This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
1998 Ford Windstar van. Front passenger lug bolts. All five lug bolt failed with no warning. Vehicle mileage 33300. No notice before failure. No shaking or vibrations. 60 mph at time of incident. All parts saved. Replaced 5 lug bolts, 5 lug nuts, rotor.
1998 Windstar lug nuts sheared off. The left front wheel came off the vehicle as a result of the lug nut shearing off. The vehicle landed on it's wheel.
On 4/16/06 I was driving the vehicle and felt something strange in the right front wheel. I checked to see if the tire was flat and found nothing noticeable. I continued on my way drove about one more mile when all five lugs of the passenger side front tire broke causing the tire to fall off. The tire damaged the fender and door. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The mechanic inspected and replaced the lugs. He could not find any reason for the lugs to break. 1998 Ford Windstar.
1998 Ford Windstar. 2 driver side wheel lug bolts broke off while driving. Both studs sheared completely off. Replaced both studs from Ford parts and 3 weeks later 1 of the new replacement lug bolts broke off.
The front passenger wheel departed (I.e. fell off) the vehicle while traveling 40 mph on a paved road. The vehicle stopped on a soft shoulder at the side of the road. All five studs holding the wheel on were sheered off. The wheel itself was not damaged, however major body damage was made to the wheel well and front door. The vehicle was repaired (except for the body damage) at the cost of $1300, replacing the rotor, brake, spindle and strut.
- Cedar Crest, NM, USA
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1998 Ford Windstar. Passenger side tire fell off while slowing to almost 1 km/H (luckily). All 5 studs sheared completely off. Replaced all studs from Ford parts and 3 weeks later 2 studs showing. Very scary, still working on problem.
The contact owns a 1998 Ford wind star. In 8-03 his wife was making a slow left hand ascending turn at 15-20 mph and the front right wheel sheared off. All five lugs:bolts broke off. It happened again on 9-13-05 after it had been repaired by Ford. She was making a slow ascending turn when all of the five lugs:bolts broke off again.
We were about 30 miles from home on our return trip from Ohio to Iowa when, while accelerating out of a rest area, steering column began shaking vigorously. We began to slow from 60-65mph and merged into the right lane. While the vehicle was going around 50mph the right front end dropped and the right front tire bounced off into a field. We retained control of the vehicle and pulled over without injury. Upon examination, the tire studs had all broken clean off. All except two were lost. The two had a locking mechanism. The damage due to the collision with the road after the wheel fell off was covered by our insurance, though technically the initail mechanical failure did was not, though since the studs were part of the rotor which was damaged they were replaced with the rotor. The parts damaged and replaced include the rotor, front brakes, control/stabilizing arm, right fender and passenger door.
Four of five lugs:nuts detached from the wheel unexpectedly causing the wheel to vibrate and almost detach from the vehicle. Taken to dealer for checkup and repairs.
A vibration began suddenly in the steering wheel while driving. After getting rapidly worse, the right front wheel came off of my 1998 Ford Windstar at 45 mph when the lug bolts broke, causing the vehicle to crash into the ground. I retrieved the wheel and found all five lugs, with their lug nuts still attached, captured between the hubcap and the wheel. The police officer who responded repeatedly stated that he was amazed that the vehicle did not roll over and that I was lucky there were no injuries.
Lugs nuts keep breaking off. Happens about every 2 to 3 thousand miles. Usually 2 to 3 lugnuts break off each time. I'm scared to drive the car. Was told to mention mention that there is an onging investigation going on with this. The investigation # is 3983673 - action # EA03004.
Consumer owned a 1998 Windstar that lost lugs in three instances since vehicle was bought. This always happened to the right front tire. Consumer maintained that replacing the lugs was not a solution since the lugs on that tire were replaced twice. The lugs won't remain tight. Over tighten them and they would break. Under tighten them, and the lugs nuts would loosen, and then lugs would break. There was no middle ground except to constantly check them for tightness.
Since April 2001 I have had my 1998 Ford Windstar in the shop nine times to replace front wheel studs that had sheared off. My hometown mechanic after replacing studs on the right front five times finally suggested we replace the wheel because several of the holes appeared oval instead of round. This seemed to have eliminated the problem on the right but since then I have had three incidents of studs shearing off on the left front wheel. At a Ford dealership in cincinnati, oh, I had to replace (in the left front) 3 studs and at that time had a new wheel put on. After driving from cincinnati to atlanta Georgia I again was at a Ford dealership in conyers Georgia with three more broken studs (on the left front) and this time they also replaced the hub assembly. Now after over $1300 in repairs my Windstar is again in the shop having broken studs replaced on the left front wheel. By the way none of the Ford dealerships would admit ever hearing of this problem before.
I was driving at 65 mph and felt a vibration as though I may have a flat tire, checked and the tires were fine so I proceeded forward only to have the front left wheel collapse inward, all 5 lugs were sheared completely off, the service center had no explanation for this occurrence, one month to the day the same thing occurred again and I was again charged the repair cost and new bolts and lugs were installed along with the tire being rotated to the back, this lasted for 6 months and the lugs broke again, I am just now learning that there are other consumers with this problem. Lug nuts should not be sheared off as though a hot knife cut through butter. I purchased my vehicle when it was 2 years old and though I have had no other major problems but this is one that could cost me or my children our lives.
In July of 2002 two lugnut studs from my left front wheel broke while I was driving my vehicle. In March of 2003 three lugnut studs from my right from wheel broke while I was driving. A forth lugnut stud broke on my right front wheel when I took my car in for maintenance.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Durango, CO, USA