i plan on keeping my ford wind star for a while. i feel this is a serious safety issue and really needs to be dealt with. ford should cover this component or they get away with an unsatisfactory fix and i still have to pay for a new sub frame, which was the whole issue to begin with. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while parked, the contact noticed the rear driver and passenger doors would not open from the interior. the contact exited the vehicle and opened the doors from the exterior so the passengers could exit the vehicle. the same failure occurred to the rear lift gate. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated the vehicle was recently repaired under the nhtsa campaign id number 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields. the remedy repair consisted of attaching a bracket to the rear subframe. after the repair was performed, the vehicle began to vibrate excessively and the bracket protruded into the transmission and caused a hole. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect and they were unable to provide further assistance pertaining to the repair. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

2003 ford windstar, inspected for rear axle corrosion recall, passed and parts added in mar 2011. at the same time the rear axle was fixed the vehicle was inspected for front subframe recall and passed. aug 18-2011 the passenger side lower control arm broke while driving at approx 20mph. no letter was ever received from ford to add parts to front subframe (confirmed by a phonecall to ford canada) how did they pass this as it failed 1500 kms later. not feeling safe to drive it again (ford is going to fix it!) *tr