Ford Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Windstar Axle Failures

Ford Windstar minivan owners have filed a class action lawsuit that alleges their vans are “unfit, unsafe and unmerchantable” because the rear axles are rusting out and breaking. The lawsuit came two weeks after the New York Times reported the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received over 200 complaints about Windstar axle failures, but has never opened an investigation or warned consumers about the dangerous defect. Many of the complaints involved Windstar owners who lost control on the road at high speeds when their rear axel broke.The class action lawsuit claims Ford knows about the defect, which causes water to be collected and trapped in the axel so that it rusts from the inside out. The rust “weakens these axels” and makes them “susceptible to failure while the vehicle is being operated.” Despite documentation of these failures, Ford has never issued a recall or service bulletin or warned their customers that their vehicles might be prone to sudden failure during operation, the lawsuit says.The class action lawsuit includes anyone who currently owns or leases a 1999-2003 Ford Windstar and is seeking either a full refund of the total value of the vehicle or a recall program that will provide free repairs to class members. [ConsumerAffairs]