NHTSA Complaint #10544532 — 2000 FORD WINDSTAR

I CURRENTLY OWN 2 - 2000 FORD WINDSTAR VANS. BOTH OF MY VANS ARE WHEEL CHAIR CONVERSION VANS, REAR ENTRY TYPE. THEY ARE USED TO TRANSPORT MY SON, A STUDENT IN COLLEGE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY. HE HAS CEREBRAL PALSY, AND USES A POWER WHEELCHAIR. HIS FRIENDS, AND ATTENDANTS USE THE VANS TO TRANSPORT HIM. LAST SPRING I HAD ONE OF THE VANS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE KEY PROGRAMMING. WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, THE REPAIR TO THE REAR AXEL WAS MADE, WHICH INVOLVED INSTALLING SUPPORT BRACKETS TO THE AXEL. THESE BRACKETS ARE CLAMPED TOGETHER ON THE TOP OF THE AXEL. THIS INCREASE IN AXEL HEIGHT CAUSED A PROBLEM THAT TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS FOR ME TO DIAGNOSE. ANYTIME THE VAN DROVE OVER A BUMP, A SEVERE JAR, AND LOUD BANG HAPPENED. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BOTH VANS WERE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER. I WAS DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM TO ONE OF MY DRIVERS, AND BEGAN TO SHOW HIM WHAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. AND I SAW IT, THE INSTALLED BRACKETS WERE HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEELCHAIR FLOOR. IT WAS METAL AGAINST METAL, AND HAD BEGAN TO BEND INTO THE FLOOR PAN. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO STATED THEY DID WHAT WAS REQUIRED, AND THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO. BUT NOW ALL THE WEIGHT OF THE VAN IS POUNDING ON THESE BRACKETS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN A WEAK SPOT ON THE AXEL. THEY DECIDED TO PLACE A PIECE OF RUBBER ABOVE THE BRACKET, BUT THIS ONLY INCREASES THE AXEL HEIGHT. I FEEL THE AXEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE FACTORY BUMP STOP NO LONGER FUNCTIONS, AS THIS NEW DEALER DESIGNED BRACKET IS MY NEW BUMP STOP. I'M CONCERNED THIS CONSTANT SLAMMING OF THE BODY INTO THE CORRODED AXEL IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN WHAT I WAS FACING ORIGINALLY. CALLS TO FORD HAS BEEN POINTLESS. I HAVE READ DEALERS HAVE DISCRETION OF REPLACING VS REPAIRING *TR