NHTSA Complaint #10347769 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

I WAS TRAVELING THE KANSAS TURNPIKE WITH MY SISTER IN MY FORD WINDSTAR VAN AT NIGHT. THE VAN THEN STARTED TO BE SHIMMYING AND VIBRATING SOME, LIKE WHEN THE ROAD IS ROUGH. WE WERE TRAVELING THROUGH SOME CONSTRUCTION SO THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS. BUT THE VIBRATING CONTINUED. WE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND LOOKED AT THE TIRES, BUT THEY ALL LOOKED GOOD. WE CONTINUED DRIVING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE ROUGHNESS. I CONTINUED DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS TO SEE IF THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. IT DID NOT. THE VIBRATING WAS NOT TOTALLY CONTINUOUS, EVERY FEW SECONDS OR SO IT DISAPPEARED, THEN WOULD RESTART. I KEPT DRIVING, WITH HAZARD LIGHTS, AT ABOUT 45 MPH, BECAUSE IT WAS NIGHTTIME, AND ON THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT SERVICE/REST STOP AND GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT MY TIRES. ONE HUBCAP WAS ASKEW, WHICH I PUT BACK ON. TO SEE IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE VAN'S RIDE, I DECIDED TO DRIVE A BIT IN THE PARKING LOT. I PUT THE VAN INTO REVERSE AND JUST AS I STARTED TO MOVE, THERE WAS A LOUD CLANK AND THUD. THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG. I SAW THAT THE REAR TIRES BOTH WERE CROOKED, THE VAN, LOWER, AND THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS BROKEN INTO 2 PARTS. A POLICEMAN VERIFIED THAT THE CAR WAS BROKEN SO IT COULD STAY THERE UNTIL TOWED. IT WAS FLATBED TOWED TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER, WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY, SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLIES, REAR STABILIZER BAR, SPINDLES, REAR PARKING BRAKE CABLE (WHICH HAD RUSTED AND SEIZED UP) ASSEMBLIES AND INNER AND OUTER TIE RODS AND NUTS AND BOLTS.. AT THE TIME THE VAN HAD LESS THAN 71,000 MILES ON IT. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT WE WEREN'T STILL TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE AXLE WENT KERPLUNK! *TR