1999 Ford Windstar

In a January 26, 2011 Defect Information Report, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will conduct a safety recall to address corrosion related fractures in the front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe in approximately 425,288 model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles manufactured from April 1998 to July 2003 and either sold or currently registered in the following high corrosion (Salt-Belt) states: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, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-030, Ford Recall No. 11S16).According to Ford, separation of a front lower control arm rear attaching bracket may result in a lower control arm separation and separations of both front subframe rear body mounts may result in separation of the steering intermediate shaft.Either condition could result in diminished vehicle directional control, increasing the risk of a crash.Dealers will inspect the lower control arm rear attachment flanges and the rear body mount sections of the subframe on the right (passenger) and left (driver) sides of the vehicle.Owners of vehicles that pass the inspection will be notified when to return for installation of reinforcement brackets to extend the durability of the front subframe assembly in affected areas in the presence of corrosion.Owners of vehicles that do not pass inspection, but can be repaired, will be offered transportation until parts become available.Repurchase offers will be extended to owners of vehicles that cannot be repaired with the reinforcement brackets.This investigation is closed.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has identified 346 complaints to ODI and Ford alleging fracture, cracking and or excessive corrosion of the front subframes in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles.Approximately 97 percent of these complaints (334) involve vehicles that have been operated in Salt Belt states, which make up approximately 60 percent of the subject vehicle sales in the United States.The front subframe, sometimes referred to as the engine cradle, is a structural component of the Windstar vehicles that carries the engine, transaxle, steering rack and certain front suspension components (e.g., lower control arm).For complaints with sufficient information to identify the location of the failure, most describe problems with the rear mounting bracket for the front passenger-side lower control arm with some related to the rear body mount attachment located in the same general area of the subframe (right-rear section near the front passenger wheel).The remainder of the reports allege fracture of the front subframe at other or, most often, unspecified locations.Almost all of the complaints that specified the side of the vehicle indicated that the problem occurred on the right/passenger side (106), with only a few indicating the left/driver side (2) or both sides (3) were affected.Ford and several complainants attributed the right-side failures to the routing of the air-conditioning lines above the front subframe on that side of the vehicle, further noting that condensation has been observed dripping onto the front subframe in the area of the affected components (the A/C drain tube is also located on the right side, near the front subframe).ODI has identified 93 complaints related to lower control arm attachments, including 80 that appear to involve complete separations.All but one of these involved vehicles from Salt Belt states.All three crash incidents appear to be related to lower control arm separations, including one road departure into a road-side sign resulting in a totalled vehicle and a lane departure into another vehicle.Almost half of the ODI complaints related to control arm separation occurred at speeds greater than 20 mph and about a quarter occurred at highway speeds.Three-quarters of these complaints allege experiencing difficulty controlling the vehicle and about 40 percent appear to have resulted in departures from the intended lane of travel.Testing by both Ford and NHTSA have demonstrated that lower control arm separation from the rear attachment bracket results in significant toe out of the affected wheel, which affects the driver's ability to control vehicle direction.According to Ford, moderate braking improved vehicle controllability by reducing the amount of toe out, possibly explaining incidents that did not allege a loss of control.ODI's analysis of complaints related to the rear body mount identified 41 complaints (ODI only).These complaints generally report experiencing progressively worsening noise concerns when turning, accelerating or braking.Although, some of the complaints that appeared to involve a complete separation of the body mount alleged difficulty steering, the effects on vehicle control from this failure mode do not appear to be as great as those resulting from control arm separation.However, ODI is seeking more information regarding two complaints which alleged that body mount failure resulted in disconnection of the steering wheel from the steering rack (one occurred during vehicle service).This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA10-007) for subject vehicles sold or currently re

In a letter dated August 26, 2010, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report notifying NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 10V-385) to address a rear axle defect in model year (MY) 1998 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles built at the Oakville assembly plant from September 1, 1997 through February 28, 2003 and either sold or currently registered in high corrosion (Salt-Belt) states where the use of salt and other corrosive chemicals may be used to treat snow/ice covered roads.The following states are included in Ford's recall: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. The subject vehicles utilize a Stamped/Formed axle assembly manufactured by Benteler automotive Corporation of Galesburg, MI.According to Ford, after many years of vehicle service in the Salt-Belt states, corrosion can weaken the rear axle, making it susceptible to torsional stress.There is a risk that the combined effects of corrosion and stress can lead to cracks which, if undetected, can propagate and result in a complete fracture of the axle.A completely fractured axle can affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.To correct the safety defect, Ford will initially inspect all of the subject vehicles brought into Ford/Lincoln-Mercury dealerships for possible cracked axles.Owners of vehicles without cracked axles will be notified when to return for the installation of reinforcement brackets to extend the axle durability in the presence of corrosion.Owners who have vehicles with cracked axles will either be offered a repair or alternative transportation until parts become available. On May 13, 2010, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE10-016 to investigate complaints of rear axle cracking in MY 1999 through 2003 Ford Windstar minivans.Combining ODI and Ford complaint data, ODI is aware of a total 891 complaints alleging rear axle cracking in the subject vehicles.Over a third of the complaints (334) allege that the cracking progressed to a complete fracture of the rear axle, including 8 allegations of crashes resulting in 3 injuries. Approximately 57 percent of the subject vehicles (524,661) were sold in Salt-Belt states covered by Ford's recall and Ford estimates that approximately 463,000 of these remain in service.Ninety-six percent of the complaints (858) and all of the complaints alleging complete fracture were from the recall region.The action taken by Ford is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

EA08-021 IS CLOSED WITH FORD'S ACTIONS IN RECALL 09V-399 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILLION VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCHES (SCDS).WITH THIS RECALL FORD HAS NOW RECALLED ALL OF THE APPROXIMATE 16 MILLION FORD MODEL VEHICLES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MY 1992 THROUGH 2003 WITH A TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SCDS.NHTSA WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RECALLED VEHICLES TO ENSURE REMEDIES INSTALLED BY FORD TOMITIGATE THE POTENTIAL FOR SCDS RELATED FIRES ARE EFFECTIVE.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH out of the driveway, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding and popping sound. The contact shifted to park(P). The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was pushed inward, and the axle was fractured. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that an unknown recall was closed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ID

11652242

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

Mileage

103,000 mi

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the contact became aware that the rear passenger's side wheel was pushed upward and was nearly rubbing the inner wheel well. The contact stated that upon inspecting the rear axle, he became aware that the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V608000 (Suspension); and the recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.

NHTSA ID

11602338

Incident

Jul 14, 2024

Mileage

214,000 mi

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started pulling to one side, almost causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the motor mounts were damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance because the vehicle was not under Warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11594421

Incident

May 22, 2024

Mileage

130,000 mi

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, he heard the rear driver’s side tire rubbing against the axle and then saw smoke coming from the tire. No warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that the rear driver's side axle had fractured and was on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11484439

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

Mileage

130,000 mi

If my vehicle is not used for a few days (3 to 4 days), when I start the vehicle, all the needles of the instrument cluster oscillate violently between extremes. However, this does not affect drivability and I can slowly move the car out of my driveway and get on the street. About 30 to 45 seconds after this, the needles stop moving and resume normal function.

NHTSA ID

11454902

Incident

Mar 2, 2022

Went into a curve and vehicle swayed and went into the other lane as if had a flat tire. I had it checked at an independent garage and found rear axle is breaking

NHTSA ID

11451811

Incident

Jan 2, 2022

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle made screeching sounds. The contact saw smoke and detected a burning odor. The vehicle then stalled. The contact was able to pull over and park the vehicle in a parking lot, where it remained. The contact's boyfriend inspected the vehicle and related the failure to the rear axle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,724.

NHTSA ID

11443927

Incident

Dec 15, 2021

Mileage

70,724 mi

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while attempting to move the vehicle up her driveway, the vehicle began to accelerate uncontrollably. The contact was able to turn off the vehicle without shifting into the park. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,457.

NHTSA ID

11434901

Incident

Sep 28, 2021

Mileage

156,457 mi

For 1999-2003 Windstar vehicles Safety Recall 11S16 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where a front subframe lower control arm (LCA) rear attaching flange or rear body mount could separate from the vehicle subframe. Separation of one LCA attachment or both rear body mounts may result in a loss of vehicle directional control, increasing the risk of a crash.

For 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles Safety Recall 10S13 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the rear axle could potentially fracture. If the rear axle should completely fracture, vehicle handling may be affected which could increase the risk of a crash.

Safety recall 10S13 - Rear axle corrosion - requests for recall service action

Safety recall 11s16 - LCA rear attaching flanges or rear subframe body mount corrosion - requests for recall service action

SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE.

FORD: SAFETY RECALL ON FRONT SUBFRAME LOWER CONTROL ARM (LCA) REAR ATTACHING FLANGE OR REAR BODY MOUNT THAT CAN SEPARATE FROM SUBFRAME IF VEHICLE IS OPERATED, FOR EXTENDED PERIOD, IN HIGH CORROSION AREAS. MODEL 1999-03 WINDSTAR.