Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension) and received the recall repair. the contact was driving and the left rear axle fractured and broke. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for further inspection and to be repaired. the contact had been waiting for longer than two weeks for the dealer to schedule an appointment and repair the vehicle. the vehicle was to be repaired by an authorized dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

2002 ford wndstar. courtesy copy of a letter from the office of the connecticut attorney general to ford motor corporation re a consumer complaint. *kb the consumer took the vehicle for an oil an change and repairs due to recalls. the consumer was informed that the right coil spring was broken and it would cost $688 to repair. the consumer stated she did some research online and discovered a recall had been issued for broken coil springs for prior year ford windstar's. *jb

Front right coil spring broken and left side show fatigue in same area. vehicle had other recalls due to high-corrosion areas. *tr

Driving down highway,had to swerve for animal,van started to sway back n forth,heard metal scraping ground,got out looked to see rear sway bar hanging down. the bar had rotted out of frame...is this one of the components covered in the multiple recalls of the suspension and all the problems related to them...thanks *tr

The antilock brake system light as well as the traction control lights keep coming on. garage can't tell the exact cause. the booster arm busted, keeping the brakes engaged as driven. the booster arm was replaced and the lights are still on. i reset it, and they reappear after a short time. i now smell the brakes when applied. i've had engine replaced at 101,000 miles, two transmissions, multiple brake jobs, rear axle repaired, front axle repaired, front tie rods repaired. the alignment on my vehicle could only be partially completed.... toe, and another alignment done, but the complete alignment would need a hole drilled in the frame and a bolt moved over - bad design by ford. i've also had to have the oxygen sensor replaced at my own expense. the vehicle is a ticking time bomb, piece of crap. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while the vehicle was parked at the dealership to be repaired, the technicians stated the rear axle was covered with rust, fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly) that could be related to the failure. the manufacturer stated the vin was not included in the recall. the approximate failure mileage was 122,390. updated 09/27/11 *bf updated 2/10/12 *cn

2002 ford windstar. consumer writes in regards to numerous recalls for vehicle, the last involving the subframe snapping and separating from the body causing loss of control *tgw the consumer also stated the rear axle snapped in half.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id numbers: 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly) and 11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields). upon receiving the vehicle from the authorized dealer, the vehicle began to shake violently when driving at various speeds. the contact would also hear rattling and banging noises. the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the contact was informed that a bracket on the frame was hanging off and the piping was still corroded. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

Recall on front subframes on windstars. mine is bad, ford does not have parts, will not buy it back and wants me to pay for everything over 100 miles/day on the rental. they also gave me a rental that is 50.00/day and they will only pay 38.00. rear mounts are missing chunks, was told there was a crack on drivers side now told there is not, ask them to relook to be sure and was told no. they claim it is repairable but has lots of rust in addition to the missing chunks. i have copies of the pictures the dealer took. *tr

2002 ford windstar: while driving on henry hudson pkwy in nyc, northbound, south of dykman street, there were several loud banging sounds from the rear on the ran, followed a few seconds later by a wailing sound, and the rear of the car would fishtail whenever the steering was turned. when the car was wrestled to the side of the road and i exited, there was the smell of burning rubber. closer inspection revealed both rear wheels toed-out, and an obvious break in the rear axle. the break occurred on the left side, about 1/3 of the way across the length of the axle. car was towed off the highway and remains parked pending repairs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that after receiving her recall notice in regards to nhtsa campaign id number 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly) she contacted the dealer and they stated that she not be able to schedule an appointment since the part would not be available until march. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 71,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v194000 (suspension:front:control arm) and was repaired. after the repairs, the contact noticed a clunking noise exhibited from the vehicle while driving. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that there was water dripping from the air conditioner line where the original corrosion occurred on the sub frame, which corroded the component that was added under the recall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician then advised that the sub frame would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear axle fractured. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension) but the dealer only had placed a sealant as a remedy. the contact felt that the dealer should had installed rear axle reinforcement brackets to support the rear axle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The rear axle of my 2002 windstar cracked while driving. *tr

I'm one of the lucky folks that has a 2002 windstar sitting in my local ford lot waiting on the rear axle to come in so it can be repaired. what i wanted you to know is that my subframe is very rusty too. i haven't had a failure yet, but my mechanic suggested i get it undercoated to try to stop it from deteriorating even more. i'm very concerned as it's my wife's car usually, and i think ford should be required to inspect each one of these cars while they're sitting in their lots to determine if failure is imminent (like what they did with the axles). that would be very little to ask and easily done since they're still telling us the axles won't be available till possibly late march. thank you./cgs

2002 ford windstar. consumer states recall inspection was done and paint was removed from large area's of rear axle for inspection. axle has rusted heavily in the three months since inspection. ford motor company customer service has refused to respond to letters sent *tgw

Ford windstar van, which was already subject to rear axle recall, and the rear axle did break on it in may, and was replaced and i received reimbursement for the replacement from ford. however, another incident happened in december. my 21 year old son was in an accident driving this van on thursday, dec. 16. the van lost traction and pulled to the right, pulling him into a ditch and down a steep embankment. the front of the van was ripped off, tires slashed, van almost flipped over, and the airbags never deployed. he hit a dirt embankment head on going about 30-35 mph. the roads were icy that day, and he was on a curve... the van would not respond to steering to correct the direction the van was going. i experienced something similar last winter; the van seemed to pull to the right, going off the road without allowing the driver to control the vehicle. however, when i went off the road, it was in a shallow ditch and it caused no damage to the van. my son was not as fortunate, and he could have been severely injured. i feel that this may have something to do with the current investigation into the front suspension... the van could not be controlled, and pulled to the right. our insurance co. is taking care of this, and i don't know the current location of the van. it is totaled, i know that. i asked state farm to check out the front suspension for weakness or rust, but don't know if they'll know what to look for, especially since the front is so damaged from the wreck that the tires are turned sideways, and i believe the front axle is broken. please send someone to look at my van, and see what caused this wreck; my son could have been killed. thank you for the work you've done so far.... your organization is so valuable to consumers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the rear axle fractured causing the rear wheels to cave in. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who informed the contact that they would need to replace the rear axle. the vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on a back order. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

2002 ford windstar lx. consumer states problem with brake system *tgw the consumer stated the front wheel bearings, engine gasket and fuel injector needed to be replaced. the abs light illuminated. *jb

2002 ford windstar. consumer states that when the vehicle went in for inspection for a recall the consumer was informed that the axle was cracked. *kb the consumer was informed it would be 3-4 months before the vehicle is returned to him. prior to the axle failure, the transmission had to be replaced and the rear door would spontaneously open. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while having the vehicle repaired for recall 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly), he was informed that both front struts were rusted and cracked. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 89,600.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on november 2010 for recall repairs under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension: rear:axle: non-powered axle assembly) however, the contact was advised that the part needed for repairs was unavailable. the vehicle continued to remain at the dealer and they were unable to provide an estimate of when the part would become available. the contact had not experienced a failure.

The rear axle of my 2002 ford windstar broke yesterday. i was traveling about 15 mph when i hear a not too loud bang and when i exited my car and saw the wheel, i knew right away what had happened. i contacted ford this morning and i was told that it would take minimum 3-6 months to fix. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact received nhtsa recall 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly). he was informed by the dealer that the axle needed to be replaced. the contact was also informed that he would have to wait for the parts to arrive before the repair could be performed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a different recall when the dealer installed a patch and bracket mechanism but did not install the new axle. the contact called the manufacturer to inquire as to why they did not install the axle and was told that they had no record of him needing a new axle. the current mileage was 120,000. the failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

I have a 2002 ford windstar & was driving on a country road when an animal ran out in front of me, i swerved to miss it and bang...!!! i nearly lost control because the rear end started bouncing around. i pulled over at a buddies house & found the rear axle broken. i had it towed to the ford dealer & there were 2 other broken windstars there ahead of mine & i had to pay for the tow!!! the ford dealer rented me a vehicle for $30 per day but they wont pick up the tax which is $2.67/day. ford says it may be february before it's fixed so that's $80/month it's gonna cost me for fords crap van!!!! i want to know if there could be legal action taken against ford for full compensation including the taxes on the rental, had i not been a good driver, i may have rolled the van. this could cost me $300 plus and i'm not too happy about this. *tr

Rear axle recall on 2002 ford windstar, we returned our car in september for a recall notice, they advised us that they would keep our windstar until approximately march 2011. the van is sitting outside in a field parking area and is exposed to all weather conditions. we feel that there will be damage done to the van by sitting in this field. over this time period. *tr

Friday night my wife told me she had heard a rolling thumping sound from the rear of our 2002 ford windstar, we thought it might be something rolling around in the storage area behind the rear seat. saturday the 29th i was driving the vehicle with my wife in the passenger seat in our neighborhood, heading to the store to shop for groceries. speed limit 25mph when i was making a right turn from a stop i heard a thumping sound. i new right away it wasn't something rolling around in the van. it sounded like it came from outside under the rear of the van. we were very busy this day and didn't have time to investigate. later that evening my wife took my daughter's boyfriend home when it happened again, but she said it was even louder. my daughter called me to tell me that she was afraid they may get stranded. this morning i went online to research the sound and found many other people having the same issue and gave descriptions and photos and some had completely cracked in half. i went under my van and found that the rear axle is rusted and cracked. *tr

Regarding the ford windstar recall of the rear axel: i own a 2002 ford windstar and live in minnesota, a corrosion state. i called a ford dealership nearby and was told that my vin number does not qualify for the recall. i then called the ford customer service and was told the reason that my van does not qualify is because it was manufactured in california; however, it has been in south dakota and minnesota for its entire life. i want the nhtsa to be aware that ford is doing only a partial recall and one must be real proactive to make sure the safety of their family, as ford will not be sending a letter to ford windstar owners if one's vehicle was not manufactured in a salt-belt state. ford is not ensuring the safety of all their ford windstar owners. the ford customer service personal that i spoke to said i could call the ford dealership again and explain my concerns that the real axel on my 2002 ford windstar is corroded, that i live in a corrosion state, and that the only reason that we don't qualify for the recall is because it was manufactured in california. the ford dealership will then have to try to get an allowance for my vehicle to qualify for the recall. but again, i will not be notified by ford, the only way i knew about the recall is because i heard about it on the news. i am concerned about driving my van and the rear axel breaking while i am driving with my 3 children. *tr

2002 ford windstar rear axle cracked. crack is in the rear leg of the u at the approx. center of the axle. crack extends from the bottom to the top of the axle. car is driven driver only occupied 95% of the time with no load. max. load throughout car life time has been 7 passengers or less. *tr

To whom it may concern. my name is [xxx], we have a 2002 ford windstar. last week the rear axle snapped while my wife was driving with my 10 year old son. but for the grace of god, she didn't crash and was killed. axle actually snapped in two. since this incident, we have gone on line and found over 200 incidents of this same problem. evidently, rear axle is "u" design, and salt and road debris gets caught up in axle and causes corrosion. ford better address this problem before someone is killed. please note that most of these vans are used by families, with small children. i would hate to see a fatality without ford doing something about it. is there any recourse with ford. my contact info is: [xxx] please review and advise a.s.a.p. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2002 ford windstar rear axle snapped in half. *tr

While backing out of the driveway, i heard a clunk from the back of the van. i did not think much about it, but the van started to drive loose especially when driving over holes and bumps in the road. the van started to sway, more so than normal, when cornering turns. after a few days, the car started to feel more out of control, so i looked under the rear of the van and found the axel was sever to shear about 60%.. i stopped driving the vehicle and will call our mechanic for repairs. *tr

We were driving our 2002 ford windstar at approximately 30 mph and started hearing noise. the vehicle became difficult to drive and the noise was getting louder, we pulled over because it felt like a flat tire, but knew it was more serious. the rear tires were tilting in toward the van and the rear axle was broken. the vehicle was not drivable and we had it towed. *tr

1)nothing it appears to be an engineering or manufacturing defect. 2)a cracked rear axle/support beam. it appears to be occur more regularly with vehicle that have been owned a while. my vehicle only has 66k miles on it. it could possibly lead to death if this occurs at highway speeds causing vehicle control loss. here is a quick reference http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/windstar/2000/drivetrain/rear_axle_failure.shtml. 3)nothing yet. the fix would be to replace the axle/support beam. yes i still have the part. *tr

I drive a 2002 ford windstar, and one day i heard a noise coming from the rear. i jacked up the rear of the van to look for the noise and what i found was a big crack in my rear axle . lucky for me i found it before it broke doing 65 on the highway . i decided to change the rear end myself . i got the part from a junk yard that says there's only 85,000 miles on it , but when will that one break. *tr

2002 ford windstar rear axle snapped - 112,000 miles. no injuries or accident. driving 25 mph when it snapped. *tr

I own a 2002 ford windstar it was making noise in the rear so i took it to the shop and my rear axle is cracked in half my tires are leaning in i cant drive it. its my only vehicle lots of complaints on-line you would think ford would do something thank you *tr

Rear axle is cracked, wheels started to cave in. will try to temporarily weld the axle since we can't afford to replace the axle. *tr

I have a 2002 ford windstar van, with 65,000 miles. a squeak started in the back underside of the van. looked underneath and saw a large crack in rear axle. there was no rust at all on the axle it just cracked about 18 inches form the left rear tire. *tr

My 2002 ford windstar's rear axle has cracked! while i was driving we heard a horrible sound. we get out and look to see that my rear tires we bowed in. i had my cousin who is a mechanic to come over and he told me that my rear axle has cracked and he has never seen anything like it! i've had to pay to have it towed twice already and i have to pay $450.00 for the part and that does not include labor. the job is a 7-8 hour project! i'm furious! i've owned this van for 3 months! i haven't been able to work this entire week because of this problem! i came home the day that it happened and looked up the problem and apparently its a common known problem with these cars! i guess ford is going to wait for someone to die before they fix this problem! *tr

Pulling our 2002 ford windstar van into our driveway, i heard a loud crack from the rear of the van. i looked under the rear of the van and noticed that the rear axle was broken in half. i have parked the van since it is not safe to drive. *tr

2002 ford windstar. rear axle broke and wheels bowed in. going about 30 mph with under 115,000miles on odometer. heard some rattling noises in the 2 weeks leading up to the break, thought the spare under neath was making the noise because nothing else was loose. regular corrosion & driving conditions. car was towed and is currently at the shop. when tow truck operator was loading on flatbed, axle completely separated & he had difficulty getting it on safely. vehicle was preowned but had a clean car fax and was never involved in any accidents. *tr

While exiting nj turnpike, the rear beam of my 2002 ford windstar fractured, creating severe negative camber on both rear wheels. by the time the vehicle was towed back home on a flatbed, the rear beam was cracked in two pieces. contacted ford dealer the next day, and the service manager stated that he was unaware of any such problems with this make and model of vehicle. i requested that he send out a field service representative to take a look at the damage, and the service manager told me that he would only have a technician look at the vehicle if i towed it to his dealership. i am in the process of determining whether i want my local independent service shop to do the repair or the ford dealership. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated the rear axle was cracked near the two drainage holes. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed they were unable to service the failure. the contact stated he noticed an abnormal cracking noise when driving the vehicle prior to locating the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages was 121,000. updated 09/15/10. *lj the consumer stated he noticed the axle was cracked when he was installing new shocks on the rear of the vehicle. the consumer stated a recall was issued for the problem he experienced and he is now seeking reimbursement. 09/16/10*jb

I have 2002 ford windstar. i took it to a local repair shop on 6-23-10 because of a rattling noise when ever it went over a bump. the mechanic told me that the rear axle was cracked almost all the way through. he told me he could get one from a salvage yard and fix it for around $700. luckily i had it taken care of when i did because we were planning a trip out of town the next weekend and it surely would have broken in half on our trip. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact was traveling 65 mph when the brakes were depressed and steering failed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the driver side front axle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 160,000 and the current mileage was 179,000.

Ford 2002 windstar had a rattling sound when traveling over bumps and with a slight wheel pull to the left. vehicle axle beam broke while car was traveling on rte 4 northbound at about 35 mph,in n. kingstown ri at approximately 2:15pm. i was able to navigate to the side of the road without injury to any other person or vehicle. axle beam was cracked and bent causing the driver side tire to rub against the body of the car. the car was loaded onto a flat bed tow truck and the axle broke cleanly during transport. this caused the passenger side wheel to rub against the car body during unloading. this car is now parked in a repair facility lot. serious injury or accident were probably avoided through the fortunate combination of low speed of travel in the right hand lane combined with a light traffic situation on the highway. *tr

I was entering the highway as i started to accel i heard a loud thump. immediately my car began swerving and almost tipped over, it felt as though the rear tires fell off. there was a large amount of smoke and sparks coming from the rear of the car and i struggled to stay in control of the vehicle. ultimately the rear axle broke in half without warning and out of no where. i did not hit anything and was driving safely. luckily there was a break in traffic or i have no doubt i would have hit other cars on the road. the car came extremely close to flipping, it tipped at one point and would have flipped on the passenger side if not for my quick reaction. the vehicle was towed and my mechanic immediately told me axles do not break like this and he advised me to call ford to see if there was a manufactures problem with the axle. i called my local dealer and was advised that ford have experienced no problems like mine and my car is out of warranty so there is nothing they could do. only after i came home and searched the web did i realize there are thousands and thousands of other windstar owners who experienced the same kind of breakage and i believe a more aggressive investigation needs to take place. the axle needs to be repaired and if this is a manufacturers defect it need to be fixed before someone is killed. *tr

I currently own a 2002 ford windstar, my rear axle has broken in half all the way now, i tried taking it to a ford dealership regarding this problem because i have a warranty but i was advised that they could not fix the problem because it has rusted out and broke. i am learning that this is a big issue and this problem is too expensive to fix on my own. i am still making payments on this vehicle. what should i do? after researching this issue, i am finding that i am not the only one with this rear axle issue. we need something done. *tr

2002 ford windstar rear axle is cracked on both sides. vehicle has 104,000 miles. well maintained and never abused. i was shocked and in awe when i noticed this today while i was rotating the tires. i went on the internet and found this was a common problem and under investigation. i am a safety professional and a member of the american society of safety engineers (ase). my two children ride in this vehicle every day. some of these vans are used at daycare denters and small bus companies. this is a serious defect. i have read comments about people down-playing this, and feeling this is a waste of time. this investigation is completely justified and rational. owr van is in great shape and showing no other signs of major rust or defects. if this had failed on the highway, the results could have been deadly. these are family vehicles designed specifically for transporting a bunch of kids. i drove two 5 year olds to a birthday party 40 miles on the highway yesterday with no knowledge of the problem. feel free to contact me. i can provide pictures. thank you *tr