1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT WOUL ILLUMINATE, ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING, HEAD GASKET FAILED, THERMOSTAT AND THERMOSTAT GASKET FAILED, O-RING WERE LEAKING AND ALSO IF THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD START TO OVERHEAT. * YD 2 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED

AT 35MPH SHOCK ABSORBERS SNAPPED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE NO ACCELERATION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE MADE A POPPING NOISE, AND THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUTDOWN, AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL START TO SHAKE AND REV. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK

SMOKE WAS COMING FROM TAILPIPE. DEALER DETERMINED THAT HEADGASKET WAS BLOWN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK CONSUMER ADDS WHILE DRIVING, HEARD A CRACKING SOUND, AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM TAILPIPE. DEALER FOUND CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND WATER LEAKING FROM EXHAUST PIPE. *TT

WHEN STARTING VEHICLE AND PUTTING IT INTO GEAR, THERE'S A JERK. WHEN STOPPING VEHICLE JERKS, VEHICLE STALLS IN INTERSECTIONS. *AK CONSUMER FEELS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID FOR REPAIRS TO VEHICLE.

I WAS DRIVING FROM WISCONSIN TO PENNSYLVANIA AT NIGHT. IN OHIO, I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER, AND "WHOOSHING" NOISE FROM UNDER CHASSIS, GRADUALLY GETTING WORSE OVER A COUPLE OF HOURS. AT THAT POINT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. AFTER ARRIVING IN PITTSBURGH (AND AFTER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY) I TOOK THE CAR TO A MUFFLER SHOP. AS I EXPECTED, ONE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTORS WAS CLOGGED. ON DIAGNOSING THE PCM FAULT CODES, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE RUBBER HOSES CONNECTING TO THE DPFE (DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE FEEDBACK EGR) SENSOR WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY MELTED AWAY (BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED EXHAUST BACKPRESSURE FROM THE CAT FAILURE???). I WAS PREPARING THE CAR FOR ANOTHER LONG-DISTANCE TRIP ON 6/10/02 WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC AIR INTAKE PLENUM AND THE WIRING HARNESS IN THAT AREA WERE DAMAGED BY HEAT, AS WELL. THE AREA OF DAMAGE IS RIGHT IN THE AREA OF THE METAL TUBES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THAT THE RUBBER HOSES TO THE DPFE SENSOR CONNECT TO. ABOUT 8 OF THE WIRES HAD THEIR INSULATION COMPLETELY BURNED THROUGH (ABOUT 1" IN LENGTH). MANY OF THE REST OF THE WIRES HAD EMBRITTLED INSULATION, OR THE INSULATION WAS MELTED TOGETHER (THERE SEEM TO BE ABOUT 50 CONDUCTORS IN THE WIRING HARNESS AT THAT LOCATION). I'M REALLY QUITE SURPRISED THAT NO FUSES BLEW, SINCE THE BARE WIRES WERE ALL ADJACENT TO EACHOTHER (ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE WIRE BUNDLE, OUT OF SIGHT IF YOU'RE NOT LOOKING CLOSELY). I HADN'T DETECTED ANY ELECTRICAL FAILURES AT THE TIME, OR DURING THE INTERVENING 6 MONTHS, BUT THIS WAS CLEARLY A FIRE HAZARD. I HAVE SOME REASONABLY CLEAR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGED WIRES (TAKEN WHILE I REPAIRED THE INSULATION ON ALL OF THE CONDUCTORS WITH VINYL ELECTRICAL TAPE). I'LL BE HAPPY TO EMAIL THEM TO YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.*AK

WHEN COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL. WHEN CONSUMER SHIFTS BACK TO DRIVE, IT JUMPS TO 2ND DRIVE. DEALER DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

AT 55MPH HEAD GASKET HAD OVERHEATED, AND THEY CAN SEE BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM GASKET. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK