NHTSA Complaint #10141651 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 7/29/05, MY 82-YEAR OLD MOTHER, PURCHASED A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, WITH LESS THAN 44,000 MILES ON IT. MY MOTHER RECEIVES MINIMAL SOCIAL SECURITY & I, TOO, AM ON SOCIAL SECURITY FOR DISABILITY. WE COULD NOT AFFORD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON TOP OF CAR FINANCE $200./MO.) WE DID HAVE A DEALERSHIP LIMITED WARRANTY OF 60 DAYS AND 3,000 MILES. BEFORE THAT WARRANTY EXPIRED, WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE EVALUATED BY OUR REGULAR MECHANIC HE FOUND ONLY TWO PROBLEMS &E ACTUALLY CONGRATULATED US ON FINDING SUCH A GREAT CAR. WE TOOK THE MINIVAN BACK TO BRANFORD SUBARU WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND THEY MADE THE REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY. NOW THAT WE ARE ONE MONTH AND 50 MILES OVER THE LIMITED WARRANTY, POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING. EXXON DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. I HAD TO LEAVE THE MINIVAN AT BENS EXXON BECAUSE THE LEAK WAS SO BAD I WAS HAVING EXTREME DIFFICULTY STEERING & WAS LOSING MORE THAN 2 QUARTS OF OIL PER DAY. MY MECHANIC FOUND A TSB ABOUT IT BUT MANTILIA FORD DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX IT BECAUSE WE ARE PAST THE ORIGINAL 3-YEAR WARRANTY. THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD CORP CUSTOMER RELATIONS WHO GAVE ME HE SAME ANSWER. OBVIOUSLY, FORD WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL STEERING RACK WITH A REVISED UNIT UNLESS THE ORIGINAL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE. ALTHOUGH THAT FACT IS NOT ACTUALLY STATED IN THE BULLETIN, IT IS VERY CLEARLY IMPLIED.NOW, HERE WE HAVE AN 82 YEAR OLD AND A 59 YEAR OLD, BOTH ON LIMITED INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY, WHO TOOK EVERY PRECAUTION POSSIBLE TO BUY A RELIABLE VEHICLE AND AVOID EXPENSIVE REPAIRS STUCK WITH A VEHICLE WITH A DEFECT KNOWN TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY BUT THAT WE CANT HAVE FORD FIX BECAUSE WE DID NOT BUY THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE 3 YEAR ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD! I HAVE CHECKED YOUR DATABASE AND FOUND THAT OUT OF THE FIRST 255 COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, 26 WERE ABOUT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING! I STOPPED LOOKING AFTER 255. I AM APPEALING TO YOU TO SEE WHAT REMEDIES CAN BE PURSUED.