1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

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??T DRIVE FOR FEAR OF ENGINE FAILURE. 8NLM

HEAD GASKET FAILURE . A COMMON DEFECT IN FORD WINDSTARS, THEY WERE COVERED IN THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS, BUT NOT THE '96 MODEL. FORD, SO FAR, WILL NOT COVER THIS. ALSO SPEEDOMETER "JUMPS" AROUND ABOVE 45 MPH. THIS TOO, IS COMMON IN THIS AND PRIOR MODEL WINDSTARS. REPAIRS ARE USUALLY $500 AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY ARE TRAVELING. *NLM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON< GOES OFF< COMES ON< GOES OFF< COMES ON< STAYS ON< GOES OFF! AND THE DEALERSHIP (GREENE FORD, GAINESVILLE, GA.) ALWAYS HAS A DIFFERENT REASON FOR THE PROBLEM AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY. $600 OR MORE TO FIX EACH TIME, TO NO END. THE FIRST TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE IMRCS WERE SUPPOSE TO BE THE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIPS DISAGNOSTICS TEST (COST $80.00) THEY REPLACED AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM, (COST $560.00). LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY WHILE TAKING A FAMILY VACATION OUT OF STATE. HAD AN INDEPENDENT MACHANIC PERFORM A TUNE UP ON VEHICLE, REPLACED PLUGS, WIRES, OIL CHANGE, THROTTLE BODY CLEANED (COST $223.00) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON WITHIN TWO DAYS. UPON THE NEXT RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE DIAGNOSTICS TEST (COST ANOTHER $80.00) REPORTED A CODE EGR INSUFFICIENT FLOW AND A #4 CYLINDER MISFIRE (EST. REPAIR COSTS $600.00). HAD A DPFE SENSOR REPLACED ($76.00) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON! IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT THESE SO CALLED DEALERSHIPS (EXPERTS) WITH THEIR SO CALLED (DIAGNOSTICS TESTS) HAVE NOT THE FOGGIEST CLUE ABOUT HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT IS ALSO DISTURBING THAT AFTER REVEIWING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, THAT NHTSA HAS NOT ORDERED FORD TO STOP PLAYING GAMES AND FORCE A RECALL FOR THESE PROBLEMS. IT IS APPARENT THAT OTHERS HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND PROBLEMS IN THE PAST THAT NEVER GET RESOLVED UNTIL THE HEAD GASKETS FAIL AND THE REPAIR BILLS GO FROM $600.00 TO $2000.00. I AM ACCUSING FORD OF KNOWINGLY AND WITHOUT REGARD TO THE BEST INTRESTS OF THEIR CUSTOMERS ALLOWING MAJOR PROBLEMS TO EXIST AND PERSIST IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THEIR PROFITS AT THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSE. FORD CORPARATION SHOULD BE ASSAMED, BUT THEY HAVE SHOWN NO ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONABILITY. AND THE DEALERSHIPS ARE NO BETTER, EVERYTIME WE DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM WITH THEM, WE GET DIFFERENT ANSWERS AND COSTS FROM DAY TO DAY AND IT APPEARS IF YOU COMPLAIN TO MUCH YOU GET TO PAY EVEN MORE. THANKS FORD, FOR NOTHING! *JB

THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED A CRACK IN THE SUB FRAME. WHICH COULD HAD CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FALL OUT, IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *JB

THE SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED ON MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR PLACING MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN AT RISK. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT TONY BETTEN FORD IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM ON MARCH 7, 2003. BETTEN REPORTED TO ME THAT A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF SPEEDOMETERS HAVE FAILED ON 1996 FORD WINDSTARS AND 1996 FORD ESCORTS. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED THE MODELS BECAUSE "THEY (FORD MOTOR COMPANY) DON'T CONSIDER A FAILED SPEEDOMETER A SAFETY ISSUE." IN MY VIEW FORD SHOULD RECALL AND PAY FOR REPAIRS. IF SPEEDOMETERS AREN'T A SAFETY ISSUE THEN WHY DON'T WE ALL DRIVE INTUITIVELY? UNDER SEPARATE COVER I AM WRITING MY CONGRESSMAN REPRESENTATIVE VERN EHLERS SO THAT HIS OFFICE MIGHT OFFER YOU ASSISTANCE.*JB

LOCAL GARAGE DIAGNOSED THAT OUR 1996 FORD WINDSTAR VAN'S 3.8L ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, WHICH WAS CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO CONTINUALLY COME ON. COMBUSTION GASES WERE IN THE COOLING SYSTEM, AS WAS OIL RESIDUE. OIL ALSO FOUND IN THE TOP PART OF THE ENGINE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT COOLANT AND MAYBE WATER HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE CYLINDERS. DON'T KNOW YET WHAT DAMAGE IS DONE INTERNALLY TO THE ENGINE. LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS A $2000 CHARGE TO REPAIR. ENGINE NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY PROGRAM ISSUED BY FORD FOR THE 1995 WINDSTARS EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME 3.8L ENGINE. FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE LOGGED MY CALL BUT SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT TREATING THIS ISSUE AS A WARRANTY ITEM AND THAT I WAS ON MY OWN TO FIX IT. *JB

THE SPEEDOMETER MOVED ERRATICALLY AND MALFUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY LEAVING CONSUMER UNSURE OF SPEED. SPEEDOMETER HAD TO BE REPLACED 2 TIMES. *TT *JB *TS

NAR 03/05/2003 THE CONSUMERS EXPERIENCED HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THE COST OF REPAIR WERE APPROX $2100.22. DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB

96 WINDSTAR HAD FAILED NJ STATE INSPECTION BUT WAS RUNNING FINE. VEHICLE HAS 109,000 MILES AND DEALER INFORMED ME IT HAS LEAKING HEAD GASKETS. DEALER WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AT THIS DEALER FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS AND NO MENTION WAS EVER MADE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS QUITE APPARENT THAT THIS IS A LATENT DEFECT AT LEAST UNTIL THE 1997 YEAR. FACTORY CAMPAIGNS WERE IN PLACE THROUGH 95 AND PROBLEM WAS REDUCED ON 96 VEHICLES BUT STILL EXISTED.*JB

THE ABS LIGHT HAD FLASHED PERIODICALLY, THE TRANSMISSION HAD BURNT OUT, AND THE ENGINE HAD BECOME CONTAMINATED WITH COOLANT. THE CONSUMER HAD REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE CHARGE OF THE REBUILT ENGINE. SCC *JB