Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

2000 ford windstar. consumer writes regarding the potential operating problem with the rear axle recall.*tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was totaled after she had an accident due to the failure of the rear axle. the consumer lost control of the vehicle and slammed into an ice bank. when the consumer exited the vehicle, the rear wheels were embedded into the side of the van at a bizarre angle. the consumer was slightly injured as she tried to control the vehicle.*jb

Catastrophic failure of the right lower control arm mounts at the subframe occurred with no warning or prior symptoms. the vehicle is a 2000 ford windstar with approximately 95k miles. at the time of the failure the driver was pulling away from a curb when the control arm mounts broke causing the wheel to swing away from the vehicle and the drive axle to pull out of the transmission. the vehicle was towed to a local service station where it was examined. the dealer was contacted who in turn instructed me to contact ford motor company directly. under the direction of ford motor company the vehicle was towed to the dealer to determine the cause of failure. the dealer determined that the sub-frame was rusted out in the area around the passenger side control arm mounts. ford has refused to offer any assistance in fixing the problem. a search of the nhtsa complaint database revealed 12 other complaints of similar failures with 1998-2001 windstars. (odi #s: 10152076, 10103097, 10152712, 10138539, 10183135, 10171784, 10173473, 10153590, 10200106, 10005872, 761511, 10172459) there appears to be a trend related to excessive corrosion leading to premature failure of the rear portion of the subframe on the passenger side. one possible factor could be the placement of the air conditioner system and the tendency for condensation to drip on this portion of the frame whenever the system is in cooling or defrost mode causing accelerated corrosion. this is a severe failure that is premature, not easily detectable, potentially fatal, and will likely occur more frequently as these vehicles age. i strongly urge the nhtsa to conduct an engineering investigation regarding this failure. *tr

Driving down the road and i hear a sudden thump then a dragging sound, i pulled over and found that the back axle had broken in half. *tr

Rear axle nearly severed at two location both ~ 17 inches in from the driver and passenger side rear tires on september 14, 2007. ~75 -80 % of circumference of axle was cracked through wall and axle material was beginning to yield. very similar to a nhtsa complaint # 10190132. had 74, 440 miles at time of discovery of this significant safety issue. car was never used for trailing or carries any heavy loads just our young family. car has been well cared for and garaged kept. had been hearing a faint metal grinding sound that i heard and kept inspecting under carriage. also, had notice several months before that rear end felt spongy. had replace rear shocks and was surprised that this still did not correct sponginess feel. metal grinding sound was noticeable when backing out driveway with slight driveway incline. when i would apply brakes at end of driveway would hear a metal click sound. finally with high power light inspection cracks were discovered. i have full powerpoint presentation on this issue with digital pictures if nhtsa would like this detailed information. had brought documentation to my ford dealer and spent two week going through their ford rep. before they agreed to cover the $1700 replacement of rear axle. once again they have a know quality defect and they try not to deal with this even thou this could be a significant safety issue causing potential death. had i not discover this and axle fracture at highways speeds i hate to think what would have happened. this needs serious attention and action to save lives ... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving 20 mph, he lost control of the vehicle and was able to drive onto the emergency lane. the contact noticed that the back rear tire was tilted inward and the axle was cracked. the vehicle was towed to an auto body shop where to weld the axle together. the axle was replaced three times. the axle was not repaired three times. the dealer was not notified. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 116,000. updated 10/13/10*bf the consumer stated the rear axle was broken due to a crack. the consumer paid for the repairs. updated 10/14/10

My 2000 ford windstar with appx 79500 miles had the rear axle nearly severed (appx 80 %) on apr 24, 2007 while pulling out of my driveway. my local ford dealer service mgr states that he has seen at least 5 of these malfunctions. my vehicle has been highly maintained, garage stored, and under body flushed twice a year since i purchased it in the spring of 2000. upon inspection of the axle, it was apparent that corrosion was present in an appx 1/2 inch area, and the roadside curb caused the crack from this weakened spot. obviously, if a less observant driver had not noticed the instability and had taken it on a high speed highway, a catastrophic accident would likely have occurred. kenny ross ford south replaced the axle (for $1135.74), and i have retained the old one for my next course of action.

Contact states that it was a dry an clear day. his wife was driving up a hill one of the rods tore away from the sub frame of the vehicle. after this separation it caused the vehicle to come to a screeching halt. the contact gained this information after have the vehicle towed to a repair shop. the contact has already contacted ford about the problems with windstar van, but they are saying that it is outside of his warranty.

1- there was not any symptom leading up to failure. 2- the failure was on the front passenger wheel. the weld on one of the control arms actually broke off the frame. as a result the wheel was allowed move in a different direction then the driver side wheel. this forced the vehicle off the opposite side of the road in a very immediate uncontrolled manner. 3- there was nothing done to correct this problem as of yet. dealer doesn't have any interest in fixing the vehicle unless we pay for it. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph on normal road conditions, and avoiding to hit a deer, the sub frame of the engine manifold fell out. the vehicle had to be towed to an independent body shop, who determined that the sub frame rusted completely and needed to be replaced. the dealer was contacted, who determined that the vin # did not fit under any recall. the vehicle was currently at the body shop waiting for repairs. the ball joints and brakes were replaced as well. updated 12/01/06. *jb

2000 ford windstar's front coil spring fractured when backing out of parking space. *ts the fractured coil spring punctured the tire and caused the front end of the vehicle to collapse. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while backing out of a parking space at low speed, the right front coil spring fractured and punctured the tire without warning. the vehicle will be inspection by an independent repair shop.

2000 ford windstar with less than 70,000 miles on it. front right spring broke while backing the car out of garage, and it punctured the tire as well as ruined the strut shock. dealer claims it is normal for a soaring to rust out in (6) six years. due to our previous issues with a 1996 windstar, we had purchased an extended maintenance contract for this vehicle, so we did not have to pay for the right hand vehicle damage. but, due to the very high probability that the left spring would rust through and fail soon, we opted to pay to have the left spring and other components fixed at the same time as we had the right side repaired. my wife's life and the safety of other drivers on the road is worth more than the cost to replace a rusted out, poor quality coil spring / design. if this spring would have broken at highway speed, my wife could have been killed due to the aggressive way the broken spring punctured the tire, actually piercing into the tire and locking it from rotation. *jb

Vehicle vibrates at hihgway speed and can't be resolved by wheel balancing etc. *jb

Both front coil springs broken. *jb

Dt: 2000 ford windstar. the consumer stated the front coil spring on the driver's side broke and went through the tire. the vehicle was parked when this happened. there was a slight noise in the vehicle when it was being driven. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, the coil springs on both sides and the tire had to be replaced. *ak

Front left coil spring broke while backing out of garage, piercing inside sidewall of tire, puncturing it. front coils replace at my expense. old (broken) spring is in my possession. may send our for metallurgical fracture analysis to determine root cause. *nm

While driving the vehicle i felt the rear axle bend. *tr

While backing slowly from a driveway, the right front coil spring spontaneously broke and collapsed onto the wheel/tire assembly. resulted in damage to wheel, tire, strut assembly, sway bar asssembly, and brakes. the vehicle is in the shop awaiting repair w/ costs >$2,000.00. original parts still available. this is the second occurrence of this type to my vehicle in < 1 year. left side failed 7/25/2004. please reference odi id number :10086894.

Dt: the owners car was parked in the driveway when she heard a loud banging/spilling. she looked underneath the van, and the front coil spring on the driver's side broke. the mileage was 60,000. there was no difference in the driving before this happened. but, had heard a squeaking noise. vehicle was not in motion when this happened. consumer has not corrected the failure today vehicle was parked. the owner was waiting to see if the manufacturer would offer to pay partially for repairs. *ak

Front coil spring broke taking out front break lines,front strut and frontaxil damage $1610.00

Vehicle extremely hard to stear and made loud noise. passenger side coil spring broke and jammed against tire. nothing has been done so far there are no coil springs available from ford or after market supplier. spring still on the car at a ford dealer.

Dt:the consumer has had the car aligned twice and tires continue to wear on the inside of the front tires. the 1st alignment was at 18,000 miles, the dealer reported he needed new tires again. *nm the consumer now has 78,000 miles on the vehicle and is on 4th set of tires. the consumer changed brand of tires but problem is still occurring. this is the consumer's 2nd windstar and with the previous car went through the same thing with the tires.*sb *nm

Dt: front drivers' side coil went through the tire, deflating the tire. the whole front end came down. *ak

Consumer stated: car was sitting still and coil spring blew out and went through left front tire and shredded the tire. *ak

While reversing, the front driver side spring punctured the tire. this caused a tire blow out. the dealership the spring. please provide more information. *nm

While coming up to highway speed (~40 mph) upon entering a busy interstate, the driver heard a loud noise from the left front, followed by a lost of steering and braking control. vehicle was not drivable. technician reported that left front coil spring failed and resulted in damage to other suspension parts and abs wiring to that brake unit. parts were replaced. old part not available. *jb

My vehicle was parked in driveway. i sat in the drivers seat of vehicle ,closed the door i heard a loud bang from the front of vechicle on left side.upon inspection of front of car saw that the left coil spring had broken and was sticking out touching sidewall of tire. car was not driveable because tire could be punctured by sharp piece of spring.vehicle was towed to dealer.i had the dealer replace both front springs. i though possibly the right spring could also break.i have both springs and are available be checked. *ak

While driving consumer heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle. consumer pulled over and noticed that the front passenger tire was shredded. vehicle was taken to a body shop for inspection, and mechanic determined that front coil spring needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak

Vibration in steering wheel when first bought. took back and dealer replaced tires, didn't fix problem. had tsb #002110 fixed in vehicle. since there has been a vibration in the left front side. dealer has claimed it is a normal driving condition. will not fix vehicle because they don't know what is wrong with it.*ak

Coil spring on my 2000 ford windstar broke and fell into tire and tie rod. upon inspection found the other spring was cracked. had the van towed to a shop and repaired. i do have the springs and since i have not received any satisfaction from ford i am thinking about filing a case in small claim court. *la

The front passenger coil spring failed, shredding the front tire. the service mechanic said it was road debris that caused the failure; however, the location where the coil failed appeared to be an old corrosion spot within the steel. i was out of warranty for the part.*ak

While making a left turn onto the intersection and without prior warning a loud noise was coming from the rear. consumer was able to pull over and noticed that the bracket holding the sway bar on the passenger side had detached from the frame. *ak

The front coil spring failed on the passenger side and lodged against the tire. dealer stated there was no recall, and the consumer was responsible for the repairs. *ak *ph the mechanic stated the coil spring had rusted and cracked. *jb

I complained of a rattling noise sounding like chains under the hood of the van , starting from 7,700 miles to the present. each time taking it in and being told that they could not find a problem, to them fixing something and the noise still being there. i stated to them on several occasions that the van was not riding right. i complained of a loud grinding noise when i turned the wheel. again, they said nothing was wrong. the brakes where always rubbing and they replaced the pads. i was told semi-metallic pads make noises. they replaced the computer, because i complained that upon accleration the van would make a pinging noise. i was told it was combustion with the gas. i followed there recommendations about what gas to use, and other things to do. it still continued and they stated that they could do nothing else about it. i owned a '98 winstar and never had these problems and it did not drive the way my 2000 did. right now the van is sitting in my garage, with a broken transmission and i cannot get help from ford.i lease the van and i refuse to pay for repairs on a van, that ford should be resposible for. my lease is almost over and they should back their product up. i put alot of extra money in this van to keep it well maintained. i feel ford should help me.

Pop/loud hitting sound in front end when turning slow and hitting a bump or dip in hi-way. took to ford dealership in nevada, mo. and they said that is it made that way a stop if you hit something that it will not tear up something else...i really don't believe that. also, dust, coming in all over inside the 2000 windstar and you litteraly have to roll down the windows to breathe. the automatic sliding doors for passengers in back opens very slow and sometimes wont open without force. ts

Transmission will downshift very roughly, driver gets thrown forward. dealer cannot find cause.*ak the transmission was down shifting with a terrible jolt at low speed. the vehicle was difficult to start when cold and damp, also when the ignition was switched off and then back to start the engine fires and runs. the vehicle stalling was determined to be fuel pump failure. the gas mileage dropped from 23 mpg to 16 mpg and the vehicle burns more oil. the lights flicker when driving at night and a/c is on, also the vehicle shakes while idling with the a/c on. the driver?s seat cut and slashed the consumer?s clothing. there was a weak green light from the battery. vehicle vibrates at high speed. the driver?s door was difficult to shut. *yh

While traveling on the highway the steering wheel will start to vibrate. and the vehicle starts to decelerate.*jb

While driving at 40-50 mph vehicle will start to pull to right. this happens all the time that consumer is driving. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak

The 2000 ford windstar had been having some handling issues such that if there was water or sand on the road we would fishtail and feel like driving on black ice. i was always able to recover control of the vehicle without incident. it got to a point the vehicle couldn't be driven safely in wet or snowy conditions. the vehicle was pretty much driven in small town conditions. the problem was identified when the rear passenger wheel top was angled into the vehicle (i.e. camber off by 2-3 inches). mechanic inspected the suspension and found a cracked rear axle with no signs of rust or damage nearby. the axle will have to be replaced. *tr

While driving could feel vibration coming from front of vehicle and hard vibration from steering wheel. then, took vehicle to dealer where they told her that was normal on make/ model and year of vehicle.*ak an entire suspension system was installed as well as new tires and rims,but the vehicle still vibrates. the consumer believes the vibration was caused by steering problem and states that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. *yh

On the day consumer bought vehicle and drove it home there was some noise coming from steering column. contacted dealer, and the dealer said that they did not find anything wrong.*ak consumer states bells go off randomly for no reason, at any given time and when it rains both sliding doors leak inside, passenger side door is loose and shakes and rattles, will open by itself. *jb

Discovered a cracked rear axle on my 2000 ford windstar sel. performed research on this issue and discovered that the rear axle has a design flaw that allows moisture, salt, sand, etc. to collect and rust the axle from the inside out and that potentially over 900,000 vehicles could be affected. a class action lawsuit was filed regarding this issue in may 2010. *tr

Left rear tire was leaning, noticed metal on metal sounds, then discovered the rear axle was snapped at a joint point. *tr

Suspension wallows on this thing. 1998 windstar i traded in had 82,000 miles and rode more controlled than this and still had all original components. you have to hold on to the armrests to keep in control in your seat. wife and kids get seasick riding in it. dealer states it is normal and all of them are that way.*ak

I was driving down the road at 35 mph when the car started shaking violently... drove about 1 mile to find a safe place to pull over... by this time the car was barely moving. i pulled into a turn lane and heard a loud crash at the back of the car. i stopped and got out to look to find that my rear axle had snapped in two. it was completely broken into two pieces to the left of center on the driver's side. thank god i was not on the highway when this happened. the ford dealer acted totally shocked that this could happen and told me to call my insurance company... that surely i must have hit something in order for such damage to occur. the insurance company found no damage... and so we paid out of pocket for the repair... which also included work on "rear suspension" and shock absorbers... damaged as a result of the axle breaking. we replaced with a used axle. total paid $1076.45. *tr

Had to pay to replace subframe on my 2000 ford windstar. could not drive til replaced. *tr