Steering Tie Rod Assembly Problems of Ford Windstar - part 1

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. While attempting to turn into the driveway, the contact heard a clunking noise and a snap. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the subframe fractured and the tie rod snapped. The vehicle was not drivable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Windstar 🔎.

At times when is col,d the abs and brake light is off while driving, when it gets hot the abs and brake light turns on and the abs fails to work. Code c1185 abs power relay output circuit failure. I got to a stop sign and the road was wet and the van skidded , the abs did not work. No one was hurt and I have seen all the complaints that Ford owners are having. I don't know if my 2002 Ford Windstar had all the other recalls done, like the brake pressure differential deactivation switch (scds) and the rear frame welds that are breaking up on the chassis of many Ford owners. I would like to verify what has been done to my Ford Windstar that I bought two months ago. I just had the inner and outer tie rod ends done along with the sway bar links at the front suspension.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Windstar 🔎.

I was driving at 35mph when I heard a loud boom and my Windstar careened wildly back and forth and felt like I had slammed on the brakes. The Windstar could not even be driven to the shoulder. The tow truck driver said the subframe was broken and possibly the tie rods had broken as well. The front wheels were pointed outward in opposite directions.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Windstar 🔎.

The antilock brake system light as well as the traction control lights keep coming on. Garage can't tell the exact cause. The booster arm busted, keeping the brakes engaged as driven. The booster arm was replaced and the lights are still on. I reset it, and they reappear after a short time. I now smell the brakes when applied. I've had engine replaced at 101,000 miles, two transmissions, multiple brake jobs, rear axle repaired, front axle repaired, front tie rods repaired. The alignment on my vehicle could only be partially completed. . . . Toe, and another alignment done, but the complete alignment would need a hole drilled in the frame and a bolt moved over - bad design by Ford. I've also had to have the oxygen sensor replaced at my own expense. The vehicle is a ticking time bomb, piece of crap.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving approximately 60 mph she noticed that she could turn the steering wheel but the vehicle would not change directions. The vehicle was stopped and shut off. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the frame under the vehicle was severely corroded and that the tie rods failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 150,000. The VIN was unavailable.

During the replacement of the power steering unit, tie rod ends, and rack assembly, the mechanic, [xxx], from stones auto service, inc. , located at 350 north main st. ; miamisburg, ohio 45342. Their telephone number is (937) 866-3674, noticed excessive rust deterioration of the front subframe of the vehicle. The mechanic stated, on the invoice statement, the front frame is unsafe. He recommended we not drive the vehicle because it is unsafe, due to the rusted front subframe. We were told the entire front subframe could fall off at anytime. The mechanic suggested we take the vehicle to the dealer where we purchased the vehicle, which is interstate Ford, inc. The dealership is located 125 alexandersville road; miamisburg, ohio 45342. The phone number for the dealership is (937) 866-1737. We took the vehicle to interstate Ford, inc. , which their mechanic inspected the vehicle and advised us not to drive the vehicle, because the vehicle is unsafe. In fact, the owner of interstate Ford, inc. , chuck george said this vehicle is unsafe to drive. He advised us, Ford has not had any recall for rusting subframe in the front end of the Windstar vehicle. Although, mr. George did tell us that Ford has issued a recall for Ford Windstar vehicles due to rusting subframe of the vehicles back subframe. Mr. George provided us a quote of $1,533. 05, to repair the front subframe rusting matter. We have since had the repair completed and paid the bill of $1,533. 05 to interstate Ford, inc. We are identified as customer number 30231 at interstate Ford, inc. Connie a. Lipscomb is the advisor, who worked directly on this issue. This was completed and paid on October 28, 2010. Please be notified, I have 3 photos, taken by [xxx], at the Ford dealership, of the rusted subframe. Email me requesting the photos and advise me instructions to attach the photos and where to email them and to who's attention. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Windstar 🔎.

1999 Ford Windstar lx. Engine cradle failure at mount point passenger rear. Reference NHTSA # pe10026. I am in the same situation. The passenger rear engine cradle mount has failed causing steering problems and loss of control. The passenger tie rod and control arm are now bent. At this point the vehicle is not safe, but I am forced to drive it. The vehicle is pulling severely to the left. This condition is worse on acceleration due to the bent steering components. The failure occurred while driving @ 50 mph causing difficulty steering.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Purchased a vehicle off of the white allen lot with additional coverage with wynn's plus extended warranty on may 31, 2009. In August 2009, the van is very loose and unsteady while driving. Took to grismer on September 5, 2009 to find that the front tie rods needed to be replaced. Still unsteady especially in the rear. On September 10, 2009 the rear axle beam broke in two! the warranty company will not cover, and I come to find out through researching that across the u. S. Thousands of persons have had this axle break on them nearly missing death on highways and byways. Ford is aware of the defective axle beam yet has made no attempt to my knowledge to recall. Lives are hanging in the balance and it seems they are more concerned about losing money. I can understand the concern especially with the economy the way it is. However, the consumer should not have to pay with their lives and the lives of their children because Ford decided that money was more important than human life. Not to mention had they been more concerned about quality vs. Quantity, perhaps this would not be a complaint that thousands of people have to make. The money spent repairing the defect that is not covered ($1,000) still doesn't give you peace of mind that you and your family are safe because they have made no effort to replace the part with one that is not defective. You just replace it with another defective part! when did human life become so insignificant that a car company who knows that there is a safety issue, can ignore it putting lives at risk and make money off of the rolling dead! if you are like me, you need to get to work, pick up, drop off kids, go out of town. As long as there is no recall effort for this part, americans take the risk of never coming home to their families or their families not making it home from a little league football games, soccer, ballet etc. It is tragic and someone needs to do something before lives are lost. No action has been take.

: the contact stated while the vehicle was driven 30 mph, there was a popping noise, and the steering shifted pulling the vehicle to the right. The vehicle was driven to the residence, where the contact inspected the steering and found the steering was turned to the left. When the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, the vehicle was put onto a lift. The subframe was found to be rusted out and had a fracture. The front left tie rod was bent due to the frame failure on the opposite side. The sub frame section supporting the engine and transmission and the left outer tie rod were replaced. The manufacturer was notified.

We have a 2000 Ford Windstar sel limited. Yesterday on 1/27/06 we were turning into a driveway when the tie rod broke. The tie rod gouged into the drive and then apparently forcefully flew up and bent the rack and pinion and link. It scared my family that was in the car at the time. The car became undriveable, and we had to have it towed to a repair shop. That was where we learned the extent of the damages. The cost of repairs at this time was estimated to be over $600. It did not seem that a tie rod should just break like this. We were fortunate that no one was injured, and that we were close to home when this happened. We will be without the vehicle for almost a week while it was being repaired. The police came to the scene as we ended up blocking traffic, but they did not make an official report.

Issues with repeated replacement of tie rods ends.

Within in matter of 2 months, both front tire inner tie rods broke. Luckily for the safety of me and my children, I was not driving at a high speed (highway) which would have caused a tragic fatal accident.

I have a 2001 Ford Windstar. The vehicle currently has 100,205 miles on it. I have had to replace the front strut bearings and struts at 75,000 miles and again at 100,000. I have also had to replace the inner and outer tie rods at 69,000 miles. And the left outer tie rod again at 100,000. I have had over $2,500 in repairs in the time frame of one year, not including 4-wheel brake job. I brought the vehicle in for service at 82,000 miles and told the Ford dealership that I was again hearing the "bad strut noise". At this time the 1 yr, 12,000 mile warranty would have picked up the cost of the repair. I was told that there was not anything wrong with the struts. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had ongoing strut and tie rod problems.

I had a metalic grinding noise when I steered to the right or left. I took it to my Ford dealer for repair and found that the right and left tie rod ends were binding and had to be replaced. I have always had my van lubricated and have found out that these tie rods have no grease fitting for lubrication. I view this as a safety hazard and could result in a serious accident if left unattended.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Both front tie-rods totally failed and had to be replaced at only 50,000 miles.

1999 Ford Windstar: tie rod ends degraded at 60,000 miles, sending bits of metal through the seals in the rack and pinyon steering system; generated very expensive repair. Could have caused dangerous accident. Mechanics first replaced power steering pump , whcih did not correct problem. Second repair was replacement of r&p steering system. Repair was over $1,000.

1998 Ford Windstar I had to have the front tie rod ends replaced twice with only 47k miles. From what I understand talking to repair garages this seems to be a common problem with Windstar vans.

I had my van for 1 year. Recently, the inner tie rod on the drivers side had to be replaced, because it was already worn out with just 56,000 miles on it. I had this done because the vans steering had a lean to it. It would feel like the left tire was leaning when I would go through a turn. At normal speeds, I have even had the van lurch to the right about 3 feet when making a left turn on a curve. I am putting it back in the shop, because my mechanic can't find the problem. We looked today(04-01-03) and when you turn the wheel, the entire rack will move. It moves before the tires even move. A definite safety issue to say the least. Definitely not what you would expect from a $27,000 dollar van with mostly highway miles on it.

Concerning: 1999 Ford Windstar with with 59,000 miles. Recently our vehicle started making a strange rubbing sound when turning and rapidly started to get worse. We took our van into the Ford dealership for service and were told that the tie rod ends were shot. The repairman (at Ford) told us that we are lucky we got it in for service when we did. Apparently the tie rods could have broken at any time while driving! the van is well taken care of and I don't understand why the tie rods would be in such bad shape. This seems like a manufacturer concern and certainly a safety concern for all of those who transport their families in a Windstar! I'd like to see Ford cover the cost of this repair and tell me why my families' safety was put into jeopardy while driving such a new vehicle.

Vehicle was pulling to the right at all time, vehicle was taken to dealer for alignment. Dealer stated alignment could not be done, due to the tie rod coupling being cracked. Nlm.

See all problems of the 1996 Ford Windstar 🔎.

When making turns in either direction there was a loud grinding noise. While at dealership to have a recall performed, mechanic noticed front tie rod joints needed to be replaced. No grease at all on joints.

Tie rod end started to wear and made a squeaking sound when making a turn. Dealer contacted.

The outer tie rods created a grinding noise when the vehicle turned at low speeds and likely due to lack of adequate lubrication. The failure of the right inner tie rod was much more serious, in that it created a very bad vibration at highway speeds, was a scary situation, and could very well have resulted in loss of vehicle control.

Consumer took vehicle to repair shop because front tire tires were balled inside. Mechanic told consumer that upper ball joints and tire rod ends were defective. Consumer replaced them. There was no accident.

While vehicle is in operation and making any type of turn, there is a loud "metal to metal" sound coming from front of vehicle. A private mechanic has replaced tie rod in an effort to repair problem.

Tie rod ends are failing. Dealership service representative advised us this model was designed with no lubrication fittings; and that failure typically occurs between 50 to 60 thousands miles. I consider this a hazard that was deliberately designed into the vehicle in order to save money at the expense of the consumers safety.

Left side tie rod broke while driving at 50 mph. Vehicle taken to dealer for repairs, also, suspension joints needed to be welded. Please provide any further details on this matter .

See all problems of the 1997 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Two frozen outer tie rods. Conusmer would notice since he heard some noises. Also, streeing wheel would not completey turn back to its place. Contacted dealer, dealer fixed problem.

Dealer had to replace both outer tie rods and adjust front toe. Steering started to bind when making a left hand turn, and van steering had felt loose up to the point of failure.

Front end groans when turning the steering wheel. Was told tie rod ends have to be replaced.

The tie rod ends failed. Yh.

A loud grinding noise started occurring when the whell was turned. My wife said she heard the noise and thought she needed power steering fluid. I put a little in but the noise didn't go away. Took van to dealer. They called and said the outer tie rods were bad and grinding metal to metal. Had them replaced. When my wife picked up the van, the repair person said to her that since there were no grease joints, so there was nothing I could have done. He said that Ford said it was a bad design and they had a model to replace it. This didn't sound good to me and I wondered why I had to pay for their bad design. If the tie rods were grinding metal to metal, it could have led to a break and steering failure.

Every 3,000 mile front tie rod end breaks which may cause loss of vehicle control. Been replaced 3times. Dealer cannot determine caus eof the problem. Please provide further information.

While driving at 5 mph and without prior warning, inner tie rod broke, resulting in loss of control, and vehicle ran into a pole.

While backing out at approx. 4mph, tie rod end detached and axel pulled out from vehicle, resulting in wheels couldn't rotate.