Ford To Recall, Buy Back Windstar Minivans With Defective Axles

Ford‘s Windstar minivan is undergoing a massive recall, with over 460,000 1998-2003 Windstars being recalled over a fault rear axle that may corrode and ultimately fail.

Ford has informed dealers that rather than fix the problem, they may buy back the vehicles instead. “At our discretion, the remedy we offer may involve repurchasing a customer’s vehicle at a price we believe either matches or exceeds market value,” Ford said in a prepared statement.

Not surprisingly, the recall affects cars in “rust belt” states like Michigan and locations in Canada where road salt is used. NHTSA said that 96 percent of complaints came from the following states; 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, plus Washington, D.C.

[Source: Detroit News]

UPDATE: The Ford Windstar is now under investigation by NHTSA for rusting subframe issues. Click here to read the story.