1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THIS IS A SECOND OR FOLLOW-UP FOR MY EARLIER COMPLAINT FILED ON THE DAY OF TEH INCIDENT. I JUST FOUND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WANTED TO APPEND THIS TO MY COMPLAINT.*AK FIRST COMPLAINT WAS ABOUT THE TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING IN MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR WITH 4 WHEEL DISCS AND ABS. WITH A DUAL BRAKING SYSTEM THE RUPTURE OF A BRAKE LINE SHOULD NOT CAUSE TOTAL BRAKE LOSS BUT THIS FAILURE DID CAUSE JUST THAT. IF THE ELECTRICAL POWER WAS NOT ON SOME PEDAL WAS EVIDENT. ONCE ELECTRICAL POWER WAS ON THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SINCE THE RUPTURED BRAKE LINE WAS IN THE REAR AND THE FRONT BRAKES STILL HAD FLUID AND DO MOST OF THE BRAKING I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO RETAIN SOME STOPPING CAPABILITY. I PURCHASED THE 4 WHEEL DISC SYSTEM TO GAIN A SAFER AND MORE SECURE VEHICLE. IF THE ADDITONAL OF ABS 4 WHEEL BRAKING RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF THE DUAL MASTER CYLINDER FUNCTION , WHICH IS MORE CRITICAL, I THINK THIS OPTION IS LESS SAFE. THE NEW INFORMATION IS THE FACT THAT OTHER FORD WINDSTARS HAVE A RECALL FOR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BRAKE LINES WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO RUST THROUGH AND RUPTURE. FORD TELLS ME THAT MY VIN IS NOT IN THAT GROUP. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS CORRECT BUT THE SUMPTOMS SOUND IDENTICAL. ALL THE OTHER BRAKE LINES IN MY CAR WERE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE SAVE FOR THE ONE TO THE REAR BRAKES WHICH RUPTURED AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF THE FLUID IN THE REAR SYSTEM. THE FRONT SYSTEM RETAINED FLUID BUT DID NOT PRESSURIZE THE BRAKES. I ASSUEM THIS FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ABS BUT I CAN NOT BE SURE IF THAT IS THE ACTUAL CAUSE. FORD INDCIATES THAT MY NEED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE IS NOT THE SAME AS THE EXISTING RECALL. I AM REQUESTING THAT YOU INVESTIGATE IF THE BRAKE LINE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSTAR PRODUCT IS LARGER THAT ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. MY CAR ALSO IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE MASTER CYLINDER SIGNAGE UPDATED ON A RECALL. FORD INDICATES MY WAS DONE BUT I DO NOT SEE ANY OF THE EXPECTED MARKINGS. PERHAPS THESE WERE APPLIED AND HAVE FALLEN OFF OR I COULD BE LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE.

MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR WITH ABS 4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON THE NY CROSS ISLAND HIGHWAY. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A PARKING LOT. DESPITE HAVING DUAL ZONE BRAKES AND BRAKE FLUID REMAINING IN THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM I HAD ZERO BRAKING. I WOULD THINK THAT PAYING EXTRA FOR 4 WHEEL DISK ABS BRAKES WOULD NOT BE AT THE COST OF LOSING THE VALUE OF THE DUAL MASTER CYLINDER. I EXPECTED IMPROVED BRAKING WITH THE ABS 4 WHEEL DISK OPTION. THE LOSS OF ANY BRAKING MOTE THAN OFF-SETS THE HEAT DISCIPATATION AND ABS FEATURES. SHOULD HAVING ABS AND DISC BRAKES MAKE A CAR LESS SAFE? THE CAR WITH ONLY 58,500 MILES ON IT HAD A METAL BRAKE HOSE RUST OUT. THIS LINE WENT TO THE RIGHT REAR BRAKES AND THE FAILURE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR ABOVE THE SPARE WHEEL. OTHER BRAKE LINES STILL APPEAR RTO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS ONE FAILED AT THIS DATE. THE REAL REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT I WAS SURPRISED BY THE TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. I THINK THIS MAY BE A DESIGN FAILURE. SHOULDN'T THE FRONT BRAKES STILL HAVE WORKED? INDEED WITH THE IGNITION AND SYSTEM OFF SOME PEDAL WAS ENCOUNTERED BUT WITH THE POWER ON THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PEDAL. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS DID INDICATE A BRAKING PROBLEM. THIS CAR HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FORD AND TO SEVERAL DEALERS AS THE ABS/TRACTION CONTORL OFTEN AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGES. DESPITE MORE THAT 20 ATTEMTPS TO HAVE THIS CORRECTED AT MULTIPLE DEALERS THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF BENEFITS IN WHAT SHOULD BE A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. HOWEVER, THIS REPORT IS NOT ABOUT THE RECURRING TRACTION CONTROL FAILURE. THIS IS ONLY TO SURFACE THE FACT THAT BRAKING FORCE IS TOTALLY LOST WHEN A BRAKE LINE FOR THE REAR BRAKES FAILS.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT ALL FOUR RIMS HAD CRACKS IN THEM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RIMS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK

GAS TANK LEAK. I LEAVE IN ONE OF THE STATES THAT IS LISTED IN RECALL 99V309000 THAT STATES HOT WEATHER INCREASES CRACKS IN FUEL TANKS ON 1995 FORD WINDSTARS. MY VEHICLE IS A 1996 WITH A BUILD DATE OF 10-02-1995. FORD MOTOR WILL NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE FOR REPLACEMENT. THEY NEED TO RE-EVALUATE THE RECALL TO INCLUDE A WIDER RANGE THAN THEY NOW HAVE. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY LEAK LOOKS JUST LIKE A 1995 THEY FIXED ON 07-23-2004. PLEASE HELP ON THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *AK

MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR HAS 72,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD BEEN LOSING COOLANT SLOWLY AND WE COULDN'T FIND OUT WHERE. AFTER SITTING FOR 2 DAYS, WHEN I STARTED THE VAN I HEARD A LOUD POP, AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND IT HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I CALLED FORD, KNOWING THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS RECALLS ON OTHER YEARS FOR THE SAME ENGINE, AND THEY BASICALLY SAID "SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK." THEY ALSO TOLD ME I SHOULD BRING IT IN TO FORD BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RELY ON A DIAGNOSTIC DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. *LA

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS SHEARED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT THEN FELL TO GROUND. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

I JUST PAID OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP (VAN WAS IN FOR A NYS INSPECTION) TO PERFORM WELD REPAIR ON THE "FRONT STRUT/CONTROL ARM SUPPORT ROD" BUSHINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOSE AND, IN THE DEALERS WORDS, A SAFETY HAZARD (LOOSE DUE TO CORROSION AND QUESTIONABLE WELD QUALITY BY FORD MANUFACTURING). DEGRADATION OF WELDS ON A MAJOR SUSPENSION COMPONENT UNDER NORMAL WEAR & TEAR CONDITIONS- ISN'T THAT A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE? HOW MANY WINDSTARS HAS THIS HAPPENED TO? I CAN SEE REPLACING COMPONENTS (I.E. BRAKES, ALTERNATORS, TIRES, ETC.) OVER THE LIVE OF A VEHICLE BUT WELD REPAIR ON THE SUSPENSION SUB-FRAME? BASED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS, IS THIS A VIABLE CONDITION OR DID THE DEALER FLEECE ME? *AK

PROBLEMS WITH FORD WINDSTAR 3.8L ENGINE.*MR THE CONSUMER HAS QUESTION ABOUT THE ENGINE FAILURE HE EXPERIENCED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND APPROACHING A RED LIGHT CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR FLUID LEAKED. THE BRAKE LINE THAT LED TO THE FIREWALL WAS DEFECTIVE. PREVIOUSLY, RECALL 02V101000 CONCERNING BRAKE LINES WAS ISSUED. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT FORD PERFORMED RECALL REPAIRS. HOWEVER, THE BRAKE FAILURE RECURRED. *AK

1996 FORD WINDSTAR WITH HEADGASKET PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED FORS, BUT THEY SAY THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE 1996 ENGINES HAVING PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. MY WINDSTAR, BOUGHT NEW HAS 68,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN SMELLING ANTIFREEZE FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, BUT IT HAS NOW GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. BROUGHT CAR TO MECHANINC DUE TO ENGINE MISFIRING, ONE OF THE SYSMPTOMS LISTED FOR THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THE REAPIAR WILL COST OVER $2,000.*AK