1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

SPEEDOMETER REPLACEMENT. MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT 545.00 TO REPLACED A SPEEDOMETER WAS EXPENSIVE SINCE IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB

THE CONSUMER REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEIR LACK OF RECALLS ON SOME SERIOUS DEFECTS. *MR. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A CLUNKING SOUND, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE CLUNKING SOUND WAS NORMAL AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FORD TRANSMISSION, WHICH FAILED ON A TEST DRIVE AND ONE OTHER OCCASION. COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE THROUGH THE INTAKE GASKET, WHICH WAS RECALLED FOR THE 95 MODELS. THE TIMING CHAIN LEAKED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COILS IN THE SUSPENSION, WHICH FORD WOULD ONLY REPLACE WHEN THEY FAILED. THE BRAKE ROTORS FAILED AT 30000 MILES. SCC *JB

THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. *JB

BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT 70,700 MILES TOOK IN TO MECHANIC REPAIR BILL IS APPROXIMATELY. $1200.00. I ONLY HAD THIS VEHICLE SINCE JUNE 2002. IT IS NOW MARCH 2003. FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A NEW ENGINE PUT IN MY VAN FEBRUARY OF 2001. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 25-35 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSED. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE CLAMP RUSTED AND CAUSED A LEAK. *NLM.....*AK

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON AND IF I HIT THE BRAKES SUDDENLY THE BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON. *JB

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE OR NOT. BUT I PAID THE FORD DEALER SHIP $60.00 TO TELL ME WHY MY POWER WINDOW WOULD ONLY WORK PART OF THE TIME, AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY MOTOR WHICH THEY WANTED $353.00 FOR. SO I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SO I WENT HOME AND WORKED ON IT MYSELF AND FOUND OUT IT WAS ONLY STICKING AT THE TOP. I WENT BACK ON THE 24TH OF MARCH TO TRY TO GET MY MONEY BACK, BECAUSE TO ME THIS IS COMPLETE FRAUD ON THEIR PART. WELL, I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER (MARK KISCH) AND HE WAS VERY RUDE, AND REFUSED TO RETURN MY MONEY. HE EVEN LAUGHED WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO REPORT HIM. IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM THAT HE HAS BAD PEOPLE WORKING THERE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING. *JB

TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. OCCASIONALLY DURING STOP AND GO TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UP SHIFT OUT OF 1ST TO HIGHER GEAR. APPEARS RANDOM. DEALER COULD NOT RE-CREATE PROBLEM, AND THEREFORE COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1996 FORD WINDSTAR'S. THE ONLY SOLUTION APPEARS TO REQUIRE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. BUT, AGAIN NHSTA COMPLAINTS INCLUDE OWNERS HAVING TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT MORE THAN ONCE. *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO THE CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT IT IS UNFAIR TO ADDRESS THE RECALL TO THE NORTHERN STATES WHEN THE SOUTHERNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE. THE CONSUMER WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, FLUID WAS RUNNING OFF OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONSUMER HAS SPENT EACH WINTER IN TWO NORTHERN STATES AND HAS EXPERIENCED SALT/SNOW ROADS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. RECALL#02V101000 *SCC *NLM

THIS INCIDENT STARTED WHEN I HAD NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATOR FLUID ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, AND A SLIGHT SMELL OF RADIATOR FLUID WHEN I RAN THE HEATER. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AGAIN IN NOVEMBER 2002. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE APPLE VALLEY FORD DEALER AND AFTER DIAGNOSING IT, I WAS TOLD THE NUMBER 4 SPARK PLUG IS STUCK AND THE GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ON THE TIMING COVER ON THE ENGINE (THIS WAS THE SOURCE OF THE RADIATOR FLUID LEAK). THE DEALERS PROFESSIONAL OPINION WAS THE HEAD GASKET IS ALSO BAD, THE HEAD FOR THE #4 PLUG WOULD NEED REPLACING, AND COMBINED WITH THE NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING COVER GASKET, THEY RECOMMENDED A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT $4,400. I DECLINED AND TOOK THE VAN TO ANOTHER LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO UNFORTUNATELY CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSIS AND INDICATED THERE WERE KNOWN PROBLEMS AND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS FOR ENGINE GASKET REPLACEMENTS WITH FORD WINDSTAR 3.8 LITER V6 ENGINES IN 1995. THEY ALSO INDICATED THEY HAD STARTED SEEING THIS SAME PROBLEM TURNING UP IN 1996 MODELS. THEY ALSO QUOTED A SIMILAR NUMBER & RECOMMENDED USING A JASPER ENGINE INSTEAD OF THE FORD ENGINE AS THE WARRANTY IS 75,000 MILES. I ALSO DECLINED AND THE VAN IS NOW SITTING PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I CONTINUE TO MAKE CAR PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE I CAN NOT DRIVE FOR FEAR OF ENGINE FAILURE. *JB