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Ford WindstarIntroduced in the mid-1990s, the front-wheel-drive Ford Windstar minivan campaigned with an emphasis on, and reputation for, safety. And in the hotly contested family minivan market of the time, that was an especially solid piece of ground to be on. As long as buyers didn't need to haul adults in back on a regular basis, the Windstar served a family's needs just fine.
My insurance company recommended their own authorized adjuster which was a Ford dealership. The service manager created a bumper to bumper report of the van. He said he's never seen an axle crack before. I just wanted it documented.
My insurance company recommended their own adjuster at a Ford dealership. The service managers report confirmed no damage anywhere to vehicle. Although not in writing, he seemed to believe it could have possible been a combination of a pothole and metal fatique.
I have one with the same problem. How did you get the insurance company to pay for it? Also how many of these have to break before Ford will do a recall? I did a search on the internet and found several other people with the same problem
I checked mine visually the other day; no crack visible, but like a water stain in much the same place. This is an '02 Cargo that has hauled a lot of heavy stuff, from the look of it, and I'm about to haul another gross load for 2,000 miles.
Was the crack visible on the front side of the axle?
No, the crack was only on the rear side of cross member. The cross member (axle) has a cross sectional shape of an upside down letter "U". If it was visable from the front, it would have been complete failure.
I paid a $500.00 deductable on the insurance claim. I don't feel responsable or negligent. Ford did not seem concerned about defect. I can't think of any other way of alerting other owners of this possible hazard. Maybe if insurance companies see enough of these problems occuring, then somthing might happen.
Yes, thanks for the public service, Vee. I'll keep an eye on mine.
The fact that mine hasn't cracked in 145K miles has to do maybe with the fact it's always been in SoCalif, and has no rust anywhere. Your cross member was noticeably rusty, especially where it cracked, and it appeared the crack was not new.
I looked at mine the other day and it is fine, it must be a MFG defect in yours. My 1998 has been in the Wisconsin Winters its whole life with Salt getting sprayed on it all Winter.
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Mark V
1998 Explorer 4.0 SOHC
1998 Windstar GL 3.8
2001 Corvette Coupe 6 Speed
2006 Honda Shadow Spirit 750 http://public.fotki.com/snextime/
If your Exhaust tip is bigger than your cylinder bore, you are a Ricer!
I just happened to notice this morning that my rear wheels were toed in. After looking underneath, my 2001 Windstar, about 86k miles, has a crack in almost the identical place!! Has anyone heard of a recall for this? I see there are 3 of us with the same problem, but other's mentioned above.
Also, how did u turn this in to your insurance vee????
I'm not sure how these post replies get tagged to original message, but I have reponded to others the same question. I was very disappionted when I was faced with the repair of damage of unknown cause....I had never filed a claim with my insurance company before, but I wanted the repair documented somewhere else besides my checkbook. My deductable is $500.00 and the repair was $800.00ish. My feeling was that if these axles begin failing in large numbers maybe the insurance company lawyers will get involved and may some day see a reinbursment somehow. I took the vehicle to the insurance company's recomended garage (Ford dealership). I also filed a a complaint with NHSA (not sure of the accronym) highway safety.....
I have not yet seen an increase in my insurance premium, but I felt compelled to have a paper trail.
... Mine seems to be Perfect, I just scrubbed my entire frame down and did an undercoat... Looks good. I also sprayed my drums and calipers... Looks better that Mark's 'Vette.... just preparing for the new rims and paintjob... I can't wait
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1998 Ford Windstar GL 3.8L 253,100 miles
2005 Toyota Prius Package 6 1.5L 135,000 miles
2006 Toyota Sienna LE 3.3L 36,000 miles
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