Frame And Members problems of the 1999 Ford Windstar - part 1

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). While driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the subframe fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 225,000.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated the front sub frame was covered with rust and corroded. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for routine maintenance; however, after it was inspected they noticed the sub frame was covered with rust and corroded. The manufacturer was notified and stated to contact NHTSA and file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 152,000.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while turning at approximately 25 mph a cracking sound was heard from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. The technician stated that the subframe fractured and would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving he heard a loud popping noise. The contact mention that he inspected the vehicle and noticed that the sub frame on the front passenger side broke as a result of corrosion. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 180,000.

I bought a 1999 Ford Windstar in delaware ohio at byers Ford and on the first day I got it when I would put on the breaks the van would shake so bad. After a few months the abs light would come on then go off. I was told by a mechanic that is was just a sensor. I received the first recall of the rear axles back in October of 2010 and had them checked and they put some spray on them. I then got the second recall for the front subframe in Feb of 2011 and when I set up my apt it was not till may 25th 2011 that I got in. For 3 months I dealt with the emergency break light being on, the abs light being on a clicking noise under my steering wheel and on top of that I have been driving my family around in it. The van shakes so bad that you can actually make a milkshake when you stop. Sometimes I would have to press hard on the breaks to get it to stop. I told this to the man at byers Ford in delaware, OH and he told me it was my rotars when I brought it in for the recalls. I was told that they have the parts to fix the recall orders and it would be ready by the next morning. 4 hours later I get a call that my van did not even come close to passing inspection. My subframe is actually broke and that it looked like it has been that whay for sometime. Why was this not noticed before selling the van. Arent they supposed to throughly inspect the vehical before putting it out on the lot?.

My 1999 Ford Windstar se has been recalled for the the following recalls 09s09 speed control system modification, 10s13 rear axle inspection and repair, and 11s16 subframe front lower control arm rear attaching flanges & rear body mount attachments inspection and repair. I didn't recieve notice of any of these recalls, and found out from a friend about them. Several months ago the front passenger side of my van started making a sound while driving. I was told by the mechanic that looked at it that it was due to rusting of the rear body mount attachment of the subframe. I took my van in to a Ford dealer today 5/21/2011 for the recall inspections. I was told it passed all inspections, but was only in the service dept. For about 10 minutes. There is also severe rust on other areas of my front subframe that are not included in Ford's recalls. I do not feel my vehicle was properly inspected.

1999 Ford Windstar. Front sub frame corrosion. Ford service refused to repair it.

My son-in-law and daughter we driving on hwy 421 at 50 mph. The van started shaking and they smelled rubber and heard grinding. He pulled over and the back tires were pushed in and the right back tire lost its lug nuts and tire was falling off. They removed the children from the car. It scared them to death! my son-in-law started walking to a gas station. My daughter looked under the van and saw the axle was snapped in half. A nice tow truck man stopped to help. He said, this van is on recall do you know what an axel is. . She said yes. . . . He looked under there and told her it was for sure snapped in half! I can't believe the Ford Windstar is doing this! it is very upsetting. It was towed to hersh Ford in michigan city, indiana and were given a rental and told it could take over 4 months. How am I going to fit a family of 6 into a Ford focus??.

I took my van in for recalls. They supposedly fixed the axle however I think they just put stuff on it and didn't even check it. Then they found some other stuff they wanted to fix like the tie rod links. I didn't let them fix it but I took it to someone else and they found a serious crack and corrosion on my front frame. It is about to break!! they didn't tell me about this. Almost everything under my van has corrosion and if the axle is faulty because of that why isn't the other stuff under recall. Is Ford waiting for me or someone else get killed and then take care of it or is my life not important to them?.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, by an authorized dealer, for the recall associated with NHTSA campaigj id number 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly). The contact was also informed that the subframe was severely corroded and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not been repaired for the subframe failure. The manufacturer was contacted, but offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were 242,000.

Fleet owned 1999 Ford Windstar. Vehicle has been located in the chicago area since new. Complaint was that the exhaust was loud and looked to be hanging low. The exhaust flange on the flex-pipe section rusted thin and broke off from the y-pipe. I then noticed that the passenger side rear of the subframe was completely rusted out and the subframe was hanging down about 1. 5" from where it is supposed to be. The exhaust y-pipe flange is much lower than it should normally be, which tells me that the engine/trans assembly is leaning towards the rear of the vehicle. The drivers side rear mount of the subframe is cracked where it meets the body. Also noted that on the passenger side subframe where the engine mount attaches and the subframe rear crossmember meet, the subframe is almost completely rusted through. I can foresee this problem eventually causing the axles to remove themselves from the trans, wire harnesses getting damaged, lower control arms becoming detatched from the subframe, exhaust damage, steering rack damage, wheel alignment issues, etc. The only repair that I can see making this vehicle safe to drive again would be subframe replacement.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields). The contact had the vehicle repaired under the recall. However, the contact stated that the sub frame was severely damaged and unsafe. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the sub frame needed to be replaced and that the contact would have to pay for the repairs. The manufacturer was notified and they confirmed that the contact would be responsible for the repairs. The failure mileage was 147,000.

The right lower control arm pulled loose from the subframe crossmember due to excessive rust. The leadup to the inceident was completely unexpected. The control arm pulled loose at 70 mph and caused the Windstar to veer back and forth using 4 lanes of traffic to come to a stop. Lucky for me was that there was no traffic in my imediate area and no other cars were involved.

I took the winstar to have the two recalls repaired and when the basil Ford service department was done with that they informed me that my van was undriveable because the right front sub frame was cracked. They said it would cost $1600. To repair it. With all the rust on the doors and door sill I find it rediculous to spend that amount when the rust would bring down the value of the van to almost nothing. This is the fifth Ford I have had and you would think I would have learned about the rust factor. Getting back to the sub frame I phoned the number listed on the Ford web page but after about five phone calls I decided to call the corporate office. I was directed to a voice mail. . . Gave my information and was told we would hear from them in so many business days. It didn't happen. Then we recieved a form to fill out about how well we thought our phone inquiry went. We had a letter about the axel recall and this web site is listed so I thought it was time.

The front subframe of my 1999 Ford Windstar cracked in two while driving on the highway.

Front sub-frame corrosion on passenger side near mount resulting in complete break. There is no evidence of rust anywhere else on the sub-frame, the frame or underbody. Symptom was loud clanking from front-right and "jerking" sensation on some turns, acceleration. Did not feel safe driving, so brought to ntb for examination (thinking it was a balljoint, etc. ) technicians invited me to investigate under the lift as they were incredulous of such a severe break amidst an otherwise rust-free sub-frame.

Front sub frame corrosion.

While pulling onto a busy road there was loud noise and the vehicle lost all control and skidded across the road and into a driveway. Fortunately no property damage or personal injury occured. The van was towed to my mechanic and he informed me that subframe on the right side had just broken off. Clearly this must be some sort of a defection the manufacturer.

The vehicle experienced difficulty turning left . The steering wheel would not turn left until more than usual force was applied to turn the wheel ,which at the time the wheel did turn a dull thud was audible. This action occurred twice while driving vehicle in city traffic. The visual investigation revealed a large area of the inside of the front subframe on the drivers side had completely rusted through. Approximately an area 4 x 8 was gone with some evidence of metal tearing/fatigue.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. While the contact was driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly wandered out of the lane towards oncoming traffic. The contact was able to gain control and avoid crashing into a vehicle. Suddenly, the front end driver side collapsed to the ground. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and towed to the residence. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated that the subframe had completely fractured as a result to excessive rust and was beyond repair. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

1999 Ford Windstar lx broken sub-frame I began to hear a scraping noise while driving, especially on right turns. I had recently purchased 4 new tires from firestone, so took it back there thinking that something was wrong with the right front tire. Instead I was told that the sub frame is busted (also called engine cradle), and that repair would be extensive in labor to the tune of at least $1500! . . . And that would be for a replacement part from a junk yard (with same potential problem) rather than a new part. Right now I cannot afford either one. I asked a welder about it, hoping to have it welded rather than replaced for much less money, but he says that would not be wise given the heavy load placed on the subframe. Please consider a recall on this dangerous defect to prevent tragedy. Thanks. Firestone staff warned me not to drive vehicle, very unsafe. An online search reveals many similar complaints of busted subframes on Ford Windstars, yet no recalls for this dangerous problem as yet. Are we waiting for someone to be killed? I just drove on the highway yesterday not knowing how serious this problem is.

At the end of November I notice a looseness in the steering of my 99 Ford Windstar. I was able to get it home and in the driveway. I looked at the front -end and noticed a rusted and cracked front frame on the passenger side. I had replaced the cracked axle my self it cost me $874. 27 I have not received anything from Ford on this yet. I can not drive the car because it is a not in good shape at all. It only has just under 90,000 miles. And has had a new intake put on which is plastic and now the engine runs very rough. Also it has trouble with the signal lights. This car has turned out to be a lousy car.

Took car in for inspection and was told that the subframe was rotting away at the point where the sway bar connects to the cradle. And that it will cost over 800. 00 to fix. This shortly after having the rear axle repaired due to a recall form Ford. By the way Ford did not say anything to me about the damage to the front where the rust was rotting away the cradle.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that after having his vehicle in for regular maintenance, the mechanic informed him that he needed to replace the engine cradle due to rust and being fractured. The vehicle was then taken to a certified dealer who informed the contact that there was nothing wrong with the engine cradle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000. Updated 12/14/2011.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. While driving about 10 mph the contact was turning a corner when she first experienced a cracking noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and he stated the sub-frame or the engine cradle was covered with rust. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Cracked & corroded "k" frame which supports engine& trans. In front end of 1999 Ford Windstar van. Replaced k frame to remedy problem.

I own a 1999 Ford Windstar. Approximately one month ago 15 Nov,2010, I noticed that the alignment of the front tires was off. And the steering seemed loose and a little unresponsive. I immediately drove home and removed the passenger front tire and could not believe what I saw. The front sub-frame / engine cradle was completely corroded where the sub-frame attaches to the uni-body. The area where the mounting bushing that attaches the sub-frame to the uni-body on the passenger side was totally corroded / rusted / rotted away. The bushing was completely pushed through the sub-frame and had nothing to support it any more. I brought it to my local Ford dealer with the print out of the current investigation of this issue. They told me it is not a recall yet and I would have to pay for the repair out of my own pocket.

1999 Ford Windstar fwd passenger side sub frame motor mount broken in half due to corrosion.

1999 Windstar van when changing the right front tire our mechanic saw the right front drive axle completely rusted out. This car is not safe to drive. Nhtsa defect investigation #pe 10016 is consistent with this problem. I want to be added to this investigation. There are no warning signs for this problem. We were lucky we have a good mechanic who spotted the problem. This car is at a Ford dealership in missouri. . I wish someone would go and see this problem first hand. All other cars with this problem were not detected and were in a crash. This would be a great opportunity to actually see the problem before the car is wrecked. This is a very dangerous situation for anyone who has a Ford Windstar van 1999 thru 2003. There is no warning and when that front axle breaks there is no control of the vehicle. Anyone who drives one of these vehicles should immediately take to a mechanic for inspection. This is not like the rear axle problem, because you can at least steer the vehicle if it breaks. When the front goes you have no control. I am told the repair will cost $1200. 00 dollars. Ford motor company will not help with the cost of repair.

Nothing appeared wrong with my vehicle and then I heard a loud clunk and grinding in the middle of driving through rush hour traffic in the city, I felt very unsafe driving the vehicle as I could tell something was seriously wrong but slowly drove it home. I found out that the subframe is broken due to rusting.

About 1 week ago my car started making popping noises around the front passenger's side wheel. A couple of days ago, I went to turn right after being stopped at a stop sign and the car made a loud popping noise. I was fortunate that the car was at a very low speed, so I was able to maintain control, but am positive that had I been going faster, I would have lost control and probably crashed. I had to turn the wheel and hold it at 90 degrees to keep the car on the road. Upon inspection, I was told that the subframe had corroded completely through and that my engine could have fallen out at any time. I was also told how fortunate I was that I was alive and safe. After further investigation, I have experienced almost identical issues to many individuals who have written complaints in relation to investigation pe10026. The individual who inspected the vehicle also noticed that the air conditioner tubing to release excess condensation, was leaking directly over this area in question. They felt that the corrosion from road salt in addition to the air conditioner condensation caused the problem. I am unable and unwilling to drive my vehicle at this point due to safety concerns. I am hopeful that the NHTSA will deem this a necessary recall and prevent future injuries from occurring. For the record, I live in indiana, a salt-belt state.

'99 Ford Windstar. On 10/4/10 the van made an odd noise when turning right. As I drove throughout the week the sound got worse. The steering wheel also became un-centered on 10/4. I drove it very few miles that week. , as I was home on vacation working on home repairs. On 10/8, I took it to a mechanic. He identified the sound as a pulley rubbing that became worse when the steering wheel was turned to the right. The steering gear pushed the engine to the right causing the water pump pulley to contact the right fender wall. Turning the steering wheel to the left pulled the engine back to the left, away from the right fender wall, stopping the noise. Took it home, jacked it up to find the passenger side of the sub-frame supporting the engine rusted and dropped about an inch. The van is unsafe to drive until a repair is done. I will install a piece of 1/4" steel under the sub-frame to support it until I can find a better solution. I may need to weld it to the sub-frame.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. While the vehicle was at the dealer for repairs for recall 10v385000 (suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly) the contact informed the dealer there was severe corrosion on the front subframe of the vehicle. The contact stated there was a clunking noise coming from the front of the vehicle while driving over a bump. The contact was aware of a recall on the subframe 11v030000 (structure: frame and members: underbody shields) but the dealer stated they would not repair the subframe. The contact was not informed if the VIN was included or not. The manufacturer was contacted by email but had not responded. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

I had to replace my front subframe aka engine cradle and two motor mounts due to premature rust on my 1999 Ford Windstar this is the section of frame that hold up the engine and transmission along with most of the front suspension. I lost all ability to steer and was nearly in an accident braking to the side of the road and getting the minivan towed to a mechanic. I know this failure has generated a lot of complaints also within the NHTSA website and I feel it should be included in the current rusted rear axle recall warranty.

Driving through residential area and went to make a turn onto another street and steering went out and I went up the curb through on coming traffic lane. When inspected under vehicle the front passenger side subframe was corroded, rusted and broken off. I had to purchase a used intact front subframe from a junkyard as the dealership told me a new one was $2000. 00. I had the used subframe put on and it is okay now. But the entire purchase of a new subframe would have been more than my vehicles value.