NHTSA Complaint #10098554 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

THE ORIGINAL WHEELS ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR HAVE DEVELOPED AIR LEAKS AT THE WELDS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I WENT TO A SALVAGE YARD FOR A REPLACEMENT, AND THEY SAID WINDSTAR WHEELS ARE SCARCE BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR WHEELS WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS. I BELIEVE THE OEM WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE. (IN 34 YEARS OF DRIVING, I'VE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH EVEN ONE WHEEL ON ANY CAR. 4 OUT OF 4 WHEELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS VAN TELLS ME SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PRODUCT.) OUR DRIVING IS ON GOOD ROADS, SO IT CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ROUGH USE. THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE SO FAR IS THAT TIRE PRESSURE IS SLOWLY LOST, LEADING TO LOW PRESSURE. OUR ONLY EXPENSE SO FAR IS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE WHEELS, ONE AT A TIME. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE AT THE VERY LEAST, AND COULD RESULT IN WHEEL FAILURE, INJURY AND DEATH IF NOT ADDRESSED.*AK