Windstar buyback delays?

[ford4v429]

if we'd took the rental offered from day one till now, Ford would have paid out an added $3000.00 in rental fees due solely to foot dragging on the $2000.00 buyback check they will eventually send anyways- silly?

 

Fords done a lot right lately, but the windstar recall/buyback thing is a mishandled waste of Fords money.

 

heres our story:

 

 

we took our 98 Windstar in on 10-22-2010 for the rear axle recall- they called me that day, axle was cracked(yikes!) they said parts would be months out- Ford would cover a loaner till then...

I asked about the buyback note in the recall letter- they said they could put that thru for me- I declined the rental as I could still drive my mustang till winter weather gets close (but we need a 6 seater sometimes with 4 kids...)

Near 5 weeks goes by, nothing even though I'd called twice('dont need to do anything, just wait')...finally different person at the dealer said they changed the setup- each buyback offer was a phone conversation with Ford- hold on a minute...that was easy- 2 minutes later, finally a answer.

They said theyd offer 2k (just to scrap it I assume)- fine with me, I just needed to get a winter vehicle to haul us all before bad weather...she requested the paperwork, said it would take a week or two...I get the paperwork at home from Ford, take the package/title to the dealer to get it notarized and whatnot, she said it will take a couple more weeks- and again offered the rental until the check came in...this time I accepted, as weather was looking iffy (mustangs stay out of the salt), I needed something to seat 6, they were out of vans (almost all their cars were out as windstar recall loaners according to the enterprise guy) so they gave me a grand marquis...a month goes by, still no check, I'm getting worried about last minute shopping for a winter car in the middle of winter, so new years eve picked up a grand marquis I had been eying for the past month, and took back the rental- I know Ford offered to cover it, but I really felt it was a awfully expensive waste in offering these rental cars for months instead of just cutting a 2k check and getting it over with...I always feel funny driving someone elses car (borrowing a buddies 09 GT500 was the exception to that).

 

Anyways, had I taken them up on the rental car on 10-22, that would be three months and counting at 29 bucks a day (like 2500 bucks), on top of a 2k check, just because they were slow to cut the checks?

I just dont see why the buybacks are being dragged out so slowly. I read somewhere ford was paying up to 40 a day for rentals- this kinda worries me as to if perhaps ford pays dealers 40, then they pay 29, it could encourage slow moving on this...a lot of folks wont get their vans back for still months to come from what I hear...

the way I see it, I saved ford the cost of my buyback by declining the rental for 2 months already, but I'm still wondering- where is the check, and how many more relatively small checks are they sitting expensively on? Sure seems a awful expensive way to spend money.

 

All in all though, gotta say thanks to the folks at Ford for adressing this axle issue promptly- yeah I know its expensive for Ford, and its probably cheaper than the black eyes and lawsuits that could have popped up otherwise- but seriously, I never in a million years woulda thought to look at the topside of the rear axle for corrosion, but I think of all the places weve been with all 6 of us feeling safe and secure in it, its kinda scary- thank you for getting them in ASAP. a 86 year old friend of mines 03 was also cracked, he was shocked to hear it too, but thankful Ford adressed it before it became a issue. I just feel theres a accounting SNAFU somewhere making a already expensive issue double its cost...

Edited January 25, 2011 by ford4v429

[theoldwizard]

All in all though, gotta say thanks to the folks at Ford for adressing this axle issue promptly-

There are hundreds (maybe thousands ?) of people that would disagree with the statement "addressing this issue promptly" !

 

I have been reading about rear axle failure for over 4 years now ! We won't even talk about 3.8L head gasket and AX4S/AX4N/4F50N transmission issues.

 

Of yeah, and the front subframe rust through also, where the A/C drain drips on it.

[ford4v429]

There are hundreds (maybe thousands ?) of people that would disagree with the statement "addressing this issue promptly" !

 

I have been reading about rear axle failure for over 4 years now ! We won't even talk about 3.8L head gasket and AX4S/AX4N/4F50N transmission issues.

 

Of yeah, and the front subframe rust through also, where the A/C drain drips on it.

 

I was just talking to a guy at work about this- he said his neighbor scrapped theirs 2 years ago when the axle broke. I know about the 3.8 head gaskets and the tranny issues- knew a lot of folks that had both Taurus' and Windstars that lost one or the other at 60-90k...also a few folks said if the head gaskets go just junk it- as often after the repair the bottom end fails from antifreeze that went thru the bearings. dont recall hearing about front frames failing firsthand, but jeez, if the axles rusted thru, not suprised. Ours took us all over the country, never missed a beat, guess we were lucky to get 90K out of it.

First I'd heard of this was like last september or so, think I even put up a thread a few days after seeing a van just like ours sitting along side the highway with the axle on the ground just past the center, and 2 cut rear tires- did some reading and at that time found the NHTSA had like 230 complaints logged of just such a issue...I didnt realize it was older info...makes sense as my old buddies is 5 years newer than ours was, and it failed too.

 

as expensive as recalls can be, if nothing else perhaps rust prevention might become a bigger priority now...cars have come a long way in about every regard compared to 20 yrs ago, rustproofing is better, but still not good. I had all new brakelines put on our windstar a couple years ago as there were spots that looked horrible...chassis might not be the best place for light paint or wax dip...my old F150 had the black wax coated frame, by 5 years old it was looking pretty rough. Frames/suspension/brake and fuel lines all need to be the last things on a car to rust, not the first...

 

Still no check.

[theoldwizard]

as expensive as recalls can be, if nothing else perhaps rust prevention might become a bigger priority now...cars have come a long way in about every regard compared to 20 yrs ago, rustproofing is better, but still not good.

The sad thing is that I would classify most of the Windstar problems as "design flaws". The rear axle trap water which invite rust. The front subframe is directly under the A/C drain.

 

3.8L head gasket and tranny had been failing for years. Worse, middle and upper level management denied there was any issue with either. Of course from where they sat, there wasn't because most failures happened after 50k, when the vehicle was out of warranty. It may be difficult to win some of those customers back !

 

I am talking about events that happened 4-6 years ago. There is a new generation leading the company. Let's hope they have changed.

[ford4v429]

Fords had my van for 3 months, 4 days.

Title was signed over SIX WEEKS AGO and Fedexed to Ford by my dealer

 

Still no check.

 

 

was really nice of them to offer a shiny new rental since day one, but isnt it kinda stupid to pay out several thousand extra dollars before putting a check in the mail?

Was nice of them to Fedex ship the documents along with a Fedex return package to save time...wonder if theyll drag their feet a few more weeks or months then next day air the checks out???

 

Local dealers are spilling over with Windstars, Local rental lots are raking in big bucks...Anyone have any Idea why Ford would want this already expensive recall to cost them 2 or 3 times what it could if being handled even semi promptly? I'm sure theres a bizillion legal/tax/accounting gurus wrapped up in this mess somewhere, but still- Why didnt Ford just do the deal with their dealers to dispose of these cars as promptly as possible?

 

most folks are probably livin it up in their free new rental as opposed to their old minivan, but I dont like driving other peoples cars, only used the rental for a month instead of three (and still counting) since this started.

 

I'm guessing replacing the axles, plus whatever else might be damaged during the swap, will probably cost around 2k per car- and also guessing thats why Ford offered 2K just to buy it out- same cost either way, but no more recalls if say the front subframe probe comes up later this year or something... so they pay 2K probably scrap them for about 500 bucks, fords could still be out about 1500 for a buyback, or 2000 for a replacement axle...expensive recall.

now on top of the 2000.00 repairs, add in the 4000.00 for 4 months rental- ouch, fixing these cars is costing ford a small fortune. Gee, buy them out ASAP, save Ford a boatload- makes sense.

PROBLEM IS, AFTER AGREEING TO THE BUYOUTS THEY ARE NOT SENDING THE CHECKS< AND KEEP PAYING RENTAL FEES until they do? this is beyond silly.

I hate to see money being thrown away, if they need a write-off they could donate to a Childrens Hospital and do some good...

[forddaughter]

Mine is going in today to get the rear axle reinforced even though nothing was wrong. Guess they are fixing all of 2003 models.

 

Now I just read there's a new recall for the front!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRGH!