NHTSA Complaint #10983329 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 03 FORD WINDSTAR THAT I PURCHASED ON JUNE 2016. IT HAS 116,000 MILES. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT FORD ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE REAR AXLE #15S27. THIS RECALL WAS TO INSPECT REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS THAT WERE DONE UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL #10S13. AFTER I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL I LOOKED UNDER MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED A CRACK ON THE LEFT MIDDLE OF THE AXLE STEMMING INTO THE LEFT 'REINFORCEMENT BRACKET'. ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 03, 2017 I TOOK DROPPED MY VEHICLE OFF AT ACE FORD, WOODBURY, NJ 08096. A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM ACE FORD CALLED ME LATER TO INFORM ME OF THE FINDINGS. HE SAID AFTER INSPECTION, THE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. HE CLAIMED HE HAD CONTACTED FORD'S INTERNAL SERVICE CENTER AND SEND THEM PICTURES OF THE CRACK IN THE AXEL. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FORD OR ACE FORD COULD DO AND SAID, 'ANY FURTHER REPAIRS WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE OWNER'. GOING INTO THIS I WAS ALMOST CERTAIN FORD WOULD REPLACE THE REAR AXLE AT NO CHARGE, BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THERE HAS BEEN 3 RECALLS FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A CRACK IN MY REAR AXLE WHICH IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE AND CALLED ACE FORD BACK AND SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE CLAIMED HE WAS AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND NOTHING MORE COULD BE DONE UNLESS I CHOSE TO PAY THE REPAIR COSTS. I ALSO MENTIONED TO HIM THAT HIS REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT INFORM ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND SHOULD LEAVE THE PREMISES (EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON THE SERVICE INVOICE, I STILL SHOULD BE NOTIFIED VERBALLY AS I DIDN'T READ THE PAPERWORK UNTIL I GOT HOME). AFTER THAT I DECIDED TO CALL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTLY AS PER THE RECALL NOTICE. HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE SITUATION AND CALL ACE FORD WHILE HE PUT MY ON HOLD. WHEN HE CAME BACK TO THE PHONE HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT ACE FORD SAID, 'THERE IS NOTHING MORE WE CAN DO'.