Ford has officially upgraded the status of the rear axle corrosion investigation to a voluntary recall that will cover 462,750 Windstar vans, model years 1999 through 2003.
The recall comes after The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration received over 200 complaints of a failing rear axle related to excessive corrosion to the axle housing.
The problem stems from a ‘U’ channel design on the rear axle beam which created an unintentional holding place for salt slurry in areas that treat roads for snow. This holding location ultimately was exposed to abnormal levels of salt, which in turn caused the housing to rust through.
Ford has said that it will retroactively reimburse owners who have already paid to have the issue repaired out of pocket, as well as to replace the faulty part for other owners who have not yet experienced the problem.
