Power Train Problems of Ford Windstar - part 2

I just bought this car one week ago with 96000 miles on it. Because I previously got a 1995 Windstar with ax4s transmission, running over 190000 miles without any transmission issues. I then bought the 2003 car with relatively low mileage and hope it would last the similar length. This 2003 car is with 4f50n transmission. Both ax4s and 4f50n transmission are similar in design and dimensions but they perform totally different. Every time during the first week of driving the 2003 car, there were always a harsh reverse when the engine was warm after driving a few miles. I had to pump the gas to reach a high rpm just to gain a little reverse action. That makes me temporarily to park the car with the front facing the driving lane at shopping plaza. But I could still carry out the reverse action on the driveway during the morning while the engine is cold. It may not be the mechanical problem but the hydraulic issue inside the transmission. There must be something wrong with some not-up-to-the-spec internal transmission components that are temperature sensitive with warm transmission fluid, thus affecting the normal operation of certain components for their intended performance. I will bring the car for the mechanic check up soon. Ford designs, buys parts from suppliers, manufactures, fabricates, sell, and service this car. Ford should bear the responsibility to address this problem and initiate some actions such as notices, warnings, or recall to correct the problem and give consumers the confidence in their product.

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Rear axle reinforcement brackets were installed in my Ford Windstar under safety recall 10s13, by an authorized Ford (dealer's) repair shop in 2011. I was told by the Ford repair shop that "brackets" were the only type of repair Ford authorized them to do under that recall notice. I recently received another rear axle recall notice, 15s27, that said repair brackets improperly installed under the prior recall, may result in a rear axle beam fracture. The recall notice said if axle replacement was necessary, Ford would replace it free of charge. When I took my car back to the same Ford repair shop, the service manager said that the rear axle was indeed cracked and needs to be replaced. He also said that Ford is refusing to replace it free of charge and requires a copay of $300. I called Ford customer service and was told the same thing. I believe the "band aide" repair originally authorized by Ford under the first rear axle recall, was insufficient to prevent stress points in their defective rear axle from causing a subsequent fracture that no amount of preventative maintenance could deter. I believe the second axle recall notice indicates that Ford has placed the public in jeopardy with "cheap fixes" to defective parts. However, instead of ethically replacing the axle, Ford now seems to be cutting their losses by offering a "discounted" axel replacement (only) at one of their affiliated shops. Because a rear axle can cost about $1000 to replace, Ford's "discount" effectively steers the business of customers who need this repair into Ford's controlled business environment. We are left with no choice but to pay Ford again, to correct their error and keep us safe. Please call me at 609-440-9730 car is currently at lucas Ford, burlington NJ.

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Tl- the contact owns a 1995 Ford winstar. The contact stated that while driving about 35 mph, the rear axle shifted and broke loose. The vehicle was pulled to side. The contact notified a local dealer of the failure but was told that the vehicle was not in recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but also stated that the vehicle was not in recall. The failure mileage was 50,000. Fe.

The contact owns a 1995 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted to the drive position the vehicle accelerated as the check engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. The contact stated that there was difficulties shifting the vehicle to different gears. The failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the idle air controller failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 245,000. Sg.

While driving the vehicle at highway speeds, I heard a crunching sound in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle then began to sway on the road. I had to slow my speeds and pull over at a safe spot, which was a parking lot to inspect what the issue was. After inspection, I noted the passenger rear tire was at an angle with the top of the tire inward touching the frame. I took the vehicle to the closest repair shop where I found from their inspection that the axle was broke and the vehicle was not driveable. My vehicle was part of the Ford Windstar axle recall, which was serviced by the local Ford dealer in 2012. This vehicle had the reinforcements added to the axle in 2012. The axle broke between the reinforced plates welded to the axle during the recall check. Now after towing the vehicle back to the local Ford dealer for inspection, I find out that Ford will not stand behind the issue and not repair or replace the axle due to the length of time from the recall. I feel lucky that I was able to maintain control of the vehicle when the axle broke.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar se. The contact stated that as soon as the vehicle was turned on, all the gauges - gear, fuel gauge, odometer, temperature gauge, e. T. C. Illuminated, darting all over the dashboard. The contact stated that the fuel gauge, for example, showed full even when there was no fuel . Likewise, the gear showed drive while on reverse. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but stated that there was no recall on the failures, therefore offered no help. The failure mileage was 157,007. The VIN was not provided. Fe.

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Tl-the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the rear of the vehicle failed to stay in position. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the rear driver's side tire tilted inwards. In addition, the contact stated that while attempting to reverse after inspecting the vehicle, the axle fractured. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 12v193000 (power train ) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,361. Djr.

My wife was driving the car in the country and heard noises when going over bumps. When she smelled something burning she stopped. Discovered the rear axle had split where it had been beefed up with brackets after Ford's 10s13 recall. Ford is saying we have to pay $300 to make repairs on an issue that appears to us to be a design/manufacturing flaw, for which there has been 3 recalls issued (if I understand it correctly). I don't understand why we should have to pay?.

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

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

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

Rear axle broke in half while driving causing a roll over accident.

After looking up all of the service reports on this vehicle, I am beginning to recognize that Ford has some explaining to do. We have a large amount of service reports on our vehicle alone that our dealership is not reporting. We have paid more for service repairs than we did paying for the vehicle. Our ac/heat just clicks w/o working, power windows front and rear do not work, power door locks, leaking roofs, leaking doors, abs lights on, engine lights on, traction control light on, engine sputters even after two complete old fashioned tune-ups, cowl broken, front and rear axles severely cracked, sub-frame cracked, rear wiper does not work properly, brakes need constant repairs, electrical shorts everywhere, head lights, fog lights, brake lights all need constant replacements, alternator was replaced 6 times in one day because they were all faulty, brake switch under brake pedal needs constant replacement, constant wheel alignments, wheel sensors missing or broken, power seat broke and the dealership told us that it was petty to have it fixed even with a height difference between drivers, control modules replaced, multiple expensive sensor failures, spark plugs with wires replaced at least twice, starter replaced, parking brake needs to be watched for slippage because it can't hold on hills, interior lights blink in a pattern while driving, can't haul it's own tailgate, battery replaced multiple times by dealership, power mirror switch broke, many more expensive repairs have been done at our cost, p0302, p0305, p0316, c1235, c1185, c1198, c1194, c1254, c1246, c1250, c1242, c1214, c1210, c1103, c1410, c1404, b1318. We were told by many service departments a while back that these codes were not important. They cleared the codes every time. Their response to these codes were to clear them every single time. We only have one vehicle and this is it. I am a mom w/children.

I tool my 2002 Ford Windstar in for inspection of the rear axle and brackets were put in place. On March 9, the rear axle broke. Luckily it was as I was pulling into a parking spot at work. Ford is aware they have a manufactured defective part on these Windstars and yet after the bracket is place they refuse to replace the axle after is rust and breaks anyway. Ford deems it fixed. However, I disagree. They are putting the safety of thousands of people at risk. They should accept responsibility and repair the parts. Extremely unhappy. I have been calling Ford for 2 weeks and can not get a supervisor to return my call. It's ridiculous.

Tl-the contact owns a 1996 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the gas pedal was depressed but the vehicle's speed did not go above 20 mph as the service brake warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. Sg.

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The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 mph, there was a pothole on the road, which was driven over. The contact noticed that the rear drivers side wheel fractured and was detached from the axle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear axle fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 12v193000 (power train) however, the recall remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.

I have a 2003 Windstar Ford Mini van. About 2 1/2 years ago they put a patch fix on the rear axle that was so when the axle breaks instead of the wheels seperating it holds it together. Well recently I was on my way to a major highway I thought my brakes locked up, but in actuality the patch fix broke and so did my axle. So a big thankyou for almost killing my 2 children in the back seat, does Ford motors care? no they don't! because when I called the dealership they said Ford is aware of this ongoing problem with numerous complaints and will not fix it again. But I can buy another part for $800. 00. If they are aware of the problem and the patch was not a safe fix then why bother at all! I feel this company should put their children in the back seat and then maybe they would actually care to find a safe fix.

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

I have 3 problems with my 1999 Ford Windstar which currently has 60,000 miles. One of them is the glass in front when I'm driving in the rain I have to turn on the wipers the driver's side in the middle part of the wiper stays wet while the passenger side cleans very well. The other problem I've always had is the powersteering when I'm driving, I'm going to turn to the side and the car turns off the guide gets hard and I can't straighten it to turn it on again. The last problem is the transmission, one day the family went all together in the car and shortly after we realized that it was overheating we parked in the grass we turned off the car and the part of the engine caught fire after the accident we realized that the transmission liquefied oil. I had the transmission repaired and began to give some tiresome every time I changed gears. The car is currently parked with the damaged transmission. I understand there is a recall for this transmission.

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I have 3 problems with my 1999 Ford Windstar which currently has 60,000 miles. One of them is the glass in front when I'm driving in the rain I have to turn on the wipers the driver's side in the middle part of the wiper stays wet while the passenger side cleans very well. The other problem I've always had is the powersteering when I'm driving, I'm going to turn to the side and the car turns off the guide gets hard and I can't straighten it to turn it on again. The last problem is the transmission, one day the family went all together in the car and shortly after we realized that it was overheating we parked in the grass we turned off the car and the part of the engine caught fire after the accident we realized that the transmission liquefied oil. I had the transmission repaired and began to give some tiresome every time I changed gears. The car is currently parked with the damaged transmission. I understand there is a recall for the transmission.

After a trip to the lake,my family and I were headed home and approached a stop sign. (23 miles from home. ) I made a complete stop and proceeded to apply gas and the Windstar would not move. When I release the breaks it just rolls backwards,pretty scary. However after a restart it would move again but only for a few feet,then it falls out of gear again. Towed it home,and don't know what to do. We had no warning lights or warning at all whats so ever.

My 2000 Ford Windstar was repaired last year on a recall for the possible rear axle failure. Ford installed brackets on the rear axle as a remedy. On Saturday 8-30-14, the rear axle failed. The axle is actually broken and the break can be seen inside of the bracket they installed. I called Ford and they told me they don't warranty the recall remedy repair. What are my options to have this remedied in good faith?.

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

April, noticed that cruise control not working 100% of time - not engaging and not disengaging!! opted not to use it anymore. July, abs and brake light on and didn't shut off while in home garage. Shut van off, restarted it, lights off. August, lights seem to be coming on with more frequency. Doesn't seem to be speed related. September, abs and brake light coming on more frequently. Seems to reset (for short time) after shut van off. October, had brake system checked. Disc rotor - r&r; control arm w/ ball joint - lower - front suspension; rear brakes serviced; brake fluid flush. Thought that would have "fixed" everything however less than 10 days later, the abs and brake lights are coming on again while driving. Turn van off, turn back on - lights reset - until next time I drive it!! after reading through, realize that the two might be related. Safety is a must!!.

Brake light and abs lights are on, brakes are fine, fluid level is fine, but light is on. Abs now not working. Speedometer does not go above 40 mph until driven at least 3 miles, this is also causing the cruse control to not work smoothly. Transmission is not shifting into overdrive, transmission is clean and working. All of these issues began within a few weeks of each other.

Tl-the contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 10 mph and in warm temperatures, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000. Ne.

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Tl - the contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while at a stop traffic light, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the air conditioner was leaking and admitting smoke. A private mechanic repaired the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 100,080. The VIN was not available. Djr.

I was driving home from work at about 915 pm June 22 2014, when I hear my back tires sound like they were catching a flat. I slowed down and pulled over into a restaurant parking lot. When I pulled in I hear a loud scratch sound and I smelled burning rubber really bad. My cousin came on the scene to pick me up and he looked under the van and took a picture. The axle cracked in half and the back tires looked pushed in at the top and protruding out at the bottom. . If I had been going the speed limit of 5o mph I would have had an accident. I have 5 children waiting at home for me when I get off work. Im just thankful I didnt have an accident. But now I dont know how I can continue working without my van.

Van is jumping at stop light with brake on, started making a clunking sound around 55 (unknown) power windows stopped working on right side. Only 92000 miles on van everything going wrong at once. Van feels unsafe. Do not have enough money to replace. Is there any recalls for this stuff? knocking noise in rear.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle made a loud banging sound and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the intermediate servo needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 250,000. Updated 08/19/lj.

Was driving down the road @ 55mph and the speedometer shot to 0mph and the trans was thrown into 1st. This happened several times. I am looking for a resolution. It acts as if vss isn't working. Even threw a code. I replaced the sensor and checked the wires all the way to the ecm. Everything looks quite good. Ran a scanner. Picked up several codes. Vss and abs sensors all around. Pulled cluster: everything looked great. The only fault I can think of is ecm unless abs system has the ability to affect the drive like that.

Tl- the contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar sw. The contact stated that while traveling 65 mph, the back axle became inoperable, that resulted in a vehicle spin and collision. The vehicle was towed. The manufacturer was notified. The private mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as a failed blown rear axle.

My transmission had to be replaced; I do not drive the vehicle a great deal, tho the car is aged, the upkeep is great on the car. I have tried to keep up with the recalls on this car, is there a recall on the car's trans. ?.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that there was erosion and cracking around the axle. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension), however the contacts state was not apart of the recall, as it only covered the north eastern part of the united states where concentrated use of salt on road surfaced was used to melt and/or break up road surface ice. . The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 148,900. The consumer stated while working on the rear air conditioning unit, a crack was observed on the rear axle. The crack was located on the axle a distance from the left rear, driver's side wheel. The consumer stated during the examination of the rear suspension system, it was easy to see that there was an opening in the axle structure where the coil spring interfaced the axle. The opening allowed salt concentrated road spray to enter the internal structure of the axle and settle to its lowest point. Since the axle had no drain holes to allow for trapped road spray to drain away, the salt concentrated road spray would in fact set up corrosion within the internal structure of the axle which, over time would weaken the strength of the rear axle allowing fatigue cracks to appear. Updated 07/16/14.

Had the 2011 rear axle recall performed by Ford in 2011. They inspected the rear axle and installed the support brackets. Now my rear axle is cracked. I contacted the dealership where I had the recall performed who confirmed they had performed the recall but denied any further responsibility and told me to contact Ford. I have contacted Ford and spoke with both a customer service rep and her supervisor who both advised Ford is only responsible for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles since the recall was performed. I feel the repair was not sufficient to prevent additional cracking of the axle and they should fix/replace the axle.