2000 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

ON SUNDAY 5/20/12, UPON STARTING OUR 2000 FORD WINDSTAR VAN, I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING AND THE ABS (YELLOW) LIGHT WAS PERSISTENTLY ON. (HOWEVER THE RED BRAKE LIGHT THAT HAD BEEN SHINING ON THE DASHBOARD PERSISTENTLY FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS, EVEN AFTER RECALL SERVICING, WAS NOW OFF.) DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES, WE REALIZED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS NOT PUTTING OUT COOL AIR, ONLY WARM, AND THAT THE ODOMETER WAS DISPLAYING ONLY DASHES. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION, NOW THAT I HAVE READ UP ON THESE PROBLEMS, WHICH HAD SEEMED UNRELATED, BUT ARE APPARENTLY ALL TRACEABLE TO A DEFECTIVE/LEAKING SDCD, THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT WORKED FOR MANY MONTHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V385000 (POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY). AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS STILL FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THE SUBFRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE BRACKET FOR THE FRONT STABILIZER IS ATTACHED RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH, CAUSING THE STABILIZER BAR TO BREAK LOOSE. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SLIDING DOORS WOULD PERIODICALLY LOCK AND NOT UNLOCK. THE FAILURE ALTERNATED BETWEEN EACH REAR SLIDING DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 177,000. ....UPDATED 06/18/12 *BF

MY SON WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE BACK AXEL FRACTURED. THIS RESULTED IN HIM CRASHING INTO THE CENTER CEMENT DEVIDER AS WELL AS THE FROM LEFT CONTROL ARM BREAKING AS WELL. HE HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND GET CHECKED OUT. IT IS A SHAME THAT I HAVE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS RECALL THROUGH MY INSURER.

MASSIVELY ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ALL OF THE GAUGES; THE SPEEDOMETER AND RPM GAUGES, HEAT AND ALL JUST JUMP RAPIDLY UP AND DOWN. SOMETIMES THEY GIVE FALSE INDICATORS. THE HEAT METER ARM GOES UP WHEN IT IS NOT HOT. IT'S REALLY SCARY. IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR WEEKS. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN AND I AM NOT SURE WHY IT HAPPENS. THIS IS A MINIVAN I.E. A FAMILY CAR. I CANNOT WAIT TO GET RID OF THIS CAR. I'LL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. *JS

THE REAR SLING DOOR HAS DOOR LATCHES LOCKS LINKAGES PROBLEM IT DOES NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY THE DOOR LATCHES DO NOT LATCH AND LOCK ALL THE WAY CLOSE MAKE IT UNSAFE THAT THE DOOR COULD OPEN AT ANY TIME FROM 0 TO 75 MPR IT'S A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR AND I CALLED FORD AND ASK ABOUT THE REAR AXLE RECALL AND DID NOT WANT TO FIX MY REAR AXLE AT ALL OR ANY OF THE RECALLS THAT IT HAS. *JS

AS IS TYPICAL WITH THE WINDSTAR, THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH IS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THUS, CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS AND CRUISE. UNFORTUNATELY, FORD ALREADY HONORED THE RECALL (09S09) ON THIS VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS NOT LEAKING SO THEY INSTALLED A WIRE HARNESS TO AVOID A FIRE WHEN IT DID START LEAKING. (WHY PUT ON A WIRE HARNESS? BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE SWITCH WAS GOING TO FAIL. WHY NOT JUST REPLACE THE SWITCH IN THE FIRST PLACE?) NOW FORD WILL NOT RE-OPEN THE RECALL TO REPLACE THE SWITCH AND FIX THE OTHER RELATED PROBLEMS. *TR

REGARDING THE 2009-2010 PERFORM RECALL 09S09 OF THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WIRE ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT. IT DID NOT WORK - IT NEVER WORKED, NOR DID IT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WITHIN 2 DAYS OF THE INSTALLATION THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. TO THIS DATE BRAKE FLUID IS STILL LEAKING INTO THE COMPONENT. IT CAUSES MY BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON UPON STOPPING AND TURNING THE CAR OFF - WHICH IF GOES UNNOTICED, IT DRAINS THE BATTERY. TO THIS DATE THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. AND IT HAS ALSO REDUCED MY SAFE BRAKING DISTANCE. I HAVE VERY LOW MILES ON THE VAN - LESS THAN 81,000 MILES - SO IT IS NOT CAUSE BY HEAVY USAGE. FORD HAS FAILED TO FIX THE ISSUE WHICH IS THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THIS WIRING ASSEMBLY. THERE ARE MANY FORD WINDSTARS STILL IN USE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD SHOULD FIX THIS ISSUE OF THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE ASSEMBLY WIRE. REPLACING THIS WIRE ASSEMBLY HARNESS DID NOT AND WILL NOT FIX THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE ISSUE. *JS

2 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE THE BEST CAR I EVER OWNED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SINCE I'M A SINGLE MOM WITH 5 KIDS, IM VERY TIGHT ON MONEY, THEREFORE, I WENT TO THE AUTO PART STORE, PUT IT ON THE MACHINE, HOPING I COULD DO WHAT I DID WITH ALL OTHER VEHICLES I OWNED, BUY THE PARTS, GO ONLINE AND READ UP ON FIXING IT MY SELF. I HAD JUST PUT ALL MY SAVINGS INTO BUYING THE VAN. THE STORE CLERK, GIVES ME A LIST OF 4 CODES AND THE LIST OF POSSIBLE FIXES. I GET HOME GO ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT NOT ONLY IS IT NOT EASY FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME TO DO, BUT ITS GOING TO BE A GOOD $1200-$1500 FOR A MECHANIC TO FIX. AND WORSE OF ALL, IT AS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL, FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND EVEN PUT OUT A REPAIR KIT JUST FOR THE ISSUE, BUT STILL REFUSES TO RECALL THE VEHICLE AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. WELL YOUR LITTLE KIT MAYBE INEXPENSIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN FIX IT THEM SELVES BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TO PAY A MECHANIC TO DO THE WORK ITS MORE THEN A SIMPLE REPAIR. IF A CAR AS BEEN TREATED GOOD BY ITS OWNER, AS NOT BEEN ABUSED AND MAINTENANCE KEPT UP WITH OVER THE YEARS, THEN THE ONLY MAJOR (ABOVE $1000) REPAIRS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, ARE REPAIRS DUE TO ACCIDENTS OR NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. WHEN ALMOST EVER ONE WHO OWES ONE OF THEM AS THE SAME PROBLEM, AROUND THE SAME TIME, THEN IT IS A DEFECT IN THE MAKING OF THE CAR AND SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FORD COMPANY. THE FACT THAT FORD HAD TO COME UP WITH A REPAIR KIT, IS ADMITTING THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THE VAN. I SHOULD HAVE CHECK THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I BOUGHT THE VAN. DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE! *TR