NHTSA Complaint #10151996 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

PURCHASED THE WINDSTAR USED IN 2001. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR THE STEERING STARTED TO MAKE FUNNY (WHINING) NOISES AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD GET TOUGHER TO TURN WHEEL. AT 65K MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ACROSS COUNTRY AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY. WE HAD TO DRIVE THE LAST 800 OR SO MILES TO OUR NEW HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING. TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP, SUSPECTING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT BAD, JUST NEEDED FLUID. I HAD CHECKED THE FLUID WHEN IT ORIGINALLY WENT OUT AND IT WAS LOW, BUT NOT EMPTY. IT DROVE FINE (STILL NOISY) FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. I RETURNED TO THE SAME SHOP AND AGAIN TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED FLUID. I TOLD THEM I HAD NEVER SEEN A LEAK, BUT I WOULD CHECK EVERY DAY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE FLUID WAS GOING. ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND THE NOISE BECAME VERY LOUD AGAIN AND WHEN I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY I COULD SEE THE TRAIL OF POWER STEERING FLUID I LEFT BEHIND. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND THE FLUID WAS POURING OUT FROM THE BOOT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID "BLOWN RACK AND PINION". THANKS. *JB