NHTSA Complaint #758991 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO I STARTED TO NOTICE A NOISE FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. OVER TIME IT GRADUALLY BECAME LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT. WHEN I WENT TO MY LOCAL GARAGE , THE NOISE WOULD NOT INITALLY BE PRESENT. FINALLY IT BECAME MORE PRESENT AND THE LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE TIE RODS AND THAT FORD WAS KNOWN TO FREQUENTLY HAVE THAT PROBLEM. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE FIXED BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. AT THAT TIME I HAD ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON T HE CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID. THEY REPAIRED THE CAR AND CHARGED ME FOR THE REPAIR SINCE THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON THE CAR (HIDDEN OR OTHERWISE) SINCE I HAD PRESSED THIS POINT WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND LATER WITH HIS MANAGER. NOTE: I HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEB SITE REGARDING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT DOES SEEM THAT TIE RODS SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AT 38-40,000 MILES. AND, THAT ULTIMATE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS CRASHES AND INJURIES.*AK