Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Windstar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PASS THE STATE INSPECTION DUE TO THE SUB FRAME BEING COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE SUB-FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
THE SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY ON MY 1997 FORD WINDSTAR HAS BROKEN/CRACKED IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS * ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002. THE MOST RECENT REPAIR WAS SEPTEMBER 2003. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT DENNISON FORD (STEVE BOWNS) SAID THAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, THE SUBFRAME PROBABLY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH WINDSTARS. WHEN I CALLED TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT THE SECOND TIME AND STARTED DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE REP SAID THEY USUALLY BROKE AT THE STRUT. WHEN SEARHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND OTHER WINDSTAR OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. IN A DISCUSSION WITH SHELDON (#2052) AT (1 - 800 392 FORD) WHEN ASKED IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, HIS RESPONSE WAS "I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO COMMENT IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE." WHEN ASKED IF HE CHECKED WITH THE SERVICE MANGER IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE HE RESPONDED. "I DID NOT ASK HIM SPECIFICALLY IF IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW IF IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, YOU WILL NEED TO TALLK TO THE PERSON THAT IS WORKING ON YOUR CAR." I INDICATED TO SHELDON THAT I WANTED TO TALK WITH A FORD REPRESENTATIVE THAT COULD TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT A SUBFRAME BREAKING WHILE DRIVING WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE INDICATED ONLY THE PERSON WORKING ON MY CAR COULD DO THIS. SHELEDON INDICATED THAT HE (SHELDON) WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO DO THIS. IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE? * THE SERVICE TECH SAID SEVERAL TIMES THAT IT WAS A DIFFERENT LOCATION. WHEN SHELDON CALLED THE DENNISON FORD SERVICE MANAGER, STEVE BOWNS, THE SERVICE MANGER INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE SAME LOCATION ACCORDING TO SHELDON.
WHEN DOORS WERE SHUT/ ENGINE OFF, INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON. DEALER DETERMINED A SHORT IN LEFT FRONT DOOR. *AK
THE FLOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS DAMP / WET DURING THE OCCASION WHEN THE AIR CONDITION SYSYTEN IS TURNED ON. WHAT I FIND MORE DISTURBING IS THAT I TOOK THIS VEHICLE FOR REPAIR ON 5 SEPARATE TIMES TO THE SAME MAROONE FORD SERVICE STATION FOR REPAIR AND THE FINAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THIS PROBLEM. IN OTHER WORD - THEY CAN'T FIX IT. ON THEIR FIRST INSPECTION OF THE VEHECLE ON 08/21/01 THEY THOUGHT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED DRIVER'S SIDE WEATHERSTRIP , THEREFORE THEY REPLACED THE WEATHERSTRIP AT A COST OF $363.62. SOON AFTERWARDS, I'VE NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR AT THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS STILL WET. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I'VE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE 5 TIMES TO THAT SAME FORD AUTHORIZED SERVICE STATION AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN CHARGED FOR AN UNNECESSARY REPAIR AND I WANT THE VEHICLE REPAIRED PROPERLY. THE FORD AUTHORIZED DEALER IS: MAROONE FORD OF MIAMI. 16800 NW 57TH AVE, MIAMI FLORIDA 33015 TEL: 305-557-5580 EXT 318 (AGUSTINE FALCON) CELL:305-216-7830. YOUR HELP AND FEEDBACK IS MUCH APPRECIATED.*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED, AT THE TIME OF REPAIR THEY FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS BROKEN, THE VAN WAS PURCHASED FROM THEM 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE AND THEY ACCUSED ME OF HITTING A BUMP AND MAKING THE FRAME BREAK. I PERSONALLY DO NOT REMEMBER HITTING ANYTHING IN THE VAN I DRIVE IT TO AN FROM WORK. IF A BUMP SMALL ENOUGH NOT TO RECALL WILL BREAK THE FRAME WOULD THAT MEAN THE FRAME IS DEFECTED? I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT I PURCHASED THE VAN WITH A BROKEN FRAME AND DRIVING IT FOR SIX MONTHS IN THAT CONDITION COULD OF CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYWAY OF BEING REIMBURSED OF THIS INCIDENT. I FEEL THE VAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A LEMON IF IT WAS SOLD WITH A BROKEN FRAME. IF I HIT A BUMP HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK THE FRAME SHOULDN'T THE AIRBAGS EJECT? ARE THEY DEFECTIVE TOO? I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH CHARRAP FORD AND THEY DID REDUCE THE PRICE OF THE VAN REPAIRS BUT HAVE NO EXPLANATION OF THE BROKEN FRAME OR THE TRANSMISSION. I TRADED IN AN 89 AEROSTAR WHICH DIDN'T GIVE ME HALF THE PROBLEMS THIS 97 WINDSTAR IS . I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND PLEASE CONTACT ME. THANKS! VICKI DANLEY
INSIDE SLIDE DOOR LOCK IS BROKEN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK SPEDOMETER HEAD BROKE. *YH
VEHICLE MAKING A POPPING NOISE THROUGOUT THE FRAME. NLM
TAILGATE INSTALLED WITH IMPROPER ALIGNMENT WITH BODY. CORRECTED ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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