NHTSA Complaint #10551905 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

THE ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE IS WITH ITS SUBFRAME. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE PORTION OF IT IS RUSTING OUT. I TOOK IT IN ON 11/4/13 TO A LICENSED VEHICLE SERVICE PLACE FOR A REGULAR OIL CHANGE, ONLY TO HAVE THE MECHANIC TELL ME THE SUBFRAME IS RUSTING OUT. AFTER LEARNING THIS NEWS (AND VIEWING THE SUBFRAME MYSELF TO OBSERVE THE CONDITION), I TOOK IT INTO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FURTHER INSPECTED. THE SECOND INSPECTION WAS ON 11/7/13. AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY ALSO INSPECTED THE REAR AXLE (WHICH WAS PART OF A FORD RECALL IN THE PAST). THE DEALERSHIP COULD SEE WHERE AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY SOME TYPE OF COATING TO IT ANOTHER TIME DID NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NOW A SIX-INCH CRACK RUNNING DOWN THE CENTER OF THE AXLE. A SERVICE CONSULTANT FROM THE DEALERSHIP TOOK MANY PICTURES TO SEND TO FORD. I DID NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE HOME THAT DAY. A FORD REP CAME IN THE NEXT DAY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE WAS TO DO WAS TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD, AND FROM WHAT THE INITIAL FORD SERVICE CONSULTANT SAID, WAS THAT IT WAS A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION TO FORD TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME. FORD, HOWEVER, REFUSED, EVEN AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE "WHY" QUESTION ANSWERED, AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE AN ANSWER. BEFORE OUR OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, WHEN THE INITIAL SUBFRAME RECALL EXISTED, THE VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME APPARENTLY WAS NOT CORRODING PROFUSELY IN 2011. BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED, AND THE PROBLEM WAS CONSIDERED "FIXED." LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF INTO OUR OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, THE SUBFRAME IS ROTTING, AND FORD WILL DO NOTHING TO REPAIR IT AS SHE TOLD ME TODAY (11/12/13) IN MY CONVERSATION WITH [XXX] FROM FORD (1-800-392-FORD). THOUGH THEY HAVE THE PICTURES SOMEWHERE IN THEIR SYSTEM, THEY HAVE CONSIDERED THE CASE CLOSED. OUR FAMILY VEHICLE CAN NOT BE SAFELY USED FOR THE FAMILY. PLEASE HOLD FORD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR VEHICLES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR