Frame Rust problems of the 2001 Ford Windstar

Tl the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph while the brake pedal was depressed an extended braking time was needed to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The contact mentioned that by the time the vehicle was parked, the brake pedal traveled to the floor board. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the vehicle would need to be towed to another shop in regards to it being a modified vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive and that the frame was rusted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While the vehicle was undergoing a routine check-up at an independent mechanic shop, the technician noticed that the subframe was rusted. The contact was advised not to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to benna Ford superior (715-394-8669, located at 3022 tower Ave, superior, WI 54880) where it was diagnosed that the subframe was rusted out and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware and stated that the failure was due to the age of the vehicle and the mileage. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

This van looks fine on the outside,but the frame and floor are rusted out. I was driving on a city street when the brakes went out and when I took it to be repaired the mechanic at carls body shop , where it was ti be repaired told me it was beyond repair and unsafe to drive. The van is made to transport a wheelchair and the area where the wheelchair is rusted the worst. The mechanic also took pictures of the under body to show me how bad it really was.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer for a recall related to the lower control arm. The contact stated that the repair for the lower control arm was completed; however, the subframe was rusted. The rust was within the connection between the control arm and the subframe. The dealer determined that the rust was part of the recall repair that was completed. The recall information was not provided. The failure mileage was 140,000.

I received a safety recall in 2012 about the subframe supporting the motor and transmission. Ford put two brackets on my vehicle over the rust spots. Now the frame has almost rusted away. My mechanic said I should not drive the vehicle in that condition, it is not safe. Instead of replacing the rusty component Ford patched it. I still drive the van, it has 138,000 miles on it. I live in minnesota where rust is a problem. The fix was inappropriate for the area.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving 35 mph, the contact heard a noise on the floorboard and the check engine and brake indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was rusted beyond repair. The technician stated that the option was a complete replacement of the frame. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the recall expired after three years. The failure was not remedied. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

After noticing wobbling of my back tire driving my daughter home from school my father looked at me vehicle to not only see that my rear axel had cracked (in process of insepction for recall repair on that) but also notuce the the front sub frame is rusting so much that everything attached to it is starting to detach.

Our van has a rusting subframe. We brought it in to a mechanic because of a scraping sound we heard when making sharp right-hand turns, especially when driving down an incline. The mechanic told us of a potential recall on a rusting subframe so we brought it into a Ford dealership. They refused to take responsibility of the subframe at their cost.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the rear passenger side tire was bent and noticed that the sub frame was rusted. The contact was made aware of NHTSA campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure). However, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Took in for a recall on subframe put on support brackets. Went to get it inspected. Subframe is rotted out. I was told another recall was done for those in cold weather climates. Ford recall computer is down. The consumer was informed the vehicle was unsafe to drive, as the frame was structurally unsound. No was willing to fix the other problems with the vehicle, due to the rusted out frame. Updated 05/12/14.

Tl-the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated the sway bar bracket fractured as a result of the sub frame rust corrosion. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection who informed the entire sub frame would need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000. Js.

Passage side sub frame is rusted, almost broken.

I heard loud clunking sounds in the front that were more pronounced when I went over bumps. The sway bar has broken off from the front sub-frame passenger side of the car. The dealer said the sub-frame is so rusted that the only way to reattach the sway bar is to replace the entire front sub-frame at a cost of $3,500. It is not covered under previous recalls, since the prior 2 recalls in 2010 and 2011 only specifically covered the rear axle and the separation of the front lower control arms attaching brackets and body mount attachments at the rear of the front sub-frame. This problem is so similar to the Jan. 2011 recall w/a part breaking off from a rusted sub-frame. It's the corrosion of the sub-frame that is at the root of these problems. They should have just replaced the sub-frame at that time instead of doing a patch job w/ brackets. The dealer deemed my car unsafe to drive, as I won't have control of my car on quick turns or be able to make fast maneuvers in the event of an accident or to avoid potential accidents. Another risk is that my engine may fall out the bottom of my car while driving (which I see has happened to others with my same problem), endangering my family and others on the road. I plan on parking this car in my driveway and waiting for Ford to be forced to recall these vehicles. In the meantime, if any of you have a similar problem, please report them to Ford corporation and the NHTSA, so what I believe to be an inevitable recall will be expedited. Even the Ford customer service rep encouraged me to file a report with the NHTSA because she has gotten calls with other similar complaints. She was very sympathetic to my situation but said there is nothing she can do until enough complaints get filed with the NHTSA so they open an investigation. What happened to companies wanting to help their customers w/o being forced by a governmental agency?!.

I was driving home when I went around a corner I heard a thump in the front passenger side of my Windstar, the following morning I took it into my mechanic. He looked the vehicle over and told me the sub frame has rusted out where the stabilizer bar connects. This issue was supposed to have been addressed by Ford the previous year when they had it in for the rear axle recall. I find Ford had made the decision to put some useless brackets in and not replace the sub-frame. I called customer care concerning the problem and was told there was only a year warranty on the work so there was nothing they could do as I had picked up the van end of April /beginning of may 2011. A recall was issued for this problem and quite evidently their fix with some little brackets did not repair the issue, I am not sure how some brackets are suppose to correct a rusting out sub frame to begin with.

Front sub-frame badly rusted and sway bar welded mounts on the sub-frame have rusted and broken in half causing poor steering control and excessive body roll. As a note, this vehicle was rustproofed when new and inspected over the life of the vehicle each year. Also, Ford has inspected the front sub-frame in January of 2011 on a recall and it appears did not find a problem with the sub-frame in this area. Given the severity of the rust it would appear the problem existed at the time of inspection.

Took the vehicle in for new tires because one was going bald fast and they found that the passenger side rear sub frame mount was rusted away.

Tl-the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and going over bumps and pot holes she would hear a loud grinding noise. The vehicle was inspected by a independent mechanic and they advised her that the cradle to the frame was severely rusted. He advised her to not drive the vehicle because it may detach while driving. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was unavailable. Tb.

On December 27th, my wife had her Ford Windstar lx recall on the rear axle fixed at jim kiem Ford in hilliard, ohio. She also wanted Ford to look into a really bad noise that she was hearing in front when she was turning. It was a loud banging noise. Jim kiem Ford told us that the sound that we heard was the sub-frame. They said the sub-frame was rusted and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. They said that the engine might fall out of the car! my wife and children have been using this van everyday. I have read many Windstar owners comments online about the same problem. What does it take to get a recall? do children have to die!.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the passenger side subframe had rusted; the vehicle made a thumping sound as if the wheel would fall off. The contact also noticed that the bolts near the wheel were also rusted. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were approximately 120,000.

Front sub frame rusted out on the right passenger side. After going to a transmission shop to have my trans rebuilt I went to a mechanic to see why I kept hearing strange noise from the passenger side of the van. When the mechanic lifted the van he showed me the rusted subframe and stated that eventually it will fail and that it needs to be replaced. The only way to resolve this problem is to replace the sub frame, because it is too thin to weld in their opinion.

My Windstar is at dealers for broken rear axle and I was told front subframe is rusted.

Clunking noise from r/f of vehicle when turning left, and severe pull when accelerating. Found front subframe rusted thru and cracked at passenger side rear mount. Had to replace front subframe.

Went for a routine oil change and my mechanic discovered the passenger side sub frame is all but rusted out.

Our 2001 Ford Windstar started making a popping noise a couple of months ago, usually at slow speeds and while turning. When we had it checked out, we were told the subframe has rusted through at one place. This could potentially pose a significant safety risk, as the motor mounts, steering control arms, etc. , are attached to this subframe.

I have a 2001 Ford Windstar which is showing signs of a sub-frame corrosion failure similar to the one described in investigation pr 10-026. There is a "u-shaped" subframe element which connects to the main frame near the outboard side of both front seats and extends forward around the front of the car. It does appear various suspension and steering members are connected to this sub-frame. The passenger-side end of this sub-frame where it connects to the vehicle frame shows severe rusting and metal delamination and a crack has formed on the end. The driver-side end of this subframe shows normal wear and is not in immediate risk of failure. The corrosion to the passenger-side end is excessive as compared to the driver's side and other frame elements in the vicinity. Something is accelerating the corrosion on the right side. It may be due to the condensate drain from the air-conditioning system. At this time, the sub-frame has not failed but the vehicle represents a significant safety risk since failure-related crashes have been reported. The repair costs are estimated to be in excess of $2000 for frame replacement. I believe that Ford should quickly develop and deploy a means of reinforcing the frame member and offer the repair via recall to Windstar owners. Since the parts are currently still on my vehicle, I can take photographs showing the deterioration of the sub-frame ends. As a side note: my Windstar is equipped with the rearseat air-conditioning system. The evaporator is in the rear quarter-panel on the driver's side in the rear or the vehicle. While this affected components do not appear to be a critical part of the vehicle's structure, there is significant corrosion to the parts which are in the path of the condensate drain for the rear a/c system as well. This seems to confirm the belief that a/c condensate run-off is a key factor in the sub-frame corrosion issue.

My wife was pulling out of a driveway with her 2001 Ford Windstar when there was a loud noise and the wheels turned and locked in position. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop and it was determined that the subframe was completely rusted through. This could have been a very dangerous situation if it would have happened at highway speed. The vehicle has 96,000 miles on it. It cost $1,600 to get repaired. Ford has a problem with the metal on these vehicles. Vehicle frames should not rust out.

2001 Windstar (2fmza53431bc23905) sel sub frame snapped while driiving almost causing a serious accident. Tow company said this was very rare that the subframe had rusted through. Repaired at a cost of $1058. 03 total parts (used subframe) and labor.

Front wheel on passenger side disconnected from frame while moving. Frame rusted.

2001 Ford Windstar sel, passenger side lower control arm broke off frame because of rusted, corroded cradle.

2001 Ford Windstar. Subframe rusted away where it attaches to the main frame. Consequences might be loss of steering, rollover or other serious accident. Fortunately, the problem was discovered and repaired at the cost of $1700 before a serious accident occurred.

Our not for profit owns a 2001 Ford Windstar which failed to pass nys inspection because the sub-frame is rusted through. This vehicle had less than 160k miles on it. We wash our vehicles every month or so in the winter to rid them of salt so that corrosion is kept to minimum. Too bad Ford doesn't stand by their products like Toyota, (which paid owners of defective pick-ups which had underbody corrosion 1 & 1/2 blue book value for vehicles). Another reason not to buy american: shoddy materials, shoddy workmanship & uncaring customer satisfaction.

Front subframe rusted through at passenger side mounting point requiring replacement of the front subframe. The condition was noticed immediately after failure due to a change in the direction of the steering wheel and a popping noise during turns, confirmed and repaired at an independent repair shop before any further damage accumulated. I noticed a recall issued on kias of the same vintage for the same problem.

My wife lost control of vehicle, 2001 Windstar, 71,000 miles, right front lower control rod broke loose from engine cradle and she lost control of steering. I had vehicle towed to Ford dealership. Subframe rusted out at right lower control rod mounting, vehicle is not driven in winter,do not understand how this could have rusted out and caused a possible catastrophic failure. Subframe has been ordered, estimate for repairs from Ford dealer is $2,000. 00. I have not contacted Ford motor company, it appears that they do not care about this failure judging from other customer complaints for the same failure. If this is caused by water dripping from the ac compressor or a defect in the subframe metal, Ford should be assisting in these repairs. I have been a loyal Ford customer for 30 years and can not believe they would not help with this type of safety issue.

Front sub frame rusted through front end collasped while driving 25 mph.