1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHEN CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, DEALER DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACEMENT.*AK

REAR STEEL BRAKE LINE RUPTURED IN VEHICLE DURING NORMAL USE. (NOT AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT.) THE BREAK OF THIS LINE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE ABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE VEHICLE IS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. ANOTHER BRAKE LINE WAS COVERED IN AN EARLIER RECALL IN MAY 2003. UPON INVESTIGATION THIS MORNING, I WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE.*AK

GOODYEAR 215-70-R15 ALLEGRA TIRES PURCHASED AT SAMS CLUB PURCHASED APPX 2 YRS AGO. APPX. 14 MONTHS AGO AND THEN LAST WEEK HAD 2 TIRES REPLACED DUE TO BELT SEPERATIONS. MECHANIC AT SAMS INDICATED THAT THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF TIRE IS IN HIS SHOP FREQUENTLY DUE TO BELT FAILURES. I HAVE REPLACED 4 TIRES ALREADY AND THERE IS ONLY 20,000 MILES ON THE SET. I AM CONCERNED DUE TO THE FREQUENCY WITH JUST MYSELF AND THE INDICATED VOLUME OF THE PROBLEM INDICATED BY THE SAMS CLUB MECHANIC. THE BELT SEPERATION DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BUT DID LEAD TO CONTROL DIFFICULTY DUE TO EXTREME VIBRATION AS ALL FAILURES OCCURED ON THE FRONT. THESE TIRES WERE ROUTINELY ROTATED AND BALANCED, KEPT AT 35 P.S.I. AND WERE NOT SEVERLY USED OR ABUSED. THE VEHICLE THEY WERE ON IS A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR LX.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE. A COUPLE OF TIMES, ALMOST DID NOT STOP AT A STOP SIGN, VEHICLE KEPT GOING EVEN WHEN HE KEPT PUMPING THE BRAKES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT A CYLINDER WAS MISSING IN THE MOTOR. ALSO, MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT CALIPERS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER INSISTED THAT BRAKES/CALIPERS, AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED, BUT BRAKES STILL DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THEN, CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER,AND LEFT VEHICLE AT DEALERS. 20 MINUTES LATER, MECHANIC CALLED CONSUMER AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK *MR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JERKED AND SMOKED FROM UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TECHNICIAN, WHO DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE CONSUMER STATED RECALL REPAIRS ON THE HEAD GASKET WERE DONE; HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.*AK

MY WINSTAR HAS 144,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE JUST REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS FOR THE FIFTH TIME. THEY BLOW EVERY 25,000 - 30,000. THIS LAST REPLACEMENT COST ME ALMOST 1,800 DOLLARS. FORD PUT A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE IN IT AFTER THE FOURTH TIME AND 25,000 MILES LATER THEY BLEW AGAIN. FORD SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE 95 WINDSTARS. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO. FIVE SETS OF HEAD GASKETS IS A BIT EXTREME. *JB

THE HEAD GASKET ON THE FORD WINDSTAR 1995 3.8 LITER ENGINE HAS A DESIGN FLAW AND IS LIKELY TO BLOW OUT. THIS LEADS TO ENGINE HEATING AND DAMAGE. THE REPAIR COSTS FOR CHANGING THE HEAD GASKET IS OVER $1000. ENGINE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT IS MUCH HIGHER. *LA

1995 FORD WINDSTAR TRANSMISSION "LURCHES" INTO 1ST GEAR WHEN IN PARK. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!. ALMOST RAN INTO SOMEONE IN A PARKING LOT, TRYING TO TURN INTO A SPACE AND IT LURCHED FORWARD MISSING THEM. SCARED TO DEATH. *AK I WENT DIRECTLY HOME AND WHILE AT A STOP SIGN IT LURCHED AGAIN, HOWEVER I WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY NOT TO RUN INTO THE BACK END OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. GETTING THIS FIXED AT A FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG AND QOUTED ME A PRICE QUICKLY, AFTER SAYING THEY DO THESE ALL THE TIME..... MAYBE FORD SHOULD BE REPLACING THIS.....AND REIMBURSING US...... BEFORE SOMEONE DIES!!!

HEAD GASKET GONE, DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE IS GOING, DUE TO LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET DAMAGING BEARINGS ON CRANKSHAFT. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS, AND CONTINUES TO ALLOW THIS, WHILE THEIR DEALERS CONTINUE TO PROFIT FROM THIS ENGINEERING FLAW. IT IS A SLAP IN THE FACE, TO LOSE $4000 DOLLARS TO A KNOWN FLAW, AND WORSE TO HAVE TO HAVE THE DEALER, TELL YOU ENTIRELY ABOUT IT, TO SELL YOU ANOTHER VEHICLE! PURCHASED FOR $8200 IN MAY 02,WARRANTY EXPIRED AUG 02, VEHICLE IS DEAD JAN 03 (OFFERED $2000 SO THE DEALER CAN SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE?)IT HAS BEEN A COSTLY YEAR.