2000 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V193000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON FOR SOME TIME. IT MAY TURN OFF ON IT'S OWN. IT MAY TURN OFF THE NEXT TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. *TR

THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN I TURN THE VAN OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON THE LIGHT GOES OFF. TOOK VAN TO DEALER AND THEY CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS FRONT AND BACK AND TURNED THE ROTORS. IT CONTINUED. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO MIDAS AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A CODE C1185. NO INFORMATION WAS FOUND FOR ARECALL BUT MIDAS TOLD US TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL. *TR

MY 2000 FORD WINDSTAR VAN HAS FREQUENT AND INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON AND EVENTUALLY GOING OFF; THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING SOMETIMES EVEN AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER; AND THE GAUGES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL (INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER) ERRATICALLY MALFUNCTIONING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH FORD WINDSTAR AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO RECALLS. (EVEN THOUGH THE MILEAGE IS HIGH, I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE WITH A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION AND A BRAND NEW ENGINE IN 2006 AND 2007, RESPECTIVELY. ONLY LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE SINCE 2006.) *TR

THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD GOES "CRAZY" WHILE DRIVING; THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND GAS GAUGE FLUXUATE, EVEN AT IDLE. *TR

RED BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE OFF AND THE MASTER CYLINDER FULL OF BRAKE FLUID. *TR

ABS LIGHT COMES ON AFTER TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE, EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. *TR

I BOUGHT THE 2000 FORD WINDSTAR ON 09/12/2012. IT HAD 125,000 MILES. AFTER I BOUGHT IT I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC SHOP TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OVER. THEY FOUND THAT THE OUTER AND INNER TIE ROD ENDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE MECHANICS FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE FRONT STRUTS AND THE REAR SHOCKS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE FRONT ENGINE MOUNT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD ALL THAT WORK COMPLETED FOR AROUND $1,500. THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN MY FRONT YARD. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE SERPANTINE BELT WAS SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING A LITTLE BIT. A HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE MECHANICS FOR $50. THE MECHANICS DIAGNOSED THE POWERTRAIN. THE MECHANICS FOUND THAT THE A/C COMPRESSOR CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT ALSO HAD TO HAVE A EVAC AND RECHARGE THE A/C SYSTEM. THIS COSTED ME $705.98. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHICH IS NOW, ON 12/21/2012, THE VEHICLE IS STARTING TO MAKE A LOUD CLICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE, OR ATLEAST I THINK IT IS THE ENGINE. WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN LIKE THERE WAS A POWER SURGE OR SOMETHING, LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BRAKE DOWN, SO I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND DROVE 15-20 MILES BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT, ALL THE WAY UNTIL I COULD MAKE IT SAFELY BACK HOME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT THIS TIME. I HAVE ALREADY INVESTED ALMOST $2,000 INTO THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS! *TR

MY WINDSTAR BEGAN TO SHIMMY LIKE A SKITTISH HORSE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SERVICE STATION, THEY SAID THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE READING AS IF THE WHEELS WERE GOING DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND TRYING TO COMPENSATE. EVENTUALLY THE SHIMMYING SENSATION STOPPED AND THE ANTI-LOCK BREAK LIGHT CAME ON, AND STAYED ON PERMANENTLY. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE WHEN IT IS RAINING OR SNOWING. FORD HAS INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY CONSIDER THIS TO BE MY PROBLEM, NOT THEIRS. HOW IS THIS NOT A RECALL ISSUE? THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH CAN ENDANGER LIFE AND SAFETY OF MYSELF AND OTHERS; AND IT IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD'S DESIGN. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS, LET ALONE WHAT IT WILL COST. *TR

ABS LIGHT COMES ON SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH WILL ILLUMINATE IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTING THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL LIGHT AFTER DRIVING 10-15 MINUTES. HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS WITHOUT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. HAVE NOTICED IN SEVERAL EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATIONS, WHEN THE ABS LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, THE ABS SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING AND THE WHEELS WILL STOP TURNING AND THE CAR WILL SKID TO A STOP. *TR