1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED BUT 15000 MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING AGAIN. THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION IN 8 YEAR AND LESS THAN 100000 MILES. *PH *NLM

THE VEHICLE LEAKED POWER STEERING FLUID, WHICH RESULTED IN THE RACK AND PINION FAILING. *JB RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *PH

THE TIE ROD'S BROKE WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. *JB THE CONSUMER TURNED THE CORNER AND THE HANDLING HAD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE POINTING INWARD AS THOUGH THE RIGHT FRONT WERE TURNING LEFT AND THE LEFT FRONT TURNING RIGHT. *SCC. ALSO THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE SERPENTINE BELT. *JB

MOST HEADLIGHT LENSES 5 YEARS OR OLDER ARE TURNING YELLOW BECAUSE OF UXRAYS AND OXIDATION. BECAUSE OF THE MATERIALS THERE ARE MADE OF THE AMOUNT OF LUMS ABLE TO PASS THROUGH ARE REDUCED BY MANY FACTORS. MANUFACTURES REPLACEMENT COSTS SHOULD BE CONTROLLED BECAUSE OF THE MATERIALS USED. THTHER MORE THESE UNITS WHICH HOUSE THE LAMPS CAN COST IN THE HYNDREDS OF DOLLARS. MANY VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING THE ROADS WITH BAD LENSES BECAUSE OF THE HUGE COSTS FOR THE PRODUCT. ALL THESE MANUFACTURES, CHARGE 10+ TIME THE COSTS OF MANUFACTURE; THEY HAVE JACKED UP THE PRICE SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONIES FOR REPLACEMENTS. THESE REPLACEMENTS PARTS SOLD ARE USERY. I BET MANY ACIDENTS ARE CREATED BECAUSE OF POOR LIGHT EMETING FROM THESE UNITS. THEIR ARE SEVERAL MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO THESE PRODUCT PRODUCERS. I SUGGEST THEY GO BACK TO GLASS, OR MAKE THE OUTER COVERS REPLACABLE BUY THE OWNER AT GOOD PRODUCT COST.*AK

IT'S US AGAIN!!! ON OUR VACATION TO GA, ABOUT 250 MILES OR LESS, OUR ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. WE WENT TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER IN LUMBNGTON, NC AND HAD AN ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC DONE. THE FORD DEALER WAS SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. CODES P1150, P1151, AND ANOTHER CODE. HOWEVER THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WHILE IN GA AND THEN WENT OFF. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP BACK IN NC AND HE STATED THAT WE SHOULD BE OKAY AND SHOULD MAKE IT BACK HOME SAFELY. ON OUR WAY BACK HOME THE CHECK ENGINE CAME ON AGAIN AROOUND NC-VA AND S NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, NOR DID THE ENGINE OVERHEAT AND IT WAS DRIVING OKAY. WE DECIDED TO PULL OVER AT A REST STOP AND THATS WHEN THE CAR HESITATED TO MOVE AND THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE TAILPIPE AND UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND LEAKED OUT ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID INCLUDING ALL OVER THE BACK DOOR AND WINDOWS WAS GREASY FROM THE LEAK. . THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US WHILE DRIVING LONG DISTANCE. THEE VANS ARE VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND FORD NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THESE VANS. WE HAVE PUT MORE MONEY INTO THIS VAN THEN I CAN IMAGINE IN A LIFETIME. THESE INCIDENTS HAS ALSO CAUSE US UNNECCESARY STRAIN. IN ADDITION, OUR DOOR AJAR LIGHTS COMES ON, CRUISE CONTROL DON'T WORK, OUR GEARS DO NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY AND GETS STUCK BETWEEN GEARS, OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING WHEN WE TRY TO USE IT, THE AIR CONDITIONER MAKES STRANGE NOISES WHEN USING IT AND DRIVING,ETC. IT JUST DOES NOT WORK. I AM VERY UNSATISFIED WITH THIS VAN AND WOULD APPRECIATE A REMEDY AND PROMPT SOLUTION. THIS IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND WE STILL OWE MORE THAN WHAT THE VEHICLE IS WORHT. PLEASE HELP US AND CONTACT ME WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVE THIS. THANKS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETHING BEING DONE TO TAKE CARE OF US FORD WINDSTARS OWNERS. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE REIMBURSEMENT FOR OUR EMERGENCY EXPENSES,TOW CHARGES TO FREEDOM FORD FROM EMPORIA, VIRGINIA. WE ALSO HAD OUR OIL CHANGED BY FREEDOM FORD BEFORE WE LEFT AND A 15 POINT MULTI INSPECTION DONE. *AK

ON JUNE 18, 2001 WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP TO VISIT RELATIVES THE CAR OVERHEATED AND MR. JOHN CAMPBELL FROM BOB BENNETT FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN COLUMBIA, SC PERFORMED THE WARRANTY WORK TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. HE REPLACED THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS. *AK ON DECEMBER 4, 2002 THE CAR AGAIN OVERHEATED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE LOCAL TOLL WAY AND WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GREENWAY FORD IN ORLANDO, FL. MR. JOSH KNOWLES RECEIVED THE WORK ORDER TO IDENTIFY WHY THE CAR OVERHEATED. ACCORDING TO INVOICE C50990 MR. KNOWLES PRESSURE TESTED THE SYSTEM AND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS WERE FOUND. HE TEST-DROVE THE VEHICLE AND LET THE VEHICLE RUN. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND THE COOLANT TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SHOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL BUT WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE ON THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. WE MODIFIED OUR DRIVING HABITS TO SHORTER TRIPS AROUND TOWN AND THIS ABATED MUCH OF THE RAISED TEMPERATURE PROBLEM. ON AUGUST 23, 2003 WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR AGAIN OVERHEATED AND WE AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GREENWAY FORD. MR. BRAD JOHNSON RECEIVED THE WORK ORDER TO IDENTIFY WHY THE CAR OVERHEATED. ACCORDING TO INVOICE C85933 THE MAIN HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND REPAIR WOULD REQUIRE A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE. WHEN I INQUIRED WITH MR. RON KREMER, SERVICE MANAGER, ABOUT THE WARRANTY FROM THE PREVIOUS TIME THIS HAPPENED HE INFORMED ME SINCE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN OVER 24,000 MILES AND OVER 24 MONTHS HAD PASSED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE COOLING SYSTEM OVERHEATING AND/OR LOSS OF COOLANT IN 3.8L ENGINES IS A WELL-KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THE MITCHELL REPAIR INFORMATION COMPANY PUBLISHED THE ISSUE OF COOLANT MAY LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKETS AND/OR THE VEHICLE MAY OVERHEAT IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN DATED MARCH 2, 1998 PERTAINING TO 3.8L ENGINES IN 1995 FORD WINDSTARS.

IN JANUARY 2001 I TOOK MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR IN FOR THE RECALL ON HEAD GASKETS. UNTIL THEN WE HAD HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE ENGINE & WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THAT WAS ALL FINE & GOOD. NOW IN AUGUST 2003 WITH LESS THEN 39,000 ON THE NEW ENGINE, THE HEAD GASKET HAS AGAIN GONE OUT. WE TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEARLERSHIP THAT INSTALLED THE ENGINE & THEY TOLD US THE PROBLEM, ADMITTED IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS AGAIN & GAVE US FORD'S CONSUMER NUMBER TO CALL FOR REPAIR. WELL WHEN WE CALLED, TO OUR DISBELIEF, WE WERE TOLD TOUGH IT IS NOW OUR PROBLEM. WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OTHER OPTIONS. BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE SINCE THIS IS A MANUFACTOR PROBLEM. *AK

OUR 1995 FORD WINDSTAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. WHEN HIT, THE DRIVERS SEAT AND THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTH RECLINED FROM THE IMPACT. ALSO, ONE OF THE REAR SEATS TWISTED ON ITS BASE. ALL THREE PASSENGERS SUFFERED SPINAL INJURIES.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE #99R33, IN MARCH, 2003, BUT WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CONSUMER DID NOT LIVE IN THE AFFECTED AREA. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS ACTING AS THE RECALL SUGGESTED. THE VEHICLE LEAKED GAS FROM THE GAS TANK. WHEN CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND HAD GONE BACK THERE, GAS WAS ON THE GROUND. THE CONSUMER WANTED THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. *AK THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *SCC

FIRST OF ALL WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRED ON OUR VAN TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT TOOK THE DEALERSHIP ALMOST 3 MONTHS. NOW WHEN WE ARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH, TRANSMISSION SLIPS BACK INTO 2ND GEAR AND MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. THE TACHOMETER GROWS UP AND DOWN. SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT EVEN GO OUT OF 2ND TO ACCELERATE. I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS IS A VERY "SAFE" VEHICLE TO HAVE ANYMORE. AND ALL THE DEALERSHIPS STATE THERE IS NO RECALL. HOWEVER MANY OF THE PEOPLE WE KNOW WITH THE SAME VEHICLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK