1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

BLOWN HEAD GASKETS ON 1995 FORD WINDSTAR THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS AWARE OF AS A PROBLEM ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL/YEAR. "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT KEPT COMING ON BUT NO PROBLEM COULD BE DETECTED. OF COURSE MY "HEAD GASKET" PROBLEM DEVELOPED AFTER THE LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. *JB

MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN WITH THE 3.8 LT V-6 ENGINE. I BOUGHT MY VAN NEW ON 9/12/95 AND HAVE TAKEN CARE TO KEEP IT IN GOOD SHAPE. IT HAD RECENTLY, IN LATER PART OF MARCH, BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC ON APRIL 1, 2003. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAS BLOWN OUT. MY VAN ONLY HAS 55,900 MILES ON IT! FORD HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO COVER ONLY THE HEAD GASKETS FOR 100K MILES OR SEVEN YEARS WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. EVEN THOUGH MY WARRANTY, ACCORDING TO FORD, RAN OUT IN SEPT. 02, I STILL FEEL THAT 56K MILES IS TOO LOW TO SUFFER THIS KIND OF MAJOR REPAIR. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE DESIGN BY FORD. THE MECHANIC SAID THE REPAIR WOULD BE BETWEEN $1000 AND $2000 DOLLARS DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. IT COULD EVEN BE HIGHER IF THE DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE. *NLM

AT 48000 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED BY MANUFACTURER DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER REBUILT THE ENTIRE UPPER PART OF THE ENGINE. NOW THE VEHICLE IS STALLING INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE STALLING WAS DUE TO A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE WHICH SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP IN TURN SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE. *NLM

1995 FORD WINDSTAR LX HEAD GASKETS BLEW OUT AT 100,112 MILES TODAY. WARRANTY THROUGH 100,000 MILES. I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. *NLM

FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, PUNCTURED PASSENGER FRONT TIRE, THIS WAS AFTER INSPECTION AT DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL NOTICE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED SPRINGS AND ONE TIRE. I REPLACED STRUTS AND OTHER THREE TIRES. NO WAY CAN A QUICK VISUAL INSPECTION ALLOW A TECH TO KNOW IF COIL SPRING IS LIKELY TO HAVE METAL FATIGUE/FAILURE. *NLM

THE DEALERSHIP (LITHIA FORD;NAPA CA;707-255-2580) REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL FOR THE FUEL LINES 99 V 309 000. *NLM

ON 1/3/03 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER THAT HAD REPLACED THE FIRST ENGINE AT 67,000 DUE TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED AGAIN WITH 124,000 MILES THIS TIME. AFTER DEALER TOOK ENGINE APART TO CHECK THE PROBLEM,DEALER NOTIFIED ME TO TELL ME NOW ITS THE WHOLE ENGINE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND TIME WITH IN 124,000 MILES. FORD WOULD NOT COVER UNDER RECALL WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE 3,000 DOLLARS TO FIX. AFTER I REFUSED DEALER COSTS AT 3,000 DOLLARS DEALER WANTED 800 DOLLARS TO PUT ENGINE BACK TOGETHER STILL NOT FIXED HAD VAN TOWED HOME WITH ENGINE IN BOXES. HAVE PAPER WORK FROM DEALER THAT SHOWS THEY NEVER HAD PERMISSION TO TAKE ENGINE APART. THEY ONLY HAD APPROVAL TO DO A DIAGNOSIS TEST. *NLM

ABS LOCKS AND VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 TRYING TO FIX BRAKING ISSUE. TONE RINGS, STRUTS, SUSPENSION, FRONT BRAKES, REAR BRAKES, BEARINGS, CV JOINTS, MASTER CYLINDER, AMONG OTHER REPLACEMENTS. OVER BUMPS, SMALL HILLS, STRAIGHT ROADS, ANYTIME COMING TO A STOP, VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO STOP COMPLETELY. HAVE PUMPED BRAKES AND FOUND THAT BRAKE PEDAL GETS HARD AND LOUD, STILL DOES NOT HELP TO STOP VEHICLE. STEERING WHEEL FEELS LOOSE AT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. BRAKE PEDAL ALSO KICKS BACK, SOMETIMES WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, MAKES A LOAD GRINDING NOISE. CONTROLLING THE CAR BECOMES DIFFICULT AS LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE AND STEERING WHEEL ROCKING (ON DECENT OF SMALL HILL) COMBINED MAKE FOR A DEADLY COMBINATION. I AM BEING FORCED TO PURCHASE A BETTER VEHICLE, NOT EVER FORD AGAIN. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 5/30/02 ON OUR 1995 FORD WINDSTAR WHEN MILEAGE WAS 78,476. COST OF NEW TRANSMISSION WAS $2732.92. PREVIOUSLY WE HAD REPLACED TRANSMISSION IN 8/00 WHEN MILEAGE WAS 61,210. *JB

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE VAN SPENT OVER A MONTH IN THE SHOP AS EVERY TIME I WOULD GO GET IT, I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE IT WAS STILL SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR VERY HARD. IT HAS BEEN ONLY A FEW MONTHS AND THE PROBLEM IS BACK. I DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLES HARD.JB