#FordWindstar

Almost down to the day, it’s been two years since we originally reported the Ford Windstar recall that still seems to be out of control. Most recently the automaker added 27,000 of the minivans from Virginia because of cracked rear axles.

After an initial investigation and then a recall on the Ford Windstar for rear axle failure, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put the minivan on notice – again. This time NHTSA’s investigation involves the van’s subframe, which reportedly suffers from the same structural rusting as the rear axles.

The recent death of a Massachusetts man has put the spotlight on the Ford Motor Company and its handling of the recall of its Windstar minivan. The van itself was recalled back in August due to rear axles that could snap. The vans date from 1998 to 2003 and initially Ford was reluctant to issue the recall (as was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) as Ford insisted it wasn’t a safety issue.

The death of Sean Bowman, however, is certainly challenging that assertion and thanks to an ABC News report highlighting the family’s tragedy we now have some pretty shocking video of just what could happen when a rear axle breaks. The official government test video clearly shows just how dramatic and dangerous a snapping rear axle could be, with the side stability bars used on the car the only things preventing it from rolling over.

The death of Sean Bowman has caused Ford to reexamine the Windstar recall, and even expand it to include 37,000 move vehicles, including those in Utah – which are at risk due to extreme corrosion caused by road salt.

UPDATE: NHTSA is now investigating the Windstar for rusting subframe issues. Click here to read the story.

See the video after the jump:

The Windstar is proving to be a small nightmare for the folks at Ford and for anyone who happens to own one. First NHTSA was investigating the minivan for possible rear axle failure, then an official recall was issued. Then Ford announced it would go so far as to buy back the cars, while offering to cover the cost of a rental car for those who opted to get the axle fixed.

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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now officially launched an investigation into snapping rear axles on Ford Windstar models dating from 1999-2003. In total NHTSA has 234 complaints about broken rear axles, with two noted accidents but no injuries. Of the complaints, 56 involve vehicles where one of the rear axles snapped at speeds in excess of 40 mph.