NHTSA Complaint #10384852 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

BROUGHT MY 2003 FORD WINDSTAR IN TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT FAILED STATE SAFETY INSPECTION AS THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON. FORD TOOK THE VEHICLE AND INSPECTED IT BASED UPON A RECALL ON THE REAR AXLE AND SAID THAT IT FAILED. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A RENTAL. THE NEXT DAY, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE ABS RIGHT AWAY ANYWAY AS IF THEY WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THE AXLE ISSUE SOON, I WOULD STILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THEIR LOT AS IT WASN'T SAFE. AT THE TIME, THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED. I WAITED FOR A CALL BACK AND RECEIVED NONE. A MONTH LATER, I PLACED ANOTHER CALL AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER RECALL FOR THE FRONT SUBFRAME AND THAT FORD WAS GOING TO BUYBACK VEHICLES THAT WERE ALREADY IN WITH BOTH ISSUES SO I SHOULD WAIT FOR THE RECALL TO BECOME OFFICIALLY IN PROGRESS. I WAITED ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WHEN I HEARD NOTHING, I CALLED BACK AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE STATUS. I WAS TOLD THAT VIRTUALLY NO CARS WERE FAILING THE INSPECTION FOR THE FRONT SUBFRAME, SO I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AN AXLE WAS AVAILABLE FOR ME TO GET MY VAN BACK. I HAVE STILL NOT HEARD THE COST TO REPAIR MY ABS ISSUE, SO MY QUESTION IS, AM I GOING TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE THEY REPAIR MY AXLE, AS I AM GOING TO BE PAST THE 60 DAYS THAT I AM ALLOWED TO REPAIR THE ABS ISSUE BEFORE MASSACHUSETTS HAS THE RIGHT TO REVOKE MY REGISTRATION FOR NOT RE-INSPECTING MY VEHICLE. I AM GOING TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOMORROW TO FIND OUT WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING NEXT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I AM LEFT UNKNOWING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AS IT STANDS, I WILL NOT HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ONCE THEY REPAIR THE AXLE AS THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL THEY REPAIR THE AXLE. *TR