1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

AC COOLANT WAS LOW AND SWITCHING MECHANISM HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT 54000 MILES WAS TOLD TIMING COVER WAS LEAKING AND HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. HEAD GASKET WAS FINALLY COVERED AT NO CHARGE BUT TIMING COVER GOT LITTLE RELIEF. NOW AT 80000 MILES, THE COIL ASSEMBLY FAILS AND I AM TOLD THAT MY HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AGAIN AND THE DEALER SAYS THEY ONLY GUARANTEE THEIR WORK FOR ONE YEAR. WE HAD THE HEAD GASKET FIXED ON THE RECALL. IT APPEARS THE HEADGASKET MAY BE LEAKING AGAIN (ONE FORD DEALER SAYS IT LEAKS ANOTHER SAYS IT DOESN'T). WE ARE IN FOR REGULAR SERVICING NEXT WEEK --WE WILL SEE WHAT THEY FIND). OUR VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED ONCE AND BEYOND 7YRS OLD SEEMS TO BE BEYOND WHAT WILL BE COVERED. THE VAN HAS ONLY 139,000 KILOMETERS ON IT (SO WE ARE NOT PAST THE 100,000 MILE BARRIER). WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER GASKET ON THE TIME COVER REPLACED WHICH I THINK WAS ALSO A RECALL ITEM. I APPRECIATE KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST FORD.

2003 - DOOR AJAR LIGHT 2002 - BLEW HEAD GASKET; 2002 - HEATER CORE REPLACED 2001 - IGNITION COIL PACK & IGNITION LEADS REPLACED 2001 - FRONT TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED 2000 - REFRIGERANT COOLANT LOSS 1998 - EGR VALVE REPLACED 1998 - TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER HOSES REPLACED 1997 - BLEW HEAD GASKET, REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY

THE HINGE AND RUNNER OF THE SLIDING DOOR BROKE, RESULTING IN THE BACK SIDE OF THE DOOR FALLING OFF THE CAR.

THE PAINT IS BLISTERING OFF THE HATCH AND SIDES IN LARGE PATCHES. THE AIRBAG LIGHT BLINKS AND THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE FAILS TO CLOSE ALL THE WAY AND STRUGGLES TO OPEN. THE REAR VENT WINDOWS WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO .

HEATER CORE FAILURE THAT LED TO IMMEDIATE CYLINDER HEAD CRACKING THAT LED TO COOLANT ENTERING ENGINE OIL SYSTEM AND TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF ORIGINAL AND REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. TOLD BY AUTO PARTS STORE EMPLOYEE ABOUT THE CYLINDER HEAD RECALL AS HIS SISTER OWNED SAME 1995 WINDSTAR 3.8L, FORD HAD A VENDOR ANSWERING CALLS. REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT FORD HAD MAILED RECALL INFORMATION TO THE WRONG ADDRESS, THAT IS WHY I NEVER RECIEVED IT. REP UNABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW FORD MAILED HOOD RECALL INFO TO CORRECT ADDRESS, BUT NOT THE CYLINDER HEAD RECALL INFO. REP REFUSED TO ADDRESS ISSUE FURTHER. I WOULD LOVE TO TAKER PART IN ANY CYLINDER HEAD OR TRANSMISSION CLASS ACTION PROCEEDING.

ON 6/13/2003, AT 57049 MILES, OUR 1995 WINDSTAR OVERHEATED AND SEEMED TO BE LOSING COOLANT SO WE TOOK IT TO ZIMMERMAN FORD, ST. CHARLES, IL TO BE CHECKED OUT. THEY REPORTED NO PROBLEM FOUND AND WE PAID $66.79 FOR A COOLING SYSTEM SERVICE AND LUBE SERVICE. ON OCTOBER 4TH,2003, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON OUR WINDSTAR WENT ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. THEY CHARGED $111 FOR SBDS TESTS AND TOLD US WE HAD HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND QUOTED $2100 TO REPAIR. WE CONTACTED FIVE OTHER DEALERSHIPS IN THE CHICAGO AREA WHO QUOTED BETWEEN $900 AND $1600 TO DO THE JOB. OUR VAN IS CURRENTLY WITH FAMILY FORD OF WEST CHICAGO BEING FIXED. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT A BILL OF ABOUT $1300. MOVING FROM ZIMMERMAN TO FAMILY FORD WAS NOT JUST A COST DECISION. ZIMMERMAN REFUSED POINT PLANK TO HELP US GET HELP FROM FORD. FAMILY FORD HAVE AGREED TO KEEP THE FAULTY PARTS AND HELP US IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. WE HAVE CONTACTED FORD AT SEVERAL LEVELS TRYING TO PERSUADE THEM THAT THEIR 7 YEAR / 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY, PLUS THE 6 YEAR / 75,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WE PURCHASED BOTH IMPLY THAT THE HEAD GASKET SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT 60,000 MILES AS OURS DID. WE HAVE ALSO PUT FORTH THE ARGUMENT THAT THE ORIGINAL EXTENDED WARRANTY 5 YEAR OR 60,000 STATES OR NOT WHICHEVER COMES FIRST SO WE FEEL WE HAVE A CASE TO BE COVERED UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY, GIVEN THAT WE REPORTED A POSSIBLE PROBLEM AT 57049 MILES. FORD HAS SAID (SEVERAL TIMES BY PHONE AND E-MAIL)THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP AS WE ARE OUTSIDE THE TERMS OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY ALSO SAY THAT THEY HAVE VERY FEW COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE ANY MORE SO THEY WILL NOT MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR ME. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE MADE NO EXCEPTIONS OUTSIDE THE 7 YEAR / 100,000 PARAMETERS. I FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN PENALIZED BY FORD BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOW MILEAGE ON OUR VEHICLE AND THE POOR ENGINE CONSTRUCTION ON THE 1995 WINDSTAR, IN OUR CASE, STILL FAILED PREMATURELY AT 60,000.

HEAD GASKET FAILED. WAS BLOCKED TESTED BY AAA SERVICE CENTER, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. WAS INFORMED THAT IS WILL COST ME BETWEEN $1500 AND $2000.00 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 35,279 (3/98) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 2ND TIME AT 80,957 (3/01) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 3RD TIME AT 116,298 (9/03). ON 24 SEP 03 I WROTE FORD REQUESTING THEY FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT REGULARLY AND PREDICTABLY FAIL. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE. I BELIEVE MY PROBLEM IS UNUSUAL AS I AM TOLD THE HEAD GASKETS DON'T FAIL THIS OFTEN. SEPTEMBER 24, 2003 FORD MOTOR COMPANY FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER P.O. BOX 6248 16800 EXECUTIVE PLAZA DRIVE DEARBORN, MI 48126 \T\T\T I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. THE VEHICLE HAS 116,298 MILES AND HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE THIRD TIME. WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN 1998 AND AGAIN IN 2001 DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY REQUEST IS FOR FORD MOTOR CO. TO TAKE APPROPRIATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION TO FIX THE VEHICLE. HISTORY: MARCH 16, 1998, WITH 35,279 MILES, UNDER WARRANTY, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY FORD OF WALLA WALLA, WA. INVOICE ATTACHED. MARCH 29, 2001, WITH 80,957 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET AGAIN FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY HARRELL?S FORD IN PLACERVILLE, CA, UNDER WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME BY FORD MOTOR CO. SEPTEMBER 16, 2003, WITH 116,298 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET HAS AGAIN FAILED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HARRELL'S FORD SERVICE MANAGER, MIKE ALUNBAUGH, AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HARRELL'S FORD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE SPOKE WITH HIS REGIONAL MANAGER AND INFORMED ME THAT THE REGIONAL MANAGER CAN DO NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAS NO AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO PROBLEMS WHEN A VEHICLE HAS OVER 100,000 MILES. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND SPOKE WITH CHAIRMAN. THIS WAS A VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE. HER ADVICE WAS TO WAIT FOR A RECALL!

CASE 1 MY FAMILY WAS COMING HOME FROM VACATION WHEN THE ENGINE BLEW WHILE WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY. SMOKE CAME UP FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND WE WERE FORCE TO STOP THE VAN ON A CROWDED HIGHWAY. THANKS TO A NEARBY TRUCK DRIVER WHO STOPPED BEHIND US, WE WERE ABLE TO CALL SOMEONE AND GET TO SAFETY. IT TOOK A LOT OF NEGOTIATION FOR ME TO GET FORD TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER, BUT THEY FINALLY DID. NOW AGAIN ON OUR RECENT TRIP TO GA ON 08-28-03 WHILE DRIVING HOME, OUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE TRANSMISSION BLEW. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED ALL OUT AND ON THE BACK OF OUR VAN TOO. IT ALSO STARTED SMOKING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND FROM THE TAILPIPE. WE WERE INFORMED BY FREEDOM FORD IN NORFOLK VA THAT WE HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. OUR CHECK LIGHT HAS COME ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND DESPITE THEIR ACTION IT STILL KEEPS COMING ON. IN ADDITION, OUR OVERDRIVE LIGHTS BLINK, OUR CRUISE CONTROL DO NOT WORK, THE DOOR ADJAR LIGHTS STAYS ON AT TIMES EVEN WHEN THE DOORS ALL LOCKED AND CAUSING THE INSIDE INTERIORS LIGHTS TO STAY ON, OUR GEARS DO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS AND UPON ACCELERATION IT SOMETIMES HESITATES, REPAIRED COOLANT LEAK FROM TIMING COVER GASKET AND FRONT CRANKSHAFT SEAL, COIL IGNITION, THE AIR CONDITION WHEN ON MAKES THESE STRANGE NOISES, ETC. REPLACED. WE ARE VERY DISSATISFIED WITH FORD WINDSTARS AND HAVE SPENT MORE MONEY ON REPAIRS THAN WHAT IT WAS WORTH. WE EVEN STILL OWE ON THE VAN. FORD NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALLL OR A REFUND. THIS IS NOT A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED. THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

FORD WINDSTAR 95 SHIFT LEVER PRDNL DOES NOT MATCH GEAR. WHEN IN PARK CAR ROLLS HAVE TO FIND D OR R BY MOVING SHIFT LEVER. SOMETIME HAVE TO PUT LEVER IN TO PARK TWICE OR THREE TIMES BEFOR IT CATCHED AND CAR STARTS. WHEN THE CAR ROLLS BACK AND KILLS SOMEONE IT WILL GET FORDS ATTENTION. ALSO REPLACED HEAD GASKET ENGINE AND HEAD GASKET AGAIN. TRANNY SENSOR, DOOR AJAR SENSOR. WHAT A CAR MARK HERSHKOWITZ