Problems with 1999 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

I own a ford windstar and had to have the rear axle replaced due to it breaking almost in half. there was about an inch or so left before a complete break occurred. my mechanic said it was lucky it didn't snap completely. about a month before we noticed the car would have trouble swaying a lot when going over bumps and in the rain increasing in severity as time went on before we had it replaced. our mechanic even sent us a picture of the axle after it was removed. *tr

1999 ford windstar - broken rear axle - van made minor clunking noises at low speed over bumps. on the highway, the van acted like the rear end was loose / tracking badly. a flashlight inspection at home showed a large open-gaped crack in the rear axle. negative camber noticeable on driver-side rear tire. there are numerous examples on internet car forums with photographs documenting identical axle failures. some reports mentioned total failures that led to motor vehicle accidents. the van is presently at a ford dealer pending repair. dealer personnel had no knowledge of this issue. i am extremely concerned for windstar owners that may not be aware of the problem. windstars are often used as school vehicles. i hope present windstar owners can be notified prior to any fatality occurring. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving approximately 5 to 10 mph, the contact heard a loud noise after completing a turn. he noticed that the rear axle cracked. the manufacturer took a report; however, the vehicle was out of warranty and they would not assist with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact wants the manufacturer to pay for the repair. the failure and current mileages were 135,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact stated that the front coil spring failed and punctured the tire. the vehicle was towed and the coil spring and tire were replaced at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 116,000. updated 10/14/08 *bf updated 10/16/08. *jb

My husband was driving with my daughter leaving the driveway, the car was difficult to drive. he said it felt like the brakes were stuck or rusty, we had not driven the van in about 7 days. he continued to drive thinking the brakes would release and the car would be fine. when he realized that was not the issue and it was something more serious he immediately came home and we inspected the front drivers side tire and found the coil spring was resting on the tire and rubbing. the smell of burning rubber was apparent as he drove back in the driveway. we took of the tire and found the front drivers side coil spring had broken near the bottom. we are currently getting estimates to replace the one coil spring, our first estimate from a ford dealer was $400 to $450, with out seeing the car, it is not drivable. we are uncertain at this time if the tire also needs to be replaced or if there is other damage we can't see. old part will be retained by us after the vehicle is fixed. *tr

Our 1999 ford windstar began to shake and then rear axel cracked in half while traveling approx. 60 mph on the highway. luckily we were able to get to the side of the road safely...i still do not know how my husband was able to do that as there was so much "smoke" (from the metal rubbing the road and the tires riding at an angle) and it was dark outside and we had to get over 2 lanes. part was replaced at our own expense. this was not the first one the mechanic had seen. this incident happened spring 2008 but i just read on the internet of the pending investigation and had not previously known where to report it. when we reported it to ford, they just tried to get us to want to buy a new car from them. also, we told friends of ours that have a 2000 windstar to watch out for the shaking and to get it checked. well several months later they began to experience shaking and took it in and the mechanic saw that it was ready to break and replaced it before any harm was done. thank god we were all unhurt...the next people may not be so lucky! we no longer own this vehicle. *tr

Driving in the 93 southbound tunnel near exit 23 the rear axle of my vehicle snapped in half. nothing has been done yet, ford refuses to provide financial responsibility. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving between 35-40 mph, the rear axle fractured in half without warning. the vehicle was pulled over and towed. he stated that there was surface rust on the vehicle, but nothing that would cause the axle to fracture. the contact does not know the extent of the damages at this time. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 84,000. updated 06/17/08. *lj

While driving on the highway my wife noticed excessive bouncing of the rear end when driving over 50 miles per hour. i had her drive it to the local dealer and sure enough the left rear wheel was bouncing like crazy. the dealer found a severe crack in the rear axle and replaced it along with both rear shocks and rear tires. this occurred in feb. of 2008. *tr

Rear axle broke in half. *tr

Front coil springs are broken. *tr

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

My ford windstar 1999 has the front spring coil fractured causing the spring to barely touch the tire and eventually would deflate the tire. this front spring coil problem is currently the recall for windstar 1997-98, but not 1999. the recall for 1997-98 is nhtsa recall no. 01v199/ford recall no. 01s19. this recall should apply to 1999 too since it has the same problem. *tr

1999 ford windstar transmission went up. consumer states that the control arm fell off in march. consumer again stated the transmission needs to be replaced again. *kb

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. while driving 40 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle. he noticed that the front passenger side tire had flattened. upon changing the tire, he discovered that the coil spring had failed. the vehicle was towed to the repair shop. the failure recurred at 116,948 miles with the front driver side tire. the current mileage is 119,000 and failure mileage was 116,948. the consumer stated the first incident lost control near intersection going 40 mph and inspected vehicle found tire blew out and left front coil in tire. the consumer further stated the 2nd incident was in a parking lot going 10-15mph and tire blew out found broken right front coil in tire. the consumer provided repair invoices. updated 09/05/07 *tr

I was driving my 1999 ford windstar doing 40 to 45 miles per hour when all of a sudden something broke. a passer by tried to push the vehicle off the road but was unsuccessful. i ended up having to call a tow truck to have the vehicle towed. turned out the problem was the bracket that is attached to the frame of the vehicle that the lower control arm connects to snapped off the frame with the control arm still attached to it. in addition to this problem it pulled the driveshaft away from the transmission. therefore this is going to be a costly repair because of a defective piece of metal during the manufacturing of the van. therefore at the moment i am unable to use the vehicle and will have to wait until i get the money to repair it. as far as i'm concerned i will not buy a ford ever again!! *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while having a general maintenance inspection performed by a dealer, it was determined the left front coil spring was fractured and needed to be replaced. there were no previous problems with the front suspension to indicate a failure. there was a nhtsa recall, # 04v332000, regarding the front coil springs. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph the stabilizer and rocker arm brackets broke. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. upon inspection the mechanic determined the brackets broke due to rust. a few days before the failure the consumer's father heard a noise in the front passenger side of the van. the mechanic informed the contact the brackets needed to be replaced. updated 4/4/2006 - *nm

This viehicle is mostly driven in the city going to the store and taking kids to and from school. the left front spring broke and is rubbing in the tire. dealership was contacted and i was told based only on the year given that there was a recall on the springs. when the vin number was given i was informed that vin number was not covered. i feel that replacing both front springs and my damaged tire should be fords responsabilty due to the fact they have shown a known history for haveing these springs brake. i was also told by the dealership that it would be rare to have a recall on a vehicle 16 years old.

Dt: the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar lx. the front coil spring broke in half . if contact had not stopped the vehicle it would have blown out the tire. the spring was in the tire. there was a recall on 1995-1998, but it did not cover the 1999 models. the vehicle was taken to the dealershipto replace the coil spring. the coil spring broke on the passenger's side but the dealership replaced the driver's side coil spring as well because it looked like it was going to break. the cost of repairs was $900 charged to the consumer. *ak

Dt: while the caller's son was driving bout 65 mph the control arm separated from the sub frame, and the vehicle started to wobble. he pulled off the road and that is when the tire came loose. vehicle had to be towed home. dealer said they would do nothing for free. manufacturer said the vehicle was out of warranty and offered no help for free. *ak

Dt: ford winstar 1999 front coil spring broke and puctured the front tire. *ak

1. 99 windstar, front coil spring failure, 71,000 miles, spring fractured sitting in the driveway 2. unable to obtain replacement parts, no estimated delivery time for backordered springs from ford 3.no solution from ford other than wait

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

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

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

While pulling out of the driveway left front coil spring broke. dealer was notified. dealer informed consumer that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was abnormally pulling to the right in would sporadically become stuck in park. on a separate occasion the contact was driving 30 mph when the check engine and overdrive warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where unknown repairs were performed yet the failure persisted after the repairs. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times where several unknown repairs were made but to no avail. in addition, the contact stated that the battery was replaced five times and the she was recently made aware of two open recalls on the vehicle; nhtsa campaign id numbers: 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly) and 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). neither recall repair had yet been performed on the vehicle. the failure mileage was 127,445 and the approximate current mileage was 150,000.

While driving at 45 mph consumer noticed that the vehicle was running roughly. several seconds later, engine check light came on. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed consumer that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. the intake manifold gasket was sucked into the engine, causing the engine to bind. *ak dealer also made repairs on front end, power steering, electrical system, and tie rod ends. a 4-wheel alignment was also performed by the dealer. *la

* vehicle leans since purchased sept 13, 2003. * allignment problems. * transmission does not properly change gears. * low treads on tires. * a frame problems. * suspension steering makes a clunking noise. * brakes must be pumped to stop, and make a ticking noise when applied. * vehicle has overheated. * power steering fluid leaked. * gears do not shift properly. * primer scotch guard on seats wearing after coat applied.

The consumer complained about an alignment problem. the vehicle pulled to the left and made a ticking noise underneath the vehicle when the brakes were applied. the vehicle was constantly in the repair shop but the mechanic are was unable to solve the problem. *ak also the check engine light illuminated. *jb

Upon backing out of a parking lot at work, the front left suspension spring on my 1999 ford windstar minivan (vin [xxx]) broke. i heard a noise, but couldn't see anything wrong. i drove it 1 mile to whitcomb ford dealership, and they replaced the front springs and charged me $332.89. a local goodyear service dealer had to replace the front left tire at a cost of $94.11. the ford dealership says that there is a recall out on windstars for exact this problem, but that the model year of the recall was only up until 1998 models, not 1999. well, i'm here to say that ford has the same problem with 1999 models, and that i should be reimbursed for fixing this failure. imagine, the suspension failing on a four year old car with 62020 miles... lemon alert! *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The front coil spring of the our 1999 ford windstar suddenly broke and punctured our front tire. fortunately we were traveling at only 20 mph so that we were able to come to a stop safely, without injury or accident, however as we had just traveled from mi to ny on interstate highways, if this had occured just a short time earlier, the incident could have ended in catastrophy for myself and my family.*ak

Consumer stated the front suspension collapsed. dealer notified.*ak the problem was due to a failed coil spring. *jb the consumer hasn't received a followed a up from nhtsa. the consumer stated the vehicle was involved in a traffic accident due to the failed coil spring. *scc *jb

I bought this car used and from the day i drove it off the lot i have put a few thousand dollars in it. the engine light keeps coming on with codes 171/174 lean on bank 1 and 2 i have replaced the o2, the egr, the differential, i have had the upper intake gasket replaced and the egr hoses cleaned. the light still burns. i have had nothing but trouble with this car since buying it and i will never buy another one.i also had to replace the brakes, the struts and the stablizer bar , as well as one of the tie rods. this van might look great but it runs like crap we have spent enough on this used van to have bought a new one. *la

We have taken this van in for repair fivetimesin one year. the first month we had it the head was replaced. the power steering has gone out for now the fifth time. i actually lost controlof the vehicle due to beingunable to turn the steering. my husband has to drive me everywhere because only he can turn the steering wheel. each time we take it for repair we are charged a deductible and i can not do this anymore. this is obviously a lemon. marshall mize ford in chattanooga tennessee is where the vehicle was purchased in january of 2001. they also have performed all service on this vehicle. ford has not been understanding of why my payments have been late, but when you are having these kinds of issues such as electrical, transmission, air conditioning, and engine malfunctions, it does not take a genius to figure out why a woman with a family who depends on this vehicle as reliable, safe means of transportation is having difficulty. maybe if their product was of better quality, my children would be in a safe vehicle, and ford would get their money on time.

Transmission is primary issue has shifting problem at low speed, has over 8 tsb on the issue and has new transmission installed but still have problem the other issues are clearly common for this model as well, but this transmissionand fords lack of support from their service and dealers is unacceptable.

consumer states that when braking the vehicle will shimmy heavily and it will be hard for the consumer to control. dealer notified. ts

Due to a design flaw unable to align vehicle.dealer contacted.*ak

Transmission, sliding door, driver door, rack and pinion, steering pump, intake manifold, front suspension upper link, world's fastest declining vehicle value, world's worst customer service and satisfaction representatives.*ak

When driving heard noise coming from front passenger's side wheel. dealer replaced front wheel bearing. *ak

Consumer will fill in information regarding rear support bar: cross tube. *ak

Consumer complained about noise being emitted by vehicle when making a left turn at speed. dealership has provided no information to consumer for reason/cause. *ak the dealer ordered a power streering line part, but they don't know if this is the problem. *yh

When starting vehicle up there is a noise coming from underneath vehicle. dealership is aware of problem. *ak

Vehicle made a loud noise & vibrated as though it was out of power . dealer has inspected it & has bled the line, and that didn't help. dealer hasn't been telling consumer that ford was working on a solution. consumer has been calling dealer to see if solution has been found. *ak

While traveling at highway at 60 mph felt a sharp jerk to the side. once corrected, jerked again the other way. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer stated that nothing was wrong. problem has occurred several times since first incident. no accidents or injuries have occurred. *ak

Vehicle has been experiencing the following problems: 1. steering column out of alignment, causing difficulty in steering; 2. power steering pump making grinding sounds when engine is cold and, intermittently, when the engine gets hot; 3. ongoing problem with windshield fogging up and dealer is unable to correct the proble;. 4. brake pedal goes to the floor before stopping, causing extended stopping distance; and 5. a loud sound coming from the front of vehicle. seeking help from nhtsa in this matter. *ak