Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

2000 ford windstar. consumer writes to express discontent regarding vehicles recalls *tgw the consumer stated she received four recalls for the vehicle. the consumer stated when she took the vehicle to the dealer for the recall regarding the replacement of the brake harness, the odometer and speedometer were damaged. the dealer informed her they were not responsible for damage caused by the defective part. when the consumer went to the dealer for another recall, they kept the vehicle for a week, only to be told the parts were not available to replace the rear axle. *jb

2000 ford windstar. consumer writes in regards to a recall notice for a faulty rear axle *tgw the dealer informed the consumer the axle was in need of repair due to deterioration. the consumer then received a call from the dealer stating a buy back offer of $2,400 was being offered. the consumer turned down the offer and decided to have the vehicle repaired. the consumer was informed the repairs would not be complete until feb 2011. while the vehicle was still at the dealer, the consumer received another recall regarding the subframe lower control arm. the vehicle was inspected and it was determined the vehicle met the requirement for the repair. the consumer then received a second buy back offer from ford and decided to take the offer. the consumer stated he received the run-around regarding the buy back offer and in the end, the buy back offer had expired and the dealer repaired the vehicle. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly). the front end was also alignmened after the repairs were performed. due to the front end alignment, the vehicle began to vibrate while driving 25 mph and the tires were worn on the inside. the contact stated that the failures were a result of the repairs. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who inspected the vehicle and stated that there was no failure related to the front end. the manufacturer was notified, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 63,553.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated while driving various speeds he heard a loud snapping noise. when he stopped the vehicle, the rear axle reinforcement bracket fractured on the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised him that the axle had sheered and the vehicle could not be driven. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer advised him that he was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the right suspension failed while she was reversing from a residential driveway. the front passenger side coil spring suddenly broke and punctured the tire, causing a blowout. there were no prior issues with the component before the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called the manufacturer and informed them of the failure. the current and failure mileages were approximately 125,000. updated 07/08/11*lj the dealer replaced the front and rear coil springs. updated 08/16/11.*jb updated 08/29/11*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign id 11v030000 structure frame and members under body shields, and nhtsa campaign id 10v385000 suspension rear axle non powered axle assembly were performed on the vehicle and were completed on april 4, 2011. after the repair, the vehicles front end made a rubbing sound while attempting to park. the dealer stated a diagnostic test would need to be performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current miles were 94,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was fine and did not need to be repaired. approximately 4 months later, the contact noticed a loud rattling noise coming from the rear. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rear axle was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was approximately 100,000. the vin was unknown. updated 09/27/11*lj updated 2/23/12 *cn

2000 ford windstar. consumer writes in regards to vehicle recall and safe driving conditions *tgw the consumer received another recall in the mail. upon inspection, it was determined the vehicle was not safe to drive. ford offered to buy the vehicle back from the consumer. *jb the consumer stated the 6,218 he was offered as a buy back was unreasonably low. the formula used for valuation was for a car driven 12,000 miles per year. the consumers vehicle was driven less than 5,000 miles per year. the consumer believed the value of the vehicle was 10,000. updated 05/04/11 updated 06/02/11

Ford rear axle recall. found recall about my vehicle 3 months after rear axle broke. had axle welded together. in nov 2010 axle was allegedly ordered it is now march 2011 and still no answer as to when i am getting new axle. march of this year axle broke again and had to weld it together.it cost me 450 every time to weld it. *tr

My ford windstar has a rear axle that is rusted from the inside out, due to a design flaw. i was also told by the ford service advisor that the sub-frame was coming apart. fortunately, i had it in for service and it was discovered before an accident took place. many other windstars have had the rear axle snap in two while at highway speed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that there was abnormal swaying in the rear of the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the vehicle started experiencing the failure after it was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v194000 (suspension). the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the vehicle was inspected and the technician noticed that the rear tires were bent outward and the sub frame was cracked. the brackets and the body mount attachments failed to support the frame and underbody of the vehicle. also, an independent mechanic indicated that the brackets were not correctly installed to support the frame. the mechanic retained the vehicle for parts and indicated that the repair was extensive. the contact no longer owns the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and refused to provide a remedy because the recall repair was already completed. the failure mileage was not available.

2000 ford windstar. consumer writes in regards to the recall on the vehicle is a rear axle fracture due to corrosion build up *tgw the dealer inspected the vehicle and determined there was a crack in the rear axle. the consumer stated the dealer has not made any repairs as the part(s) were not available. the consumer has been without her vehicle since november 5, 2010. the consumer was given a time frame of march 21, 2011 for the repair. *jb

2000 ford windstar. consumer states broken/cracked axle *tgw the consumer stated the dealer has had his vehicle since october 2010 and nothing has been done to repair/fix the problem. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the rear passenger side bracket was corroded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer january 2011 for repairs under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly). the contact stated that the dealer replaced the rear axle but did not replace the bracket and the rear passenger side of the vehicle was sitting abnormally low to the ground. the dealer advised the contact that the bracket was not included in the recall therefore, they were not responsible for replacing the bracket. the manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim for the failure but provided no additional assistance. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure and the current miles was 113,027. updated 06/01/11*lj updated 08/19/11*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that he took his vehicle into the dealer for nhtsa recall 10v385000, suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly and the mechanic advised him that the corrosion of the front sub frame was much worse than the recall. he also heard a popping noise previously and asked the mechanic to determine the cause of failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 116,000. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 02/23/11*jb

2000 ford windstar axle broke. *tr

Concerns about back axle and brake system we mountain in the mountains of western nc and get considerable snow and ice which leads to corrosion of axle and did not see nc on the list of recalls. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph the front passenger side control arm broke causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the contact towed the vehicle to his residence and called the dealer. the dealer informed him that there was nothing they could do and referred him to a local mechanic. the contact had not taken the vehicle to the referred local mechanic. the contact stated that the manufacturer should issue a recall on the front suspension. the failure mileage was 130,000.

I have a ford windstar and i have and have been waiting a very long time. i was just wondering when i am getting my windstar back. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. upon starting the vehicle, the contact heard a clicking noise from the center of the instrument panel. after a few minutes, the clicking noise stopped. prior to the failure, the contact stated that the same clicking noise was present when she operated the temperature gauge on the air conditioning unit. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the motor for the air conditioning unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact also stated that while driving at any speed, the vehicle would bounce and she could feel vibrations. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the vehicle also stalled intermittently. the idle air control was repaired by a local mechanic. the current and failure mileages were 115,432.

On 4 or 5 occasions over several days in early december, we lost control of the van's steering while making a turn. the van would just continue to careen in whatever direction it was heading. i scheduled service with my ford dealer, but when it was taken in, they said my rear axle was cracked and they couldn't test the steering until such time as the axle could be replaced. i noticed there was an investigation into front end problems on windstars as well, and thought i should report my problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving approximately 2 mph making a turn the vehicles front sub frame cracked in half. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who stated that the sub frame, front struts and the front axle needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. she was unable to provide a vin. the failure mileage was 72,500.

2000 ford windstar, the control arm front passenger side detached from the frame while my wife was driving to work on 11/19/10. luckily there were no other cars coming or she would have hit them head on. all vehicle controls were lost; no steering , no transmission drive train. the vehicle swerved out of control until luckily, the vehicle stopped partly on the side of the road. the vehicle had to be towed. i also noticed a hole in the rear axle which there is a recall for. the vehicle obviously cannot be driven and i am unsure if the transmission is damaged due to the drive axle being pulled out of it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while having the tires rotated, the contact noticed that the sub frame on the front passenger side of the vehicle was covered with rust and nearly cracked. the vehicle was not inspected. the failure and current mileages were 95000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact received a recall notice in the mail for a fractured axle, recall 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the contact was informed that the parts would not be available until march 2011. the vehicle had not been repaired.

After receiving info about the potential of a rear axle defect i brought my 2000 ford windstar to my local dealer. upon inspection i was told i would not be allowed to drive my vehicle off the lot. the rear axle was cracked. i feel very fortunate that i was not in an accident or that i did not cause an accident. ford now only wants to cover a small rental car but not a minivan. there is a reason i had a minivan! i need the seats! ford says they understand my concern yet they offer no solution other than corporate is looking into your concern! no owner should have any out of pocket expense due to this recall. there should be a urgent letter sent to every owner of this car saying bring to a dealer immediately. the risk is too great! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving approximately 35 mph, the rear axle suddenly detached from the vehicle without warning. several hours prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the rear end of the vehicle swayed back and forth. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly). in 2010, the rear axle was repaired under a manufacturer's voluntary recall. after the most recent recall remedy repair was performed, the rear end of the vehicle would sway back and forth whenever the vehicle was in operation. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was unavailable. updated 03/05/12*lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact was driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving forward. there were no prior warnings. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that a gear in the transmission needed to be replaced; the part had been re-engineered as it was defective. the vehicle was repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 72,000. the cruise control module and wheel bearings had to be replaced. updated 05/23/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer; however, approximately four months later the vehicle was still in possession of the authorized dealer awaiting repairs. the contact was told that the repair parts were unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 126,000.

I was driving 55mph on dixie highway in groveland twp., mi. my mounting bracket that is a factory weld to the engine cradle broke away from the engine cradle and pulled my drive shaft out of the transmission. this is on a 2000 ford windstar. the weld broke due to corrosion from salt eating away the weld itself. my vehicle is undrivable, luckily no one was hurt. i had myself and my 3 children under the age of 7 in the vehicle at the time of the incident. ford motor company is telling me that there is not a recall on my vehicle and that they will not pay to tow it to the dealership or to fix it. i am appalled by this. this is clearly a design defect and not my responsibility to fix. the detroit free press had an article on this very problem on december 23, 2010. it stated there have already been over 300 claims of my nature. the article stated this organization was investigating this matter. i ask for any help you can give me in getting ford to fix my vehicle. *tr

The subframe, located at the front underside of the 2000 windstar, is supposed to help keep the engine and other integral parts of the windstar in place and stable. it has been compromised on this vehicle with 185,000 miles, and broke during a turn into a park after church on the aforementioned date (10-10-10). fortunately the results were not deadly but could have been if we were driving on the interstate which we frequently do. what happened was a detachment of the drive axle (half shaft) from the transmission, which occurred when the lower control arm mount separated and caused the wheel to pull free from the drive axle. furthermore there were no warnings prior to any of the aforementioned failures. the area of the subframe affected by this corrosion is located on the passenger side where it attaches to the lower control arm. this is the first time it has occurred. this vehicle was towed to tps transmission in toledo oh and is being repaired. the sub frame is being replaced and i will ask that the old part be returned. in the meantime what is going to be done with this obvious growing problem? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised that the parts needed fro the recall repair were not readily available and the dealer was unable to determine when the part would become available. the manufacturer informed the contact on numerous occasions that they could not determine when the parts would become available. the vehicle was not repaired. a failure did not exist. the current mileage was 137,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the lower control arm broke which caused a loss of control of the vehicle. the contact suffered back pains due to the loss of control. the contact pulled over and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated that the subframe needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

I was traveling on the chicago interstate i-290 at around 3:30 am when my rear axel snapped on my 2000 ford windstar minivan. the incident occurred on the morning of september 27th, 2010 on a clear day with ideal road conditions but in a long term construction zone. i was traveling about 45 miles per hour and in light traffic when the axel snapped on the passengers side causing me to jerk violently to the right and through construction barriers into an open lane and onto the shoulder a short distance later. any other time, this could have been tragic but given the early hour of my travel to work and the reduced speeds due to ongoing construction i was able to control the violent movement to the right without injury or mishap. the car was towed a short time later to a local repair shop and i searched for information on broken axles and windstars i found the information on the ford recall. a local dealer paid for towing to their lot, and arranged for a long-term loaner vehicle and for vehicle rental insurance. the car was maintained in a regular fashion but was 10 years old and had 184 thousand real miles on the odometer. it remains at the ford dealer in elmhurst, illinois awaiting word from ford motor company on any repair or replacement discussions. no offers of correction, repair, or replacement have been made to this time, october 20th, 2010 best regards, *tr

2000 ford windstar loss of vehicle control (steering) without warning on a properly maintained vehicle. right "a: frame detached, welds and metal pulled apart on rear tie point. this caused loss of vehicle control with no warning at 55 mph. pulled me off the road to right, (about 10 feet) when left front tire again hit pavement i was pulled across the on coming lane - regained control and coasted partly off the road on the right. this is a part that should never fail. it is not a normally serviceable part. i could have been killed or have caused injury to someone else, luck was with me or i would not be writing this! it was on a fairly busy state route. *tr

The passenger lower control arm on my 2000 ford windstar broke off while my wife was accelerating from a stop light. it was completely rusted and snapped off at the frame. fortunately there was no collision and neither my wife and disabled daughter were injured. i had the sub frame and related components replaced at a cost of $1045.00. i took photos of the rusted out sub frame. *tr

I have gotten several recall letters from ford about the rear axle. the first time they bolted brackets for the repair. i can't get my vehicle inspected because of this and to do so i have to pay $300.00 for a new axle which i feel being a recall it should be up to ford to take care of this matter. it is a major safety problem that could be deadly to myself and many others.

Large crack almost entirely around rear axle on driver's side. discovered crack when investigating noise from rear of vehicle. appears crack started on inside of formed channel. also noticed a short approx. 1 inch crease line in the center of the formed channel not far from where the crack started. corrosion appears to have occurred on the inside of the axle beam. while investigating the other side (passenger side) near another crease line, poked a hole in the axle beam with a screwdriver. no severe corrosion is evident on the outside of the axle beam. attempts to find a used axle beam have been unsuccessfully do to similar damage. repairing the axle seems ill advised considering the possibility of more internal corrosion and a new axle is being looked into. luckily my wife pays attention to those little odd noises and wasn't going down the highway and it totally failed. *tr

200 ford windstar van rear axle beam breaking in half. this occurred as my mother was running an errand around town. she was able to get the car home, where she called me to come and look at the problem. so far i have yet to confirm with ford if they will fix the problem or if there is a recall on it. *tr

While driving my 2000 ford windstar on the highway at 60mph, i noticed that the back end of the car felt like it was swaying or sliding as if on ice. i exited the highway and drove to a parking garage about 5 miles away. while pulling up to the gate at the garage at a low rate of speed, there was a loud noise, which was the rear axle breaking completely in half. replaced with a used axle. *tr

Rear axle on 2000 ford windstar completely failed and cracked today while pulling into driveway after completing a 300 mile trip on the highway. recall notice received about a month ago. *tr

2000 windstar rear axle rusted thru. *tr

I have a ford 2000 windstar. in backing out of my driveway last week the rear axle snapped in half. i saw the article today on the news about the recall but thought you would want to add this to the statistics. i called a ford dealer who said to bring it in and it would be fixed. *tr

On 8-16-2010 while driving my 2000 ford windstar i lost the steering on the vehicle. the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic but i was able to bring the vehicle back under control. the cause of this problem was due to my rear axle snapping in half. the axle breaking caused damage to the rear wheels and the shocks as well. the total cost of repair was $1310.25. my mechanic showed me an article on the front cover of an automotive magazine they receive about the rear axles failing on ford windstars due to water and salt getting inside. this causes the axle to corrode from within and eventually break. ford at this time is refusing to recall these vehicles. i am voicing my complaint in the hope that ford will be forced to recall these vehicles and reimburse those who have already been effected by this serious problem before someone gets hurt or killed if that hasn't happened already. *tr

Rear axle broke into 2 pieces. prior to complete breakage, fishtailing was experienced at freeway speeds(55-70 mph). when axle broke completely, the rear wheels tilted in and contacted the inner fender. *tr

Rear axle cracked completely in half while driving, tops of tires rubbing on wheel well. almost resulted in accident with 4 children in the car. we were driving on the highway when the rear end started swaying and became hard to control. we had it towed to our home and a mechanic took a look and showed us where the axle is completely broke in half, the spring is hanging and the hubs are bad. *tr

Drove vehicle to destination and when we arrived the axle snapped in half on the 2000 ford windstar. vehicle just turned 100,000 mi when rear axle snapped. towed to repair facility, waiting for repair estimate. *tr

I was driving down the road and my rear axle broke not once but two times. im getting tired of buying new axles. i went on a ford site and it said that the year of my van it is known for this to happen. they consider it a death trap. i called ford and they said there is no recall. if this is known for happening there should be a recall. *tr

Hi, we have a 2000 ford windstar that was recalled. last year why driving, the rear axle broke on us with our kids in the car. but before then; we had odometer going out and all the dashboard going out. upon then fixing the rear axle we have brake fluid lost and the cruise control don't work and the dashboard have a mind of it own and we keep have the door locks going on and off while driving. it's like a ghost in the machine. please help! thanks!! *tr

2000 ford windstar rear axle cracked. replaced at dealer at approx. $950 cost. *tr