NHTSA Complaint #10552519 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

DRIVING ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY VIA SERVICE RAMP I FELT THE VAN SHIFT TO THE RIGHT AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE FREEWAY. LANE I WAS ABOUT TO MERGE ONTO WAS TO MY LEFT. SEEMED AS IF SOMETHING WERE TERRIBLY WRONG. I CONTINUED DRIVING, BUT CAUTIOUSLY. DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR THE NEXT WEEK, YET NOT VERY FREQUENTLY. THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY, I WENT TO GET AN OIL CHANGE AND THE SERVICEMAN NOTICED THAT MY BACK DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS TILTED INWARD AND THEN SAID THE RIGHT SIDE REAR WHEEL WAS TOO, JUST NOT AS MUCH AS THE LEFT SIDE. HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT MY AXLE LOOKED CRACKED AND THAT MY SHOCK WAS TOTALLY CORRODED AND STUCK. THE NEXT DAY, I TOOK THE VAN TO OUR TRUSTED MECHANIC, WHO INSPECTED THE VAN. HE SAID THAT MY REAR AXLE WAS TOTALLY CORRODED AND CRACKED UNDERNEATH THE "BAND-AID" BRACKET THAT THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN IMLAY CITY, MI HAD PUT THERE WHEN I HAD ORIGINALLY HAD TAKEN THE VAN IN FOR THE REAR AXLE RECALL BACK ON 2/11/11. HE SAID TO CONTACT THEM ABOUT IT. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER NAMED NICK ON 11/11/13. I SPOKE TO HIM BRIEFLY AND EXPLAINED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS CRACKED. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE SOME CALLS AND GET BACK TO ME. HE NEVER DID. I ATTEMPTED THROUGHOUT THAT DAY TO GET A HOLD OF HIM, HE NEVER CALLED ME BACK. LATER MY HUSBAND TRIED TO CALL HIM. INSTEAD A WOMAN ANSWERED AND SAID SHE WORKED IN WARRANTY DIVISION. SHE STATED WE CALL FORD CUSTOMER COMPLAINT CTR. WE CALLED THERE AND SPOKE TO A MAN NAMED AUSTIN. HE SAID A DECISION WOULD BE MADE BY FRIDAY, 11/15/13 AND THAT SERVICE MANAGER IN IMLAY CITY OR REGIONAL MANAGER WOULD CALL US. NO ONE DID. WE ATTEMPTED TO CALL DEALER 11/15/13. FOR OVER AN HOUR ALL LINES WERE BUSY. WE THEN CALLED CUSTOMER COMPLAINT CENTER FOR FORD. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THEIR RECORDS SHOWED THAT DEALER CALLED US 11/12/13 WITH DECISION TO NOT HELP. THAT IS COMPLETELY FALSE! NO ONE CALLED US REGARDING THE MATTER, PERIOD! *TR