Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar SUSPENSION

The rear axle has cracked in the middle and i cannot drive it now. this was inspected twice under ford recall. the first time they put brackets on the front lower control arms, and the rear axle. the second time they recalled it back to reinspect the work that had been done since they had many that were not properly inspected the first time. so , this is twice they had it inspected, and failed to see it was defective. thus putting my life and that if my family at risk for death. thanks ford! after the 2nd inspection, they said it was safe, but offered to replace the axle if i wanted to pay about $500 on my own. that was suspicious in itself.

Driving in town and rear axle busted in half next to ford's so called bracket fix.

I was driving on the interstate at about 60 mph changing lanes to the right i could hear tires squealing and the van felt like it was going to roll over to the left. i regained control, then i heard some creaking metal noise, then i heard a rubbing noise and saw a lot of smoke coming from the rear. i was able to pull over and inspect, what i found was the rear axle was broken and driver side tire rubbing inside the wheel well. i was very fortunate to have somewhere to pull over, otherwise to continue driving could rupture the tire and/or i would be left stranded in highway speed traffic.

While driving, i made a left-hand turn, and the rear axle cracked in half on the right-hand side.

Vehicle in motion with family 70-75mph on interstate. rear left tire began rubbing the inside wheel well. pulled off from interstate to a nearby exit. jacked van in a parking lot to see rear left subframe (axle) had fractured. bracket installed by ford per rear subframe/axle recall had failed - missing fasteners - rusted away. luckily family is alive, but vehicle was towed and presently in garage. will ford repair it or buy it back?

While driving experienced loss of control and rear wheel canted inward and rubbing on wheel well. rear axle was completely cracked in half on one side and 3/4 on the other side. this is 2 yrs after the ford recall that was supposed to prevent this from happening.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 60 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle and it swerved off the road. the rear two wheels wobbled and shifted the tires out of place. the contact was finally able to stop the vehicle when it came to a halt on the shoulder. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. the contact checked the rear of the vehicle and noticed that the rear axle was worn. the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000. the vin was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the rear axle was cracked and needed to be replaced. the failure occurred due to corrosion. the vehicle was taken to olathe ford(205 s fir st, olathe, ks) where it was confirmed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000. *bf *jb

My 2003 ford windstar rear axle had reinforcement brackets installed for the recall 10s13. my rear axle beam still fractured under the bracket while i was driving. after paying over $300 in towing and service fees ford told me there is nothing they can do. i was driving with my husband and 4 children in the van. we are lucky it happened on a back road and going slow.

Rear axle broke under the bracket ford put on the axle for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband, 4 kids and myself when all of a sudden i heard a loud noise and my tire rubbing the wheel well. pulled over immediately and looked under the rear end of my van and i could see the brake. had it towed home. called ford and towed my van to the dealership. paid $300 between towing bill's and a service charge just to hear ford tell me they won't do anything to help me and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. i was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. i immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. had my van towed to my house. called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact took the vehicle to a aaa repair facility for inspection. the mechanic placed the vehicle on a lift and found rust and corrosion on the axles and subframe. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and found the same rust and corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension) was referenced. the failure mileage was 147,131.

While driving my vehicle i noticed a rubbing sound. i inspected the tires and saw that the right reartop of tire was leaning in towards the van. i took the van to the shop and was told that the cradle was defective and i would need a new one.

This is due to a recall. the rear axle and subframe snapped and ford is not honoring fixing it even though it happened at the repair site of recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 50 mph, the rear axle fractured and the contact smelled smoke. suddenly, the contact realized the rear of the vehicle was smoking. the contact pulled the vehicle over, exited the vehicle, and noticed that the rear axle was collapsed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that a new rear axle needed to be installed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 10v385000 (suspension) by gordie boucher ford of thiensville (121 n main st, thiensville, wi 53092), but the failure recurred. while driving various speeds, the wheels bent and rubbed against the frame. consumer stated vehicle's rear axle was recalled to the rear axle failure. ford added brackets to axle to prevent failure. after brackets were added another recall was initiated to check repair was done properly. the dealer diagnosed the vehicle, but did not find a failure. the contact received another recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension), but the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000. *bf consumer stated within 2 years rear axle rusted thru and broke, this caused lack of control after the tire bent in rubbing on the vehicles body causing it to go flat, ruining the tire which needed to be replaced.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate over 20 mph. the vehicle was towed to matthews currie ford (130 n tamiami trail, nokomis, fl 34275, 800-248-2378) where the contact was informed that the rear axle was fractured and the torque bar was rusted off the frame. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 168,000.

I purchased this windstar in july 2012. my wife and kids use it as a daily driver. we also use the minivan for long trips. in july 2018, one month before the failure, we took the minivan to cape cod and boston. we had 6 passengers in the car. the following week we drove down to ocean city, md again with the 6 people. when the axle cracked, i was pulling into the driveway about 5 miles per hour. what would have happened if the axle broke on those trips at highway speeds and 6 people in the car?? please see pdf attachment

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 30 mph, an abnormal noise was heard and the vehicle started to shake. the contact veered off to the side of the road. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer (fuccillo ford of seneca falls, 2027 us-20, seneca falls, ny 13148, (315)-568-9881) where it was diagnosed that the suspension failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 135,000.

I have a 2003 ford windstar that was repaired under the rear axle recall a couple years ago, today on my drive to work the rear axle broke right underneath the area that ford repaired by placing a brace and bracket over, my car is now sitting along the side of the road, from what i have found out i am not the first person that has had the axle break after ford fixed it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 60 mph, the rear of the vehicle suddenly began to wobble and vibrate. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger side axle was cracked. the contact was informed that the failure occurred even though a support bracket had been installed per a previous unknown nhtsa recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer and local dealer (buckeye ford in london, ohio) were notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 156,000.

I was driving along highway at 60 mph and the rear axle broke causing the rear wheel to come away from vehicle and the rear end of the van the swerve violently. the only thing that prevented the wheel from coming completely off was the fender. the fact that i was on a curve meant i could have gone off into the ravine and died. ford had a recall to reinforce the axle with a bracket, which was done. also there was a follow up recall because these brackets might cause the axle to crack and fracture, which mine did. fore will inspect the axle for cracks but not replace it if there are cracks, or in my case a complete brake. recall #'s 10s13 and 15s27.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 65 mph, the tire pressure gauge warning indicator illuminated. the contact continued to drive to an unknown tire store and noticed that the rear passenger tire was leaning towards the center of the vehicle, and the rear axle was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the dealer (autonation ford, 23775 center ridge road, westlake, ohio 44145) to be repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the dealer found no failure with the axle and stated that it was ok to drive the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

Top of rear right tire tilted inward causing it to rub wheel well. while driving on city streets van fishtales. smell of burning rubber while driving. with further investigation, i found tire to be damaged by the rubbing, and a large crack almost through structural cross member/axle. took photos of damage.

I just purchased the van for my wife & when i was having a garage install tires on it the tech noticed that while the rear axle did have the ineffective axle clamps on it from a dealer the axle was rusting on the driver's side & actually has rusted a hole in it. the other problem is the front subframe/engine cradle that is rusting out where it bolts to the body. i contacted a local dealer & also ford in dearborn, mi & they both said there was nothing they could or would do to make the van safe for my wife to drive. there are some body type noises from the front end when turning also probably from the subframe movement.

Hello i was driving my 2003 ford windstar minivan. i purchased around march 2016 i was taking my kids to school when the rear axel broke. i looked under and it looks like ford put enforcement brackets on it but it is broke at one of the brackets . thankfully i was able to keep control of my vehicle. 20 minutes later i would've been on the freeway. one man has already lost his life from the same thing with this vehicle. i have a lady from ford offering to give me any information she has because it is not right and there is things she has that i cannot find. i looked up my year on the vehicle and what was wrong and realized there are thousands of people with the same problem. not only that there has been three recalls since 2010 for the same thing. ford put brackets on to fix the first problem instead of just fixing the problem. that explains my brackets. ford realized the brackets wasn't working so in 2015 offered to replace them for 300 dollars. even though it was there fault. but that expired in dec 2015. i purchased the car around february march 2016. the problem is if its happening with so many windstar's why not fix the problem in the beginning instead of patching it and taking the easy way out. i'm sure the mans family and kids that lost there loved ones wish this would've been taken care of the right way. i was on the phone all day thursday with ford there not offering to help at all. there telling me it will be over 1,000 dollars to fix it. so we almost lost our lives someone could've died thankfully were okay. we have no vehicle the stress of getting kids to school and work and what we are going to do. i have 5 children plus 2 i have taken legal custody of from children services there is no way i can pay that. all because ford didn't want to fix it right and just replace it the first time around. how does a safety recall ever expire.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 55 mph, the rear axle fractured without warning. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the contact called crest ford flat rock (22675 gibraltar rd, flat rock, mi 48134) and was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue, but did not assist. the failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 25 mph, there was a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and noticed that the rear axle detached. the vehicle was towed to a towing garage where it was diagnosed that the axle was detached in half and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called seymour ford (2601 seymour rd, jackson, mi 49201, phone number: (517) 787-9500) where it was diagnosed that the rear axle reinforcement bracket failed and would contact ford customer service to get an approval for the repair. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 10v385000 (suspension). the manufacturer informed the contact that the recall was past due and would not repair the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 220,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 8 mph, the contact heard a loud noise and the odor of burning rubber was present. also, the contact lost steering ability. the vehicle came to a complete stop. the contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the rear wheels were not lined up and the axle had fractured in the area where brackets had been installed by bay valley ford in saginaw michigan approximately 1 and 1/2 years ago. the vehicle was towed to hagan's ford in bay city, michigan where it was determined that it was normal wear and tear of the axle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 250,000.

tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the contact became aware that the rear driver's side tire was rubbing on the inside wheel well. the contact stated that the driver's side rear axle had fractured. the vehicle was taken to davis ford located at: 2111 n main st, canton, il 61520, (309) 647-1111, to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension) however, the recall time frame had been exceeded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and provided the case number: ca-13064170. the approximate failure mileage was 155,000.

Vehicle did not pass maine inspection test due to subrame rust. ford windstar1999-2003 was an recall for that problem issue by nhsta but my vehicle is not on the list.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 15 mph, the contact heard a scraping sound from underneath the vehicle and the rear passenger tire blew out. the contact noticed that the rear axle had fractured, which caused the tires to fail. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension), but the vehicle had not been serviced. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving in reverse, both rear tires collapsed into the frame of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the morristown ford dealer (located at 1112 w morris blvd, morristown, tn 37813) where it was diagnosed that the brackets were improperly installed. another technician inspected the vehicle and stated that the brackets were installed correctly. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the diagnostic and repair fees. the contact was informed to take the vehicle off their property because the vin was not included in a recall. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). the manufacturer stated that there was an open recall on the bracket that was improperly installed. the manufacturer sent an email to the morris dealer regarding the bracket failure. the approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

Vehicle was in motion at 45mph when the rear axle fractured completely, causing me to veer into oncoming traffic (luckily there was no accident). vehicle had previously been in for initial rear axle recall in 2010 (10s13), where support brackets were placed on existing axle. revisited the dealer for the secondary recall in 2017, and was once again assured that the axle was good. axle broke two months later (07/03/17). ford will offer no assistance and considers my recall complete since they put brackets on the axle. this defect is life-threatening. ford's "bracket" solution does not work - there are many others like me who have had the axles fail after this 'repair'. the only solution is to replace all of the axles completely. put simply - as these vehicales continue to age and the axles rust further, this defect will eventually result in deaths.

On 20jun2017, the rear axle broke. as part of a ford recall, the axle had reinforcement brackets installed by (graham) ford of mansfield. those brackets were inspected by (graham) ford of mansfield in 2015 and were declared to have been installed as per ford motor company instructions and, as a consumer, i believe i had the right to assume that therefore the axle was safe. the axle break is obvious evidence that the brackets were either not installed properly or were inadequate. thus i believe that the problem is more with the dealer not being competent to recognize the dangerous corrosion that had happened. of course, in ohio, where the law requires that vehicles be sold through dealers, the dealer acts as an agent for the manufacturer. in 2015, at the time of the inspection, i was told that the bracket fix was good but then i was also offered a replacement axle for a total cost to me of $300. my position was that either the axle was good and safe or it was not good and not safe and in that case a replacement axle should have been installed. so why should i spend $300 for an axle that was safe so i declined. in retrospect, the fix obviously was not safe.

I am the owner of a 03 ford windstar that i purchased on june 2016. it has 116,000 miles. i recently found out that ford issued a recall for the rear axle #15s27. this recall was to inspect reinforcement brackets that were done under a previous recall #10s13. after i found out about the recall i looked under my vehicle and noticed a crack on the left middle of the axle stemming into the left 'reinforcement bracket'. on wednesday, may 03, 2017 i took dropped my vehicle off at ace ford, woodbury, nj 08096. a service representative from ace ford called me later to inform me of the findings. he said after inspection, the reinforcement brackets were installed correctly. he claimed he had contacted ford's internal service center and send them pictures of the crack in the axel. he then informed me that there was nothing ford or ace ford could do and said, 'any further repairs will be the responsibility of the vehicle owner'. going into this i was almost certain ford would replace the rear axle at no charge, because after all, there has been 3 recalls for the same issue and obviously there is a crack in my rear axle which is a huge safety issue. i picked up my vehicle and called ace ford back and spoke with the service manager. he claimed he was aware of the situation and nothing more could be done unless i chose to pay the repair costs. i also mentioned to him that his representative did not inform me that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and should leave the premises (even though it's on the service invoice, i still should be notified verbally as i didn't read the paperwork until i got home). after that i decided to call ford customer service directly as per the recall notice. he said he would look into the situation and call ace ford while he put my on hold. when he came back to the phone he said the same thing that ace ford said, 'there is nothing more we can do'.

Wife driving down street when she hit a bump in the road and the rear axle broke.

Ford had a recall real axel and they don't want to fix it

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving, the rear axle failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the bracket fractured and caused the rear axle to fail. the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000. the vin was not available.

When i was pulling out of a parking lot onto a busy highway i could smell rubber burnig and i heard and felt a big loud bang,.then there was smoke all around van.it was the rear axle/ sub-frame fracture and yes there were recalls and work was done by ford dealer thank god me and my children were not hurt or killed this was very scary..

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 65 mph, a clunking noise was heard and the contact lost control of the vehicle. the failure occurred without warning. the contact pulled over to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to a tire shop where it was diagnosed that the rear axle was fractured and needed to be replaced. the contact received a recall notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension), but the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Rear axle cracked. unable to drive without risking it breaking in half.

The rear axle on my vehicle cracked and caused my tires to rub against my vehicle, damaging brand new tires. when bringing the vehicle to the shop, was told that a patch had previously been made on the vehicle, but it was done badly and did not hold. ford would do nothing to right this and denied that there was a recall on the vehicle. i was driving to school while this occurred on city streets. *tr

While the 2003 ford windstar van was being operated and in motion, the vehicle's steering became uncontrollable and subsequently inoperable, leading to a breakdown in the roadway.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 35 mph, the driver heard a squeaking noise. the vehicle was pulled over and the driver noticed that the rear axle was cracked without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that there was a recall. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle did not crack "in the right place" and was not covered by the recall. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stood by the dealer's decision. the failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

In sept 2016, i received a recall notice in the mail from ford to re-inspect a previous recall repair for my rear axle from 2012. it stated that repairs would be made free of charge if defects were found in the repairs. it also stated that if i chose to do so, even if the repairs "passed", i could replace the axle for $300. since i worked in ky from feb through oct, i scheduled the inspection after returning home in nov, but did not actually get an appointment until dec 6th. as a result of the recall inspection on dec 6th, the dealer stated that the repairs were made correctly, but there were cracks in the axle. they stated it would cost $1,100 to repair if i chose. since i was not told it was a safety hazard and was presented to me as "optional", i did not repair. when i went to inspect the van for annual pa inspection on jan 5th, i was informed that it would not pass because of the cracked axle. they showed me the axle, and it is cracked the entire length on both sides. i went to speak with the nazareth ford customer service staff on jan 6th, and they told me there is nothing they can do and i should call ford directly. i called ford directly on jan 6th and they told me they can't do anything because the "allowable timeframe" ending oct 31st has passed. another call to the nazareth ford service manager on jan 6th yielded no progress. i can't believe that ford can get away with creating a safety hazard like this, not reveal how serious the situation is, and expecting a consumer to drop what they are doing to deal with a "fire sale" approach to repair in a 2 month window. they are the people with the faulty part, the faulty repair, and the misleading "successful" inspection, not the consumer. my axle was fine until they put their repair brackets on. i bought this vehicle brand new, and it has been garage kept. this vehicle has 107,200 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving 35 mph, the rear axle cracked without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 217,000.