2003 FORD WINDSTAR — Complaint #847938
Open-data reference.
NHTSA Complaint about SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY filed March 21, 2011
NHTSA complaint #847938 (ODI reference 10392340) concerns a 2003 FORD WINDSTAR and was filed on March 21, 2011. The owner reports the failure occurred on January 16, 2011. The report was geocoded to Pennsylvania based on the filer's self-reported location. The affected component is categorized as suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly, one of NHTSA's standardized taxonomy codes used to group defect patterns across make, model, and year.
The filer flagged the following severity indicators: crash: no, fire: no, injuries: 0, fatalities: 0. No crash, fire, or fatality was associated with this report, which places it in the early-warning stream rather than the priority-review stream. Because a VIN was supplied, this complaint is tied to a specific vehicle and not just a model-year cohort.
Individual complaints are consumer-submitted and unverified by NHTSA engineers — the agency's role at this stage is to collect, index, and make them searchable. What matters for federal action is the pattern: when many owners of the same FORD WINDSTAR cohort independently describe similar suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly failures, defect investigators have grounds to open a PE and request manufacturer data. Related filings for the same vehicle and component appear below, and the detail page for the full 2003 FORD WINDSTAR shows the complete component-level complaint distribution alongside any active investigations or recalls.
Complaint Description
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED WITH RUST AND SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKE PEDAL ALSO EXTENDED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN IT WAS ENGAGED. ALL OF THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FELL BELOW ZERO, THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO SHUT ON AND OFF. THE REAR AXLE WAS CRACKED ON EACH END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADDED TWO PLATES ON EACH SIDE OF THE AXLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 10V385000 (SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY) & RECALL 11V030000 (STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS) BUT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE REMEDIES AND STATED THAT THEY WERE INADEQUATE. THE CONTACT ASKED THE DEALER IF THEY COULD GUARANTEE THAT THE AXLE WOULD NOT BREAK WITH THE TWO PLATES BUT RECEIVED NO GUARANTEE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Complaint Details
| NHTSA Complaint ID | 847938 |
| ODI Number | 10392340 |
| Date Filed | March 21, 2011 |
| Failure Date | January 16, 2011 |
| VIN | 2FMZA52433B |
Similar SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY Complaints for 2003 FORD WINDSTAR
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, there was a loud noise heard then the vehicle collapsed. The contact steered the steering wheel to move the vehi
2003 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND TWO SAFETY RECALLS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS WERE NOT CONDUCTED IN A TIMELY,
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE IN REGARDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V030000(STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS) AND
2003 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER STATES DISCONTENT WITH THE WAY RECALL FOR THE CRACKED REAR AXLE WAS HANDLED. *KB THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE REAR AX
2003 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING RECALL NOTICE *TGW THE REAR AXLE FAILED, PRIOR TO THE RECALL NOTIFICATION. *JB
Source: NHTSA Vehicle Complaints Database. Component taxonomy and severity codes are standardized by NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.