Rear Axle Break

[kfordil]

I just bought a 2000 SEL with 70K on it. Beautiful van, 1 previous owner, with a clean Carfax. I didn't know the history of issues with the Windstar until I looked it up on-line...oh well.

My concern is the rear axle breakage I've read about on other sites on-line. Seems like a major problem for a lot of Windstar owners. Is it as common as I've read? Any tips?

[phil-l]

Since no one else has chimed in yet...

I've read about Windstar rear axle failures - but don't believe it to be a widespread problem. I didn't find many references to it on this forum. Personally, I've never seen one fail. From the reading I've done, I get the idea it's at least in part a corrosion problem, so only likely to be seen in heavily-salted areas.

I have a 2000 Windstar LX and was finishing some fluid maintenance projects last night, so I crawled under the rear of the van and took a close look at the axle. The solid axle is built up from several welded assemblies. There are several hollow areas within the axle assembly that have small access holes. I can imagine that if road salt got in there, it could cause problems.

That said, my Windstar has been in salt-using areas its whole life. I bought it used, but CarFax says it started in Indiana. Maryland doesn't get tons of snow - but we do get ice, for which we regularly get salted. I also take lots of family-related trips to Ohio, and have crossed PA in more than one winter.

After 123K miles (many of those miles towing either a popup camper or a utility trailer), I see no signs of unusual corrosion or other problems on my axle. What corrosion I see is very minor, only on the surface.

However, I may consider snaking a piece of tubing inside some of the access holes - and using a syringe to squirt something like 80W-90 gear lube. That will ensure that any salt/water that makes it in there won't cause problems.

[smata67]

Another unsuspecting purchaser. Good luck with your vehicle. Plan on spending lots of weekends fixing the hundreds of miscellaneous things that go wrong with this van. This week it was the heater blender door actuator. What's next? Who knows. Good idea to check the leaking cruise control thingy hanging off the bottom of the brake master cylinder. Not leaking yet? You wait! Also, is your ABS light coming on randomly? Don't fret. It will. You do not want to know how much a proper fix is for this. Really, you don't. Get used to the light. Clunking front end? Stuck windows? Sliding door does not engage? Or worse yet, falls off! (keep the dog and kids strapped in) Sit back and relax, they are all certainly in your future. Thank God for this site, it has saved me much money and aggravation. Well, money...

[serge_saati]

It's not a common failure at all.
If you want that your van last very long, put oil under the chassis to prevent rust.
If you do it, it will never break. And don't overload the van with 500lbs of stock at the trunk like some peoples do. It's why they break the axle.

[wiswind]

The broken axel issue is news to me.
From your reading, what years were involved?
My '96 has spent it's life in salty road winters......it now has over 216K miles on it.
One thing that comes up for us salty winter folks is corrosion on the front springs, which is why FORD put a 10 year, unlimited mileage waranty on the front springs.
I have found my '96 3.8L to be quite reliable.
YES, there are a number of repairs shown in my pictures, but, again....that is on a old vehicle with many miles.....and it is still in very good mechanical shape.

As a new windstar owner....you might want to give the "General information" thread a reading to become familiar with some things to watch out for.......so you know how to avoid big problems and $$$ by catching things early and quickly.
All vehicles have their "quirks"....so with any vehicle, it pays to read up and become familiar with each vehicle's potential issues.

[phil-l]

wiswind -

While Googling this issue, it seemed that 2001 and 2002 Windstars seem to show up more frequently than other years. I wonder if there were some manufacturing process changes that year...

[wafrederick]

Windstars with the 3.8 did have head gasket problems which Ford did come out with a recall on them up to a certain mileage.Ford even paid for the repairs done by shops.Pus they did have transmission problems,with big time lube problems which were fixed in 2001 I believe.Ford made a mistake by putting in the transmissions from Tauruses and the Sables in which did not hold up.Park it outside and Ford says to do this since there is a big recall on the cruise control.There were cases of certain Fords catching on fire due to the cruise control problems also burning down houses in the process.

[serge_saati]

Originally Posted by wafrederick

Plus they did have transmission problems,with big time lube problems which were fixed in 2001 I believe. Ford made a mistake by putting in the transmissions from Tauruses and the Sables in which did not hold up.

I already seen a '02 Taurus with a broken transmission at 100Kmiles. The transmission slips then broke. The problem was in the transmission design, not in the application. There's only 13% more weight on the Windstar and 27% more on the engine brake. Actually, it's designed for a geo metro

And no, the design was not corrected in 2001. It was in 2006, as I know.


Returning to the rear axle, it looks that it break within 110kmiles in the 99-2003: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Wi...d_in_two.shtml

And this one was not rusty. Maybe it was overloaded, we don't know.
Anyway, if it breaks, nothing alarming. The car is supported by the coil spring and strut. The ride will be just less comfortable.

[kfordil]

Thanks for the advice regarding the rear axle on Windstars. For those interested in seeing pics and reading the horror stories, check carcomplaints.com. Not enough info there to tell how the vehicles were used or maintained, but enough to raise a red flag for me.

Twelve of the Windstars affected by the "surprise" break were between 100K and 177K miles, five were between 65K - 97K miles. Two were 2000's. Most didn't list what year van they owned. My van is a 2000 SEL with 70K miles.

In reading the posts on this forum, it doesn't appear that rear axles are breaking off in record numbers. YAY! We have 4 kids, so Safety is #1 for us. It'll be inspected, along with the front coil springs. And many other things.

Smata 67, your post points to the dependablity and reliabilty issues, as well as the cost and time of repairs and maintenance. Those are other serious concerns for me. This is our only vehicle and I can't afford a lot of downtime or expense. That said, I roared with laughter reading your comments! IF I decide to keep this vehicle (original intention was to keep it for three to four years) I hope I can learn from you and the others on this forum how to avoid the headaches you've encountered. Wishful thinking on my part, perhaps.

Park it outside, Wafrederick??? This van doesn't look like it's ever spent the night outside. The exterior is beautiful, the interior is in fantastic condition, and --knock on wood-- everything appears to be working -- knock on wood again. Tell you what, I'll keep it outside until I bring it in for the Vehicle Speed Control recall. Safety is #1. And I know, I know...I'm gonna eat my words about the "everything's working" comment. You can all have a good laugh now.

Wiswind, your general information post rocks! I've read, re-read and taken notes from it. Lots of solid advice I'll put into place before I start driving the car much. I've subscribed to ALLDATAdiy.com. Next is the Haynes manual. Oh yeah, gotta schedule that Tranny Flush!!

I live NW of Chicago near the WI border, so snow/ice/heavy salt and just plain long cold nasty winters are the norm, and according to the CarFax it was a locally owned van (one owner before me). Is it too late to rustproof?? It hasn't been before, as far as I can tell.

There is some corrosion on the axle but not at all bad for a 9 year old van with 70K on it. Phil-l and serge saati -- good advice on preventive maintenance! Thanks! And no, I won't be using it to haul heavy loads, except for my son's football player friends. Don't know how it was used for the past 70K miles, but given the condition the interior/exterior are in it does not appear to have been abused.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this van works out. I'll be lurking, taking your advice, and posting here. Thx!

[tomj76]

Just offer another point of view, I have a '96 with 258k miles, mostly highway. I've had a few problems, and some of them were design/quality related, some where wear and tear. The most troubling problems I've experienced are
-strut bearings that "break" (i.e. need replaced) when a deep pothole is hit.
-struts that rubbed on the strut tower. I had to purchase and install spacers to resolve
- EGR ports require regular cleaning (~50k miles)
-transmission failure (@ 190k) This has been the biggest headache of all. Leading up to the failure there was occasional chattering of the torque converter clutch, which I thought was a misfire. Since the transmission was overhauled (by 3rd party) I've still had this problem and have not been able to resolve it.

Overall I've thought this vehicle was a good value, and I am considering rebuilding the engine (due to high mileage) to extend it's life, if I can first get the transmission issue resolved. During the first few years and after the first experience with the EGR ports (a $400 "repair"!) I had regretted buying this vehicle, but more recently I feel better about it, especially considering the overall mileage I've been able to get out of it.

[serge_saati]

Another advice: Lube the tie-rods and ball joint of the steering with winter viscosity grease. Also the the strut bushing, and anti roll bar junction. It'll prevent to replace these parts later. If you follow the schedule maintenance of the owner manual, it'll save you a lot.

[phil-l]

I'll second the grease recommendation. However, note that none of these items have traditional grease fittings on the Windstar. Get a needle for your grease gun and learn how to use it carefully, to avoid ripping boots.

Here's a sample grease gun needle; they're commonly available:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47469

[smata67]

Most issues with the van I've had so far have not been the kind that would leave you stranded. They are just annoying, but can be put off dealing with, because they are not critical. You will need to do alot of this yourself or your "great deal" van will end up costing a bundle. Some basic mechanical skills and patience should get you through.

[gridman]

I own a 2001 Windstar SE, which I bought new. The vehicle has never been overloaded or abused. I live in the NW suburbs near Chicago, so the weather and road conditions are the same as your vehicle has been thru.

In June, 09 I was driving home with my family, as I was going over a fairly smooth railroad crossing I felt the van start handling strange. I pulled over and found the right rear wheel out of align. I carefully drove it home and went underneath to check it.

To my surprise I found the axle beam cracked 3/4 of the way thru.

After reading the dozens of complaints from other Windstar owners (37 from just the 2001 model year) I see this problem is not unique.

One thing I have done is contact other Windstar owners I know warning them about this problem.

The axle failure is caused by the axle tube rotting from the inside. The first visible indication of this failure is when the axle tube cracks. The crack starts at the bottom of the axle tube (the area of highest load/stress) and works its way up. If you’re lucky, (like I was) it only cracks part way, enough to where the driver notices a problem with the vehicle handling and gets it checked. If you’re unlucky, (as many people have been) the axle can break in two, making the vehicle almost impossible to control. If it were to break in a vehicle at highway speeds, loaded up with family (or soccer team or scouts, etc), the results could be catastrophic.

Additionally, from what I have found on the internet, Ford was notified about this potential problem as far back as 1999 (2 years before my Windstar was even built!!!). From what I can determine, Ford used the same (flawed) axle tube in all Windstars built. In 2004 Ford introduced the Windstar’s replacement, the Freestar.
The Freestar’s axle is a new design, raising the middle of the tube higher than the ends (which would make it harder for water/road salt to get in and easier to drain out).

[serge_saati]

When it happens, did the tracking bar was in good shape? Tracking bar helps axle beam to not twist too much.

Maybe too much fuel in the tank doesn't help the beam too live longtime. I never fill more than 3/8. Also, I consume less fuel (less weight).