NHTSA Complaint #10375091 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

1998 FORD WINDSTAR HAS RUSTED ENGINE SUBFRAME, WHICH, IF LETS GO WOULD CAUSE SIDE AXLE AND FRONT TIRE TO SEPARATE FROM VAN AND CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL,LOSS OF BRAKING, AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE VAN WAS ON RAMP FOR OIL CHANGE . RECEIVED RECALL ON REAR AXLE CRACKING AND RECALL WAS DONE TODAY BY FORD. BROUGHT SUBFRAME PROBLEM TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND THEY STATED THAT FORD WAS FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE FORD HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS TIME. THE SERVICE STATION OWNER WHICH DID MY OIL CHANGE EXPRESSED AN OPINION THAT HE FELT THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTING WAS INDEED MUCH MORE OF A CONCERN THAN THE CRACKING OF THE REAR AXLE WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED BY FORD. AT PRESENT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY WINDSTAR WITH THIS STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND I FEEL FORD SHOULD REMEDY THIS DEFECT IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THEY DID WITH THE CRACKING REAR AXLE. *TR