Broken rear axle beam, 2000 Ford Windstar.

- Clemson, SC, USA

My back axle broke in half while driving and luckily we were not killed or on any major highway at a high speed. This is an ongoing problem with Ford Windstar, there are many complaints about the same issue. Most repair centers say they have never seen anything like it and this should never occur. How many lives need to be lost before Ford recalls these axles? my neighbor who also has a Ford Windstar had the same thing happen to them 3 months ago.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

The K-frame(sub frame) is completely rotted out on the right side. It is bad enough that it cant be welded, must be replaced. On a vehicle that is 9 years old with 80000 miles and in perfect shape. I was told by numerous garages that this should of never rusted out this fast. I think that Ford should be responsible for the repair.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2000 Ford Windstar engine cradle rusted, came loose of frame, caused steering issue. This could cause serious injury accident or death if happened at high rate of speed.

- Milford, MI, USA

Crack in rear axle.

- Racine, WI, USA

2000 Ford Windstar van broken rear axle, had to completely install new rear axle dealer part only ale broke completely in half! van creaked like it was broken for a little while then had rear shocks replaced and axle broke. I have pictures and the original part.

- Worcester, MA, USA

Windstar broken rear axle strikes again. We were on our way to dinner with retired Ford employee and his lovely wife. We were in dearborn on Michigan avenue when bad noises, and smells came from the rear of the van. We pulled over and discovered a totally broken axle cover. My husband works in steel. If we had been on the southfield as we had planned and this happened there would have been disastrous results not only for us but we could have placed other families in danger as well. Both men. The police who stopped to help and the tow truck driver agreed that axles don't just break.

- Redford, MI, USA

The car seemed at first to be hydroplaning due to the rain, but then it got much worse. When I removed the rear passenger wheel, I saw the rear axle beam had snapped at the weld point. The car was very difficult to drive and the repair shop indicated that we should have had it towed in because sometimes the wheels will shear away from the suspension when the beam is broken. This car has only been in one minor accident, with minimal body damage and no damage at all to the body structure, so this was without question a manufacture defect in the part.

- Colonia, NJ, USA

2000 Ford Windstar sel. Discovered a crack in rear axle. It was located near the center of span between rear wheels. The crack ran from top to bottom of the axle about 3" and was spread apart approximately 1/8" on bottom. There was only 50% of the axle remaining. Fortunately I discovered it just prior to a vacation trip with our family of 5. there has been no known event to explain the cause.

- Edwardsville, PA, USA

1- there was not any symptom leading up to failure. 2- the failure was on the front passenger wheel. The weld on one of the control arms actually broke off the frame. As a result the wheel was allowed move in a different direction then the driver side wheel. This forced the vehicle off the opposite side of the road in a very immediate uncontrolled manner. 3- there was nothing done to correct this problem as of yet. Dealer doesn't have any interest in fixing the vehicle unless we pay for it.

- Greenfield , NY, USA

: the contact stated while driving 40 mph on normal road conditions, and avoiding to hit a deer, the sub frame of the engine manifold fell out. The vehicle had to be towed to an independent body shop, who determined that the sub frame rusted completely and needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted, who determined that the VIN # did not fit under any recall. The vehicle was currently at the body shop waiting for repairs. The ball joints and brakes were replaced as well. Updated 12/01/06.

- Mcdonough, NY, USA

About 2 weeks ago I noticed creaking noises from the rear of my Windstar minivan. I took it to my mechanic who discovered a severe crack in the rear cross beam (frame); there is only about 2 inches of metal remaining holding the rear frame together. The crack has rust around it. There is a second crack at the same location on the opposite side of the cross beam, also with a line of rust that wraps around the cross beam. The component is apparently near the failure point, as the rear wheels started to spread apart (like wings) during the drive to the mechanic. If this part had failed while I was driving on the highway, it could have lead to a fatality. I plan to have the part replaced.

- Tarrytown, NY, USA