1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL FOR FRONT BRAKE FLUID LINE DUE TO CONTACT WITH HEAT REMOVING PROTECTION. THIS COULD CAUSE THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THE PROBLEM SURFACED ON THE REAR BRAKE LINES, SHOWING SIGNS OF CORROSION. DEALERSHIP DID NOT CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REAR LINES LEAKING. *AK

MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR STARTED CUTTING OFF ON ME WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT. I USUALLY AM TRANSPORTING MY CHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS AROUND AND IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN IN TRAFFIC THE VAN JUST SHUTS OFF. IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, BUT I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING IT ANYMORE. AFTER SEVERAL VISITS TO THE DEALER AND OTHER CAR REPAIR PLACES, THE DEALER SENT US HOME WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE REPLACED THE IAC VALVE, FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, AND THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. ONE PLACE WE TOOK IT CHECKED FOR VACUUM LEAKS AND CHECKED THE FUEL FLOW, WHICH ACCORDING TO THEM WAS ALL FINE. WE DID NOT KEEP ANY OF THE OLD PARTS LISTED ABOVE. THERE HAS GOT TO BE A REASON FOR A CAR TO JUST SHUT OFF, BUT EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE BAFFLED. EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE THE FIRST TIME: GOT IN THE VAN TO TAKE MY SON TO AN ORTHODONTIC APPOINTMENT. AND AS I PULLED INTO THE PARKING PLACE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING IT JUST TURNED OFF. AFTER THE APPOINTMENT. DRIVING HOME, IT CUT OFF ON ME 3 MORE TIMES. I WAS VERY SCARED SOMEONE WAS GOING TO HIT ME FROM BEHIND OR AS I MADE A TURN IT CUT OFF AND A CAR JUST MISSED MY FRONT END. ANOTHER THING THAT IS SCARY IS WHEN THE ENGINE CUTS OFF, THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND I CAN BARELY GET IT PULLED OVER TO PUT IT IN PARK TO START IT AGAIN. IF YOU CAN HELP I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. *AK

AFTER FILLING UP WITH GASOLINE AT A GAS STATION, I WENT TO A NEARBY GROCERY STORE. AFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR IN THE STORE, UPON RETURNING TO MY VEHICLE I NOTICED A VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. TO MY HORROR I NOTICED THAT THE GASOLINE WAS ALL OVER THE PARKING LOT COMING FROM UNDER MY VAN. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY HUSBAND, WE HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDANT REPAIR FACILITY. THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN MY FUEL TANK AND THEY REPLACED THE TANK. I BEGAN TO LOOK INTO WHETHER THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL TANKS, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH COULD EASILY HAVE LED TO SOMEONE BEING INJURED OR POSSIBLY LED TO FATALITY. WHEN I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT IT ONLY APPLIED TO VEHICLES IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS, I NOTIFIED FORD THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY FUEL TANK OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL REGIONS. WHEN I FELT THAT I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON I WROTE A LETTER TO THE FORD COMPANY. I HAVE NOT HEARD A REPLY FROM THEM REGARDING A POSSIBLE UPDATE TO THE RECALL #99R33 *AK.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES FAILED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH FRONT BRAKES WERE LEAKING FLUID. *AK

MY DAUGHTER, WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY S.W. LOOP 410 AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR, HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE (1995 FORD WINDSTAR) TO INVESTIGATE. SHE OBSERVED THAT THE TREAD HAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CARCASS AND THE TIRES SEPARATED STEEL BELT WAS FLAPPING AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL-WELL CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE. THEY SAID THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE FROM $1,000 TO $3,000. *LA

WE WERE DRIVING OUR 1995 FORD WINDSTAR WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AND SLASHED THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WHICH CAUSED IT TO DEFLATE IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIM. WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO STOP AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND NO ONE WAS HURT. WE PULLED THE TIRE OFF AND PUT ON THE "DONUT". THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKE AND JUTTING OUT LIKE A KNIFE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR AUTO MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE BROKEN COIL SPRING AS WELL AS THE OTHER ONE (SINCE IT WAS RUSTED AND COMPRESSED). HE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE STRUTS AND BEARINGS SINCE WHEN THE COIL SPRING BROKE SOMETHING FLEW UP AND HIT THE BOOT WHERE THE BEARINGS ARE LOCATED. THAT WAS ON 7/13. SOMEONE TOLD US TO LOOK ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BROKEN COIL SPRINGS. WE SAW THAT THERE IS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01I007000 REFERENCING COIL SPRINGS BREAKING AND TIRES DEFLATING ON 1995 FORD WINDSTARS. IT ALSO STATES THAT FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR FRONT COIL SPRING REPLACEMENT TO A TOTAL OF 10 YEARS OF SERVICE FROM THE WARRANTY START DATE, WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. IT SAYS THAT THIS COVERAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO SUBSEQUENT OWNERS AT NO CHARGE AND IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES DURING THE COVERAGE PERIOD NOTED, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER LISTED FOR FORD...866-436-7332...AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE A RECALL. I'M WONDERING IF MY PARTICULAR 1995 FORD WINDSTAR WAS MADE AT A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND THAT IS WHY THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING COVERING THE VEHICLE. EITHER WAY...THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE AND DAMAGE HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE AND I AM A VERY CAREFUL DRIVER...I BABY MY VEHICLES. THIS FAILURE AND DAMAGE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME AND FORD SHOULD COVER MY VEHICLE. WE WENT TO OUR AUTO MECHANIC, NOT A FORD DEALERSHIP SINCE WE ARE SECOND OWNERS, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT FORD DEALERSHIP TO GO TO. THANK YOU.

VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR FRONT BRAKE LINE CORROSION. VEHICLE WAS SENT TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED. CURRENTLY, BRAKES WERE AFFECTED BY THE DEFECT. *AK

TOOK 1995 FORD WINDSTAR TO HALDEMAN FORD (THIS WHERE I PURCHASED THE VAN), BECAUSE IT WAS OVERHEATING, THEY MADE THE REPAIR WHICH WE PAID $614.54 AND TOLD US THAT WE NEEDED A HEAD GASKET, WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE USED VEHICLE AND THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE INCLUDED ON THE WARRANTY, BUT THEY TOLD US THAT BECAUSE WE DID NOT MAINTENANCE THE CAR THE PROPER WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT OURSELF, AND THAT WE HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE (NOT A HEAD GASKET LIKE THEY SAID AT FIRST) AND PAY OUT OF OUR POCKET $3,000 NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT STEPS SHOULD WE TAKE IN ORDER FOR SOME ONE TO HEAR US OUT. I ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE WARRANTY, RECEIPTS FOR THE OIL CHANGE AND THE RECEIPT THAT I HAD PAID FOR THE REPAIR. THANK YOU . *AK

I ASKED THE SELLER AT FORD TO COMPLETELY SERVICE THE VAN BEFORE I WOULD BUY IT. HE SAID HIS MECHANIC WOULD. I CHECKED THE VAN OUT TWO WEEKS LATER, LOW ON OIL, NO BRAKE FLUID, TRANS FLUID VERY LOW, NO WATER HARDLY AT ALL IN RECEIVER, THEN THE STARTER WENT OUT, REPLACED IT NO GOOD, REPLACED SWITCH, NO GOOD, BRAKES GONE OUT, CAN'T KEEP FLUID IN SYSTEMS, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, EMISSION PROBLEMS, MECHANIC STALLS FOR THE HOUR AMOUNT, AND STILL CAN'T FIX/TEST II CODE. INSIDE LIGHTS DIM WHEN EXTRA. LIGHTS COME ON. IT'S A [XXX] PIECE OF JUNK AND THEY SOLD US A LEMON. I PAID OVER $4,000.00 CASH FOR IT, AND ALL THEY WANTED TO SO WAS SELL IT FOR MONEY. WHAT CAN I DO? IT HAS 72,000 ETC MILE AND NOW HAS 82,000. WE ARE BOTH DISABLED WITH TWO KIDS. WE HAVE BEEN SCREWED. I CAN GET THE FORD INFO ON THE FORD WINDSTAR 95 3.8 IT RATTLES, WATER RUNS OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE CONVERTER. I WANT TO SUE THEM, I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID THE HELL WITH YOU, YOU BOUGHT IT AS IT WAS. FORD PRODUCTS ARE THE WORST AUTO'S ON THE MARKET. WE WANT REVENGE AND ALL OUR MONEY BACK NOW. [XXX]. WHAT IS NEXT A HEAD GASKET? I HEARD THAT COST OVER $1,600.00 TO FIX. AND THERE ARE ALOT OF THEM GOING OUT. FORD NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND IT'S PRODUCTS OR GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS. I HAVE HAD MY KIDS TOSSED TO THE DASH WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKES BEFORE WE EVEN GET OUT OF OUR DRIVE WAY. WE WEAR SEATBELTS, I WOULDN'T DARE RIDE IN IT. IT IS A DEATH TRAP TO ME.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER'S HOME. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. FIRE INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THE FIRE WAS AN ELECTRICAL WIRING FAILURE. *AK