1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE 1995 FORD WINDSTAR LX VAN. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE MUFFLER, SO IN OCT 16,2002 I TOOK MY VAN INTO AL PACKER FORD AND HAD IT CHECKED. AT THE TIME WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION ALSO,THE VAN WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR AT STOP LIGHTS. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID , TO SAVE MONEY IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO HAVE THE MUFFLER DONE AT A MUFFLER SHOP, BUT THEY COULD CHECK THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID I NEEDED A OVERHAUL ON MY TRANSMISSION WHICH WOULD RUN BETWEEN 800.00 TO 2100.00. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY SO I DECLINED. THE VAN HAD ONLY 70,076 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. IT WAS NOW NOV. 2003 WITH ONLY 72000 MILES ON THE VAN AND HAD SAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE VAN. SO I SHOPPED AROUND FOR A PRICE FOR MY TRANSMISSION AND MUFFLER. I WENT TO BRAKE WORLD IN ROYAL PALM BEACH ,SO THEY COULD GIVE ME A ESTIMATE. THEY TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE BETWEEN 2100.00 TO 2500.00, BUT THE SMELL WAS NOT COMING FROM THE MUFFLER. THEY SAID THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE GAS TANK AND I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I TOOK IT TO AL PACKER FORD AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE RECALL. THEY SAID IT DOESN'T SHOW ON THEIR COMPUTER. I TOLD THEM I HAD A DOCUMENT AT HOME OF A FUEL TANK RECALL 99S33C. THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. ON JULY,2000 A FUEL TANK BRACKET WAS PUT ON, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY CHECKED FOR CRACKS IN THE GAS TANK. I HAD MY VAN IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE INTERVALS AT 59000 MILES, AT 66325, AT 70076 AND NOW AT 72000 MILES. NOT ONCE DID THEY FIND A CRACKED GAS TANK, BUT THANK GOD, BRAKE WORLD DID ! ISN'T FORD SUPPOSE TO CHECK YOUR VEHICLE ONCE IN WHILE FOR A KNOW DEFECT? COULD LEAK IN THE GAS TANK CAUGHT FIRE? *LA

1995 FORD WINDSTAR, TRANSMISSION FAILURE, ELECTRICAL GREMLINS, POWER STEERING BOX FAILURE, ENGINE FAILURE. *LA

1995 FORD WINDSTAR. UPPER LAYER OF HOOD FLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING ON SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY NEAR EXIT 13. CALLED FORD AND ALL THEY TOLD ME IS THAT MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WARRANTY. I CARE ABOUT FEELING LUCKY I'M NOT DEAD OR KILL ANYONE DRIVING BEHIND ME. THIS MUST HAVE HAPPENED OR WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED. ON SEPT. 11 2001 (STRANGELY ENOUGH) I LOST MY BRAKES ON THE SAME VEHICLE. I CALLED FORD AND THEY GAVE ME THE WARRANTY ROUTINE. SURE ENOUGH THEY RECALLED THE VEHICLE SOON AFTER FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I REPORTED. IN FACT THEY PAID TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEBODY IS DEAD DUE TO A FLYING HOOD. THANK YOU. *LA

WHILE DRIVING, A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE RIGHT FRONT SWAY BAR WAS CORRODED AND SPLIT. DEALER REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT SWAY BAR. *AK

ENGINE FAILED TWICE DUE TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. ALSO, ORIGINAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WAS REBUILT. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION. ANOTHER TWO YEARS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN AND WAS REBUILT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. *AK THE RECALLED ENGINE BLEW AND THE MANIFOLD GASKET BLEW. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD THEY STATED THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW BUT WOULD NOTIFY THEM LATER AND MAYBE THEY COULD HELP. CONSUMER HAD TWO WINDOWS THAT DIDN'T GO UP OR DOWN - REPLACED $412.34. BOTH TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. *PH *JB

VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. *MR WHILE TRAVELING, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED ON THREE OCCASIONS. WHEN THE THIRD OCCASION OCCURRED, THE MECHANIC FOUND THE MAIN HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED. *SCC *JB *CB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVERHEATED. *AK THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEPT RISING. CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE RAISED AGAIN. THERE WAS A 7 YR. 70K MILE WARRANTY BUT FORD WOULD HONOR IT. CONSUMER FEELS FORD SHOULD COVER THE COST OF TESTS, AND REPAIRS. *PH

MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR GASKET HAS BLOWN FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE LAST TIME IT BLEW IN 2001, FORD FINALLY REPLACED MY ENGINE, AFTER FIGHTING FOR 2 MONTHS, AS THE FAULTY PART BLEW THE ENGINE. FORD ALSO AT THIS TIME EXTENDED THE "OWNER NOTIFICATION" GASKET PROBLEM (#98M01) FROM 60,000 TO 100,000. NOW,ONLY 2 YEARS LATER, THE GASKET HAS BLOWN AGAIN, AND FORD AGAIN REFUSE TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY AS MY ODOMOETER READS 103,000, ONLY 3,000 MILES OVER THE CUT-OFF, BUT MY ENGINE IS ONLY 2 YERS OLD. THIS PART IS THE PROBLEM AND FORD PUT IT IN AND FORD SHOULD FIX IT. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS RIDING ROUGH AND IDLING HIGH. THE DRIVER NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHO STATED IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON 1995 WINDSTAR.*MR WHEN STARTING UP VEHICLE THE VAN WAS ENGULFED IN WHITE SMOKE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WATER HAD LEAKED THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET DESTROYING THE ENGINE. *TS *JB