Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1. Rear axle fractured severely & broke making the car un-drivable on 24 jan 2019 while in motion driving in city traffic. Ford put braces on this vehicle under recall# 10s13, but they failed to prevent further corrosion and metal fatigue. The axle was a bad engineering design from the drawing board combined with not e-coating the metal during manufacturing to prevent corrosion of the metal due to road salt. The axle fractured next to the brace on the driver side as shown in the 4 images below. I have one tow bill (flat-bed) to get the car off the downtown street to my home & will have another tow bill to transport it to where I can replace the axle. 2. Front cradle frame's mount rusted off that anchors the stabilizer bar so the stabilizer bar had to be removed. This happened several years ago. The cradle frame probable was not e-coated during manufacture either. …
While driving the vehicle at highway speeds, I heard a crunching sound in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle then began to sway on the road. I had to slow my speeds and pull over at a safe spot, which was a parking lot to inspect what the issue was. After inspection, I noted the passenger rear tire was at an angle with the top of the tire inward touching the frame. I took the vehicle to the closest repair shop where I found from their inspection that the axle was broke and the vehicle was not driveable. My vehicle was part of the Ford Windstar axle recall, which was serviced by the local Ford dealer in 2012. This vehicle had the reinforcements added to the axle in 2012. The axle broke between the reinforced plates welded to the axle during the recall check. …
Rear axle break due to corrosion of acknowledged inadequately designed axle. Break happened in the reinforcement bracket installed do to initial axle recall for potential break due to corrosion.. Car was on city street in motion to freeway onramp fortunately the axle broke prior to entering freeway. Axle break resulted in sagging axle and a wheel tilted inward at about 20 degrees and wedged against the inner wheel well. Tire started to smoke. Car is undriveable. The repair is estimated to $1400. Ford will not accept any financial responsibility for this break in the brackets installed to prevent the break. Additional components are also needing repair and replacement due to the break of the axle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While reversing at approximately 1 MPH, there was an explosion on the rear passenger side near the rear tire. In addition, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side after the tire was repaired. The tire had fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear axle had fractured and that the vehicle needed to be towed to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 179,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the front subframe was severely corroded and an abnormal noise was heard from the front passenger wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the vehicle was severely corroded and was previously inspected per NHTSA campaign number: 11V030000 (structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
I have made contacts before with Ford. Many items upon my vehicle have went bad since purchase. My main concern was tire blow outs. I contacted Ford after 2 tires blow outs within 3 months time. Since my contact I have had to replace an air conditioner, and other items. But my main concern was a tire blow out again that left my vehicle with front damage and my lower back in pain.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the right passenger side tire failed and noticed that the sub frame rotted out while installing the spare tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 177,000.
Tires were replaced with wrong size by 2 separate dealers causing tire sensor light to be on . After over 25 service visits problem discovered .dealer sent home with known safety problem "would not correct properly" 4 days later accident resulted.
Normal driving of 2001 Ford Windstar. Rear axle broke and car was non drive able. Rear axle design is obviously bad and can create a life threatening condition as the rear wheel assemblies would fall off. At highway conditions this would be catastrophic and would be life threatening. Very poor design that does not allow road conditions for a factory auto with 8 seats. Very bad estimates of passenger weight and safety factors. Vehicle never in a hard crash or hard damage. Never used to carry heavy equipment or non ordinary family travel. Design of back wheel assembly is a formed metal and not a solid structure to meet normal highway conditions. Metal sheared most of the way through. Obvious design limitations that will not meet multiple passenger operations on local roads and highways. Very-very dangerous design and fabrication specifications. …
Driving the vehicle became uncomfortable at both low and high speed; therefore, I started investigating to try to identify the cause. 1st I found one of the rear shocks was very bouncy, the rear tires were not straight and both rear tires were wearing on the inside. Replaced both rear shocks. That didn't solve the problem and the rear tires were still not straight. Next I went to mike naughton Ford dealership and talked with a service representative about the problem and asked if there was a recall. The technician said that I needed to bring the vehicle in for an alignment and have the rear cambers shimmied so that the wheels would be straight at a estimate cost of $200.00, that there were no recalls to have this work done. Last night (10-13-2013), I jacked the vehicle up to look under to see how difficult it would be to perform the work myself. …
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2001 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2001 Ford Windstar, 3% of the model year's 1,686 complaints. The component named most often is pressure monitoring and regulating systems (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Windstar wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2001 Ford Windstar, though it has 15 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford Windstar wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 134,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.