NHTSA Complaint #10351449 — 2000 FORD WINDSTAR

LARGE CRACK ALMOST ENTIRELY AROUND REAR AXLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DISCOVERED CRACK WHEN INVESTIGATING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. APPEARS CRACK STARTED ON INSIDE OF FORMED CHANNEL. ALSO NOTICED A SHORT APPROX. 1 INCH CREASE LINE IN THE CENTER OF THE FORMED CHANNEL NOT FAR FROM WHERE THE CRACK STARTED. CORROSION APPEARS TO HAVE OCCURRED ON THE INSIDE OF THE AXLE BEAM. WHILE INVESTIGATING THE OTHER SIDE (PASSENGER SIDE) NEAR ANOTHER CREASE LINE, POKED A HOLE IN THE AXLE BEAM WITH A SCREWDRIVER. NO SEVERE CORROSION IS EVIDENT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE AXLE BEAM. ATTEMPTS TO FIND A USED AXLE BEAM HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFULLY DO TO SIMILAR DAMAGE. REPAIRING THE AXLE SEEMS ILL ADVISED CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE INTERNAL CORROSION AND A NEW AXLE IS BEING LOOKED INTO. LUCKILY MY WIFE PAYS ATTENTION TO THOSE LITTLE ODD NOISES AND WASN'T GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT TOTALLY FAILED. *TR