Ford recalling older model Windstar minivans

Ford is recalling 575,000 older model Windstar minivans in the United States and Canada because of concerns that the rear axles can corrode and potentially break.

The recall covers vehicles in the model years 1998 to 2003 sold or registered in states where the heavy use of road salt can cause more corrosion. That includes New York State but also Canada, New England, the mid-Atlantic states and the Great Lakes region.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the design of the axle, which forms an inverted "U", may cause an excess of salty road slurry to collect on the axle. The safety regulator reported that 96 percent of all complaints were from the "Salt Belt" states where salt is heavily used to prevent freezing during winter months.

The NHTSA began an investigation in May after receiving 234 complaints of rear axle problems, which included two crashes. One driver reported the axle snapped in half after hitting a pothole, causing the tires to blow and the vehicle to strike a guardrail.

Bloomberg News reported Friday that Ford, based in Dearborn, Mich., has received about 950 complaints alleging cracking in the rear axle, including seven that resulted in accidents causing three injuries, according to a Ford spokesman.

The automaker will make the repair free of charge by installing brackets to reinforce the rear axle, the automaker said in a statement. Vehicle owners will be notified starting Sept. 27, Ford said.

Other states also covered by the recall include Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is also included.