1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THAT SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE NEEDLE MOVES ERRATICALLY AND MAKES A TICKING NOISE. CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN CORRECT SPEED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR 2 TIMES BY REPLACING SPEEDOMETER CABLE. TS

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING HEAD GASKET/TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ABS BRAKING LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 3.8 L ENGINE FOR 1995 MODEL DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE GASKET SETS. HOWEVER, IS NOT DOING SO FOR LIKE FAILURE ON 1996 MODEL 3.8 L ENGINES. ENGINE SEIZED ON OUR VEHICLE WITH APPROXIMATELY 48000 MILES DESPITE MAINTENANCE AND TIMING CHAIN GASKET SET REPLACEMENT AN APPROXIMATELY $1200 REPAIR. DT

IN ADDITION, THE FOLLOWING ARE WARRANTY/RECALL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ON THIS VEHICLE. DT

ENGINE LIGHT ON. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET RELATING TO DEFECT IN 1995-1997 WINDSTARS WITH HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PROBLEM. CONTACTING FORD, BUT GETTING RUN AROUND AND TENDS NOT TO SPEAK TO ME SINCE MILEAGE IS OVER 100,000. OBVIOUS PROBLEM, AS EVIDENCE BY THE ABILITY TO EASILY FIND OTHERS WITH SAME ISSUE. DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT $4,000 OR GASKET REPLACE AT $1,200. ANOTHER ISSUE IS ABS LIGHT ON. SEEMS TO BE ANOTHER ISSUE WHERE KNOWN PROBLEM WITH FORDS, BUT FORD NOT ABLE TO FIX. DT

FAILURE OCCURRED IN PARKING LOT, ABLE TO STOP USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKED ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD, FIRE PREVENTED BY DIVERTING LEAK. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER CARE OCT 2002 WHO STATED NO RECALL ON RECORD AND OFFERED NO REPAIR DESPITE MY REFERENCE TO YOUR 02V101000 RECALL. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES IF YOU WANT. REPEATED CONTACTS WITH FORD GET NO RESOLUTION. DEALER LISTED ON FORM WAS ORIGINAL PURCHASE LOCATION AND NOT INVOLVED. DT

CONSUMER STATES, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE NOTICED A BLACK SMOKE AND FLAME UNDER THE HOOD. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS CAUSING THE BURNING AND DAMAGING WIRE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. OIL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND SHUT DOWN AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RESTART. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY 5 REPAIR PEOPLE THAT THE WINDSTARS ARE VERY LIKELY TO HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REQUEST THAT FORD REPAIR THE VAN. I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORD CORP. AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE WINDSTARS ARE NOT HAVING A HEAD GASKET ISSUE. THIS VAN WITH THE PROPER CARE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS BIG OF AN ISSUE. MY VAN HAS SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY SINCE JULY, THE ESTIMATE IS $ 2,000.00 TO 4,000.00 TO NOW REPLACE AN ENGINE WITH LESS THEN 100,000 MILES.