NHTSA Complaint #10371309 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

THE SUB-FRAME OF MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR HAS RUSTED AWAY AT CRITICAL SPOTS AROUND AND NEAR THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND AS A RESULT FAILED TO PASS PA STATE ANNUAL INSPECTION ON DEC. 12, 2010. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC (A NON-FORD MECHANIC) THAT THE CONDITION WAS VERY UNSAFE AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY IT WOULD PASS PA STATE INSPECTION UNLESS THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION WAS FIXED. TO PASS IT WOULD HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE SUB-FRAME REPLACED WHICH WAS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE OR ELSE THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO BE SCRAPED (THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 189,000 MILES). THE MECHANIC'S FINDING WAS VERY SURPRISING TO ME BECAUSE ON OCT. 30, 2010, THE SAME WINDSTAR WAS INSPECTED BY A LOCAL FORD DEALER BASED ON A REAR AXLE CORROSION RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD. FOLLOWING THE RECALL INSPECTION (BY A DIFFERENT MECHANIC) I WAS INFORMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND NO WORK WAS NECESSARY PER TO THE RECALL NOTICE. IN HINDSIGHT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NOTHING ELSE BUT THE REAR AXLE WAS INSPECTED AND I WAS THUS SENT BACK ON THE ROAD OPERATING A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE DUE TO CORROSION ISSUES. THANK GOODNESS THE PA STATE INSPECTION MECHANIC NOTICED THE SUB-FRAME DANGER SOME 6 WEEKS LATER BEFORE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I'M WRITING TO HIGHLIGHT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH WINDSTAR MODELS MADE BETWEEN 1999-2003 FOR THE NHTSA. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF SIMILAR SUB-FRAME CORROSION PROBLEMS ON THEIR WINDSTARS BUT, TO DATE, FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THEY DID FOR SIMILAR REAR AXLE CORROSION PROBLEMS. SINCE THE PROBLEMS BOTH STEM FROM CORROSION ISSUES IT SEEMS LOGICAL THAT FORD SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. EXCEPT FOR THE SUB-FRAME CORROSION PROBLEM, MY WINDSTAR IS RUNNING WELL AND I'D LIKE TO KEEP DRIVING IT FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. I AM HOPEFUL THAT FORD WILL QUICKLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING THESE SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS.