1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

BLOWN HEAD CASKITS AT 62,000 MILES WHICH FORD FIXED AT NO COST DUE TO DEFECT AND NOW AGAIN AT 92,000 MILES IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILE WHICHEVER COMES FIRST SINCE IT IS 7 YEARS OLD. THEY KNOW IT IS THEIR PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND VERIFIED BLOWN HEAD CASKETS FOR THE 2ND TIME

I WAS TOLD ON 1-15-03 BY MULLINAX FORD SERVICE DEPT. IN AMHERST, OHIO THAT I NEEDED NEW HEAD GASKETS AND ENGINE IN MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR. THERE WAS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THOSE ENGINES AND FORD KNOWS IT. THEY DID AN EXTENDED 7 YEAR, 100,000 MILE WARANTEE ON IT AND BECAUSE OF MY LOW MILES (57,800) I DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM UNTIL NOW. I AM 10 MONTHS PAST THE WARANTEE. I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE ENGINES AND SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THEM ALL. I HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY CHANNELS AND FORD WILL NOT HELP ME. THE COST ESTIMATE FOR MY REPAIR WAS $4,500.00. THIS IS NOW AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT UP AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SPIKED INTO THE RED ZONE. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO LATER INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED, COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO AT LEAST ONE CYLINDER AND THE TIMING CHAIN. I CONTACTED FORD BECAUSE I HAD RECEIVED A NOTICE OF AN EXTENSION TO THE WARRANTY FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. HOWEVER FORD ONLY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS AND 100,000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE HAS 98,000 MILES ON IT AND IS 8 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS OLD. AS A RESULT FORD WILL NOT SERVICE THE CAR UNDER THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR FORD ENGINE AND THAT HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET ON NUMEROUS VEHICLES WITHT HIS ENGINE.

1995 FORD WINDSTAR ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE - FORD WILL NOT ADMINT TO A DEFECT IN QUALITY. THIS VAN NOW SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR OVER A YEAR AND NO ONE WILL FIXIT FOR UNDER 3500.00. PROBLEM IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTS IN THIS VAN, THE VALUE OF IT IS 1000.00. I ALSO PUT TWO TRANSMITTIONS INTO IT, WATER PUMPS, THERMOSTATS, RADIATOR AND NO ONE INFORMED ME OF A POTENTAL DEFECT WITH THE HEAD GASKETS

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE HEAD GASKET TIMING CHAIN SNAP CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

MY EX-1995 FORD WINDSTAR HAS 77,000 MILES SHOWED A OVERHEATING PROBLEM. FORD AFFILIATED DEALER (YOUNG FORD IN ROCHESTER, MI) SAID IT WAS FIXED BY REPLACING A WATER PUMP. BUT OVERNIGHT THE SAME OVERHEATING APPEARED. NEXT TIME THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM, WHEN FORD WAS CONTACTED TO BE TOLD IT WAS UNDER RECALL TWICE BUT MY CAR COULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO EXPIRED RECALL WARRANTY (7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILE WHICHEVER COMES FIRST). I FIXED AND SOLD IT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE A CAR FROM UNRELIABLE MANUFACTURER.

HEAD GASKET BLEW ON 1995 FORD WINDSTAR ON JANUARY 3, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 7 YRS, 3 MTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF CAR, WHILE ON TRIP APPROXIMATELY 450 MILES FROM HOME. MY MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES. FORD KNEW THAT HEAD GASKET HAD PRODUCT DEFECT AND AVOIDED A NHTSA RECALL BY ENTERING INTO A VOLUNTARY REPAIR PROGRAM FOR 1995 FORD WINDSTARS WITH GASKET PROBLEMS IF PROBLEM OCCURS WITHIN 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST). I TRIED TO GET FORD TO REPAIR WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD BUT HEAD GASKET WAS NOT DAMAGED. FORD SAID I WOULD HAVE TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEM. I EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM AT 7 YEARS, 3 MONTHS. FORD WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIR. CAR IS APPRAISED FOR TRADE-IN (WITH PROBLEM) AT $4000 BELOW BLUE BOOK PRICE. CALLS TO FORD (DEALER AND CORPORATE OFFICE) ARE TOTALLY IGNORED.

CONSUMER STATED 6 OUT OF 7 SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *SCC *JB

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEAD GASKET FAILED DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO REPAY THE COST FOR REPLACING THE THE ENTIRE ENGINE (WELL OVER 4K DOLLARS) WHICH WAS THE CASE IN THE RECALL. SCC

RE:1995 FORD WINDSTAR VIN [XXX] THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO DAMAGE INCURRED JUST PRIOR TO AN OFFICIAL RECALL NOTICE FOR COLLAPSE OF THIS VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND FORD'S REFUSAL TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE DAMAGE INCURRED AND REPAIRS PERFORMED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER CARE RECALL LINE, AND WRITTEN TO FORD'S CEO WITH NO RESPONSE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD IS OBLIGATED TO PAY FOR ALL REPAIRS WHICH RESULTED FROM A SITUATION UNDER WHICH A RECALL IS DECLARED, EVEN IF THEY WERE INCURRED PRIOR TO THE RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT. ON JUNE 12, 2001 THE DRIVER FRONT END COLLAPSED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED TO THE GROUND AND LISTED TO THE LEFT. THE CAUSE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION COILS, WHICH ACTED LIKE A HOOK AND COMPLETELY TORE THROUGH AND SHREDDED THE NEW TIRE I HAD JUST PUT ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE INCIDENT. THE FORD DEALERSHIP WAS BOOKED SEVERAL DAYS OUT SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER FACILITY, BOCA TIRE WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR SYSTEMS FIXED FOR SAFETY. ON AUGUST 24, 2001, THE STARTER FAILED AND WE WERE ADVISED IT IS LIKELY THIS WAS RELATED TO THE SUSPENSION CRASH. WE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD SUSPECTED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL INCIDENT WE RECEIVED A NOTICE OF AN EXTENDED COVERAGE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS OF THE 1995 WINDSTAR. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND EXPLAINED ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS AND THAT IT SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE INITIAL FAILURE OF THE COIL SPRINGS AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT END. WE INCURRED $1,380 IN REPAIRS. WE TURNED IN MY REPAIR RECEIPTS FOR "FORD REIMBURSEMENT REVIEW" AND RECEIVED A VERY SMALL AMOUNT WHICH NO ONE AT FORD COULD EXPLAIN (DID NOT JUST RELATE TO FRONT END ONLY REPAIRS, ETC). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR