1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THE ORIGINAL WHEELS ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR HAVE DEVELOPED AIR LEAKS AT THE WELDS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I WENT TO A SALVAGE YARD FOR A REPLACEMENT, AND THEY SAID WINDSTAR WHEELS ARE SCARCE BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR WHEELS WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS. I BELIEVE THE OEM WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE. (IN 34 YEARS OF DRIVING, I'VE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH EVEN ONE WHEEL ON ANY CAR. 4 OUT OF 4 WHEELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS VAN TELLS ME SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PRODUCT.) OUR DRIVING IS ON GOOD ROADS, SO IT CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ROUGH USE. THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE SO FAR IS THAT TIRE PRESSURE IS SLOWLY LOST, LEADING TO LOW PRESSURE. OUR ONLY EXPENSE SO FAR IS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE WHEELS, ONE AT A TIME. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE AT THE VERY LEAST, AND COULD RESULT IN WHEEL FAILURE, INJURY AND DEATH IF NOT ADDRESSED.*AK

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THE FRONT PORTION OF THE BRAKE LINE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE THE ENTIRE LINE ON HIS VEHICLE WAS RUSTED. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE DEFECT WITH THE BRAKES. NO RECALLS FOUND. *JB A LEAKING BRAKE LINE WAS FOUND. *SC

I ALSO HAVE A 1996 WINDSTAR WILL ALL OF THE MENTIONED HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS.VAN SITS IN REAR, AM CURRENTLY DRIVING TOYOTA WITH 200+ I PULLED FROM BACK YARD AFTER BEING STAGNENT FOR 3 YEARS. NO MONEY TO REPAIR,CAUSING HARDSHIP IN FAMILY.I BELIEVE TO BE FORDS PROBLEM BUT DOESNT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO ADMIT AS A TROUBLE, WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER AND WILL NOT SUPPORT 6 FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS DO TO THIS PROBLEM. MY VAN WAS ALSO MANUFACTURED IN CANADA 12/96 AND VIN SEEMS TO BE IN SEQUENCE WITH OTHERS. VAN JUST TURNED 100,000 A WEEK AGO.*AK

I HAVE A '1996 FORD WINDSTAR. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY DISCOVERED WATER IN THE OIL. I KNOW THAT FORD KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR BUT THE HEAD DOES NEED TO BE FIXED. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE YET BECAUSE THEY ARE COSTLY. I FEEL FORD SHOULD AT THE LEAST HELP COVER SOME OF THE COST.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 01I007000 NOTICE CONCERNING FRONT COIL SPRINGS. CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER WHEN THE RECALL WAS RECOGNIZED. HOWEVER, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS UNTIL ONE WAS BROKEN. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE SPRING BROKE IT PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL. *TC

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. ALSO, THERE WAS A STRONG ANTI FREEZE ODOR COMING INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. *AK FORD CHANGED THE GASKET AND SINCE THAT TIME A BLOWN HEAD GASKET HAVE BEEN A MAJOR FAILURE. *SC

1996 FORD WINDSTAR, MISFIRED UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A MISFIRE ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM TO THE 1996 MODEL. THE COMPUTER WILL SAY THE ENGINE IS MISFIRE IN CYLINDER X WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY A MISFIRE IN CYLINDER Y. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS ANYTHING FROM A FAULTY SPARK PLUG TO A BLOWN PISTON RING, CAUSING A LOSS OF COMPRESSION IN A CYLINDER. SEEMS TO BE A VERY VERY VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1996 WINDSTARS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM

PROBLEMS WITH TIRES ON 1996 FORD WINDSTAR.*MR THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A SET OF NEW TIRES FOR HIS VEHICLE. AFTER 50,000 MILES THE CONSUMER HAD A FLAT TIRE SHORTLY WHICH RESULTED FROM RIM SEPARATION (A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE OUTER RIM THAT HOLDS THE TIRE AND THE INNER PART THAT HAS THE LUG HOLES). THE CONSUMER PURCHASED ANOTHER RIM AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM TWO MONTHS LATER. TC

WHILE DRIVING 55 MP BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK