NHTSA Complaint #10651544 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

AFTER DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY NORTH OF BOSTON, MA (128/95 NORTH) MY WIFE AND I, FIRST HEARD SCRAPING NOISE THAT BECAME LOUDER AND BEGAN SMELL LIKE BURNING RUBBER/BRAKES. THE CAR LURCHED ACROSS THE ROADWAY/HIGHWAY AND WE SWERVED AND ALMOST SIDESWIPED CAR IN THE ADJACENT LANE. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON THE OFF RAMP TO MY WORK AT RTE 28 SOUTH STONEHAM/WAKEFIELD. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER, GATHER OUR THOUGHTS AND CONTINUE TO A GULF STATION ON RTE 28 IN STONEHAM, MA. THE GULF STATION MECHANIC/MANAGER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, A REAR AXLE LITERALLY SPLITTING IN HALF. AFTER VIEWING THE REAR BROKEN AXLE AND LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF THE FRONT RIGHT END AND THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE SUB FRAME THEY POLITELY AND FORGIVINGLY SAID THEY HAVE RARELY SEEN SUCH A THING (CRACKED/SEPARATED REAR AXLE AND WENT ON TO SAY THEY HAVE ONLY SEEN THIS IN FORD WINDSTARS AND WENT ON TO TALK ABOUT A LOCAL WOMEN WHOSE FORD WINDSTAR LOST CONTROL ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH WITH HER 3 CHILDREN AND WERE SCARED TO DEATH AND IN CONCLUSION WOULD NOT TOUCH THE VEHICLE AND WARNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEYOND SAFE DRIVING AND REPAIR. THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME KIND OF BRACE ON THE AXLE IN TWO PLACES THAT THE AXLE HAD SNAPPED IN TWO AT THE REINFORCEMENT AND SAID EVEN WITHOUT THE REINFORCEMENT ON THE REAR AXLE THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A REAR AXLE SPLIT IN TWO AND COMPOUNDED WITH THE FACT THAT IT ACTUALLY HAD A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET FAIL. REITERATING AXLES AND SUB FRAMES ARE NOT WEAR AND TEAR PARTS AND IN FACT HAD NEVER SEEN BROKEN REAR AXLES AND SUB FRAMES CRACK AND BREAK AND CORRODED TO THIS EXTENT. THEIR REACTION WAS OF DISTURBING TO SAY THE LEAST. THEY SAID BROKEN AXLES JUST DON,T HAPPEN AND WITH ADDED REINFORCEMENT IT WAS "BEYOND BELIEF" THEY HAD BROKEN IN HALF. *TR