1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THE ENGINE WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET RECALL. IN JULY,2000, WE ARGUED WITH FORD ABOUT A BAD ENGINE RUNNING FOR WHICH WE HAD JUST PAID OVER $300 TO EVALUATE BY AN OUTSIDE REPAIR SHOP. AFTER ABOUT 6 WEEKS WE RECEIVED OUR CAR BACK WITH A NEW LONG BLOCK PAID FOR BY FORD, INCLUDING A RENTAL VAN FOR THE TIME IN THE SHOP. IN JANUARY 2001 THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN AND WE WERE CHARGED $81.45 TO CHECK IT OUT AND REPLACE A WIRE BAD ON CYLINDER 6 WHICH WAS MISFIRING. THREE MONTHS LATER IN APRIL 2001 THE CAR RAN ROUGH AGAIN AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BACK ON (HAPPENED FOR YEARS INTERMITTENTLY SINCE WE OWNED THE CAR). THE NEW LONG-BLOCK HAD ANOTHER BAD HEAD GASKET REINSTALLED PER THE SECOND FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. AFTER NEARLY ANOTHER MONTH WE HAD THE SECOND NEW LONG-BLOCK IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR. NOW LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND 40,000 MILES LATER, FOLLOWING THE 110K SERVICE OF RADIATOR FLUSH AND OIL CHANGE AT 113,098 MILES THE ENGINE RAPIDLY LOST OIL AND IS MISFIRING AND BURNING OIL. FORD'S POSITION ONCE AGAIN IS THAT THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12K MILES. ON A SMALLER NOTE, THE BRAKES HAVE GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES AND WE HAVE REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS. THE POWER STEERING HAS PERFORMED VERY POORLY. WE CHANGED THE FLUID IN 2000 AND THEN THE FORD SERVICE CENTER AND THEY REPLACED THE OUTER TIE RODS AND RESET THE ALIGNMENT. WITHIN MONTHS IT WAS GOING OUT AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY. MOST OFTEN WHEN STARTING OUT THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND YOU MUST MANUALLY STEER THE VEHICLE.

AT 146,00 MILES I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT I WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER HEAD GASKET REPAIR DONE (THAT WOULD MAKE IT THE THIRD TIME THIS PART HAS FAILED) TO SAVE THE CAR...I WILL NOT DO IT, AS IN FEBRUARY, I SPENT OVER $750 TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES REPAIRED FOR BRAKE FLUID COVERING THE SHOES OF THE BRAKES, CAUSE BY BRAKE LINE CORROSION (JUST AS IN THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE CORROSION THAT WAS A NATIONAL RECALL!!!!) BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE REARS

THE ENGINE HEADGASKET ON MY FORD WINDSTAR HAS FAILED A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES IN A 4 YEAR PERIOD (57117 MILES, 57722 MILES, 71713 MILES AND 89523 MILES), RESULTING IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE BECAUSE OF COOLANT LEAKING INTO AND FOULING INTERNAL PARTS. THE INITIAL DEFECTIVE ENGINE DESIGN WAS NEVER ADDRESSED AND INSTALLING NEW HEADGASKETS PROVIDED ONLY A TEMPORARY BANDAID SOLUTION UNTIL THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD RAN OUT.

I HAVE OWNED THIS VAN SINCE 1999. SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT WE HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT. I HAVE HAD THE ROTORS TURNED, AND REPLACED AT LEAST 3 TIMES, AND THEY NEED IT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED 3 TIMES AND ONE OF THEM TIMES WAS AT 99,000 MILES WHEN IT WAS UNDER THE WARRENTY. IT HAD BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST ONE TIME BEFORE THAT. MY SLIDING DOOR WON'T STAY CLOSED, EVEN THOUGH I JUST SPENT $300 GETTING A NEW LATCHED PUT ON. MY WINDOWS WON'T WORK. I HAD LARSON MOTORS FIX A HEAD GASKET AND MY ELECTRONIC WINDOWS, COST ME OVER $250 FOR THE WINDOW, THAT ONLY WORKED 2 TIMES. I CALLED, AND SINCE THEY PUT "MAY NOT BE THE PROBLEM" ON THE INVOICE, THEY THINK THAT CLEARS THEM, AND THEY WANTED ME TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON ANOTHER PART. MY SPEEDOMETOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND IS BROKE AGAIN. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED. I COULD GO ON AND ON. I AM GETTING NO WHERE WITH ANYONE. I HAVE SPENT AROUND 5,000.00 IN REPAIRS, AND CAN'T TRADE THE THING OFF, SINCE I STILL OWE TOO MUCH ON IT, DUE TO A TORNADO THAT HIT OUR HOME, AND WHAT THE INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER, THE BALANCE WAS PUT ON OUR CAR LOAN. WE DON'T HAVE THE BEST CREDIT DO TO HAVING TO SPEND ANYWHERE FROM $100-300+ A MONTH ON REPAIRS TO THIS LEMON CAR. I HAVE A FAMILY AND NEED TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A RELIABLE CAR TO DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED WITH MY 3 CHILDREN A MINIMUM OF 4 TIMES THIS PAST YEAR.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR(2002) I WAS SHOPPING FOR A VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND FOUND A 1995 WINDSTAR AT PAT MCCRAKEN FORD IN DEWITT MICHIGAN. IT WAS IN NICE SHAPE AND RAN GOOD. I HAD NO IDEA OF THE HEADGASKET PROBLEM THAT I WAS ABOUT TO INHERIT. AROUND THE MIDDLE TO THE LAST OF NOVEMBER MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AND IT OVERHEATED. I REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, RADIATOR CAP AND WATERPUMP BEFORE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER. HE WANTS TO CHARGE ME $900.00 TO REPLACE THE HEADGASKETS NOT INCLUDING NEW HEADS WHICH MIGHT BE BAD. ON A TRADE-IN ON SOMETHING ELSE HE ONLY WANTS TO GIVE ME $1000.00 FOR THE VAN, WHICH I KNOW HE WILL FIX FOR HIS COST AND PUT BACK ON HIS LOT TO CHEAT SOME OTHER UNSUSPECTING PERSON. WHAT MAKES ME MAD IS THAT HE KNEW BEFORE HE PUT IT ON HIS LOT THAT THE 1995 WINDSTAR'S WERE PRONE TO ENGINE FAILURES. BEING UNEMPLOYED AT THE PRESENT TIME I DIDN'T NEED THIS PROBLEM. TERRY

TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THIS IS THE 4TH TRANSMISSION IN THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION THAT WILL BE INSTALLED WILL BE THE 5TH TRANSMISSION. FORD HAS CONTINUED TO INSIST THAT THERE IS NOT AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE TRANMISSION IN THES MODEL ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN 634 COMPLAINTS/INVESTIGATIONS LODGED WITH THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BOARD.

I EXPERIENCED 3.8L HEAD GASKET/ENGINE FAILURE ON APRIL 6, 2003 WITHOUT ANY PRIOR SYMPTOMS OR WARNINGS. VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED AT 60,000 MILES WHICH INCLUDING FLUSHING THE COOLING SYSTEM. COST OF REPAIR IS ESTIMATED AT $3,500.

TRANSMISSION- SHIFTING ROUGH SINCE 30,000 MI. 2 DEALERS TESTED OVER THE YEARS & SAID NO PROBLEM (JUST ADJUSTED SHIFT POINTS. SAME COMPLAINT IN JULY, 2003. DEALER CHECKED, SAID NO PROBLEM. 1 MONTH LATER HAD INDEPENDENT SHOP REBUILD TRANSMISSION. ENGINE- HEAD GASKETS REPLACED AT 15,000 MI & 35,00 MI. SAME SYMPTOMS NOW AT 103,000. JUST PAST EXTENDED WARRANTY

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MORE THAN IT'S SHARE OF PROBLEMS. THE HEAD GASKET WAS BROUGHT IN FOR A RECALL AND IT STILL MALFUNCTIONED.

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT FLICKERED ON, AND OFF. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING CAUSED THE PROBLEM.*AK