Critics of regional recalls say they do not repair all the vehicles with a known safety defect.
Ford Motor is once again expanding a corrosion recall on 1998-2003 Windstar minivans because a supplier failed to properly e-coat the suspension components, which makes the vehicles susceptible to sudden failures of the steering, front sub-frame and/or rear axle. In a massive recall announced in January of 2011, more than 425,000 Ford Windstar minivans were recalled because the steering fails because of rusting problems. NHTSA opened an engineering investigation in July of 2010 into the ongoing Windstar rust problem.
Many of the Windstar minivans affected are also part of a rear axle corrosion recall on 600,000 Windstars announced in 2010 where there is at least one alleged fatality. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is continuing its investigation of Ford corrosion problems.
Ford is now recalling 1998-2003 Windstar minivans sold in Virginia and Puerto Rico because the rear axle can crack or fail. In the required NHTSA filing, Ford said the torsional loading problem was specific to those markets. Corrosion is also a factor in the axle failures. Ford is also expanding the front corrosion recall to Virginia, a state where it has maintained there is no corrosion problem.
Ford has been attempting to recall only some of the Windstars potentially affected by rust. In the original recall only Windstar vans sold or currently registered in heavy winter salt use states of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, new Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are being checked for the safety related defect.
Critics of such regional recalls say they do not properly inspect or repair all of the potentially defective vehicles, jeopardizing safety where there is a known defect. Automakers use regional recalls to hold down the costs of complying with U.S. regulations. Ford did not issue a news release about any of its safety defects, and the age of the vehicles will limit the effectiveness of a recall mailing.
Owners will be asked to take their vehicle to a Ford dealer for an inspection. If the vehicle passes the corrosion inspection, reinforcement brackets will be installed. Owners of vehicles that do not pass inspection, but can be repaired, will be offered alternative transportation until parts become available. In some cases where reinforcement brackets cannot repair a vehicle, a repurchase offer will be made.
Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
(See also Ford Recalls 425,000 Windstar Minivans for Bad Steering)
