08/30/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Washington, DC – Ford announced a recall on Thursday, August 26, 2010, of 575,000 older model Windstar vans over concerns that the real axles can corrode and potentially break, as reported by the Boston Globe. The vans are currently located in the United States and Canada.
The recall covers vehicles with model years between 1998 and 2003. The span of the recall consists states in which there is heavy use of road salt during the winter which can cause corrosion, which includes Canada, New England, the Mid-Atlantic States and the Great Lakes area.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began an investigation earlier this year after receiving 234 complaints regarding rear axle problems. Of the complaints, two involved crashes, including an axle snapping after hitting a pothole, which caused the tires to blow and the vehicle to hit a guardrail.
No injuries were reported in connection with the complaints though.
NHTSA reported the design of the axle, which is shaped as an inverted “U,” may cause an excess of salty road slurry to collect. The organization reported that 96 percent of the complaints came from the ”Salt Belt” states, those that use salt to prevent freezing during winter weather.
Ford reported that it plans to begin notifying Windstar owners beginning September 27. Ford will fix the issue at no cost to the owner.
States included in the recall are: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is included as well.
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