Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar POWER TRAIN

While driving on x way appox. 60 mph, noticed smoke emitting from rear of car and begin hearing a clicking sound. as i was pulling car over to side the right rear tire suddenly deflated. tow truck was called, upon loading of vehicle on bed of truck was able to see rear axle in the middle toward passenger side had rusted thru right in the middle of a bracket ford had installed in 2011 due to a recall. was informed that in 2015-16 ford did another recall on the bracket not being improperly installed. as showed in the attached photo there is only one bracket installed, my understanding there should be two. but even then that does not resolved the rust problem, it just holds the axle when it does break or corrode thru.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle felt as if it shifted into neutral. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road and powered off the engine. the vehicle was restarted, but failed to drive. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the torque converter failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called gary crossley ford at (816) 781-4844 (located at 8050 n church rd, kansas city, mo 64158) and was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. *tt consumer stated 2002 ford windstar output shaft failed causing sudden loss of engine power without any warning which increased the risk of crash.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a loud noise was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. after stopping the vehicle it was discovered that both rear wheels were angled inward inside the wheel well. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear axle had fractured. the cause of the failure was not determined and the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced in 2012 under the nhtsa recall campaign number: 12v193000 (power train) to prevent the failure from occurring. the local dealer was not notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 150,000.

The rear axle broke at 45mph blowing out both rear tires thankgod we wern't hurt and had no cars behind us seen recall online called ford but was told the van was not part of recall was purchased in mi new and has u design axle

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 45 mph, the tire warning indicator illuminated and smoke emerged from the rear of the vehicle. the contact called lilliston ford at (888) 397-9172 (833 n delsea dr., vineland, nj 08360) and was advised that the failure could not be repaired without a diagnosis. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 72,000.

On saturday morning july 15th 2017, i was driving at 2:30 am. i had just left for my first job and crossed a set of train tracks. when i did, the rear axle snapped almost causing me to crash. after looking for the cost to replace the axle, i came upon a ford recall. when i placed my vin in the computer it came up that my 2002 ford windstar was in fact included in the recall. i talked to someone at ford via live chat on saturday after having the vehicle towed home and they stated that the recall was outstanding and i needed to call the ford dealership. i paid again to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. now tuesday morning july 18th 2017, both the dealership and ford is saying that they cant help me and i need to take care of replacing the completely rusted rear axle. the rust causing the axle to snap was the reason for the recall in the first place. i have owned this vehicle less than 6 months and now as a single mom am left without a vehicle. i will never buy another ford again in my life and i will also discourage my friends and family from purchasing fords as well.

2002 windstar recall i was driving down the road one day to find out all off all the shifters but neutral the van suddenly had stopped going we could not go in drive reverse or anything find out stuck in middle of intersection with cars coming our way this problem is still unknown

April 3, 2016 while in motion on busy highway (i-96), vehicle just stopped going under power and rolled to a dangerous stop. vehicle had no drive power to wheels. vehicle had to be towed. examination indicates transmission issue. vehicle does not engage any gears and made no warning sounds. mechanic says torque converter failed and is a common problem. nhtsa recalled ford freestar for this issue but windstars are most effected and have not been recalled. on a highway, this is dangerous at 70 plus mph speeds. there was a family of four in this vehicle, when it just stopped going, with engine running. someone can be killed in a rear-end collision from this warningless and sudden power-train failure. vehicle has 108,900 miles and has undergone other recalls.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving various speeds, an abnormal odor and noise were noticed from the passenger side wheel. the vehicle moved in reverse when the gear shifter was in the drive position. the failure occurred constantly and the anti-brake warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the vehicle was serviced for nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 356,078.

Rear axle reinforcement brackets were installed in my ford windstar under safety recall 10s13, by an authorized ford (dealer's) repair shop in 2011. i was told by the ford repair shop that "brackets" were the only type of repair ford authorized them to do under that recall notice. i recently received another rear axle recall notice, 15s27, that said repair brackets improperly installed under the prior recall, may result in a rear axle beam fracture. the recall notice said if axle replacement was necessary, ford would replace it free of charge. when i took my car back to the same ford repair shop, the service manager said that the rear axle was indeed cracked and needs to be replaced. he also said that ford is refusing to replace it free of charge and requires a copay of $300. i called ford customer service and was told the same thing. i believe the "band aide" repair originally authorized by ford under the first rear axle recall, was insufficient to prevent stress points in their defective rear axle from causing a subsequent fracture that no amount of preventative maintenance could deter. i believe the second axle recall notice indicates that ford has placed the public in jeopardy with "cheap fixes" to defective parts. however, instead of ethically replacing the axle, ford now seems to be cutting their losses by offering a "discounted" axel replacement (only) at one of their affiliated shops. because a rear axle can cost about $1000 to replace, ford's "discount" effectively steers the business of customers who need this repair into ford's controlled business environment. we are left with no choice but to pay ford again, to correct their error and keep us safe. please call me at [xxx] car is currently at lucas ford, burlington nj. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving at approximately 50 mph, the vehicle decelerated and failed to accelerate without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred after the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in the manufacturer recall related to the power train. the failure mileage was 134,000.

I am writing before i encounter a serious problem on the road. while in for state vehicle inspection, my mechanic noted that the rear axle "repair" (a reinforcement bracket) on my 2002 windstar van is failing. it can look ok on the lift, but once weight is put on the axle, the seriousness of the cracking is apparent. the repair was made by a ford dealership in 2011 under recall 10s13. i already spoke with ford customer service, and they say there is nothing they can do because the recall was completed. i am now waiting to see if the dealership that made the repair can help to correct the problem they (ford) have acknowledged exists, but without an adequate fix to date.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the tire began to rub the inner fender wall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle was fractured and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure) but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the axle should have been replaced initially under the recall and not bracketed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000. updated 12/03/15*lj updated 12/09/15.*jb

My 2002 windstar had the axle crack just under the recall repair sleeve the driver's side about a month ago. i brought it to the ford dealer who confirmed it was cracked and got the same response as the others. ford warrantied the repair for 12 months. i had the repairs done during the recall brackets were added to reinforce the axle. i called 1-8003923673 (ford company) from direction from the local dealership. it appears that ford put a band-aid on the problem and gave a 12 month warranty on it. that's ridiculous! it is obvious that they did not do an adequate assessment on these axles when they made the repair/replace decision. they knew about the axle problems in 1998. stated in internal memo in 1999 that heat treating could double the axle life. it's shameful what they knew and what they ignored. i was told that since the recall repair was done over 12 months ago that it would not be covered.i being the only owner it should be a way to have this problem fix by ford. i guess, i have not more choice to do the repair paying out of my pocket (not a chip repair) and to keep the receipt in case they expanded the recall. i also found out to go to nhtsa.gov to file a complaint. they will not expand the recall unless enough complaints are noted. calling to the dealership is not enough. you have to call ford co. 1-800-3923673 and visit nhtsa.gov before it is officially noted.

Total sudden loss of steering the car went off the road totally out of control. no notification of recall subframe collapse. entire steering parts destroyed and coolant leaked from engine this is incredible that no one was injured i was about to get on the highway!!! *tr

I tool my 2002 ford windstar in for inspection of the rear axle and brackets were put in place. on march 9, the rear axle broke. luckily it was as i was pulling into a parking spot at work. ford is aware they have a manufactured defective part on these windstars and yet after the bracket is place they refuse to replace the axle after is rust and breaks anyway. ford deems it fixed. however, i disagree. they are putting the safety of thousands of people at risk. they should accept responsibility and repair the parts. extremely unhappy. i have been calling ford for 2 weeks and can not get a supervisor to return my call. it's ridiculous. *tr

After driving down a major highway north of boston, ma (128/95 north) my wife and i, first heard scraping noise that became louder and began smell like burning rubber/brakes. the car lurched across the roadway/highway and we swerved and almost sideswiped car in the adjacent lane. we were in the process of exiting the highway on the off ramp to my work at rte 28 south stoneham/wakefield. we were able to pull over, gather our thoughts and continue to a gulf station on rte 28 in stoneham, ma. the gulf station mechanic/manager said he had never seen anything like it, a rear axle literally splitting in half. after viewing the rear broken axle and looking at the condition of the front right end and the overall condition of the sub frame they politely and forgivingly said they have rarely seen such a thing (cracked/separated rear axle and went on to say they have only seen this in ford windstars and went on to talk about a local women whose ford windstar lost control on the highway at 60 mph with her 3 children and were scared to death and in conclusion would not touch the vehicle and warned that the vehicle was beyond safe driving and repair. they were shocked that although there was some kind of brace on the axle in two places that the axle had snapped in two at the reinforcement and said even without the reinforcement on the rear axle they have never seen a rear axle split in two and compounded with the fact that it actually had a reinforcement bracket fail. reiterating axles and sub frames are not wear and tear parts and in fact had never seen broken rear axles and sub frames crack and break and corroded to this extent. their reaction was of disturbing to say the least. they said broken axles just don,t happen and with added reinforcement it was "beyond belief" they had broken in half. *tr

Our 2002 ford windstar's axle fractured, as described in nhtsa campaign id number 12v193000. the dealership had installed brackets in 2012, and respond that we are outside the twelve month coverage window on this work, and decline to do anything else for us. can we be sure of the state of the axle on inspection in 2012? i think that since the axle fractured, they cannot assume they have no liability, or that their choice to install brackets instead of replacing the axle was sufficient. *tr

We were driving around town and we heard a clunking sound in the back of the van. we took the van into the shop where they discovered a crack in the rear axle. luckily this did not happen the week before, as we were driving many highway miles or it could have been worse. this was a recalled part and it was taken in at the time of the recall. two different mechanics in town assured us that it was not our fault but that it was a faulty part. we take good care of our cars. we called ford directly thinking that they would honor their vehicle and fix a part they knew would break down. they gave us the run around and then never returned our phone calls. this van would had many good years left in it, now it can not be driven! *tr

The rear axle broke into while driving at low speed. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit a loud noise when started. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic, who stated that the starter was hanging and the housing of the transmission was fractured. the contact was advised that the engine, starter motor and transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 61,000.

Driven heard a snap stop and look it was rear axel cracked. *tr

Driving onto the expressway via service ramp i felt the van shift to the right as i was about to enter the freeway. lane i was about to merge onto was to my left. seemed as if something were terribly wrong. i continued driving, but cautiously. drove the vehicle for the next week, yet not very frequently. the following friday, i went to get an oil change and the serviceman noticed that my back driver's side wheel was tilted inward and then said the right side rear wheel was too, just not as much as the left side. he proceeded to tell me that my axle looked cracked and that my shock was totally corroded and stuck. the next day, i took the van to our trusted mechanic, who inspected the van. he said that my rear axle was totally corroded and cracked underneath the "band-aid" bracket that the ford dealership in imlay city, mi had put there when i had originally had taken the van in for the rear axle recall back on 2/11/11. he said to contact them about it. i contacted the service manager named nick on 11/11/13. i spoke to him briefly and explained that the rear axle was cracked. he said he would make some calls and get back to me. he never did. i attempted throughout that day to get a hold of him, he never called me back. later my husband tried to call him. instead a woman answered and said she worked in warranty division. she stated we call ford customer complaint ctr. we called there and spoke to a man named austin. he said a decision would be made by friday, 11/15/13 and that service manager in imlay city or regional manager would call us. no one did. we attempted to call dealer 11/15/13. for over an hour all lines were busy. we then called customer complaint center for ford. we were informed that their records showed that dealer called us 11/12/13 with decision to not help. that is completely false! no one called us regarding the matter, period! *tr

Everything was fine until last night when between 50-60 it started making a clunking noise and would shake the entire van. we couldn't get it looked at anywhere because it was late. well this morning i was driving to work at 6am and i started losing control and the van was swerving all over the road. luckily there were no cars behind me, i was able to make it to the side of the road and girls weren't with me. i thought i had lost a tire but when i got out to look the back axel was completely split in two. i was really mad because i just paid $800 to have the intake valves fixed. when the taxi came to pick me up he looked it up and said there was a recall. he also said his intake valves went out on his 2000 windstar and that's not covered either. i called my mechanic and he said just a couple weeks ago a lady came in and brought her van to have the back axel fixed. so now my husband and father in law had to pay for towing to bring it to the ford dealership and nothing is open today or tomorrow as it's labor day. mind you i just bought this van in march as the mileage was low and the price was reasonable. i have now realized i am forced to buy a vehicle with payments.

2002 ford windstar axle repair failed. golf mill ford in niles, il repaired my ford windstar in late 2010 after inspecting it. golf mill decided to patch and not replace the axle. on july 6 the tire kicked out and started to slide in patch bracket. i called ford and they instructed me to take to original dealer who done repaired and to keep all receipts for work done for possible reimbursement. dealer looked at axle and said they have had similar field problems and ford has been replacing the axle and repaired had internal code stating they axle repair did not "expire". when the repair request was submitted to ford for authorization, ford declined. the service manager was shocked and i was told that ford said the program was declined for the program met its obligation and i was told to keep the receipt for it would be necessary for future reimbursements. golf mill ford in niles, il made the repair and "good deal" labor rate to assist in the bill and for this i thank them. however, i am shocked the ford is aware of field failures in a poorly designed field fix and has chosen not to properly remedy the first attempt at a fix. i have pictures if necessary! *tr

Abs light start flashing, lose cruise control, then over drive started flashing on the van, cut off o/d light still flashing. *tr

Driving home, down country highway, vehicle had no noise or gave warning. heard a loud hiss/noise, smoke screen appeared behind van, i coasted van off roadway. had vehicle towed home. upon checking, rod went thru engine and transmission casing. am wondering if this has been a problem with this vehicle, because i heard of a similar incident just today with another windstar. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, he felt something break near the rear of the vehicle. the contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the rear axle was broken. the contact notified the dealer and they stated that the vin was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 12v193000 (power train:axle assembly). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 178,000.

Purchased this vehicle in january 2012 and have had nothing but problems with it. according to ford all recalls have been done on this vehicle but here is a list of the issues with the van: abs light comes on, check engine light comes on, van has no cruise control at all, and last friday i could not put the van in gear. after the ford dealership "repaired" the solenoid for the van now all of a sudden there is currently no rear brake lights. this van is less than safe to be on the road and have seen that some of the recalls would have solved the speed control issue but the ford factory will not answer any of my questions. take a look online and you will see thousands of people with the same issues we are having and it was brought to the attention of ford that we are having the same issues as thousands of other people so this is beyond a problematic vehicle.the vehicle is currently sitting at the local ford dealer while they try and figure out what is wrong with the light system. this vehicle has been in the shop twice since we have owned it and this is costing us hundreds (so far) to fix issues that everyone with this vehicle is having. the latest issues have led to us being without a vehicle for almost a week and we have a disabled child in the home and this is unacceptable. *tr

Transmission started making crunching noises and still does, cant drive it because it is getting worse. *tr

While on vacation, we were driving slowly, looking at a lake on a gravel road, as we started up a small hill, the van revved up, and began slowing down. it rolled to a stop and did not move again. we had to be towed to the nearest town, we were informed we needed a new tranny. had to rent a car. found out the repair shop did not have all the equipment to flush the transmission cooling system, and had to have it towed again to a transmission shop. the tranny shop said we could get by with a torque converter, and repaired it. *tr

We bought our van in march 2012. by april 2012 we began noticing problems with shifting. it shifts hard. the windows stopped working in may 2012. the lights on the dash for the abs and brakes are always on. the brakes are not very good and the pedal must be pushed hard to get the van to stop. our biggest issue is with the transmission. the mechanic at aamco would not even change the fluid because if he changed the fluid then the transmission wouldn't be able to shift. i don't know the details but i do know that my van is not safe to drive. *tr

I was on high way, 35 mph and my car unexpected loss of motive power. so i was unable to go to the emergency line, my mechanic put a new torque converter and fix the problem, the was in january 13 2012, cold weather. *tr

The incident occurred just after 9:00 pm on sunday evening (12/4/11) when i was backing this car to a road in the parking lot of princeton alliance church, plainsboro, new jersey. i turned on the engineer and put the shift gear on reverse and immediately heard big noises of grinding/snapping sounds. i could not control the car and felt that i hit a car behind me. i turned off the engine and realized that i did not hit the car behind me. a gentlemen in the same parking lot came to me and said from his experience this was a transmission failure. he and our family members pushed the car back to the parking position and relieved the traffic after a holiday concert. i am scared to think if this incident happened on a highway. i also felt lucky that this happened in a parking lot. *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

The 1st problem, had a check engine light on my 2001 ford windstar, c1518 "intake manifold runner control stuck open." after reading forums, most pointed to a plastic "bushing" clip coming off leaving a control arm 2nd problem, abs chk light and brk chk light come on after driving for a few minutes, abs module and abs sensor went out. *tr

Abs brake lights on, after research, its a common problem with faulty abs modules. subframe is rotting out with the mounting points of the subframe peeling away. o/d light coming on intermittently, after research, common problem points back to a bad vehicle speed sensor. mileage does not seem to be a factor. faulty hard lines for rear heating. multiple cracks in lines cause radiator fluid loss. very very common problem, looked at 10-15 windstars in pull-a-parts lot, all with faulty hard lines. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the check transmission lamp illuminated. also, he mentioned that while driving the transmission would fail and the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 67,240.

Check engine light on - 2002 ford windstar - seems to be common complaint online service bulletin issued in 2003 - diagnostics says it's the o2 sensor, this is not the case vehicle idles erratically at stops - some hesitation - now hesitates and runs bad in rain i've replaced the transmission twice - engine once - crappy vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact was driving 45 mph when the vehicle came to a stop. the engine was still running, but when the contact tried to accelerate the vehicle would not move. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contacts mechanic did not mention anything specific that caused the failure, only that this was a common problem with that year, make and model vehicle and that it had to be replaced. the failure and current mileage was 115,000.

Spouse was driving 2002 for windstar down 40 mph road and transmission stopped supplying power to the front wheel drive and vehicle stopped moving. *tr

Van won't go into gear or drive . i don't know if it the corrosion fractures of front lower control arm or transmission . trying to find out if any recalls would be on the van on what's going on with it .

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

I was on high way, 45 mph and my car unexpected loss of motive power. so i was unable to go to the emergency line, my mechanic put a new torque converter and fix the problem, the was in november 2010, cold weather. *tr

Overdrive light and shifting problems. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while traveling 35 mph, the contact noticed an unusual cracking sound coming from outside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the rear axle had fractured and would need replacing. there were no prior warnings of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was 145,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the rear-end of the vehicle collapsed without warning. the contact stated that the rear axle had fractured in two and both rear tires were protruding inward. also, the contact stated that the rear driver side tire sidewall was defective. the inner axle exhibited extensive rust and corrosion. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was approximately 122,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while reversing 2 mph from a residential driveway, there was a loud bang and the entire rear axle fractured. both rear wheels collapsed inward unexpectedly. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 72,588.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact was driving 25 mph when there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the contact discovered the rear axle was fractured. the contact was concerned that if she were driving at a faster speed she could potentially have been involved in a crash. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 113,400.

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