I took my 2001 ford windstar se to bull valley ford dealership for rear axle recall and was informed of severe rusting of the front passenger side subframe from one of the service desk representatives after the inspection. After more research I have found several internet postings regarding this same problem on the ford windstars. Is there an investigation regarding this inferior product that ford manufacturing has used on these subframes? It is a severe safety issue not only for the vehicle owner/operator but everyone else on the roadways!!!
2001 Ford Windstar body complaints
Page 7 of 11: complaints 161 to 190 of 293, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Occurrence: 12 october 2010. Traveling I-95 washington,dc/suitland, md. Vehicle: ford windstar, 2001. Speed : 60-65 MPH. Traffic : dense. Failure of defective part : rear axle snapped in two parts while traveling on smooth highway, northbound. Explosive sound , lots of smoke, extreme consternation/fear of heart attack experienced by my wife and I ( my wife has a dangerous heart condition "ihss") at occurrence. I immediately turned on hazard flashers. Managed to maneuver across several lanes of traffic to get to highway shoulder safely!! Thank god for the alert fellow travelers behind us!!! If we were hit by any 18-wheelers on the highway, I wouldn't be writing this complaint now!!! Concern for our safety was shown to us by fellow travelers; particularly, md traffic safety person, who should be commended by his superiors for his professional and understanding actions!! He looked at the damage and said that he had never seen anything like it before; and he said that we were lucky to be alive!!! Van was transported by professionals to the nearest ford dealership where I first became aware that a recall notice was in force for my vehicle!!! At this point, I became greatly disturbed that I had no previous notification of this dangerous condition and that my wife, grand children, etal were traveling in potential rolling coffin! In my opinion, this seems to be criminal; particularly if greater profit motives might be involved! I certainly hope that inferior materials were not used in this regard!! I was informed that my van would have to remain at the ford dealership until ford motor company decides how I will be provided with a safe vehicle , since no replacement axles were available. (nb ; I have no idea whatever other damage exists as a result of this awful failure! I certainly don't want a duplicate axle replacement to replay this horrific catastrophe! In my wife's delicate condition, I cannot expect her to travel in this unsafe vehicle! Justice!!!
We heard a noise when vehicle turned and then while pulling away from a stop light the subframe fell off of the car landing on the road. It had completely rusted through. The bolt was still attached. The mechanic confirmed that it had rusted through. This is a dangerous problem.
My 2001 ford windstar was brought to my mechanic for potential problem with front stabilization. Upon lifting to vehicle on the lift, it was obvious to the mechanic that the rear mount on the passenger side of the subframe was completely rusted to the point that it was hanging down. I was instructed not to drive this vehicle.. The issue at hand appears to be as identified in the federal safety agency action number: pe10026.
On a sunday evening, october 10, around 9:00 p.m., while making a turn into my street,, I heard a loud noise, the van abruptly stopped leaving most of the vehicle in between two roads. The van could not be pushed out of the way. The police responded to redirect traffic and called for a flat bed tow which cost $180! They needed to be extremely careful so that the tires or other parts would not be damaged. Without knowing what was wrong with the vehicle, it was towed to my repair shop. The next day I was informed they could not do the repair. Then it was towed to a repair shop that could do the repair (another $40). I understand the frame cracked. The repair shop removed axel shaft, seal rebuilt frame at rear of lower control arm and undercoat. Installed new seal, axel assembly and fluid for the cost of $546. I can't imagine the outcome if this happened while driving home from work on the thruway doing 65 MPH.
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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While having the vehicle examined by an independent mechanic for steering issues, the contact was informed that the sub frame was corroded. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 116,000.
2001 ford windstar with a cracked rear axle. No letter has been received to address this matter. Our van made creaking noises and we had heard through the media that a recall was beginning. The dealership and the ford customer relations dept. Will not give us a definite answer as to when we can expect a resolution. We were given a 30 day rental and 14 days have passed and no answers. We are given $30 a day for a rental car by ford but must pay taxes totaling $3.30 a day. The voucher is $38 daily with $8 used for insurance if needed. We pay through our private insurance company for such coverage. Why cannot ford use the additional $8 a day to cover our taxes? The explanation for the recall was to be no expense to the owner for correcting the problem. We did not create this problem and bought our van in good faith of the ford motor co. Reputation. This certainly doesn't make for good customer relations. No definite deadline for repairs and giving up the van to use a 4 door car has been very inconvenient. I am requesting a deadline be established and for ford to use the additional $8 we are not using but was allocated for coverage of this problem to be covered for those customers who already have insurance for rental cars under their private insurance carrier.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact inspected the vehicle and detected that the subframe exhibited substantial rust corrosion. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The contact had concern of the potential safety hazard. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While the dealer inspected the rear axle for recall 10v385000 suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly they also located a failure at the front h frame which was corroded and separated. The manufacturer stated that the failure wasn't recalled, but if a recall was issued in the future he could be reimbursed for the repair. The vehicle wasn't repaired. The failure and current mileages were 114,000 miles. The AC compressor leaked water onto the frame and caused it to rot. Updated evoq 11/12/10*jb updated 01/20/11 *bf updated 04/13/11
The front sub frame and control arm rusted at 116,000 miles only. This is a big safety issue on all ford windstars, mine is a 2001 model.
After hearing some noise when turning I inspected my 2001 ford windstar lx and found the subframe/cradle rusted out on right side rear mount. I have not done anything yet to fix it (looking for prices) but I know the subframe/cradle is bad and needs to be replaced.
I was driving down I-75 in toledo ohio at 70 MPH when my rear axle broke in half on my 2001 ford windstar minivan. Lost control but was able to not hit anyone or roll over. I have had no help from ford and nothing but a run around from them help!!! I have 4 children and no transportation. My eldest daughter has no busing in our county so I have to transport both ways and no vehicle. No way to get groceries or dr. Appts. Ford promised me a rental but 9 days have gone by and no help. What do I do? They are telling me it will be over three months before I can have my van repaired.
Went for a routine oil change and my mechanic discovered the passenger side sub frame is all but rusted out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact was driving 35 MPH downhill when the vehicle made a loud, crashing noise followed by a loss of power steering and braking power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was advised that the sub frame cradle had fractured from the frame while driving. The dealer also advised that the steering components, transmission, drive train and frame would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
I was driving my 2001 ford windstar making a right turn when I straightened out I noticed that my steering wheel was still turned at a 45 degree angle. Being cautious now listened for warning sounds of possible further problems, there was no strange sounds or shaking nothing to indicate what would happen next . As I continued on my journey I was driving 50km an hour when suddenly the front end of the van dropped sitting on both front tires, causing me to lose control of steering and braking. I slid down the street eventually crashing into the curb thankfully no one was injured and no other vehicle was involved. I exited the vehicle and noticed transmission fluid pouring out onto the road. My van was towed to the mechanics and we discovered that the right control arm that is connected to the front sub frame brackets were totally roughed out due to bad design in the sub frame in which the brackets are welded to the frame which has a bowl like base which collects water and salt and speeds up the corrosion time. This is a serious safety issue for other windstar vans, if I was on a major highway doing 100km this would of been a fatal accident. If this would of happened the police would of determined that I was going to fast or some other reason other than the control arm breaking of. There has been a recent recall for the rear axle cracking and splitting in half due to bad u shape design of the axle in where again salt and water become trapped and speed up the corrosion time. So I believe that the control arm is a serious safety issue which needs to be dealt with by issuing a recall as well.
As my wife backed the van out of the driveway the rear axle broke in half.
My wife pulled out of someone's driveway and without a warning, the front end of our 2001 ford windstar had fallen out destroying the control arm, strut and possibly more damage. The van got taken to a garage where it was revealed that the cradle had basically split and if this had happened on the highway, there was a high percentage that my wife and three children would have been seriously injured or killed thanks to ford manufacturing deathtrap parts. Parts like this should be the last thing to ever go. We bought the van in june 2009 with only 112,000 kms on it. Ford should be footing the bill and a recall should be ordered immediately. I will never buy a ford ever again. I will be getting the van fixed next week and I will be keeping the old cradle as evidence and my receipt for the cost of repairs.
I was driving a 2001 ford windstar minivan with 154k miles on a rainy night at highway speed on a 3 lane interstate with 5 children aboard. I heard a loud noise from the vehicle and lost all control as the steering and braking wasn't working right. As I tried to get onto the shoulder, it kept swerving toward the left, back into the lanes. When it finally stopped moving, we were sticking out into traffic and I feared we would be hit. The tow truck driver showed me that the right tire wasn't even pointing straight ahead anymore and said that the axel probably broke. The mechanic told me that the frame cracked and in his opinion, he wouldn't recommend fixing the vehicle. The insurance company said the right front lower control arm mount rotted off which pulled out axel and broke tie rod end and so on, due to normal wear and tear. I received zero dollars for my auto claim and my family of seven had to use our 3 seater pickup truck as the family vehicle for months after the incident. I live in a snow belt state and I do not believe that normal wear and tear occurred in a mere 8 years. I have pictures of the vehicle after the incident as well. Thank you for the opportunity to provide information for open investigation #pe10-026. My hope is that my story is useful enough to help prevent this same thing from happening to other 2001 ford windstar owners.
My 01 ford windstar van sub frame has lot of corrosion. I have notice this after reading rear axel recall.
Rear axle fractured while driving my ford windstar 2001. As a result I lost control of the vehicle.
Rear axle on 2001 ford windstar is cracked. Noticed a banging sound while going over bumps. Took it to a repair shop that identified the problem.
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.
2001 ford windstar was making noises in the back for a couple months. Just recently, the noise got much louder when backing up and going out of my driveway. Before driving today, I looked under the back of the vehicle to see that the rear axle beam was cracked at least 95% about 18 inches from the drivers wheel. I could have been killed if I was driving on the expressway and lost control. I have to get this fixed and cannot drive the van.
Ford windstar rear axel break 1. Heard odd sound under car 2. Rear axel broke near driver side of car. 3. Dealer says they cannot get the part, I must find my own.
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.
While driving our 2001 ford windstar which has only 60,000 miles at about 20 MPH, a loud snap sound occurred, followed by wobbling from the back of the car and burning rubber smell as the vehicle came to a scrapping stop. We got out to see that the rear axle bar had snapped in two about a foot or so from the drivers rear wheel. We called geico and filed a claim, they are going to repair it but we will still have to pay a $500 deductible. They said that if they are successful in going after ford for this "defect", we would them be eligible for the $500 back . We see on the internet that there are two youtube.com videos about this same problem and these axles are snapped exactly where ours let go. We also see on the internet that the federal safety agency has been investigating this problem since may of 2010. As of that date there were almost 300 occurrences of this failure in the northeast, I guess more and more of this occurrence will continue until ford recalls this defective weld or inadequate thickness of the rear axel bar itself. We hope no-one has to loose their lives before ford addresses this issue. We are so glad that we never made it to the entrance of the highway, because I cannot imagine what would have happened at highway speeds.
I own a 2001 ford windstar with just over 119,600 miles on it. On friday, august 6, 2010 I was driving home from work. I was going between 35 and 40 MPH. Suddenly I heard a loud noise somewhere close behind me and I saw smoke and/or dust coming from the rear of the van. I thought I had blown a tire but when I got out and looked all the tires were fine although I thought the rear tires were tilted toward each other. When my husband came to pick me up, we looked under the rear of the van and noticed that the rear axle had broken almost in half.
Driving along at minimal speed, +/- 30 MPH, I heard and felt a "snap" in the rear of my ford windstar. Then an immediate dragging feeling and scraping of metal from the rear end followed. The car swerved and slowed to a stop. No additional vehicles were involved, but an easy collision could have resulted, if not for the fact I was approaching a left turn lane and was able to steer clear of traffic. I checked the back of the vehicle and the axle was cleanly broken in two, as if a seam had split. This could have been an extremely dangerous situation, life threatening in my opinion if I was driving at highway speeds.
Driving down the road and sounded like a tire blew. Pulled off road and noticed rear passenger tire completely buckled in. Looked under vehicle and saw rear axle was in 2 pieces. Had to replace rear axle, brake line, and tire.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2001 Ford Windstar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history