The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while his wife was exiting the vehicle, she noticed that the rear driver’s side wheel was leaning in towards the frame of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2003 Ford Windstar suspension complaints
Page 2 of 10: complaints 11 to 40 of 254, newest first, as owners wrote them.
When driving my muffler broke loose and was dragging on the ground. My axel creaks when I stop or sit idle at a light. When several miles from home my ignition cylinder came out. I couldn't start or turn the ignition on nor operate the steering. I'm now afraid to drive my vehicle. Since acquiring it. I've put a lot of money into repairs. In addition to purchasing this vehicle, I've spent well over $2,000 in repairs. Once I learned of the recall and viewed the risks (Video) of the dangers I became grossly disturbed by what I am facing at the thought of driving. I have contacted 4 Ford Service Centers and none of them contacted back regarding fixing my 'recall'. I NEED HELP!! I have a disability and now I don't have transportation besides this car. How come no one is returning my calls? I am stranded at my home knowing that my safety is at risk. I would like to get my issue remedied with a $4,999.00 Reimbursement for this vehicle ASAP so I may invest in getting a safer one. Please give me a dealership address here in Los Angeles so I can have the vehicle towed there and be done with it. I no longer want a vehicle that I can not drive nor can get my 'recalls' remedied. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the ABS warning light and brake warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where she was informed that the rear axle was severely corroded and at risk of fracturing. The dealer informed her of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 10V385000 (Suspension) however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. The VIN was invalid.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, there was a loud noise heard then the vehicle collapsed. The contact steered the steering wheel to move the vehicle off the road and heard metal screeching coming from the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed that the rear axle had fractured into two parts. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was 158,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, the contact noticed that the rear axle was severely corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic failed to fix the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The contact was concerned for his safety while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. The VIN was not available.
I was driving on a city street going about 30 miles an hour the van filled with smoke when I came to a stop I looked under the car and the back axle was broke I had it towed to the ford dealership and they said it would cost $3200 to fix it they said it didn't fall under the recall they had for the back axle breaking
My back axle its rusted and its cracked.the mechanic mention this is very dangerous if it breaks while driving.while the mechanic replaced my fuel pump he noticed this issue.
I own a 2003 ford windstar lx. It was at the mechanic for some repairs and he pointed out the issue with my rear axle being cracked and corroded. Which its very dangerous to keep driving like this. *ln
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the passenger's side rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to taylor ford located at 13500 telegraph rd, taylor, mi 48180, to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the suspension bracket was rusted and fractured from the axle. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but, provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
I contacted this agency previously regarding the failure of the rear axle in detail. This note is sent to further explain the failure of ford, garlitch ford, and the federal safety agency to properly assure me that the vehicle was repaired adequately. It was not. I removed the useless brackets garlitch ford installed under your and ford's direction, and the recall 10s13 was not performed properly. I have the evidence. I'd like to know what is the point in a recall when absolutely nobody will stand behind it? We may as well just ignore them all in that case. So to explain the problem, per the instructions for the recall the technician was supposed to remove all undercoat/paint/e-coat from areas specified to the base metal in order to inspect the axle for cracks. This was not done. Original e-coat is clearly visible in the photos. So the inspection of the axle was not done properly. I cant say I am surprised. Then, since the axle passed the improperly performed inspection, they installed the atrociously "designed" brackets to the axle. Again, the instructions say to remove all paint, undercoating, or e-coat from the axle to bare metal, as the epoxy or adhesive or whatever it is will not adhere to anything but bare metal. This was not done either, obviously. I did not take this in for recall 15s27 as there was no point. The only concern of that recall was to make sure the spacing from the axle weld to the bracket was within specification, and it was. Autonation ford of tustin confirmed that. However, this recall does not tell anyone if the original recall was done properly and if these were actually supposed to add structural strength to the axle they could not have in my case and would have contributed to its ultimate failure given that they were not properly attached. Step up and get ford to cover this failure. Ford is blaming the "independently owned" dealer. What a joke.
My axel cracked on left side, noise alerted me to the danger. Career mechanic, never seen a rusted out or cracked rear axle. I also worked out of my home on cars running my own shop for decades. Again I have never changed a cracked rear axle. The first recall was in my opinion only a poor attempt at postponing the inevitable axel failure to a later date. Not a normal failure for a supposed name brand leading automotive maker. Ford's latest ad on tv said something like they care about their customers at the end of the ad, what a joke, false advertising or should my claim for $1,420.28 be paid and show they care? The original axel was in my opinion a bit thin and I read that the metal was not the best on a few web sites. Also filling the hollow areas for the axle assembly with foam only retained water and accelerated rusting which of course only weakens a bad axel design. The new design rear axle is definitely heavier, no foam and has no open areas to hold water. The new design seems to have addressed all the original axle's design flaws. Which shows ford did know there were design flaws. Jannell ford of hanover mass (781‑982‑4500) contacted ford with my shock that axel would not be replaced under warranty even after seeing the supporting pictures; ford would not repair the axel on second recall even though severely cracked! They said the first recall brackets were installed correctly. Jannell ford service management agreed that our van was in pristine shape, rust free and well cared for. Please see remainder of my letter in download files. Thank you!
Although my van has been through all recall repairs/inspections as I pulled into my local gas station today my rear axle broke.*dt vehicle was towed to closest dealership (dave knapp ford lincoln) where it was determined that the vehicle had passed inspection during the recall. As vehicle was being towed consumer noticed that the left bracket appeared to be placed incorrectly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact called on behalf of the driver. The contact stated that while the driver was driving approximately 45 MPH, an odor of burning rubber was present. After stopping the vehicle it was discovered that the rear passenger side wheel and tire was rubbing against the wheel well. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the passenger side rear axle had failed. The mechanic also indicated that the failure had occurred on a previously repaired recall the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v193000 (power train). The local dealer krapohl ford & lincoln (1415 e pickard rd, mt pleasant, mi 48858) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 110,000.
It has an electrical problem. Needs wiring harness, needs front and real axle replacement. Dangerous. Alarm goes off at random. Won't hold charge. Steering wheel bearings are shot.
I was driving down the road on a city street at 35 MPH and the rear axle broke on the driver side underneath the recall bracket installed by ford. Recall 10s13 was performed on this vehicle in 2008 or 2009. The brackets were installed as specified by ford and obviously were inadequate to fix or prevent the problem from the original recall. Ford should never have been allowed to get away with this poorly designed and executed repair to the axle. The vehicle was recently at a ford dealer that verified that the brackets were installed correctly per 15s27 and ford denied covering any of the repair cost. I have background study as a structural engineer (I'm a licensed civil engineer) and I used to work in an automotive parts and machine shop. Given my experience, if you refer to 10s13 there is a location on the axle referred to as a "tooling hole" on page 18 that should have been used if ford ever intended these repair brackets to do anything useful. I cant imagine any engineer designed these things and disregarded the obvious, tying the load to this hole. I have the vehicle back and I've used this hole on both sides to pull the axle back together and make it at least movable until the new part arrives, so not only does it make sense structurally, but it works physically as well. Why the federal safety agency would allow ford to call this a fix and make these vehicles acceptable to drive is beyond me. The axle also has a horizontal crack in the middle, its been there since the brackets were installed. I do not believe ford has been honest or useful in taking care of this problem on these vehicles, and it appears the federal safety agency is backing them on it. Curious how a recall for a cracking problem is not resolved but its not their responsibility? I would say at this point in time, there was no point in any of the recall work as nothing was fixed. Failure is identical to pre-recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated the vehicle was previously included in a recall regarding the cradle sub frame assembly, for which the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that shortly after the recall repair, while idle and during acceleration that the vehicle would vibrate. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and after examining the vehicle, the mechanic became aware that the rear axle and sub frame was rusted which caused the traction contrail to fail. The contact contacted other certified mechanics who confirmed the sub frame and rear axel housing assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
The rear axle has cracked in the middle and I cannot drive it now. This was inspected twice under ford recall. The first time they put brackets on the front lower control arms, and the rear axle. The second time they recalled it back to reinspect the work that had been done since they had many that were not properly inspected the first time. So , this is twice they had it inspected, and failed to see it was defective. Thus putting my life and that if my family at risk for death. Thanks ford! After the 2nd inspection, they said it was safe, but offered to replace the axle if I wanted to pay about $500 on my own. That was suspicious in itself.
Driving in town and rear axle busted in half next to ford's so called bracket fix.
I was driving on the interstate at about 60 MPH changing lanes to the right I could hear tires squealing and the van felt like it was going to roll over to the left. I regained control, then I heard some creaking metal noise, then I heard a rubbing noise and saw a lot of smoke coming from the rear. I was able to pull over and inspect, what I found was the rear axle was broken and driver side tire rubbing inside the wheel well. I was very fortunate to have somewhere to pull over, otherwise to continue driving could rupture the tire and/or I would be left stranded in highway speed traffic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a pop sound and the rear driver's side tire went flat. The vehicle was towed back to the contact's home. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the rear axle was bending inwards due to rust or corrosion, which caused the tire to shred and deflate. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v608000 (suspension). The vehicle was taken to germain ford of beavercreek (2356 heller dr, beavercreek, oh 45434, (937) 429-1300) where they stated that the rear axle was installed correctly; however, the recall stated otherwise. The dealer refused to honor the recall with a free repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 178,000.
Vehicle in motion with family 70-75mph on interstate. Rear left tire began rubbing the inside wheel well. Pulled off from interstate to a nearby exit. Jacked van in a parking lot to see rear left subframe (axle) had fractured. Bracket installed by ford per rear subframe/axle recall had failed - missing fasteners - rusted away. Luckily family is alive, but vehicle was towed and presently in garage. Will ford repair it or buy it back?
While driving, I made a left-hand turn, and the rear axle cracked in half on the right-hand side.
While driving experienced loss of control and rear wheel canted inward and rubbing on wheel well. Rear axle was completely cracked in half on one side and 3/4 on the other side. This is 2 yrs after the ford recall that was supposed to prevent this from happening.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. While driving 60 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle and it swerved off the road. The rear two wheels wobbled and shifted the tires out of place. The contact was finally able to stop the vehicle when it came to a halt on the shoulder. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The contact checked the rear of the vehicle and noticed that the rear axle was worn. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 110,000. The VIN was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. While the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the rear axle was cracked and needed to be replaced. The failure occurred due to corrosion. The vehicle was taken to olathe ford(205 s fir st, olathe, ks) where it was confirmed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,000. *bf
My 2003 ford windstar rear axle had reinforcement brackets installed for the recall 10s13. My rear axle beam still fractured under the bracket while I was driving. After paying over $300 in towing and service fees ford told me there is nothing they can do. I was driving with my husband and 4 children in the van. We are lucky it happened on a back road and going slow.
Axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. I was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. I immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. Had my van towed to my house. Called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.
Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. I was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. I immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. Had my van towed to my house. Called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.
Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. I was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. I immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. Had my van towed to my house. Called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.
Rear axle broke under bracket that was put on by ford for the axle recall. I was pulling out of a parking lot with my husband and 4 kids in the van when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the tire was rubbing the wheel well. I immediately pulled over, looked under the rear end and could see the brake. Had my van towed to my house. Called ford on monday morning and towed van to dealership. $300 between tow bill's and a ford service charge just to have ford tell me they won't do anything to fix my van and make this right.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Ford Windstar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history