NHTSA Complaint #10362334 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

OCCURRENCE: 12 OCTOBER 2010. TRAVELING I-95 WASHINGTON,DC/SUITLAND, MD. VEHICLE: FORD WINDSTAR, 2001. SPEED : 60-65 MPH. TRAFFIC : DENSE. FAILURE OF DEFECTIVE PART : REAR AXLE SNAPPED IN TWO PARTS WHILE TRAVELING ON SMOOTH HIGHWAY, NORTHBOUND. EXPLOSIVE SOUND , LOTS OF SMOKE, EXTREME CONSTERNATION/FEAR OF HEART ATTACK EXPERIENCED BY MY WIFE AND I ( MY WIFE HAS A DANGEROUS HEART CONDITION "IHSS") AT OCCURRENCE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON HAZARD FLASHERS. MANAGED TO MANEUVER ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO HIGHWAY SHOULDER SAFELY!! THANK GOD FOR THE ALERT FELLOW TRAVELERS BEHIND US!!! IF WE WERE HIT BY ANY 18-WHEELERS ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT NOW!!! CONCERN FOR OUR SAFETY WAS SHOWN TO US BY FELLOW TRAVELERS; PARTICULARLY, MD TRAFFIC SAFETY PERSON, WHO SHOULD BE COMMENDED BY HIS SUPERIORS FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL AND UNDERSTANDING ACTIONS!! HE LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE AND SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE; AND HE SAID THAT WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!!! VAN WAS TRANSPORTED BY PROFESSIONALS TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I FIRST BECAME AWARE THAT A RECALL NOTICE WAS IN FORCE FOR MY VEHICLE!!! AT THIS POINT, I BECAME GREATLY DISTURBED THAT I HAD NO PREVIOUS NOTIFICATION OF THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION AND THAT MY WIFE, GRAND CHILDREN, ETAL WERE TRAVELING IN POTENTIAL ROLLING COFFIN! IN MY OPINION, THIS SEEMS TO BE CRIMINAL; PARTICULARLY IF GREATER PROFIT MOTIVES MIGHT BE INVOLVED! I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT INFERIOR MATERIALS WERE NOT USED IN THIS REGARD!! I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VAN WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP UNTIL FORD MOTOR COMPANY DECIDES HOW I WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SAFE VEHICLE , SINCE NO REPLACEMENT AXLES WERE AVAILABLE. (NB ; I HAVE NO IDEA WHATEVER OTHER DAMAGE EXISTS AS A RESULT OF THIS AWFUL FAILURE! I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT A DUPLICATE AXLE REPLACEMENT TO REPLAY THIS HORRIFIC CATASTROPHE! IN MY WIFE'S DELICATE CONDITION, I CANNOT EXPECT HER TO TRAVEL IN THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE! JUSTICE!!! *TR