2003 windstar rear axle beam assembly

[ycgmywin]

My windstars rear axle beam is a bit rusty no sign of cracks as suggested could happen; but was wondering if there was any place, other then oem parts priced at nearly $600, i could get in very good condition if not new for a better price.

I notice people asking about there windstars instrument cluster needles dancing around. that is caused by the solder joints coming loose on the instrument board that the plugs plug onto on the board. youtube has some videos on how to alleviate that problem.

[phil-l]

I've heard of no other Windstar rear axle sources. If you're looking for better pricing, a trip through wrecking yards in salt-free states is probably the best bet at this point in the game, close to 15 years since the last Windstar rolled off the assembly line.

I successfully performed the dancing instrument cluster gauge needle fix (and it's still working fine over a year later). My report here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul....php?t=1147951

[scubacat]

Originally Posted by ycgmywin

My windstars rear axle beam is a bit rusty no sign of cracks as suggested could happen; but was wondering if there was any place, other then oem parts priced at nearly $600, i could get in very good condition if not new for a better price.

Not sure if you've replaced it yet or not, but if you had the recall done, I'd check very carefully, especially underneath the sleeve on the left side. I thought ours was fine but there was the start of a scary looking crack upon closer inspection. Fortunately, the dealer replaced it for free.

[jemst]

Any idea how I can get them to work with me on mine? I had the recall done and the axel broke right through the reinforcement bracket. I ended up with a VERY scary experience. Fortunately I did not have an accident. I got it towed to a dealer and it cot me $1100 to replace the axel. They stated Ford would not do it at no charge.

[scubacat]

Originally Posted by jemst

Any idea how I can get them to work with me on mine? I had the recall done and the axel broke right through the reinforcement bracket. I ended up with a VERY scary experience. Fortunately I did not have an accident. I got it towed to a dealer and it cot me $1100 to replace the axel. They stated Ford would not do it at no charge.

I just looked up the dealer info on the recall notice, and it seems that the refund offer expired 12/31/2015.

When did you pay the $1100 and when did you ask for the refund? (And do you have documentation of that?)

[jemst]

Originally Posted by scubacat

I just looked up the dealer info on the recall notice, and it seems that the refund offer expired 12/31/2015.

When did you pay the $1100 and when did you ask for the refund? (And do you have documentation of that?)

I just had this fail and pay for the fix about 2 months ago. The recall was done soon after the initial recall notice (remembering that they did not have parts in to do it at first) and then they recalled it again to verify it was done correctly. Now it failed and broke through the reinforcing brackets that were installed by the recall to prevent the axle from breaking. Dealer said they could not cover the failure and pointed me to the Ford 800 consumer line and they were VERY negative and outright dismissive. Gave me a PO box in in MI that they said I can write a letter to and stated it is not covered and they would do no more.

The thing they kept pointing to is that I had the recall done. Had I not had the recall done they stated they would have covered it. Kind of a backward thinking as I followed their guidance and had the recall done ASAP initially to avoid the broken axle and the potential of serious accident.

[scubacat]

Originally Posted by jemst

I just had this fail and pay for the fix about 2 months ago. The recall was done soon after the initial recall notice (remembering that they did not have parts in to do it at first) and then they recalled it again to verify it was done correctly. Now it failed and broke through the reinforcing brackets that were installed by the recall to prevent the axle from breaking. Dealer said they could not cover the failure and pointed me to the Ford 800 consumer line and they were VERY negative and outright dismissive. Gave me a PO box in in MI that they said I can write a letter to and stated it is not covered and they would do no more.

The thing they kept pointing to is that I had the recall done. Had I not had the recall done they stated they would have covered it. Kind of a backward thinking as I followed their guidance and had the recall done ASAP initially to avoid the broken axle and the potential of serious accident.

Sorry this happened to you. A tech or manager telling a bald-faced lie at a dealership service department is pretty typical. However, in this case, we were given a year to get the axle fixed for $300 (or free if the brackets were "improperly installed"). And there were many reports of those (obviously pointless) brackets failing prior to that happening. So while it's literally the least they could do, at least it was something. I went for replacement as soon as that bulletin came out because I knew I was on borrowed time with the original axle. Heck, I had the crack right there and the service tech tried to tell me it "wasn't that bad". What that means is "I'm paid peanuts for warranty work and hope you'll just leave". I can't blame him for not wanting to work for almost nothing, but this is a dangerous failure so I'd never risk it.

[12Ounce]

I don't know why, but an attorney always seems to explain it better than I can.