Dangerous Product Alert: Ford Expands Recall for Windstar
For those with Ford Windstars, you may have a dangerous product. Ford is issuing a recall in several states of their 1998 to 2003 Ford Windstar models. For many owners so far, excessive rust on their rear axle has caused the axle to break, causing the Windstar to be a very dangerous product.
While Georgia has not officially been involved in the recalls, this may quickly change as more Windstar owners realize that the problems they may have encountered have been caused for exactly this problem. It is important to keep an eye on the states involves as many car dealers sell used vehicles that came from out of state.
The problem was first discovered when the rear axles began to crack, resulting in the loss of control of the vehicle. Ford initially denied the problem, saying that it was a front-wheel-drive vehicle and therefore the rear axle cracking would not affect performance. However, they began to change their minds after a man died from a crash in his 2001 Windstar due to mechanical difficulties.
The Ford Windstar has so far been recalled from 22 states that experience heavy snowfall and thus use road salt during the wintertime. However, while Ford believes that this should be sufficient, it has also recalled almost 10,000 registered Windstars in Puerto Rico due to the road conditions there, which may indicate that these cars can break down without extreme cold temperatures. So far, over 900,000 Windstars have been recalled by Ford.
For Georgia owners who believe that they might have been adversely affected due to the problems that they have encountered from driving in their Windstar, it may be advisable to step forward. While currently the vehicle is not officially recalled in Georgia, the dangers that have happened to owners in other states are very real. By addressing any concerns or complaints with this vehicle, this may allow others suffering from similar technical problems to step forward and thus clear the roadways of a potentially dangerous product.
Source: The New York Times, “Long-Running Recalls of Ford Windstar Minivan Are Expanded to Virginia,” Christopher Jensen, May 11, 2012
Have 2003 windstar with rear axle cracked axle beam to dangerous to drive needs a new axle please advise on the recall
Mr. Camp,
Thank you for your question! Monitoring recalls on your vehicle is very important for your safety and the safety of others on the road with you. A quick check on NHTSA shows that you should have been contacted by Ford, but as we have seen with many recalls, it doesn’t always reach you. We suggest contacting an authorized dealer immediately to have the issue addressed and replaced. Here is a link to the NHTSA website that shows all the recalls on your vehicle. You can print this and provide to your dealer/repair shop. 2003 Ford Windstar Recalls. I would also suggest entering your VIN into the NHTSA recall search option to see what recall repairs, if any, have been made.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a safety defect on your vehicle, call us immediately.