2003 FORD WINDSTAR — Complaint #848690
Open-data reference.
NHTSA Complaint about SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY filed March 25, 2011
NHTSA complaint #848690 (ODI reference 10393237) concerns a 2003 FORD WINDSTAR and was filed on March 25, 2011. The owner reports the failure occurred on March 1, 2011. The report was geocoded to Massachusetts 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
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, EFFICIENT, AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE FINALLY RECEIVED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE AXLE INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE AXLE WAS CRACKED IN THREE PLACES. THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS AND THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND THEREFORE, IT WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER FOR OVER A MONTH. THE CONSUMER STATED HE THEN RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL RELATING TO THE SUBFRAME. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER REGARDING THE SECOND RECALL AND WAS INFORMED THEY WERE AWARE OF IT AND HE WOULD BE CONTACTED WHEN THE REPAIRS FOR THE SECOND RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLETED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A VOICE MAIL FROM THE DEALER STATING THE PARTS FOR THE AXLE HAD ARRIVED. HOWEVER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ENGINE HAD AN OIL LEAK, THE SWAY BAR LINK WAS BROKEN IN THE FRONT, THE RIGHT FRONT
Complaint Details
| NHTSA Complaint ID | 848690 |
| ODI Number | 10393237 |
| Date Filed | March 25, 2011 |
| Failure Date | March 1, 2011 |
| VIN | 2FMZA51483B |
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
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 FLOORBOAR
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.