NHTSA Complaint #10894628 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

HUSBAND WAS GOING TO WORK IN EARLY MORNING AND HAD JUST SLOWED AS HE EXITED HIGHWAY, WENT OVER FIRST SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS AT SPEED LIMIT, THEN THE FRONT END OF VAN RAISED INTO THE AIR ABOUT A FOOT THEN SLAMMED DOWN AS HE CROSSED THE SECOND SET OF TRACKS AND HE LOST CONTROL. HE HAD NO BRAKES OR STEERING AND THE VAN CRASHED INTO A CURB BEFORE STOPPING. IT NARROWLY MISSED GOING UNDER A SEMI-TRUCK. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS TO BE TOWED TO FORD DEALER AND MISSING AN UNPAID DAY OF WORK, OUR INSURANCE SECURED A RENTAL CAR SINCE FORD REFUSED TO DO SO. THE 2002 WINDSTAR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE 2011 REAR AXLE RECALL 10S13 AND SUBFRAME 11S16 PASSED INSPECTION AT THAT TIME, BUT BOTH APPEARED TO HAVE FAILED IN THIS INSTANCE. THIS FAILURE CAUSED OVER $3000 IN COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO THE STEERING AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS THAT FORD SAYS WILL BE OUR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IF IT CAN EVEN BE FIXED DUE TO MANY PARTS NO LONGER BEING PRODUCED.THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE FOUND THROUGH SALVAGE OR AFTERMARKET SOURCES. THEY HAVE ONLY OFFERED TO REPAIR THE FAILED SUBFRAME ISSUE AND POSSIBLY THE RECALLED REAR AXLE. WE RECENTLY LEARNED AFTER THIS ACCIDENT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL 15S27 ON THE PRIOR AXLE RECALL REPAIR FOR INCORRECTLY INSTALLED BRACKETS. WE RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION OF THIS RECALL FROM LATE 2015 TO HAVE THE AXLE FIXED PROPERLY. FORD HAS OFFERED TO BUY BACK THE VAN FOR $1339, WHICH APPEARS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN WHAT WAS OFFERED FOR BUY BACKS IN 2011 WHEN THE INITIAL RECALL WAS DONE. OUR VAN ALSO HAD ABOUT 40,000 FEWER MILES ON IT THAN VANS OF THE SAME AGE AND MAKE, BASED ON AN AVERAGE OF 15,000 MILES A YEAR. WE HAVE OWNED THIS VAN SINCE 2002 AND BEEN AT OUR SAME ADDRESS FOR 10 YEARS, SO OUR LACK OF NOTIFICATION ABOUT THIS LATEST RECALL IS UNACCEPTABLE. FORD APPEARS NEGLIGENT BOTH IN DEALING WITH A DANGEROUS STRUCTURAL ISSUE AND NOTIFYING OWNERS OF RECALLS TO FIX IT.