2001 Ford Windstar Suspension Problems

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the rear axle fractured. There was no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a stress crack caused by excessive corrosion. The vehicle had not been repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Rear axle cracked where bracket that was installed during previous recall. Van is not drivable and could have been a bad accident.

Rear axle cracked in multiple locations causes car to sway and tires to turn inward and bald

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the rear axle was previously replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension). The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving approximately 10 MPH and making a left turn, a loud bang was heard from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's girlfriend was able to veer to the side of the road and became aware that both the rear driver’s and passenger’s side tires were tilted inward, and the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained with the mechanic awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 159,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently came to a complete stop. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear wheels were crooked and rubbing against the inner fender well. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then later to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. The contact noted that the failure speed was 55 mph. The axle was previously repaired due to the recall while the vehicle was under warranty. When the contact took the vehicle for repair, they were told that the vehicle was no longer under warranty or the recall.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and crossing railroad tracks that were flush with the road surface, the contact heard the passenger’s side rear tire making a loud screeching noise. The contact could hear rubbing or friction and then noticed that smoke was coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off the road safely and inspected the vehicle and saw that the wheel was tilted into the wheel well and was rubbing the top and inside of the tire against the wheel well. The contact had the vehicle towed back to his residence. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound, and the vehicle felt as if it had a flat tire. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear driver's side tire was tilted inward and the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension). The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that in 2016, per the recall, the brackets were inspected to verify their proper installation however, the recall repair was not performed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

ABS light, brake light came on. The seatbelt unhooks while I’m driving, I was told I had a cracked axle, the wheel bearing was very noisy, I’ve paid a lot of money to get things fixed. The labor was at a ridiculous amount on $25 parts. I’m wondering if I’ve paid to have parts fixed that were under recall. I fix one thing and then there’s another issue. Oil is leaking under the hood and I’m afraid it will catch fire so I’m scared to drive.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was a loud abnormal sound coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle with black smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked in a parking lot and saw that the rear passenger’s side tire was leaning towards the inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to her residence and then the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a fractured rear axle that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension) in April of 2011. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed when they heard a loud popping sound coming from the vehicle. The driver looked out the rear-view mirror and saw smoke coming from the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the roadway. The driver called the contact to come to where the vehicle was pulled over to inspect the vehicle. The contact became aware that the driver’s side rear axle was fractured. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact had the vehicle towed to the local dealer to be inspected. The mechanic confirmed that the driver’s side rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired because the manufacturer denied that the rear axle bracket matched the measurement for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage 136,397.

REAR AXLE BROKE WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY PULLING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY ON STREET.

ON MY 2001 FORD WINDSTAR FORD INSTALLED THESE BRACKETS ON REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME AND ALMOST 2 YEARS LATER MY AXLE HAS SPLIT FROM ONE SIDE ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE OTHER AND ANY TINY BUMP YOU HIT THE VAN JUMPS ALL OVER THE ROADWAY. THEY WON'T REPAIR THE AXLE BECAUSE THE "BRACKETS " WERE INSTALLED "PROPERLY".

WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 M.P.H. , THE REAR AXLE BROKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHERE THE AXLE IS WELDED, RECALL NUMBER 10S13 WAS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE, WHERE THEY INSTALLED THE SUPPORT BRACKETS SO THE AXLE WOULDN'T BREAK, THE AXLE BROKE AN INCH AWAY FROM WHERE THE SUPPORT BRACKET WAS INSTALLED, THERE WASN'T AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE AND NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AN ACCIDENT,

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE REAR AXLE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RENTED A TRUCK AND TOWED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V608000 (SUSPENSION) REGARDING THE REAR AXLE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. JORDAN FORD (609 E JEFFERSON BLVD, MISHAWAKA, IN 46545; (574) 259-1981) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE REPAIR WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED WHAT THE DEALER STATED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,952.

THE REAR AXLE SPLIT/BROKE WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH TURNING ONTO A STREET. BOTH WHEELS ARE NOW RUBBING AGAINST THE FRAME.

REAR AXLE SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING, RECALL REPAIR WAS DONE LESS THAN 5 YEARS AGO (10/2015). FORD WILL NOT FIX IT. AN AXLE SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, NOT JUST 4 1/2 YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 51 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR ENTERING THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT AND PASSENGERS HEADS WAS HITTING TOWARDS THE WINDOWS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS BENT IN AND NOTICED THAT THE AXLE WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS HOLES AND CRACKS IN AXLE CAUSING THE AXLE TO BE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CONTACTED EVANSVILLE FORD 428 N UNION RD, EVANSVILLE, WI 53536 WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE HOLE AND CRACKS BUT UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT A YEAR AGO THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V608000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

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.

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND THE REAR AXLE CRACK I WAS DRIVING ON A ON A CITY STREET AND WAS SCARED MY TIRES WAS RUBBING AND SMOKING.

THE REAR AXLE BROKE WHERE FORD REPAIRED IT IN 2011. THEY ARE SAYING THAT MY VAN IS OUT OF WARRANTY ON THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS OVER 150000 MILES. IF THEY HAD REPLACED MY REAR AXLE IN 2011 INSTEAD OF A BAD PATCH JOB ON THAT RECALL I WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS TROUBLE. I FEEL THAT SINCE FORD HAD IT UNDER RECALL IN 2011 THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT RIGHT AT THAT TIME. I WENT INTO TOWN ON MONDAY 10/14/19 AND WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE I NOTICED THAT THE REAR WHEELS WERE LEANING IN AGAINST THE BODY.