NHTSA Complaint #10369045 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX BROKEN SUB-FRAME I BEGAN TO HEAR A SCRAPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY ON RIGHT TURNS. I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FROM FIRESTONE, SO TOOK IT BACK THERE THINKING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. INSTEAD I WAS TOLD THAT THE SUB FRAME IS BUSTED (ALSO CALLED ENGINE CRADLE), AND THAT REPAIR WOULD BE EXTENSIVE IN LABOR TO THE TUNE OF AT LEAST $1500! ...AND THAT WOULD BE FOR A REPLACEMENT PART FROM A JUNK YARD (WITH SAME POTENTIAL PROBLEM) RATHER THAN A NEW PART. RIGHT NOW I CANNOT AFFORD EITHER ONE. I ASKED A WELDER ABOUT IT, HOPING TO HAVE IT WELDED RATHER THAN REPLACED FOR MUCH LESS MONEY, BUT HE SAYS THAT WOULD NOT BE WISE GIVEN THE HEAVY LOAD PLACED ON THE SUBFRAME. PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT TO PREVENT TRAGEDY. THANKS. FIRESTONE STAFF WARNED ME NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE, VERY UNSAFE. AN ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF BUSTED SUBFRAMES ON FORD WINDSTARS, YET NO RECALLS FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS YET. ARE WE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED? I JUST DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY YESTERDAY NOT KNOWING HOW SERIOUS THIS PROBLEM IS. *TR