Ford (NYSE:F) Winstar Minivan Corrosion Investigation Ramps Up

The investigation into the corrosion in the Ford (NYSE:F) Winstar minivan, which has resulted in deaths and injuries, has increased in intensity as concerns over the saftey of the vehicles grow.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on their website they noted the investigation has entered an engineering analysis stage, which is considered a more advanced look at the problem.

So far over 600,000 Ford Windstar minivans have been recalled in North America, where the rear axles have been found vulnerable to corrosion and can break.

The recall at this time has been limited to 22 states where road salt is used to clear the roads in the winter

The latest part of the investigation is in relationship to new complaints, where 346 have been lodged about the corrosion also breaking the front subframe of the Ford vehicle. So far there has been one injury and three crashes related to that problem.

For those with real axle issues, replacements for those won't be made available until sometime in the early part of 2011.