1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE POSSIBLY DUE TO LOW TRANSMISSION FLUID FOLLOWING GUIDELINES IN OWNERS GUIDE . AFTER FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT REPLACEMENT. I FOUND AN ARTICLE IN NEWSPAPER QUOTED FROM FORD REGARDING FLUID LEVEL MAINTENANCE WHICH WAS DIFFERENT THAN RECOMMENDATION IN THE OWNERS GUIDE. *LA

WHEN STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, VAN HESITATED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS AND THEN JERKED INTO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES..TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG, JUST THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAD TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED...$1800 THAT I DIDN'T HAVE. 1 YR LATER NOW HAVING MORE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, WHEN GOING AROUND CORNERS VAN SEEMS TO SLIP INTO NEUTRAL UNTIL IT'S STRAIGHTENED OUT. WHEN PROCEEDING FROM A STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT'S SPINNING THE TIRES, BUT THE POWER ISN'T GETTING THE TIRES, AFTER LETTING OFF THE GAS IT MOVES, BUT THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS, ESPECIALLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC..WILL BE TAKING THE VAN TO GET FIXED....AGAIN. NO MORE FORDS FOR ME!!!!*AK

1996 FORD WINDSTAR ENGINE FAILURE - SYSTEMIC HEAD GASKET PROBLEM WITH THE V6 3.8L ENGINE, WHICH FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS. SYMPTOMS: HARD TO START, ROUGH IDLE, WHITE SMOKE FROM TAIL PIPE, ENGINE COOLANT DRIPPING FROM EXHAUST, OIL LOOKS LIKE BROWN MAYONNAISE. *LA

WHEN SPEED EXCEEDS 40 MPH SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO READ VEHICLE MILEAGE CORRECTLY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER SMELLED BURNING WIRES. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. OWNER CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY PUT OUT THE FLAMES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE JUST PASSES THE 30,000 MILES. IT IS BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE GAUGE. WITHOUT AN ACCURATE SPEED INDICATOR, IT IS NOT SAVE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. I THINK THAT FORD OUGHT TO RECALL THE WINDSTAR FAILED SPEEDOMETER ASAP. *LA

CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE WAS SURGING . ALSO, THERE WAS AN ANTI FREEZE SMELL. CHECKED ENGINE, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, AND TECHNICIAN NOTICED A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. *AK

IN HOTTER CONDITIONS, THE "KEY IN THE IGNITION ALARM" RINGS EVEN WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BURNS CONTINUOUSLY. I KNOW OF THREE WINDSTARS THAT ARE DOING THIS. *LA TEMPERATURE OR MOISTURE SEEMS TO AFFECT THE "KEY ALARM" AND IT CONTINUES TO SOUND. ONE FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC, HAS TO PULL THE FUSE NIGHTLY ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR HER BATTERY RUNS DOWN. I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE STARTER BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START ON THE EVENING SO I DID. IT'S STILL NOT STARTING RIGHT. ACTS AS IF THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DRAINED. TRIED TO DISCONNECT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BUT SAME FUSE RUNS THE WIPERS. *LA

CONSUMER STATED WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STARTED SURGING, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH MINIVAN STALLING, LOSS OF COOLANT IN VEHICLE.*MR THE CONSUMER HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKING A LOT OF OIL, THE ENGINE PUMP NEEDED REPLACING, WHICH RESULTED IN A WHOLE NEW ENGINE BEING INSTALLED. *CB