NHTSA Complaint #10243046 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

FAILURE OF THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNTS AT THE SUBFRAME OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING OR PRIOR SYMPTOMS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 71K MILES. MY CHILDREN AND I WERE ON A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP APPROACHING HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO SWING OUT FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE AXLE SHAFT TO PULL OUT OF THE TRANSAXLE. THE VAN SWAYED AND BUCKED WITH THE REAR END BOUNCING UP AND DOWN OFF THE GROUND NEARLY FLIPPING THE VEHICLE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED FOUR OR FIVE SECONDS LATER AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION WHERE IT REMAINS ABOUT 100 MILES FROM MY HOME. MY LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE SERVICE WRITER SAID I WOULD NEED TO CONTACT THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER WHO IN TURN INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT WITHIN FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S GUIDELINES TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. LINDA, THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR, SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO, UNLESS THE NHTSA ISSUES A RECALL, BECAUSE THE VAN IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND OUT OF THE 5 YEAR RANGE THEY USE FOR MAKING "GOOD RELATIONS ALLOWANCES". I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 12 OR 13 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEB SIGHT AND OTHERS ON BLOGS (IE ALLWORLDAUTO.COM ) SO I AGREE WITH ONE OF YOUR COMPLAINANTS THAT "THIS IS A SEVERE FAILURE THAT IS PREMATURE, NOT EASILY DETECTABLE, POTENTIALLY FATAL, AND WILL LIKELY OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY AS THESE VEHICLES AGE". I TOO, STRONGLY URGE THE NHTSA TO CONDUCT AN ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS FAILURE. *TR