1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

VEHICLE WAS MAKING A STRANGE NOISE UPON STARTING. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY STATED THAT HEAD GASKET BROKE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED ALLOWING COOLENT TO LEAK INTO THE FIREING CHAMBER, THEREBY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BIND UP. UPON REMOVAL OF THE #4,5 AND 6 SPARK PLUGS, ANTI-FREEZ LEAKED OUT OF THE #4 SPARK PLUG HOLE. THIS IS CONSISTANT WITH THE KNOWN FAILURES OF THE GASKET IN QUESTION.

VEHICLE PARKED AFTER JULY,2000 AS PROBLEM COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED. WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE 3 TIMES WHILE IN THE VEHICLE. OCTOBER 31, 2000, SOUGHT A THIRD OPINION-CAR TAKEN TO INVER GROVE FORD. INTERNAL HEAD GASKET LEAK. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BEEN REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING CAR HOME, IT OVERHEATED AND WAS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. WAS ADVISED THAT THE FLEXPIPE AS CORRODED AND EXHAUSTING INTO THE CAR. WAS TOLE THIS WAS THE PROBABLE SOURCE OF MY GETTING SICK IN THE CAR. EVEN AFTER THE REPAIRS, I AM SO CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE THAT I CAN NOT EVEN GET INTO THE CAR. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE JULY,2000 AS IT IS TOO TOXIC FOR ME TO BE IN THIUS VAN AT ALL. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AS WELL AS THE DEALERSHIPS. I ADVISED THEM IN JUNE OF 2000 THAT THIS VAN WAS MAKING ME QUITE SICK AND THEY WERE ADVISED OF THE AMBULANCE CALL AND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS. I SPECIFICALLY ADVISED THEM OF THE ODORS EXHAUSTING IN THE CAR AND THAT I HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CHEMICAL SENSITIVITES, PROVIDING FORD WITH MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION, WHICH ALSO ADVISED THAT MY DOCTOR FELT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FORWARED CORRESPONDANCE TO THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE FORD APPEALS BOARD TWICE, AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MINNESOTA. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP. THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR INCLUDING PROBABLE MILD IN THE HEATER BOX, AND THE EXHAUSTS AND CHEMICALS IN THE CAR. I HAVE TRIED TO TRADE THE CAR IN BUT DEALERSHIPS, INCLUDING FORD WILL ONLY OFFER A TRADE-IN VALUE ABOUT $6,000 OR LESS THAN THE BOOK VALUE. I AM TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT NO ONE WANTS ANY OF THESE CARS. I DON'T FELL AT ALL COMFORTABLE SELLING THE CAR PERSONALLY SINCE IT HAS MADE ME SO SICK. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT I WONT.... I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME TYPE OF RESPONSE. THANK-YOU.*AK

TRANSAXLE WAS REPLACED AT 105,000 BEFORE PURCHASING FROM DEALER THEN 4 MONTHS LATER TRANSAXLE GOES OUT(111.000 MILES) WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED IS REFUSING TO FIX IT. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND OIL OR ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR THREE TIMES FOR A FAILED GASKET. THE ENGINE WON'T HEAT UP PROPERLY DUE TO THE THERMOSTAT BEING STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. NEW OXYGEN SENSORS HAD TO BE INSTALLED DUE TO BEING CONTAMINATED FROM THE COOLANT. *JG

FUEL TANK IS LEAKING FUEL DUE TO A CRACKED FUEL TANK. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED.*AK. THIS OCCURRED AFTER RECALL REPAIR 99V309. *JB

ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON AND BRAKES MADE A LOUD NOISE . THIS COULD CAUSE VEHICLE NOT TO STOP AT A SHORTER DISTANCE. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

THREE OF THE FIVE LUG STUDS IN ONE FRONT WHEEL BROKE SIMULTANEOUSLY, CAUSING SEVERE VIBRATIONS OF THE WHOLE CAR. WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND SLOW DOWN TO A SAFE STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. WE WERE TOWED 150 MILES FROM AKRON TO COLUMBUS. WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE MANUFACTURER HAD HAD AN ALIGNMENT AND WHEEL ROTATION AT GERMAIN FORD IN COLUMBUS IN MARCH 2002. THREE POSSIBLE CAUSES: METAL FAILURE OF THE STUDS, TORQUING THE LUGS TOO TIGHT WHEN THE TIRES WERE ROTATED, OR LUGS COMING LOOSE. THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT GERMAIN FORD HAVE RULED OUT LOOSE LUGS DUE TO THE FINDING THAT NONE OF THE LUG HOLES WERE OUT OF ROUND. IF ALL FIVE LUG STUDS HAD FAILED AT ONCE, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD A FATAL ACCIDENT. WE HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 10 HOURS FROM MANCHESTER, CT AND BROKE DOWN JUST EAST OF AKRON, OH. SPEED WAS GENERALLY BETWEEN 65 & 75 MPH. WE WERE TOWED HOME TO COLUMBUS. GERMAIN FORD DID A TORQUE TEST ON THE OTHER STUDS IN ALL WHEELS TODAY, AND NONE OF THEM FAILED. HOWEVER, WE CHOSE TO REPLACE ALL STUDS IN ALL WHEELS.

CONSUMER STATES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN THEN IT RELEASES AND GOES A FOOT MORE THEN IT WILL STOP. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN ON AN INCLINE, DAMPNESS. CONSUMER STATES IT COULD HAPPEN ANYTIME NOW. CONSUMER FEELS UNSAFE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD OFTEN SHOW HOT. THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS ALSO A PROBLEM WAS WITH A PART OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE PART WAS REPLACED BUT A FEW WEEKS LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. AT THIS TIME THE DEALER REALIZED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY HEAD GASKET. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE OVERHEATING WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE TEMPERATURE SENDER BURNOUT CAUSED BY THE THERMOSTAT MALFUNCTION CAUSED BY THE LEAKY HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO NEVER BEING TOLD OF THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WARRANTY. *SLC *NM