NHTSA Complaint #10547844 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

DRIVING THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH SPEED; THEREFORE, I STARTED INVESTIGATING TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. 1ST I FOUND ONE OF THE REAR SHOCKS WAS VERY BOUNCY, THE REAR TIRES WERE NOT STRAIGHT AND BOTH REAR TIRES WERE WEARING ON THE INSIDE. REPLACED BOTH REAR SHOCKS. THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE REAR TIRES WERE STILL NOT STRAIGHT. NEXT I WENT TO MIKE NAUGHTON FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED WITH A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT I NEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND HAVE THE REAR CAMBERS SHIMMIED SO THAT THE WHEELS WOULD BE STRAIGHT AT A ESTIMATE COST OF $200.00, THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS TO HAVE THIS WORK DONE. LAST NIGHT (10-13-2013), I JACKED THE VEHICLE UP TO LOOK UNDER TO SEE HOW DIFFICULT IT WOULD BE TO PERFORM THE WORK MYSELF. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO FORD AND PAY THEM TO DO THE WORK. I WAS JACKING THE VEHICLE UP TO REMOVE THE JACK STANCE AND BOTH TIRES FELL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. I LOOK UNDER THE VEHICLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT HAPPENED AND FOUND THE AXLE HOUSING BENT/BROKEN IN HALF. IT APPEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN CRACKED/BROKEN FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE THE INITIAL BREAK WAS RUSTY. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW-UP WITH THE FORD DEALER YET - I BELIEVE THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE CLOSED TODAY (COLUMBUS DAY) BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REACH ANYONE BY PHONE. *TR