Wheel Problems of Ford Windstar - part 1

The rear axle broke for the second time on a Ford Windstar, after already breaking prior to a recall in 2010. It appears to have broken where a clamp was attached. This caused the rear wheels to fall into, and grind against the wheel well. This happened on a side street near my house. Had it happened at highway speeds, the rear wheels could have locked up or perhaps broken free causing loss of control. The axle problem has been known to Ford, but it is concerning that this is the second one to fail. I have not yet contacted Ford or a a repair facility to evaluate. There were no warning lamps or other indication. The axle simply broke abruptly. I thought it was a tire blow out until I saw the wheels tilted in. The vehicle is older, but I maintain it well.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Windstar 🔎.

The rear axle on my vehicle snapped while I was driving causing me to lose control and leave the roadway. I contacted Ford who told me there was a recall for the rear axle of my vehicle and that I would have no out of pocket expenses for the repairs and the towing of the vehicle to the service center. After they set up the towing I received a message saying I had to pay $381 for the towing before they would dispatch the tow truck. I called Ford customer service and they told me that now they can't find in their notes where they told me towing was covered. After asking to speak with a supervisor and being told they're not going to transfer me because they know their supervisor can't do anything more then what they can do I was placed on hold for an hour just to be told they can't find it in their notes and then I was hung up on. I shouldn't have to pay almost $400 to have my vehicle that just had a catastrophic failure causing me to wreck towed for servic after I was lied to about the towing being covered.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Rear axle . Fell on the highway split in half while I was driving on a state hwy 71 at 45 mph. Cracked rear axle. 2002 Ford Windstar part of a recall for rear axle. No warning was given and didn't know about the recall until after it happened. Inspection was preformed by a mechanic. I could have flipped or rolled or caused a major collision as this highway is very heavily traveled.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Windstar 🔎.

The rear axle of my 2002 Ford Windstar completely fractured while traveling on interstate 75. The rear axle broke while driving about 60 miles per hour on interstate 75 in florida. By the grace of god my passenger and I survived. In attempting to stop, the van hit the guard rail on the highway. I was able to keep the van in the right lane. The van gave us no warning. While waiting for the aaa tow truck, a florida department of transportation (fdot} patrol vehicle stop to ensure we were alright. The fdot driver inspected the Windstar, took pictures and stated he has never seen a broken rear axle like that before.

My tire starting making a whistle screech sound and a sway and I look under my tire is crooked and my axel beam was cracked. Thankfully my kids were not with me and no one was hurt.

The axle was part of recall #11s16. As part of the recall the axle was patched, but the axle is now broken because the "repair" did not correct the structural flaws in the axle.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving the contact heard a pop and the rear left tire went flat. The vehicle was towed back to the contact's home. The contact had an independent mechanic diagnose the issue as being the rear axle bending inwards from rust or corrosion. This caused the tire to shred and deflate. The vehicle did have a NHTSA recall number: 15v-608000 (suspension). The vehicle was taken to the dealer germain Ford of beavercreek 2356 heller dr, beavercreek, OH 45434 (937) 429-1300 and they stated that the rear axle was installed correctly when the recall stated that it was not installed correctly. The contact wanted to know if that was the case why was the vehicle included in a recall. The dealer refused to honor the NHTSA recall with a free repair. The manufacturer had not been contacted yet. The failure mileage was 178,000. Tf.

I took my vehicle to Fords and they say my bracket guard near rear axle is defected and was under Ford recall and that it is a safety hazard , though when terry hendricks Ford sent in a claim they sad it had expired although I need it recalled for repair.

Tl- the contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the rear axle and frame associated with the under body of the vehicle had extensive rust, corrosion and there was a crack that had progressed from the rear axle upon the contact inspecting under the vehicle. An abnormal noise was heard. The dealer lance cunningham Ford, 4101 east clinton hwy, knoxville, TN 37912, 1-(866) 591-3943 was notified of the failure however they had not scheduled an appointment yet as the contact was checking with the manufacturer to determine the technical guidelines for a permanent fix. The vehicle was unable to be safely driven due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 158,000. Dyd.

Axle snapped while driving on highway rear wheels bent inward.

1. Rear axle fractured severely & broke making the car un-drivable on 24 Jan 2019 while in motion driving in city traffic. Ford put braces on this vehicle under recall# 10s13, but they failed to prevent further corrosion and metal fatigue. The axle was a bad engineering design from the drawing board combined with not e-coating the metal during manufacturing to prevent corrosion of the metal due to road salt. The axle fractured next to the brace on the driver side as shown in the 4 images below. I have one tow bill (flat-bed) to get the car off the downtown street to my home & will have another tow bill to transport it to where I can replace the axle. 2. Front cradle frame's mount rusted off that anchors the stabilizer bar so the stabilizer bar had to be removed. This happened several years ago. The cradle frame probable was not e-coated during manufacture either. I can take a pic and probable have the repair invoice detailing the date and the mechanic's work to remove the stabilizer bar. To fix the car will need a new front cradle frame, stabilizer bar, and possibly mount brackets.

Went to "credit karma" and was informed that my vehicle was the subject of a Ford NHTSA recall. Ford failed to notify me of recall on my vehicle. Recall id # 233939 dated 10/21/2015. Please help resolve this as I don't want to be driving an unsafe vehicle.

My rear wheel hub assembly, where it attaches to the axle beam reinforcing flange cracked while I was turning left from a stop light. I found out that there was a recall for the rear axle reinforcement brackets, so I took my van to a Ford dealership in knox, indiana (best Ford). After a few days, they said that Ford would not cover the damage done to the rear axle. They said that it was previously repaired, however, I see on this website that a recall for my vehicle is incomplete and that Ford had an additional recall for the same issue.

The rear axle broke at 45mph blowing out both rear tires thankgod we wern't hurt and had no cars behind us seen recall online called Ford but was told the van was not part of recall was purchased in mi new and has u design axle.

Tl-the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph the vehicle was shimming. The contact stated the rear wheels were bent. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that in 2015 clamps were placed on the axle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer quality auto mall located at 55 state rt 17, rutherford, NJ 07070 (201) 935-2400 where diagnosed that the axle broke. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 195,000. Ap.

Rear axle break due to corrosion of acknowledged inadequately designed axle. Break happened in the reinforcement bracket installed do to initial axle recall for potential break due to corrosion. . Car was on city street in motion to freeway onramp fortunately the axle broke prior to entering freeway. Axle break resulted in sagging axle and a wheel tilted inward at about 20 degrees and wedged against the inner wheel well. Tire started to smoke. Car is undriveable. The repair is estimated to $1400. Ford will not accept any financial responsibility for this break in the brackets installed to prevent the break. Additional components are also needing repair and replacement due to the break of the axle.

The rear wheel on the driver's side collapsed on the body, breaking off from the axle. I was traveling between 30-35 miles an hour when it occurred. I was able to stop the car on the side of the road.

As I was driving on a city street the rear axle broke after I turned right.

My tires wiggle when driving like they are about to come off.

Rear axle assembly snapped yet our VIN is not on recall list. This was not due to any accident or damage on our behalf this was simple daily in town five miles driving then snapped and not usable. We were driving and turned left and. Or even two blocks the vehicle made a snap sound almost like a popped tire. Both tired are inward and the vehicle ian now parked due to the snapping of this.

The rear axle broke, which there was a recall for. The recall added support brackets to the rear axle. My van had the support brackets installed. However the rear axle broke directly under the support brackets. The dealer told me the recall was still open and to have it towed. I got it towed to the dealer only for them to tell me that the it isn't covered by the recall because the brackets were installed. Now it is costing me $900 to get it fixed when Ford clearly admitted to the rear axle problem.

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.

The rear axle started to snap in November 2017 when I was driving with my wife and kids in the van. We smelled burning rubber and pulled over. If we had drove any further the axle was going to snap with all of us in the vehicle. Ford is refusing to cover all the costs of the repair because the previous owner had the bracket/support put on. We did not purchase this vehicle till March 2017. We want the full cost of the repair covered and the Ford dealership's storage fees erased. Our bill is currently $1,809. 65. We should not have to pay for the repair and the time it has been sitting there while we fight Ford to pay the bill. This was not an act of wear and tear but an act of a recall on the manufacturer.

Rear axle beam is so badly cracked it bent the ball joint for 1 tire so bad it ate the tire.

I just purchased the 1999 Ford winstar and. 2 months later I was driving to work and the rear axle beem broke causing me to looae control. I am just now finding out about the recall please advise this I s my only vehicle.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Windstar 🔎.

On Saturday morning July 15th 2017, I was driving at 2:30 am. I had just left for my first job and crossed a set of train tracks. When I did, the rear axle snapped almost causing me to crash. After looking for the cost to replace the axle, I came upon a Ford recall. When I placed my VIN in the computer it came up that my 2002 Ford Windstar was in fact included in the recall. I talked to someone at Ford via live chat on Saturday after having the vehicle towed home and they stated that the recall was outstanding and I needed to call the Ford dealership. I paid again to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. Now Tuesday morning July 18th 2017, both the dealership and Ford is saying that they cant help me and I need to take care of replacing the completely rusted rear axle. The rust causing the axle to snap was the reason for the recall in the first place. I have owned this vehicle less than 6 months and now as a single mom am left without a vehicle. I will never buy another Ford again in my life and I will also discourage my friends and family from purchasing Fords as well.

I watched last night as my wife and kids were coming home on the parkway, the rear axel snapped in. Two and both tires just dangeling basically,we had a blow out also managed to get the2000 Ford Windstar lx off of the main road where I had to call several to companies and no one with a wrecker was able to help, so I called a toe company with a roll back, to get our van home then I found out abt the complaint hotline and the recalls after my wife and kids could have been killed, the vehicle was going straight,and the speedlimet wich was 45 mph, when the axel just snapped in two pieces, and out of control she managed to slow down, my kids are 1 and 2, we want reinbursement for the van and the tow bill as this is a manufacturer defect.

This vehicle was serviced at 102,654 miles, in March-April of 2011 by koons Ford of maryland, (invoice#w70829, dated may 5, 2011) in response to Ford recall, related to "broken front subframe" and "collapsing rear axle". --front subframe was, at that time, broken on the right side, due to rusting. Replacement was not done, instead it was patched via a bolted together "clamshell" reinforcing device. It now has become apparent that after using the vehicle after this initial frame separation, the metal of the left side was unduly stressed, and has now broken at its weldment point, resulting in an unsafe vehicle, that swerves to the left, if brakes are applied while in motion on the street or other roadway. Wheels are no longer kept in alignment, with left front wheel free to move to the front or rear, in response to applied stress! this subframe failure affected many such vehicles, and it has become evident that inspection and repair was inadequate, resulting in a new, unsafe condition! (subframe should have been replaced, due to stress!)-photos are attached, showing displaced frame, and separated weld joint.

Rear axle fractured while driving from school to home, there is uneven road surface between the school driveway or parking lot and going into the first street roads intersection, I heard a noise in the rear while crossing this uneven surface intersection, handling of the vehicle became noticeable different and a smell of burnt rubber and smoke started, after stopping the vehicle, the rear wheel was crooked and after further observation I observed the rear axle fractured close to the rear wheel (driving side) causing the rear wheel to rub against the inner wheel house and affecting control of the vehicle. Ford first installed brackets over the axle to reinforce it in 2010 (recall 10s13), then in September of 2016 sent me another letter (safety recall notice 15s27) to bring my vehicle to the dealer to verify if the brackets were installed correctly, after bringing my vehicle to the dealer I was told the brackets were installed correctly and if I wanted my axle replaced anyway I would have to cover the part cost. I called to the Ford phone number in the letter to request the change of my rear axle at no charge but they did reject my request and said that brackets were installed correctly in the past but my rear axle would be replaced if I would pay the $300 usd, they could not give further details about why I would have to replace the whole axle if they stated the reinforcement brackets were properly installed.

Rear axle broken. Mechanic at bell tire it was related to the recall issue with that part. He also showed me another area of concern around the front supports which is also recall related. I am not a mechanic so don't expect this information to be all technical.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the front passenger wheel separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was included in the recall; however, the dealer refused to perform the repair due to the manufacturer's refusal to perform the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,863.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the front subframe was severely corroded and an abnormal noise was heard from the front passenger wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the vehicle was severely corroded and was previously inspected per NHTSA campaign number: 11v030000 (structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle moved from side to side. The contact observed that the rear passenger wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheel axle was fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 76,698.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. While driving approximately 10 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear driver side wheel. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the wheel was tilted inward. The contact also stated that the frame of the vehicle was severely corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v080000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

Vehicle currently at the dealership for more than two months awaiting from Ford customer relationship center to resolve the issue as the dealer wont fix the corroded sub frame instead they want the crc dept send the parts to them, according to crc dept they escalated the issue to the second level but no action until now has been taken. . . I feel that they're ignoring my request or has been sitting there without taking any action. We almost died on this as the passenger side wheel fell off. . I'm trying my luck if you can help us to resolve the issue with them. . . Thanks danilo zanoria-owner.