NHTSA Complaint #10161162 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 6/28/06 I TOOK MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR [XXX] INTO A FIRESTONE AUTO SERVICE CENTER IN WEXFORD PA FOR REPLACEMENT OF A BROKEN RIGHT FRONT SWAY BAR. AFTER CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS RUSTED AND BROKEN. THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE RIGHT COIL SPRING. I WAS ON VACATION IN THE PITTSBURGH, PA AREA AT THE TIME. MY RESIDENCE IS IN RHODE ISLAND. HAVING NO TIME TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF RECALLS, SAFETY NOTICES, OR FIND A FORD DEALERSHIP THAT COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE IN, I HAD FIRESTONE REPLACE BOTH COIL SPRINGS & STRUTS, ALONG WITH THE SWAY BAR. I RETURNED TO MY RESIDENCE IN RHODE ISLAND TODAY AN LEARNED FROM YOUR WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #01I007000 ISSUED ON JULY 12, 2001 FOR THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. SPECIFICALLY THAT: "1995 -- 1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVANS. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE DUE TO CORROSION." THE REMEDY LISTED ON YOUR SITE INDICATED THAT FORD WAS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL SPRINGS FOR 10 YEARS FROM THE WARRANTY START DATE. I PURCHASED MY FORD WINDSTAR FROM RIZZO FORD AS A USED VEHICLE ON/ABOUT 3/7/1996. I CALLED FORD AT 1-866-46-7332 AS LISTED IN THE NOTES OF YOUR SITE AND SPOKE TO A "WALTER." HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE "NO OPEN PROGRAMS" LISTED FOR MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE USING THE VIN. THE PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED WAS A FRACTURED FRONT COIL SPRING RESULTING FROM CORROSION. IT IS EXACTLY THE ISSUED DESCRIBED. I SAVED THE COIL SPRING AND FRONT STRUT. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)