NHTSA Campaign 15V608000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Issued by Ford Motor Company · Reported Sep 29, 2015 · 283,413 vehicles affected

What's wrong

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles manufactured September 2, 1997, to July 3, 2003. The affected vehicles were previously remedied to safeguard against the rear axle cracking from corrosion, however, the remedy brackets may have been misinstalled. The incorrect bracket installations may limit the effectiveness of the service repair for NHTSA recalls 10V-385, 12V-193, and 12V-195.

Consequence

If the brackets were not installed properly, the rear axle may fracture, affecting the vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brackets to verify their proper installation. If a bracket is found to have been misinstalled, the rear axle will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S27.

Vehicles affected by this recall

Make Model Year Units
FORD WINDSTAR 1998 283,413
FORD WINDSTAR 1999 283,413
FORD WINDSTAR 2000 283,413
FORD WINDSTAR 2001 283,413
FORD WINDSTAR 2002 283,413
FORD WINDSTAR 2003 283,413

Source: NHTSA Campaign 15V608000 on nhtsa.gov. To check the current repair status for a specific vehicle, use our free VIN decoder.