NHTSA Complaint #723063 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

STRUT SPRING BROKE AND BODY FELL OVER DRIVERS SIDE. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME AT UP TO 10 MPH. WENT TO ONE REPAIR SHOP, TOLD THAT THE STRUT SPRING HAD BROKEN AND IT WOULD TAKE OVER A WEEK TO GET THE PART BECAUSE THERE WAS A NATIONAL BACKORDER FOR IT. FINALLY TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER IN MERRILLVILLE, ART HILL FORD (NOT WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED). WAS TOLD THE SAME THING REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PART. NO LOANER WAS OFFERED. SERVICE REP COULD NOT GIVE AN ADEQUATE REASON AS TO WHY THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE, IN ONE MOMENT SHE SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL OCCURRANCE, THE MANUFACTURER MAY NOT MAKE THE PART. IN THE NEXT BREATH I WAS TOLD THAT IN A CAR AT 64,000 MILES, ANYTHING COULD BREAK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS PULLING UP TO A DRIVE-THROUGH BANK WINDOW, UP A SMALL UNEVENNESS IN THE PAVEMENT THAT I'D DRIVEN OVER MANY TIMES BEFORE WITH NO INCIDENT. A PREVIOUS CHECK FOR PAST COMPLAINTS IN THIS AREA SHOWED THAT A SIMILAR COMPLAINT WAS FILED IN 1997. IN THAT INSTANCE ALSO, THE PART COULD NOT BE FOUND. I HAVE OWNED 2 FORDS PRIOR TO THIS, INCLUDING A 1990 AEROSTAR WITH 193,000 MILES ON IT. THE STRUT SPRING HAS NEVER CRACKED, NOR SOME OF THE OTHER PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *AK