Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

I had purchased this vehicle from a private owner in march 2010 who reported no issues. i drive this vehicle daily to work, as well as transporting children to different activities. returning home from work on may 06, 2010, i noticed the van handling odd; had to keep right pressure on the steering wheel (like an alignment issue). the further i drove the more pressure i had to maintain. i began to slow my speed (from 70 mph to 60 mph) because there was excessive sway when crossing bridge joints. i continued to reduce speed to about 50 mhp and approximately 2 miles after i first noticed the sway, i heard a loud "pop" and the rear of the van dropped. i was able to quickly pull to the edge of the highway and stop. the tires were leaning in at the top on both sides and had begun smoking. i looked under the van and the axle had broken approximately 15"-18" from end, on the driver's side. ended up having vehicle towed to a repair facility, located a used unit from a salvage yard, 2 tires and had them all replaced. what a headache. heard a 'pop' on my way to work this morning so i checked the axle and found there is a crack in the same spot of this replacement axle. *tr

I took my 2000 ford windstar to the repair shop to address a flat right rear passenger tire, only to discover that the rear axle had cracked about 12 inches from the driver side rear wheel. i inquired whether the vehicle was able to be driven and the mechanic said that it would not be safe driving this vehicle at any speed because if it snaps you could seriously lose to control of the vehicle. so i am writing this because i found the same issue in the same location from a number of individual owners. it does not appear anything has been done thus far, so i wanted to make sure i am yet another owner with same issue. it appears prudent that some notification been sent to owners of this vehicle to make sure they continually have the rear axle checked for cracks. this may help any potential for injuries in the future. *tr

While driving in a rain storm my van was shaking, i thought i hit a puddle wrong after driving a bit more my car starting shaking and it was hard to control, i thought i had a flat tire. i pulled to a gas station, where man saw me look at my tires, and advised due to the large amount of rain it was probably hydroplaining. i continued on. the next day when it was dry i had the same problems. my van was shaking, and at time hard to control, i was so scared and just wanted to make it home. i told my husband, he noticed the inner portion of the 2 back tires were worn down to the metal belts, and did not allow it to be driving again. i had a retail fix it shop advise it would be 650.00 for new tie rods and shims plus 2 new tires(even though we just purchased them 1 1/2 years prior). we were debating to get it fixed or take to a different more trusted mechanic. a friend passed along a link regarding investigation on windstar vans for broken rear axles. after reading what other experienced, i realized this is the same thing that happened to me. we have a summer car i have been driving since this occurrence, but would like my minivan fixed for family summer travels. after reading the link - i will probably wait for a recall, or a solution as to what will be done with this situation. *tr

Rolling back in the driveway in neutral ( as i always do ) when the rear axle snapped in my 2000 ford windstar sel. my vehicle was no longer operational and had it towed to a garage. a used replacement rear axle was purchased and installed. *tr

I have a ford windstar with 93,000 miles on the odometer and was shocked when the vehicle tires were slanted on an angle on day! this was very odd looking, as you can only imagine and after a review of the vehicle was told that the rear axle housing was cracked (and rusted) right in the middle, closer to one side; leaving the care non-drivable due to possible blow-out occurrence. after having no choice but to repair the vehicle and after putting over $600 dollars into the vehicle have only found that other ford windstars are also having this problem. i was fortunate enough not to be involved in any type of motor vehicle accident, however this was damaging to my savings account! i would still however buy ford vehicles and would like to make my case known in this situation. *tr

2000 windstar. rear axle snapped. very dangerous. i was just about to get on the highway. went online and found that there have been over 55 complaints about this. i have children. can't even imagine if we were all in it when it snapped. this is a serious problem and someone is going to be hurt if not die. not to mention the cost. ford should be issuing a recall immediately. what is it going to take? *tr

2000 windstar. rear axle snapped. very dangerous. i was just about to get on the highway. went online and found that there have been over 55 complaints about this. i have children. can't even imagine if we were all in it when it snapped. this is a serious problem and someone is going to be hurt if not die. not to mention the cost. ford should be issuing a recall immediately. what is it going to take. *tr

One day i was driving around with my kids and i went over a bump and that's when it all went wrong. the minute i went over the bump, we heard a crack then a dragging noise. i parked to see what went wrong and then i saw my rear tires going toward the axle and then i saw my rear axle was cracked. i had to get a flat bed tow truck and tow it to the nearest garage. my sister had to pick us up and take us to our destination. this all happened on a cold windy saturday. on a breezy monday, i called the garage and i was told that the new rear axle would take a week to get a it and i was without a car for a week. i had to find ways to get to work and they were hard choices to make. finally when the new axle came in, they repaired it and the total was $800. it was hard to come up with the money because i just got done paying off the front breaks. i think i should get reimbursed for some of the money i put out because you should've recalled the rear axles of the windstars because of the article i got from the garage that fixed my car. [xxx] p.s. i would like satisfaction on the matter of the car. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2000 ford windstar, rear axle beam broke / split while driving in reverse out of our driveway. repaired by local repair shop for $1,250 for new rear axle beam. *tr

This is the second time this has happened. two years ago, while sitting in my driveway, the front drivers side coil spring broke. it damaged the tire as well. had to replace the tire and the whole coil spring assy. today, while parked at a friends house, passenger side coil spring broke. this time didn't puncture the tire, but had to have it towed home. will have to replace another coil spring assy. *tr

I was driving down a st. and the rear axle just broke in two on my 2000 windstar van, my car has been garage kept, i found 18 more complaints with the same problem on windstars. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving 35-40 mph, the rear axle broke in half; the contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the entire rear axle was replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 73,100. the current mileage was 73,409.

The rear axle beam on my 2000 ford windstar van broke in half suddenly shortly after exiting the freeway. just prior to exiting the freeway the van shuttered and vibrated bad enough to cause me to slow down to about 50 mph before exiting the freeway. fortunately i was only traveling about 30 mph when the incident occurred. although both rear wheels collapsed against the inside rear wheel wells and the vehicle swayed from side to side i was able to safely get it stopped with causing an accident. during the past couple of weeks the van had an on and off vibration and seemed to wander in its lane on occasion. i took it in for front end service work last week and had the inner tie rod ends replaced as well as some front end bushings. although the steering was tightened up, the periodic vibration was still there. it took about 5 minutes on the internet to discover this is not an isolated incident. i found about 130 similar issues/complaints by googling "ford windstar axle problems." this is clearly a very serious safety issue. at this point i don't know if anyone has been killed or injured but i intend to find out. the problem appears to involve 2000 & 2001 windstars with mileage ranging from 70k to 160k. based on the inspection of my vehicle and review of other posted complaints it appears ford uses a double walled u shaped steel beam to support and connect the rear wheels and springs. the axle beam is not totally enclosed around the spring mounts. water enters the axle tube and has no where to drain. over time the water promotes rusts and weakens the axle tube from the inside out until metal fatigue sets in and the axle eventually fails. i suspect this problem will bleed into the 2002/2003 models as they age and eventually rust out. this situation is a virtual time bomb for unsuspecting ford windstar van owners. *tr

Rear axle broke on 2000 ford windstar, while being moving down the street. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the rear passenger side engine mount broke. the front of the vehicle was covered with rust around the passenger side engine and wheel mounts. the driver side was completely corroded. the failure mileage was 136000 and the current mileage was 144000. updated 02/17/11*lj the consumer stated the subframe on the rear passenger side mount had severe corrosion. updated 04/27/11

A ford windstar made a loud banging sound at a parking i was at. when we tried to assist we found that the rear axle housing was broken in two pieces. since it was the same vehicle we checked ours and it has a 2 and a half inch crack in the same exact spot on the housing. checking the internet it has occurred on over 50 other vehicles of the same type. this is a dangerous condition!!! there is no weld point bend or otherwise to start a crack at that point. this is a case of severe metal fatigue. this break makes the rear wheels fold out with a loss of control. we are looking for another housing to replace it. *tr

While driving our 2000 ford windstar lx the rear axle cracked in half. if it would of been minutes later the van would have been back on the highway and we could of possibly got killed. there are a lot of other ford owners who have had the same problem since 1998 with the windstar's. there should be a recall on the rear axle before someone gets killed. this is a very dangerous problem that ford needs to address. *tr

2000 ford windstar lx - 122,000 miles - rear axle failure on march 30, 2010 the windstar began fishtailing and swaying in the rear. it was also making a bang noise when turning right. thought that the shocks were bad and was planning on replacing them. on friday, april 2, 2010 we were loading the family and dog for a trip to the beach. prior to pulling out of the driveway i noticed the left rear wheel tilted inwards at the top. at that point i removed the family from the vehicle and jacked up the rear of the van. upon inspection i noticed the rear axle beam was cracked approximately 12-18 inches in from the left wheel. i went on line and immediately discovered another 50+ complaints of the same failure. i initially though it broke due to the excessive potholes in the region. however, i now feel that this may be a much bigger problem and a defect with this type of vehicle. the only way to repair this issue is to replace the entire rear axle beam. the part alone cost $500 or more. *tr

When going over a bump the rear end of the vehicle would sway after futher investagation the rear axle is split in 2 pieces 1 1/2 to 2 ft from the tire on the driver side *cn

2000 ford windstar rear axel failure. *tr

We own a 2000 ford windstar van. we felt strong vibrations from the rear of the car. we brought the car to a mechanic who noticed the rear drivers side axle had broken in two. after researching in the internet we have noticed this same exact break is happening in the same year of other owners. ford is not reconizing the defect.

On this date, rear axel of my 2000 ford windstar broke and both rear wheels were bowed out and a large crack was discovered. *tr

Snapped rear axle leading to loss of control. this axle had obviously been cracked for several years, based on corrosion in the crack. the loss of control was such that lives were in immediate danger. *tr

The rear axle on my 2000 ford windstar se is broken almost all the way thru. the van has 105919 miles on it. this could have been a very serious problem had it broken at highway speed the break is approx. 2 feet from the left end of axle. *tr

Rear axle snapped at about 30 mph. destroyed both rear shocks and driver's side rear wheel. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. according to the previous owner of the vehicle, the dealer stated that a manufacturer recall was completed by a dealer that was no longer in business (jack safro ford dealer). the previous owner reinforced the bracket, but did not replace the rear brackets. shortly after driving over railroad tracks, the vehicle suddenly stalled and the rear wheels fractured from the vehicle. the vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed to an independent mechanic. the contact was informed that the rear axle cracked from the reinforcement brackets and parts needed to be replaced. the vin was not included in a recall for the failure. the manufacturer recommended that the vehicle be taken to the dealer (napleton lincoln blue island, 2950 w 127th st, blue island, il 60406, (708) 385-4500) for diagnostic testing and repair. the failure mileage was not available.

I own a 2000 ford windstar that has been having issues with swaying and control. thinking it was just bad shocks i've replaced those and anything else i thought that might be causing the problem, to no avail. recently while driving home on a state highway i took a corner and the vehicle felt like it was sliding on ice. i thought it was road conditions so i slowed down and we made it safely home. the next day my brother in law was following my wife and he said the back axle looked to be bent. not believing this could happen i looked under the vehicle and about a foot and a 1/2 from the drivers side rear wheel i found a tear that was a 1/4 inch wide that extended from the beginning of the axle to up and over it. i realize that due to the age and mileage of the vehicle, over 100k i believe, that this is not under warranty. i wouldn't expect it to be but this puts the vehicle at risk for catastrophic failure that can be potentially fatal to others. at present im looking to find a new axle for our vehicle and, surprise, not having much luck. i wonder why? *tr

The rear axle on our 2000 ford windstar snapped in two while under normal driving conditions. the axle was replaced for around $800.00 along with one of the shocks for another $85.00. one of the rear coil springs still needs to be replaced. *tr

I had just had our 2000 ford windstar serviced at our ford dealer a few days before where they replaced worn sway bars and bushings. i was backing out of our driveway when i heard a snap and then could here something metal dragging on the ground. i pulled back into my driveway and looked under my car to find that the rear axle had broken in about the center of the axle. i had it towed into our ford dealer to find out what happened they took a look at it and said it snapped and that there was no sign of wear before it broke. i asked if there was any previous knowledge of this happening or if ford was aware of this issue and was told no. *tr

The rear axle on my 2000 ford windstar snapped off. *tr

This is my second complaint to document the exact same incidents i've had with two different 2000 ford windstars. on the first, my rear axle broke in 2008 after i went over the 100,000 mile mark. i'm just thankful my mechanic caught it during routine maintenance and it didn't snap when i was driving. ford said it was an anomaly or that i must've done it towing our camper and did nothing. my son wound up totaling the car later that year and with the insurance settlement i found the same year, make and model that i could afford. this new 2000 windstar only had 50,000 miles on it. i've had it for 14 months and my mechanic just found the same defect. he kept an eye on this one because of what happened the last time, thank heaven. this car was used, but had a clear carfax and i've never had any accidents in either car (well, until my dopey son wrecked the first!) ... axle housing corroded and worn in exactly the same spot, to the left of center. again i called ford motor company and they said the same thing as last time. there have been no recalls for this, i'm past warranty, they can't do anything, blah blah blah. i even stopped back in at the dealer, where i had gone after my first windstar's axle snapped (i actually brought them the axle then to show them then) and pointed it out again, noting that this car had no trailer hitch, so their explanation for the last one was shot out of the water. as a matter of fact, my mechanic said he's had a couple in between my two, and the guy who delivered the part to have this second one fixed said this was the fourth he'd delivered this week. i even stopped at a gas station and was chatting with a friend about what happened when the attendant said the same thing happened to her neighbor's windstar. i wonder how many people didn't bother to (or don't know how to) report it, like me on the first time, because ford said it wasn't happening anywhere else or that it was their fault. *tr

2/9/10 wife contacted me about vehicle barely moving when pressing accelerator. i check when i returned home to find that the rear axle had broken. after some research, i found that this is much more common in northern states as opposed to southern states. i live in pa and sc. dealers in sc had never heard of such a thing. obviously an issue of inferior steel not truly designed to withstand corrosive or inclement environments. i found a good axle in great shape here in sc, and i repaired the vehicle myself. i am saving the old axle for photos and evidence. *tr

Rear axle snapped in half going 45 mph. *tr

2000 ford windstar rear axle snapped in half just to the left of center. *tr

The rear axle on my 2000 ford windstar just split while driving it! there is no rust or wear and tear. i have all my maintenance receipts and my mechanic says this should have never happened. my children and i could've been killed if we were driving on a highway instead of a local road. *tr

2000 windstar 86,000k miles.... driving down the road and the van started to drift violently left and right. pulled over and noticed the rear axle had snapped in two. rear axle still has not been repaired *cn

On or about december 1st,2009 my 2000 ford windstar started making loud squeaking noises from the rear of my van when i would make turns and also started swaying from side to side whenever i would go over bumps .almost felt like my rear wheels were going to fall off from very loose lugnuts, but they were tight. as the next few weeks went by the problems became worse. today(1/2/2010)i decided to look underneath the rear of my van. i was in disbelief to see my rear axle cracked almost all the way through about 2 feet in from the drivers side. i couldn't believe it. i have 4 small children and we just went on a trip on the highway 2 days prior to me checking the problem. i have seen this is a common problem with the windstar . i have done some research on this problem and found this to be a widespread problem with all different years of the windstar. something has to be done before someone is seriously injured from this problem. this axle should not crack or break under normal wear of the vehicle. this is a major component of the van and causes serious safety issues. right now the van is sitting in my driveway. i am trying to find a used axle from somewhere so i could get it back on the road. ford should really do something about this issue. thanks you... *tr

The rear axle beam of my 2000 ford windstar split in 2 while i was making a right hand turn causing the rear wheels to flare out. the service station said they have made repairs to other windstars with the same problem. lucky for me i was not going fast and there were no injuries. i learned later that the beam rusted out from the inside as water had infiltrated the beam. *tr

We experienced fish tailing in the rear of our 2000 ford windstar while traveling in heavy holiday traffic during a torrential rain storm on nj garden state parkway - we thought it was the rain on a very cold day. ten miles after 400 miles of parkway travel over the holidays with my entire family in the van, the rear axle broke in half, off center to left. my investigation shows me that this has happened to many other windstar owners around the 100,000 mile mark. we, like many others who posted it here and other complaint sites, thank god that it did not happen while going 65 mph in heavy traffic. there have been many near accidents sited and ford claims they know nothing about this issue. as many more windstar approach this milestone - word needs to get about to have them and their mechanics watch for this. i was without transportation for a week and it cost us $1,000 to replace it and our mechanic could not find anywhere where it is advised to check this out on routine maintenance ? he was horrified. in the broken rear axle category for 2000 windstar's reported on this site, there are only six less number of complaints (57 vs. 51) as there is the speed control issue that ford just sent out a recall for and in 2001 there were eight more complaints ? 45 broken axles vs. 38 speed control! ford customer service was less than concerned when i called to report it. this is a fatality looking to happen - if it hasn't already! *tr updated 10/22/10 *bf the consumer stated she is being reimbursed, since ford recalled her vehicle. updated ivoq 10/26/10

We currently own a 2000 ford windstar se minivan and wanted to add our complaint regarding the rear axle snapping. we were lucky in that when our van started to fishtail we took it in thinking it was the tires and had them replaced, this is when the tire dealership noticed the rear axle was slit almost all the way through. we had it towed to a ford dealership in which it cost $645 to have a new axle put on. we are very thankful it didn't break while we were driving it. *tr

200 ford windstar with very dangerous handling. took it to mechanic and was informed that rear axle was severely cracked and both rear tires were worn down to the wires. *tr

I have a 2000 ford windstar lx sport 3.8l v6. it has 112,000 miles on it. i took it to our local mechanic to have the rear brakes replaced. he notified me that the rear axle was cracked. he said there was none in the junkyards but that he could repair and reinforce the axle. it is a good thing our mechanic found the cracked axle. no telling how or under what conditions the axle could have snapped and someone or a family member gets killed or seriously injured due to the failure of a major component. please investigate this report as it is a safety issue for this vehicle that ford needs to address. *tr

Without known cause, the rear axle of our 2000 ford windstar lx snapped in half while being driven. the only thing noticed,only moments prior to the break, was the back end swiveling just a bit. the rear axle was replaced, the old one discarded, and one of our brand new tires was also replaced due to the friction it sustained. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving 55 mph, she struck a small bump on a bridge. as she attempted to shift to the left,she felt the left side of the vehicle drop. upon further inspection she noticed that the left rear tire was flat. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility, and the mechanic stated that the axle had fractured. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was in process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 150,000. the vin was not available.

My 2000 ford windstar with approx 140000 miles had its rear axle snap in two. as i review other complaints this does not seem to be an isolated case. *tr

Was driving my 1 mile to work and suddenly the rear end started shimmying all over. pulled over, saw my rear wheels were bowed, checked the rear axle, which was cracked through minus the bottom. drove to the shop and they say they will have to replace the rear axle. they all expressed how shocked they were that an axle would snap when there was no rust at or near the area where is snapped. *tr

Driving approx. 60 mph on freeway. wobbling situation with body of auto (thinking flat tire) then rear of van drops. loud scraping sound. able to pull off road. looked under rear of van and noticed broken(completely) axle. *tr

Our ford windstar had a rear axle failure in which the axle split in half causing the van to lose control. we replaced it in 2009. a recall was issued in oct. 2010 saying that the part was to be replaced promptly. we have attempted to have it replaced but have been told that it is safe to drive and we'll have to wait for a part to be made. for five months now we have been told that the part still has to be manufactured and it may take several more months to a year to get the part. ford had us inspect(30 second bend down next to the car) the replaced part(used from a junk yard) to see if it is safe and said it was ok. however the part that replaced the original is visually in worse condition. and now we are being told that 'glue injection' into the part will fix this failure. this is in contrast to what ford has stated must be done(full replacement of the rear axle). it has been 5 months, and we have still not have had the part replaced. ford implies in their recall letter that we are responsible for any failure if this is not replaced in a timely manner. the local dealer attempted to keep the letter after his 30 second inspection stating that the problem is fixed and it should be good. this van is unsafe and 30 seconds of visual inspection is not in my opinion a assurance of the safety of this vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving 50 mph, the contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the front driver side of the vehicle. in addition, while reversing, the vehicle began to shake and the contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the abs warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that both the front and rear axles fractured and the ball joints needed to be placed on both axles. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000. updated 02/12/16*lj *cn

Rear axle broke in 2 pcs. *tr