1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISE. WHEN FURTHER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES WAS BEING PINCHED BY THE SPRINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HIS EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 164,954.

I WENT TO GO TO THE STORE MAY 26TH, 2010 6:30 - 7:00 PM, I GOT IN MY VEHICLE WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I PROCEEDED TO GO DOWN MY DRIVEWAY WHICH ITS A LONG DRIVEWAY AND I STARTED TO SMELL A FAINT SMELL OF PLASTIC BURNING AND I GOT TO THE ROAD AND I STARTED TO GO AND I DECIDED I SHOULD MAYBE PULL OVER TO SEE IF I COULD SEE ANYTHING ON THE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE CAUSING SMELL THEN WHEN GOT BACK IN CAR SAW THE STEAM COMING FROM HOOD AND I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND HAVE MY BOYFRIEND TAKE A LOOK BEFORE I LEFT. WHEN GOT TO HOUSE SAW LITTLE STEAM BUT NOTHING BIG, TURNED OFF VAN AND GOT MY DAUGHTER FROM CAR SEAT AND WALKED INSIDE HOME NOT BUT 5 MINUTES LATER MY OTHER DAUGHTER RAN SCREAMING OUT HER ROOM, MOM THE VANS ON FIRE. WHEN OPENED THE DOOR THE FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT OF THE HOOD AND TRIED TO OPEN HOOD, WHILE OTHER HALF GOING FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS BUT MOTOR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND WITHIN 5 MINUTES GOT FIRE OUT WITH 2 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. NOTHING INDICATED BEFORE FIRE OTHER THEN THE FAINT SMELL THAT I SMELLED WHILE GOING DOWN DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE CAME FROM THE WIRING AND IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE CAUSE IF ME AND MY DAUGHTER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO US WHILE ON THE ROAD IT COULD OF SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED US. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THE VAN YET CAUSE I ONLY HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE ON THE VAN AND THE FIRE WASN'T COVERED. I ALSO DO NOT FINANCIALLY HAVE THE MEANS TO FIX THE VAN MYSELF SO I AM WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION RIGHT NOW! MY BOYFRIEND DID FEEL AFTER LOOKING AT VAN THE FIRE STARTED WITH THE WIRING OVER THE TOP OF THE CENTER OF THE MOTOR. *TR

1996 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER REQUESTS A REFUND FOR MONEY SPENT ON REPAIRS AS A RESULT OF THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN A RECALL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD A BRAKE FLUID LEAK WHICH DAMAGED THE ABS MODULE, CLOSKSPRING AND CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT TO WORK. THE CONSUMER STATED IN MID-LATE DECEMBER SHE AND HER HUSBAND BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING AND THE ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF AT RANDOM. BRAKING WAS SOMETIMES INTERRUPTED BY A SHUDDERING WHICH DELAYED THE ACTION OF THE BRAKE AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, AS IF THE ABS DID NOT WANT THE BRAKE TO ENGAGE. THIS HAPPENED DURING NORMAL BRAKING AS WELL AS A QUICK PRESS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IN EITHER CASE THE BRAKING WAS PROLONGED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM WITH A KIT AND SHE WAS REASSURED THE BRAKE LEAK WAS FIXED AND THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE PROBLEMS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACTION OF THE BRAKES. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE CONSUMER AND HER HUSBAND EXPERIENCED THE SHUDDERING AGAIN WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONSUMERS HUSBAND DECIDED TO PURCHASE AN ABS MODULE FROM AN ONLINE DEALER. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO AGREED TO INSTALL THE PART. THE PROBLEM WITH THE ABS LIGHT AND SHUDDERING HAS BEEN RESOLVED. WHEN THE CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE, HE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE RECEIPTS FROM THE REPAIR, BUT WAS TOLD HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE YEARS COVERED FOR A REFUND OF PREVIOUS REPAIRS. *JB

THE 1996 WINDSTAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE (ATTACHED TO THE HOME) WITH THE IGNITION OFF FOR SEVERAL HOURS WHEN FAMES WERE SEEN COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR QUADRENT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT WAS OBVIOUS THE FIRE COULD NOT BE EXTINGUISHED. THE FAMILY LEFT THE HOME, WHICH WAS SOON COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE CAUSING THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE TO COLLAPSE. THE COIL SPRING TRAVELED THROUGH THE SIDEWALL OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 169,105.

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN DRIVING. I CAN STOP AND SHUT THE VAN OFF AND IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT. 1996 FORD WINDSTAR 82,400 MILES. *TR

1996 FORD WINDSTAR FWD AUTO PB PS PW AC, V-6. VEHICLE AUTO ACCELERATED WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. BRAKE LOSS DUE TO LACK OF VACUUM. VEHICLE SPUN IN A CIRCLE SUDDENLY AND HIT ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKED POSITION. *TR

MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING AND BURNED UP WITHIN 10 MINUTES. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE FIRE DANGER RECALL UNTIL I HEARD ABOUT IT ON THE NEW A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EVENT. THE ONLY ACCESSORY THAT WAS ON WAS THE AIRCONDITIONING WHICH WAS WORKING PROPERLY. I NOTICED A SMELL FOLLOWED BY SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE AND THE SMOKE INTENSIFIED FOLLOWED BY FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED (5 MINUTES) FLAMES WERE POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THICK BLACK SMOKE HAD FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE HAD COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ENGINE AND HAD BEGUN TO BURN INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DASHBOARD HAS MELTED ALONG WITH PARTS OF THE ROOF AS FAR BACK AS THE MIDDLE SEATS. UP TO THE EVENT THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMALLY WITH NO PROBLEMS. I HAD NEVER BEEN CONTACTED BY FORD ABOUT THE RECALL AND ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EVENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE CAR WAS CONSIDERED "TOTALED" BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

I HAVE A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR VAN THAT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, THEN A BOOM AND THERE WERE FLAMES AROUND THE FIREWALL. THE MASTER CYLINDER, WIRING HARNESS, HOSES ETC. WERE DESTROYED. THE FIRE WAS LOCATED MORE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MORE THAN PROPERLY MAINTAINED, AND MY MECHANIC CAN ATTEST TO THIS. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. I WAS NOT INJURED. THIS OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE CURRENT RECALL. *TR

THERE WAS NO CRASH. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER. I WAS DRIVING A CLIENT HOME FROM A PICNIC AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO PARK AND SMOKE STARTED ROLLING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I GOT MY PASSENGER WHO WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR TO SAFETY AND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TRANSAXLES. I PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE "TRANSAXLES RANGE SENSOR" AND PLUG JUST FORWARD OF THE RANGE SENSOR WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE WIRING HARNESS ABOVE COMING OUT OF THE BLACK BOX(FUSE BOX) WAS ALSO BURNT. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *TR