1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

FUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FORD WEBSITE SHOWS THAT MY CAR IS SUBJECT TO RECALL 99R33, FAULTY FUEL TANK MOUNTING. THIS IS A REGIONAL RECALL FOR SOUTHERN STATES WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE. I AM IN TENNESSEE AND WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH TENNESSEE HAS HIGH TEMPERATURTES LIKE ALABAMA THAT IS INCLUDED AND I HAVE VACATIONED EACH SUMMER IN ALABAMA.

THE TRANSMISSION TORE UP IN OUR VAN AT THE END OF 2000 AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. WHEN IT TORE UP THE 1ST TIME, WE WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT SINCE WE ONLY HAD 60 DAYS LEFT THE COMPANY REFUSED TO PUT IN A NEW AND PUT IN A REBUILT. NOW WE HAVE TO FIX IT AGAIN. WE HAVE BEEN LUCKIER THAN ALOT OF CUSTOMERS THAT I'VE RESEARCHED, BUT WE ARE STILL GETTING A RAW DEAL WITH OUR VAN AND WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY! WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF ARGUING OUR MESSAGE TO THE FORD CO. BUT CAN TELL IT WILL BE A FAILURE ALSO. AND OUR HEAT QUIT THIS PAST WINTER AND NOW THE AIR IS OUT. WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS.

FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE GAS TANK AND A SERVICE STATION DETECTED A STRESS CRACK NEAR THE MIDDLE STRAP OF THE TANK SIMILAR TO WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN RECALL 99R33. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO HAVE THE TANK REPLACED ACCORDING TO RECALL 99R33. I WAS TOLD TO GO TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED FORD RECALL HOTLINE AND THEY DENIED THE REPAIR ON THE GROUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BOUGHT IN ONE OF THE HOT STATES DECRIBED IN RECALL 99S33. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WAS PLANNING TO DRIVE TO MISSISSIPPI AND AS SUCH I HAVE MET THE RECALL CONDITION BUT I WAS STILL TURNED DOWN. I BELIEVE THAT THE CRACK OCCURED BECAUSE OF POOR ASSEMBLY BY FORD AND THAT FORD SHOUL REPAIR ANY WINDSTAR THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM NOT JUST THOSE IN THE HOT STATES.

THE ENGINE PROBLEM WAS THE INFAMOUS HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS OVER THE ARBITRARY 7 YEAR LIMIT, IT WAS FAR BELOW THE 100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY LIMIT. IN MY OPINION, SETTING A TIME LIMIT IS DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST ANYONE WHO DRIVES FEWER MILES THAN AVERAGE. THE TRANSMMISSION PROBLEM APPEARED SUDDENLY. AFTER WAITING TO TURN LEFT, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT THE VEHICLE BEHAVED AS THOUGH IT WERE STUCK IN NEUTRAL. BY THE TIME I HAD A TRANSMMISSION EXPERT CHECK THE PROBLEM, IT WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT EITHER INTO REVERSE OR FIRST GEAR.

IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE 1995 FORD WINDSTAR HEAD GASKET IS DEFECTIVE. WE OWN A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR, AND AT ONLY 72000 MILES THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OFF AND WE NOW HAVE ENGINE DAMAGE. FORD TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING EVEN THOUGH THERE IS WELL DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE (TSB 94-9)(OOMO9) THAT THE HEAD GASKETS ARE DEFECTIVE ON THE 1995 FORD WINDSTARS. FORD TOLD US THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE OWNED THE VAN 9 YEARS THAT WE DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE FORD HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD THE VAN TOO LONG. THIS IS LUDICROUS! ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

MY 2 MAIN PROBLEMS ARE MY TRANSMISSION & TIMING GEAR COVER. THE TRANMISSION IS VERY HAZARDOUS. MINE IS SLIPPING BETWEEN 1ST & 2ND GEAR. I HAVE BEEN READING ON THE INTERNET THAT ON SOME OF THE TRANSMISSIONS THEY HAVE BEEN SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. I SURE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT SURPRISE. I'M DISABLED & NEED MY VAN TO HAUL MY POWERCHAIR WITH ME WHEN I GO TO THE DOCTORS OFFICE. I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I TALKED TO A MECHANIC & HE SAID IF IT GOES IT WILL LEAVE ME ON THE ROAD. I THINK THIS VAN IS VERY DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD. FORD KNOW THEY WERE HAVING HEAD GASKET & TRANSMISSION TROUBLE ON THE 1995 WINDSTAR WHY DON'T THEY TAKE CARE OF THERE PROBLEMS. THEY KNOW THEY HAD BAD GASKETS ON THE HEADS,TIMING CHAIN COVERS,& TRANSMISSIONS BUT THEY STILL WENT WITH THE CHEAPER GASKETS THAT LEAK. I THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STEP IN & MAKE THEM PAY FOR THOSE REPAIRS BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET KILLED LIKE THAT FORD POLICE CAR THAT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR & RAN OVER SOME PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN MN. A FEW YRS. AGO. WHATS IT GOING TO TAKE? A FEW MORE THOUSAND PEOPLE TO GET KILLED BEFORE THEY FIGURE THAT THERE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NO GOOD.

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FROM A FORD DEALER WITH 86000.MILES ON IT AND WE PUT 14000,ON IT AND IT BLEW A HEAD GASKET, WE ARE RETIRED ON A FIXED INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD EXTRA BILLS LIKE THIS, WE COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD A NEW CAR. SO WE ARE STUCK WITH A CAR THAT WE ARE AFRAID OF. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A ONE OWNER CAR AND THAT THERE WERE VERRY FEW PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR.

BRAKE WORK X2 TRANSMISSION X2 ALL BELTS TIRE & SUSPENSION WORK LUGS ON WHEELS NOT PROPERLY REPLACED ,IT ALMOST FELL OFF STILL PAYING ON VEHICLE WHILE IT SITS IN ASHLEY FORD PARKING LOT W/ DEAD TRANSMISSION I AM UNABLE TO PAY CLOSE TO $2000 FOR REPAIRS

1995 FORD WINSTAR HEAD GASKETS LEAKING. HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED MAR 1999 AT 40352 MI. UNDER 98M01 RECALL. AND AGAIN JUL 2001 AT 79464 MI. UNDER 00M09 RECALL. TALKED TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, THEY SAID TO CALL DEALER THAT DID REPAIR. BOTH SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. BUT HEAD GASKETS SHOULD LAST MORE THAN THE 9246 MI. SAID REPAIR WARRENTY ONLY GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS.

ON MARCH 29, 2002, MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR EXPERIENCED A KNOCKING SOUND. NOTICING THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER NEARBY. I WAS AMAZED WHEN I HAD TO ADD 3/12 QTS. OF OIL, WHICH IMMEDIATELY DRAINED OUT. THIS VEHICLE JUST RECENTLY HAD AN OIL CHANGE, SO I KNOW IT WAS NOT LOW ON OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUTOFAIR OF MANCHESTER, NH. ON APRIL 2ND, I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR, K. HAMEL THAT THE TIMING COVER GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM AND I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $3,639. I ALSO SPOKE TO K. HAMELS' BOSS, AND WAS TOLD NO WARRANTY WAS AVAILABLE. I THEN CALLED THE BOSTON AREA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, JUSTIN BOYSON. HE PROCEEDED TO ASK ME HOW I GOT HIS NAME...NOT, HOW CAN I HELP YOU? HE ADVISED ME THERE WAS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE...THERE IS NO PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR MY AUTO. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, SINCE FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS FAULTY TIMING COVER GASKET WHICH IS A KNOWN FORD DEFECT WHICH WAS ADMITTED TO BY THE REGIONAL REPRSENTATIVE, AND IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED 100,000 WARRANTY.