1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE KEEPS POPPING OPEN. HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING & THE DOOR WOULD CHIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. IT'S VERY HARD TO CLOSE ONCE IT HAS POPPED OPEN. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THE DOOR WORKS JUST FINE. *AK

PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT STAY OPEN ON AN INCLINE. DOOR WILL STAY OPEN FOR A WHILE BUT WHEN A PASSENGER ENTERS THE VEHICLE, THE DOOR RELEASES AND CLOSES ON THE PASSENGER. THIS IS A DANGEROUR CODITION WHICH COULD INJURE AN ADULT OR KILL A CHILD. THE SAME PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR. DEALER UNABLE TO REPAIR SINCE THE RAISED SECTION ON THE BOTTOM RAIL IS A FACTORY BODY STAMPING. A REVIEW BY THE DEALER NOTED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE RAISED AREA WAS HIGHER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. *AK

AFTER GAS CAP WAS REPLACED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED DO TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE WARNING SYSTEM. NLM

LOCATION OF CUP HOLDER ON FLOOR ATTACHED TO MIDDLE SEAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO TRIP & FALL OUT OF VAN. MANAGER OF DEALERSHIP INFORMED OWNER NO PROBLEM WITH CUP HOLDER. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. *AK

THIS WAS NOT A DEFECT ACCORDING TO FORD- THE AUTOMATIC DOORS DID NOT KICK BACK AND CLOSED ON MY HAND. FORD IS STATING THAT THEY ONLY KICK BACK WITH EQUAL WEIGHT- THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM SINCE I AM AN ADULT AND A CHILD'S HAND CAN BE CRUSHED IF IN THE WAY OF THE CLOSING DOORS.

THE HORN DOES SOUND EASILY WHEN PUSHING ON THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. OFTEN THE HORN FAILS TO SOUND. THE TECHNICIANS AT MY FORD DEALER SAID THAT IT IS LIKE THE OTHER WINDSTARS. ALSO THE DESIGN IS DANGEROUS REQUIRING MOVING THE HAND FROM THE RIM OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE CENTER. IF ONLY ONE HAND IS AVAILABLE FOR USE, MOST OF THE CONTROL IS LOST WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SOUND THE HORN. ALSO IF THE AIRBAG WERE TO DEPLOY, THEN A DISLOCATED SHOULDER OR BROKEN ARM IS LILELY TO RESULT. ON THE FORD TAURUS THE HORN CAN BE RELIABLY SOUNDED WITH A THUMB WITHOUT MOVING THE HAND FROM THE OUTER RIM OF THE WHEEL. THIS ALSO LEAVES THE HAND AND ARM OUT OF THE WAY IN THE EVENT THE AIRBAG SHOULD DEPLOY. THE DESIGN OF THE HORN CONTROL ON THE WINDSTAR IS POOR AND DANGEROUS. *AK

VEHICLE WAS IN PARK WHEN TRANSMISSION JUMPED GEARS, GOING FORWARD ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION . MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

THE DESIGN OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER/HEAT SHIELD IS SUCH THAT IT VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS VIBRATION PERMEATES THROUGH THE FLOOR AS A NUISANCE NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK

BOTH REAR SLIDING DOORS ARE NOT STABLE WHEN MOVED TO FULLY OPEN POSITION, ESPECIALLY ON ROADS/DRIVEWAYS WHERE THERE IS A DECLINE. IN FOUR CASES OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY WITH APPROX. A 15% DECLINE. I OPENED THE DOOR FOR MY SON AND IT "LOCKED" IN THE FULLY OPENED POSITION. HOWEVER, IN ONE INSTANCE HE WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DOOR CLOSED AND LODGED HIS HEAD BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE FRAME OF THE VEHILCE. HE WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. SIMILAR THINGS HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.. WE ARE RENTING THE VEHICLE FROM ENTERPRISE. I BELIVE THAT A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION EXISTS AND SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE INVESIGAGTED. WE HAVE RENTED OTHER MINIVANS IN THE PAST, AND ALL HAVE HAD ACTIVE LOCKING MECHANISMS WHERE THE HANDLE HAD TO BE LIFTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE WINDSTAR RELIES ON A SIMPLE DETENTE WHICH IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR VEHICLES ON DECLINES. *AK

WHILE PARKED ON A HILL WITH EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ACTIVATED. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY, ALMOST RAN OVER THE OCCUPANT AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK