Letter from congressman ryan on behalf of constituent re ford motor company issues. *smd the consumer stated in may, the spring on the driver's side broke and punctured the tire. Three months later, the passenger front spring broke. *jb updated 11/30/15.
2003 Ford Windstar: broken coil spring
10 of the 1,510 complaints about the 2003 Ford Windstar describe broken coil spring.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 91,007
- recalls
- 4
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls and 8 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Broken coil spring by model year
What owners say
Heard a loud crack noise from my driveway where the vehicle was parked, found the left front struts coil spring to be broken in three pieces. I was fortunate not to be driving the vehicle at the time due to the fact the sprint would have penetrated the left front tire. I replaced the entire left front strut with a complete new strut that meets oem specifications. I was a bit leary about driving the vehicle the next day to take my wife to work, I visually inspected the right front strut coil spring and saw nothing visibly wrong with it. I was shocked to find out the right front strut spring broke while I was pulling forward later today at 151,725 miles. The broken piece is now pressing against the tire. I will now have to replace the right front strut with a new unit that meets oem specifications. I'm worried about other drivers having this issue if one breaks while driving at any speed and having the broken coil spring puncture their tire.
Brought the car to a repair facility today to diagnose a recurring front end noise today and was shown by mechanic that both front coil springs are severely rusted and were sheared/broken and have been for quite some time, possibly as long as a year. He said that we were very fortunate that the springs hadn't slipped and pierced a tire; especially on the highway. Another serious concern is that the ford dealership to which we normally bring the vehicle for service had and had failed to notice the broken springs in when most recently they replaced more front-end parts, some links, 3.5 months ago that was part of a series of related repair work in the effort to stop the ongoing front-end clunking noise. After the noise failed to go away and after this latest repair by ford service, we decided to get a second opinion from different auto repair facility. This latest mechanic, not a ford facility, said that broken coil springs appear to be a common problem for the ford taurus and mini-vans.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact started the vehicle and shifted into the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate and it was towed to a local auto shop where they detected that the front passenger's side coil spring fractured. The contact stated that one year ago the front driver's side coil spring was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited a loud pop from the front passenger side while the vehicle was parked. The contact noticed that the spring had fractured yet the plate in which the spring was attached was still in place. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v030000 (structure: frame and members:underbody shields) and contacted the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle would need a diagnostic performed before determining if the failure was related to the recall and if the repairs would be covered. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired because the front driver side spring failed. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The vehicle accelerated without warning immediately after he approached a traffic light. The front coil springs on the drivers side also broke which caused the coil springs to pierce the tire and the front end of the vehicle fell on the ground. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility and the mechanic replaced the tires and the coil springs for over $800. The contact suspects that the failure was caused by the cruise control. The dealer didn't agree that the cruise control caused the failure. The manufacturer was notified; however, they have not responded. The failure mileage was 74,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. While driving 30mph the front driver side of the vehicle dropped on the ground due which caused the front coil spring to puncture the driver side tire. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileage was 76000.
My wife was driving in a parking lot with the kids and the front right strut spring on our 2003 windstar cracked in two. It broke the stabilizer end link and the strut bearing plate. The broken spring rubbed the tire, but didn't puncture it. The recall for this problem doesn't apply to this model year and it states the cause is corrosion. I am a licensed autobody technician and upon removal of the wheel and inspection of the spring I would say the alloy used in the spring is too brittle because it sheared clean at an angle. There isn't any signs of corrosion on the spring because it is coated. We live in southern ontario, canada where we see a lot of salt in winter and I've worked on a lot of rusty cars and I would say this definitely not climate related, but rather a manufacturing defect that if it occurred at highway speeds could lead to loss of life. It will cost me approximately $300-350 to fix this myself because you have to replace the springs in pairs.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. After shifting from park into reverse, the front passenger side tire blew out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the front passenger side coil spring failed and punctured the tire. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs and there were no recalls. The current mileage was 59,700 and failure mileage was 59,396. Updated 02/24/09. *lj updated 02/24/09.
With no warning, the front left coil spring on my 2003 ford windstar snapped as we were driving. The broken spring shot into my tire causing a blowout and loss of control of the vehicle almost hitting a guard rail and then oncoming traffic. We were able to get the vehicle under control and stop it but were lucky that we were only going 35 MPH at the time. If this would have happened on a highway, there would have been injuries and possibly fatalities. This caused a very dangerous situation with myself, my wife, and my four children in the vehicle at the time. This has been a recurring issue with windstars since 1996. I had the vehicle repaired at a local repair shop. It was memorial day weekend and we needed our vehicle and, in addition, did not know what the problem was when I took it to be repaired. I phoned ford and they told me that this was not covered and would not reimburse me for the repair. With only 66,000 miles on my vehicle, this should not have happened and caused a very dangerous situation. Now I am wondering when the other coil spring will snap. I believe that ford should be responsible for the repair of this vehicle since this is a recurring issue and could have caused a major accident. I have retained the broken coil spring.
Service bulletins that may apply
- For 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles Safety Recall 10S13 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high...
- Safety recall 10S13
- Summary to be provided on a future date.
- Ford: safety recall concerning rear axle fracturing if vehicle is operated in high corrosion areas for and...
- Ford: a safety recall has been issued on minivans where lower control arm (LCA) of front subframe...
- Ford: on some minivans, rear axle will fracture, in high corrosion area, after operating for an extended...
- Clunk/squeak from the front stabilizer bar area (QSF)
- Some vehicles may exhibit a popping / grinding noise from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps...
Related recalls
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles manufactured September 2, 1997, to July 3, 2003. The affected vehicles were previously remedied to safeguard against the rear axle cracking from corrosion, however, the remedy brackets may have been misinstalled. The incorrect bracket installations may limit the effectiveness of the service repair for the federal safety agency recalls 10V‑385, 12V‑193, and 12V‑195.
- Risk
- If the brackets were not installed properly, the rear axle may fracture, affecting the vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brackets to verify their proper installation. If a bracket is found to have been misinstalled, the rear axle will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S27.
Recall number 15V608000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 1999-2003 windstar vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the state of virginia. Corrosion-related fractures of the front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments may occur.
- Risk
- A separation of a front lower control arm rear attaching bracket may result in a lower control arm separation. A separation of both front subframe rear body mounts may result in separation of the steering intermediate shaft. Either condition could result in significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and both body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe and make the necessary repairs free of charge. The recall began on june 18, 2012. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 12V194000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from september 1, 1997, through july 3, 2003, registered in puerto rico. Due to increased stresses caused by high cycles of torsional loading, specific to this market, the rear axle can crack.
- Risk
- A fractured axle may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install a reinforcement bracket on the rear axle or replace the axles, as necessary. This service will be provided free of charge. The recall began on june 1, 2012. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 12V195000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from september 1, 1997 through february 28, 2003 and currently registered or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. After many years of vehicle service in these areas, corrosion can weaken the rear axle, making it susceptible to torsional stress. Corrosion and stress can lead to cracks which if undetected can propagate and result in a complete fracture of the axle.
- Risk
- A fractured axle can affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- As parts become available, dealers will inspect and if necessary install the rear axle reinforcement brackets free of charge. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 20, 2010. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 10V385000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Ford Windstar coil spring
Is broken coil spring a common problem on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
10 of 1,510 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Windstar (1%) mention broken coil spring. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
There are 4 recalls and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Ford Windstar
ABS 700Transmission failure 68Adaptive cruise 56Check engine light 44Fire or smoke 34Door locks 31Stalling 30Ball joint 24Grinding brakes 24Headlights 16Wipers 14Loss of power 13Brake failure 12Harsh shifting 12Won't shift 12Jerking 11Won't start 10Tire blowout 9Warning lights 8No deployment 6Engine failure 6Hesitation 6Power steering loss 6Slipping 6Airbag light 5Fuel gauge 5Misfire 5Steering noise 5Pulling 5Sudden acceleration 5
VIN decoder
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