2002 Ford Windstar: pulls to one side

Filed Dec 31, 2010 · Airbags, Body · 167,000 miles · NC · crash

Ford windstar van, which was already subject to rear axle recall, and the rear axle did break on it in may, and was replaced and I received reimbursement for the replacement from ford. However, another incident happened in december. My 21 year old son was in an accident driving this van on thursday, dec. 16. The van lost traction and pulled to the right, pulling him into a ditch and down a steep embankment. The front of the van was ripped off, tires slashed, van almost flipped over, and the airbags never deployed. He hit a dirt embankment head on going about 30-35 MPH. The roads were icy that day, and he was on a curve... The van would not respond to steering to correct the direction the van was going. I experienced something similar last winter; the van seemed to pull to the right, going off the road without allowing the driver to control the vehicle. However, when I went off the road, it was in a shallow ditch and it caused no damage to the van. My son was not as fortunate, and he could have been severely injured. I feel that this may have something to do with the current investigation into the front suspension... The van could not be controlled, and pulled to the right. Our insurance co. Is taking care of this, and I don't know the current location of the van. It is totaled, I know that. I asked state farm to check out the front suspension for weakness or rust, but don't know if they'll know what to look for, especially since the front is so damaged from the wreck that the tires are turned sideways, and I believe the front axle is broken. Please send someone to look at my van, and see what caused this wreck; my son could have been killed. Thank you for the work you've done so far.... Your organization is so valuable to consumers.

Filed Jun 19, 2010 · Suspension · 132,000 miles · RI

Ford 2002 windstar had a rattling sound when traveling over bumps and with a slight wheel pull to the left. Vehicle axle beam broke while car was traveling on rte 4 northbound at about 35 MPH,in n. Kingstown ri at approximately 2:15pm. I was able to navigate to the side of the road without injury to any other person or vehicle. Axle beam was cracked and bent causing the driver side tire to rub against the body of the car. The car was loaded onto a flat bed tow truck and the axle broke cleanly during transport. This caused the passenger side wheel to rub against the car body during unloading. This car is now parked in a repair facility lot. Serious injury or accident were probably avoided through the fortunate combination of low speed of travel in the right hand lane combined with a light traffic situation on the highway.

Filed May 12, 2010 · Suspension · 81,682 miles · NJ

2002 ford windstar would wander while driving,found rear axle cracked in center.

Filed May 6, 2010 · Body · 90,000 miles · OH

I have a 2002 ford windstar sel. In october of 2009 my van started pulling to the left and became hard to control on the road. When I looked at my van from the back I could see my back tires were bowed outward. I took my van to the auto shop and was told the back axle was cracked and ready to bust. I have read about this same thing happening to other consumers with 2002 windstars and I think it's a major safety issue and a recall should be issued. I had a large repair bill and my brand new back tires were completely destroyed and had to be replaced due to the bowing of the tires as a result of the busted axle.

Filed Nov 9, 2006 · Acceleration, Electrical · 4,000 miles · PA

Dt*: the contact stated while braking from 10 MPH under normal conditions, the vehicle surged forward, almost going over a curb. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. The manufacturer was also notified. There was a squeaking noise when the sliding door was closed. The consumer complained of the transmission slipping, the dealer reprogrammed the PCM and re-filled the transmission fluid. The shifter was re-adjusted. The vehicle pulled to the right occasionally, the speedometer was inaccurate. The headlights would go dim at times. Updated 01/09/07.