Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 40 mph, the rear of the vehicle began veering to the right and left. the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle, but managed to pull over to the side of the road. the contact drove to an independent mechanic who quickly diagnosed that the rear axle was rusted and fractured in half. the contact took the vehicle to dorian ford (35900 gratiot ave, clinton twp, mi 48035, (586) 792-4100) in 2016 for an unknown recall repair regarding the brackets for the rear axle. the dealer confirmed that they inspected the vehicle and passed it on february 9, 2016. the dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer, but they were only concerned that the vehicle was no longer covered by a warranty and did not assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 113,643. *bf consumer stated dorian ford did a recall inspection on feb 9 2016 and certified that the vehicle was safe concerning the axel. the mileage at time of replacement is 113,643. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact noticed that there was water entering into the vehicle from the front windshield. in addition, the trim by the front windshield and front frame on the passenger side were rusting. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000. the vin was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the subframe was rusted out. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving at an unknown speed, the rear axle fractured without warning. the vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed to beau townsend ford lincoln (1020 w national rd, vandalia, oh 45377, (937) 898-5841). the dealer diagnosed that the brackets failed to secure the rear axle, which then caused the rear axle to prematurely fracture. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the dealer did not repair the vehicle because the statute to receive the recall repair was expired. the dealer and the manufacturer refused to cover the recall repair. the contact was informed to replace the rear axle due to the mis-installation of the brackets. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 10v385000 (suspension), and nhtsa action numbers: ea10007 (suspension and structure) and pe10006 (suspension). the failure mileage was not available.

Rh back side of subframe, is rotted/corroded so bad that the metal tore all around the subframe bushing. to where it is not being held up by the bushing on the right hand lower/back is not holding up the front subframe... now, the vehicle is making a very loud popping noise when driving and turning... and when turning fast enough (more turning left then right) can feel whole front end jerk like its about to go the opposite way the van...replaced the left front strut assembly and control arm to find out that did not solve the problem. then after repairs and looking deeper.. noticed right front side, sagging almost 2-4 inches lower then left front... that's when we noticed the subframe completely broken/rusted off from the body bushing (on the front right lower/rear bushing)

The sweigh bar links have been replaced twice. breaks and rosters too! the tires are new with inlinement and rotation done! i have went through several sets of tires! the vehicle just doesn't drive correctly! the vehicle is also missing with no found reason and will randomly die! it feels very lose and unsafe on the road! the coil pack, plugs and plug wires replaced! all new fluids including antifreeze, break fluid, power steering fluid, oil and transmission fluid! the air filter and other filters! new fuel pump and it's still not right! break light comes on and off and emergency break isn't set nor is it low on fluid! new breaks and caliber and rotor! seriously have invested slot of money in this vehicle! also motor for windows being replaced now! gage hand will periodically go all the way to the right the after a few seconds go back to normal! this started in april of 2017 and is still continuing

Ford had put the brackets on the rear axle. these failed. rear axle cracked. almost causing my family to crash into tree

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving approximately 25 mph, the front frame fractured or was rusted, which caused the passenger side wheel to detach from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an auto repair garage. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v385000 (suspension). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

Driving on hwy 49 driving approximately 40 mph when i lost control with my children in the car. luckily we came to a stop off the hwy. i could see my tire was almost sideways and blown. my finance picked us up and said the axle had snapped and took a picture. it is saturday and i'm without a car. i found out this was recalled. i just want to make sure ford will fix the issue and in a timely manner since i have no other car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). the vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle failed the annual safety inspection. the safety inspector diagnosed that the subframe and bushings fractured. the vehicle was driven to a collision shop where it was diagnosed that the subframe was cracked. the vehicle was delivered to the dealer, but not diagnosed nor repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. updated 10/04/16*lj *tr

Husband was going to work in early morning and had just slowed as he exited highway, went over first set of railroad tracks at speed limit, then the front end of van raised into the air about a foot then slammed down as he crossed the second set of tracks and he lost control. he had no brakes or steering and the van crashed into a curb before stopping. it narrowly missed going under a semi-truck. it took several hours to be towed to ford dealer and missing an unpaid day of work, our insurance secured a rental car since ford refused to do so. the 2002 windstar had been previously repaired under the 2011 rear axle recall 10s13 and subframe 11s16 passed inspection at that time, but both appeared to have failed in this instance. this failure caused over $3000 in collateral damage to the steering and exhaust systems that ford says will be our financial responsibility if it can even be fixed due to many parts no longer being produced.those would need to be found through salvage or aftermarket sources. they have only offered to repair the failed subframe issue and possibly the recalled rear axle. we recently learned after this accident that there was a recall 15s27 on the prior axle recall repair for incorrectly installed brackets. we received no notification of this recall from late 2015 to have the axle fixed properly. ford has offered to buy back the van for $1339, which appears to be substantially less than what was offered for buy backs in 2011 when the initial recall was done. our van also had about 40,000 fewer miles on it than vans of the same age and make, based on an average of 15,000 miles a year. we have owned this van since 2002 and been at our same address for 10 years, so our lack of notification about this latest recall is unacceptable. ford appears negligent both in dealing with a dangerous structural issue and notifying owners of recalls to fix it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while at an inspection location, the mechanic diagnosed that the front passenger's side sub frame had fractured due to corrosion and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). the failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle had a front end alignment and other repairs performed but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. updated 04/14/16*lj the consumer stated the subframe was completed corroded. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. in 2010, the dealer repaired the vehicle per nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension) concerning the reinforcement brackets. while driving approximately 65 mph, the rear axle fractured and the rear driver side tire blew out. the contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was extensive rust and corrosion and the rear axle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

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

They had a recall in 2011 where they put support brackets on the rear axles. mine did have the brackets put on and right behind the bracket the axle still broke driving down the street at 40 mph where we almost hit another car with children inside her and my vehicle. ford said the brackets are only warrantied for 12 months. these vans do not need brackets they need new axles. *tr

When bringing my windstar in for an alignment it was found that the subframe had rotted and cracked near the control arm. ford had "completed" the necessary repairs to address this issue and has stated that they are not responsible for the damage to the vehicle even though it was the original reason for the recall. according to the information from the original recall ford was supposed to replace the subframe however small brackets were added to the van instead. i do not feel that the recall was properly done by ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the driver hit a bump in the road and the vehicle made a cracking noise. upon inspection, it was found that the passenger rear wheel well was damaged. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 166,000.

Sliding side doors and rear wheel wells rusting from bottom up. there is a dramatic amount of rust. worried about structural integrity of doors in case of a side-on collision. this is true for both the windstar and freestar. *tr

We were slowing to pull up to our home. we were driving about 10 mph. about 70 feet from our home. it sounded like there was a flat tire with rubbing and bumping noises. we parked on the street in front of our home. upon inspecting the vehicle, the tires were intact. the tires are bowing in. we looked under the rear of the car. we saw a large crack of the rear axle closer to the driver's side of the car. ford recalled the rear axle for this very reason 3 years ago due to corrosion caused by years of exposure to salted roads. ford performed the recall work by placing a bracket on the axle. the brake on our axle occurred under the bracket. ford is not assuming responsibility even though the supports they placed on the axle failed to do their job. there are other complaints this year for this same problem. the big difference between all the broken axles this year were the speed of the vehicles and type roads they were traveling on. i believe that there more out there that have had this same problem that have not been reported to this website yet. i also believe that more axles that have already received the recall fix are going to find their axles breaking in the near future as well. as for now the recall of these axles, ford has closed the case until forced to reopen the recall. ford should replace the entire axle on all the windstars that were under the original recall. *tr

Rear axle broke in half as i was turning a corner at very low speed, causing to loose control of vehicle and run off road. *tr

Brought in van for recalls 09s09, 10s13 and 11s16. this was for the subframe issues and speed control switch. speed control switch was supposed to address leaking brake fluid. brake fluid still leaking and now dealership is charging me for brake switch repair and bleeding of brakes. also abs light came on after service and now dealership says abs sensor needs to be replaced. i believe these are all related to original recall but dealership says no. *tr

Right rear wheel well body panel rotted a hole that extends into the sliding door roller area and interior to the seals of the vehicle. while this has not caused an accident, i am concerned about the integrity of the sliding door and protrusion into the passenger cabin. *tr

To whom it may concern, i am seriously concerned about this vehicle and the way i am treated by ford motors. the car suddenly while driving on highway came to a complete stop and almost flipped. thank god that injuries were not that serious but the car is now total loss. after taking the car to private mechanics, it was determined that subframe broke and the axles, control arms all broke. it was then discovered that this was part of a recall. car was towed to ford motors dealership. a request has been made to provide me with safety report on the vehicle. ford and its dealership forced me out of their dealership and kicked me out. the car is their for months and i have been sending ford online messages via email and phone but they are not willing to buy the car or give me its value nor fix the car. i have been without a car for more than 4 months now and ford is not doing the least to even trade the car for another one. i am seriously disappointed. *tr

The van was parked in a parking lot, i was in the vehicle at the time. a noisy metal braking sound & movement of the van, made me think i was hit by another car, but no one was around. the front left coil spring broke, in more than 1 place. i had 15 minutes before been on a busy highway in a lot of traffic, i am just glad nothing happened then. on the 1998 ford windstar, i know there was a recall for the same problem. the 2002 ford windstar has had 2 other recalls, in regards to corrosion problems, on back axle & front frame. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields) and was repaired. after the repair, the contact heard a banging noise in the front end of the vehicle while driving approximately 35 mph. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the control arm was detached from the sub frame and that the sub frame was corroded. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the repair was not covered under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

My windstar went to a ford dealership a few months ago for the subframe recall and rear axle recall. it was said to be in great condition and fitted with the repair kits. subsequently, my husband went under the car for unrelated reasons and saw the subframe bracket was not holding anything because the passengers side subframe was rusted away. when he took it to the local dealership the mechanic stated that it should be left with him because it was not safe to drive. my husband requested they remove the back axel bracket which they did only to reveal a crack in the axel. we were told by several employees that it should be replaced. however the dealership contacted ford di dept who rejected the claim based on the fact that it was poor workmanship of the dealership and the dealership blames ford. needless to say they gave me back my car with a rusted subframe and cracked axel stating that it was in fact repaired to fords standard. my husband has pictures of both the subframe w kit and axel. it is difficult to understand how ford can deem it safe to drive? in addition to the original recall, i believe ford is covering up the defect and attempting to get away with putting recall "kits" on cars that may be unsafe. i would like to be sure my car is infact safe. *tr

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

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 received notification of recall number:11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields) and took the vehicle to the dealer; however, the entire mount was covered with rust and the recall repair did not correct the failure. the dealer advised him that they were only responsible for what was indicated in the recall and offered no further assistance. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileages were 130,000.

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.

Backing out of the driveway there was a horrible sound, like the brakes sticking. employee got out & the tire was cut completely around. the estimate is $900 to replace the springs & struts on both sides. i feel this is directly linked to the investigation & findings of the salt belt corrosion issues, but there is no recall for the specific components effected on the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was inspected under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields) and the contact was advised that there was no sign of corrosion of the sub frame and members however, the engine motor mount was found to be severely corroded and cracked. the dealer was unable to guarantee that the recall repair would be effective to the failure. the manufacturer was then contacted and advised that because the recall did not include the engine mount, they would not assist. the failure mileage was 84,526 and the current mileage was 86,000.

My 2002 ford windstar minivan driver sliding door wont open and door locks wont cross over at times cause safety issue for my child if there was a fire or something nobody could get out that door iv seen numerous issues on-line with other people about there door and door locks on there 2002 windstar i hope someone will look in to this order a recall of the bad parts of the locks and latches. *tr

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

While driving our van first seemed to be pulling in the back to the right (rear passenger side. my husband inspected the tire and thought maybe we need to get new tires soon. it seemed to be somewhat drivable when we were on the dry pavement, but we have alot of snow covered roads as well and on these the vehicle was almost completely unmanageable. it was constantly fishtailing the whole way down our snow covered rural road. when we finally got home, my husband pulled it into the garage. right away he noticed the rear passenger side wheel was turned inward, which had not been visible a few hours earlier when he had inspected it. when he looked underneath, sure enough the back axel was broken about 1/4 of the way from the right wheel. i am grateful we made it home safely. three times on our way home our van was fishtailing and another vehicle was coming from the opposite direction and we nearly had an accident. very scary! i couldn't drive over 45 mph on the pavement, or 20 mph on the snow covered, slush covered roads. the van felt like it was sliding all over from the back. *tr

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

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

2002 ford windstar front sub-frame corrosion extensive corrosion to sub frame mechanic insists the automobile is not safe to drive in current condition. *tr

Attempted to change lanes, motorist from behind sped up, applied brakes, abs lights flashed on dash, car did not slow, pressed brakes harder and rear brakes locked up, causing me to side swipe guard rail. *tr abs lights and brake lights have remained on for over 2 years. have spend thousands of dollars attempting to repair this problem, to no avail. brakes are intermittent at best. abs and brake lights are still on.

2002 ford windstar 114,356 miles driver side rear axle has a hole rusted in bottom of the u shaped axle. *tr

The power sliding door on the drivers side of my 2002 windstar sometimes will not stay closed unless i get out of the car and push on it. also , it will not stop if an object is in the way and will open when the fueling door is open. i see many reports of this on the web sites. you shoiuld probably have someone investigate these incidents. your other reports tend to blame the owners of the cars. the door does not close all the time. if you need someone competent to investigate these incidents give me a call. *tr

Subframe is rusting out on 2002 ford windstar leading to danger. *tr

2002 ford windstar rear axel assembly/ axel beam. van has 120,000 mileage. rear axel beam sheared in half during highway travel, catastrophic failure caused van to almost roll over and skid out of control, since back tires, no longer connected, were flopping and wobbling. skidded over 200 feet. no injuries luckily. upon view of axel assemble it was rusted from the inside. insurance did not cover this mechanical failure. $600 dollars to repair with used part. pittsburgh pa. *tr

2002 ford windstar broken rear axle 144,000 miles no accident ford dealership to repair 1,200.00 quoted. *tr

Rear axle crack for no reason. person driving almost involved in crash. assuming faulty design in axle. *tr

While driving my 2002 ford windstar i started to hear a grinding sound and could tell something was wrong and had to pull over. i was driving at a low speed at the time fortunately. it ended up being that the rear axel broke. the mechanic indicated it appeared to have rusted from the inside out. thankfully this happened 2 days after a return from vacation at which time we were traveling 70+ mph on the west virginia turnpike. *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

My wife was driving our 2002 ford windstar regularly, commuting to basketball camps with my daughter and her friends and taking a couple one day vacations that required significant travel. she said that there was a tapping and squealing noise coming from the rear of the van frequently. she took the van out for the last time and returned saying that there was a loud bang and that the van was swaying in the rear. we noticed that the rear passenger tire was tipped into the wheel well and upon inspection found the rear axle was fractured and the two pieces were misaligned. the van is obviously undrivable and we"re in the process of determining repair costs. unfortunately we were returning from a car dealership and were planning to return with the van to be evaluate for trade when we determined the damage. *tr