1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS CLEAR PLASTIC LENS. OVER TIME PLASTIC HAS DISCOLORED WHICH DEGRADES LIGHTING . ALSO LAMP ASSEMBLY COLLECTS MOISTURE INSIDE UNIT FURTHER DEGRADING LIGHTING THIS CONDITION PREVALENT NOT ONLY ON MY VEHICLE BUT ALSO ON OTHER CARS I HAVE OBSERVED. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR AND FIVE DAYS LATER FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD A BAD ENGINE (BLOWN HEAD GASKET). IT LEFT MYSELF AND 6 CHILDREN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING A LOUD RATTLING NOISE. THE DEALER STATED HEAD GASKET FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE HEAT WOULD NOT WORK IT ONLY BLEW COLD AIR. A FEW MINUTES INTO DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TEMPRETURE GAUGE WAS GOING IN THE RED ZONE. THE ENGINE STARTING RATTLING AND DIED. THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. *TC

I HAVE A '96 FORD WINDSTAR WITH A 3.8 LITER V6 ENGINE. THIS IS THE 2ND HEAD GASKET FAILURE I'VE HAD WITH IT. THE FIRST WAS IN NOVEMBER OF 2003. I PAID ABOUT $2500 TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED THEN. THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN AFTER A SHORT TIME I NOTICED MY CAR HEATER WASN'T WORKING, JUST BLOWING COLD AIR. A SHORT TIME LATER, I NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS GOING UP, AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT WAS IN THE RED ZONE. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THAT, MY ENGINE BEGAN MAKING TERRIBLE CLUNKING AND RATTLING NOISES AND I HAD TO PULL OVER. AS SOON AS I DID, THE ENGINE DIED AND WOULDN'T RESTART AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF COOLING DOWN. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC'S GARAGE WHICH COST ME $127, AND MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR'S BEEN AT HIS GARAGE FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS WHILE I DECIDE WHAT I SHOULD DO. I'M CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT FOR WHICH FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER READING THE COMPLAINT LOG CONTAINING SO MANY STORIES FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CAR WITH THIS TYPE ENGINE. FORD CLAIMS THEY SOLVED THIS PROBLEM AFTER 1995, BUT THE COMPLAINT LOG TELLS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY. *JB

THE VEHICLE'S DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND UNLOCKED ON THEIR OWN. *NM THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL AND THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT WHICH MAY BE DUE TO THE BRAKE LINES. REFER TO RECALL#02V101000. *SC THE SWAY BAR RATTLED, THE TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. *JB

FORD WINDSTAR WITH A 3.8 L V-8 BLEW THE HEAD GASKET AT 75,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT THE TIME.*AK

THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE ABS MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES NOT ENGAGING WHEN VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON ICE OR SNOW. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED.*AK *TC

THE SERPENTINE BELTS HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *JB

THIS MORNING, I WAS PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD COMPLETELY LOST MY BRAKES AND BRAKE FLUID WAS SPILLING ONTO THE DRIVEWAY.*AK UPON INVESTIGATING THE LEAK, MY NEIGHBOR AND I WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A CRACK IN THE RIGHT FRONT HARD LINE. THERE WAS OBVIOUS SIGNS OF CORROSION ON ALL OF THE HARD BRAKE LINES. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINES AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL I REVIEWED THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER TO CONTACT FORD DIRECTLY OR SPEAK WITH AN ATTORNEY FIRST. I SHUDDER TO THINK OF WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE ON A FAMILY TRIP RATHER THAN IN MY DRIVEWAY.

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO CHURCH WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY TWO KIDS WERE IN THE CAR. THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AN AUTOMOTIVE CENTER. THE BRAKE MONITOR SYSTEM CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK