NHTSA Complaint #10417999 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

I TOOK MY 2001 WINDSTAR SEL INTO A DEALERSHIP UPON RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FOR SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY IN MARCH OF 2011. OUR VEHICLE PASSED THIS INSPECTION. AT THE TIME OUR VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS RECALL NOTICE THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL RELATING TO STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS ALTHOUGH WE WERE UNAWARE OF THIS RECALL. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE SECOND PROBLEM TO DATE. THE RECALL WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY A FRIEND WHO WATCHED A NEWS PROGRAM REGARDING THE RECALL WHICH PROMPTED A PHONE CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SERVICED OUR VEHICLE IN MARCH. HIS STATEMENT WAS IF OUR VEHICLE WAS ONE OF THE RECALLED VEHICLES AND IT WAS JUST IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR ANOTHER RECALL THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE MOST RECENT RECALL ALSO. HE ASKED FOR OUR VIN WHICH AT THE TIME WAS NOT AVAILABLE BUT REASSURED ME BOTH RECALLS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED SINCE THEY WERE BOTH OPEN RECALLS. ON AUGUST 1, 2011 I WAS DRIVING AT 65-70 MPH ON A FREEWAY WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO JERK AND TURN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT THE STEERING WHEEL THE AREA THAT ENCLOSES THE HORN WAS VERTICAL). I THOUGHT MY RIGHT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS PUNCTURED AT FIRST BUT KNEW IT WAS MORE THAN THAT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS. SOMETHING FROM THE VAN KEPT HITTING THE FREEWAY AND JERKING ME AROUND AND THE BACK END OF THE VAN ON THREE OCCASIONS SEEMED LIKE IT WAS COMING OFF THE GROUND. ONCE I SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH THE SAFELY BRAKE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID WHEREIN THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE LEFT. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. NOT ONLY DID THE SUBFRAME BREAK DUE TO RUST BUT THE AXLE CAME APART FROM THE VEHICLE AS DID THE RIGHT ARM HOLDING THE WHEEL IN PLACE. AT THIS POINT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO SAID FORD IS OFFERING TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME AND HAVE OFFERED TO PAY FOR TWO DAYS FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE. *TR