1996 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER BEING PARKED FOR AN HOUR. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR FAILURES. THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

COMPLETE BRAKE LOSS WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT WARNING. LUCK HAD IT WE WERE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT WITH A CONCRETE STOP. THE METAL BRAKE LINE LOCATED ABOVE THE GAS TANK RUSTED COMPLETELY. WHILE THE REST OF THE BRAKE LINES LOOK FINE, IT'S THE AREA OF THE BRAKE LINE THAT PASSES OVER THE GAS TANK THAT IS RUSTED. BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE GAS TANK, THE LINE ARE HIDDEN FROM NORMAL VIEW OF AN INSPECTION UNLESS THE GAS TANK IS LOWERED. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT A BUSY INTERSECTION OR HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. I AM KEEPING THIS AS A REMINDER HOW CLOSE MY FAMILY CAME TO DEATH. *TR

ROUGH IDLING, "HICCUPPING" WHILE DRIVING, NO HEAT--WENT IN FOR A TUNE UP AND THERMOSTAT AND WAS TOLD ITS THE HEAD GASKET.*CN

I OWN A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR WITH A 3.8L V-6 ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 72,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS NOW IN THE SHOP WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT WILL REQUIRE A NEW LONG-BLOCK MOTOR AND POSSIBLY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAUSE ANTIFREEZE/OIL WAS PASSING THROUGH IT DUE TO THE GASKET FAILURE. I'M CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A $5,800 BILL TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. MY QUERY TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY RESULTED IN A RESPONSE THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME...THAT THERE ARE "NO WARRANTIES, RECALLS OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAMS" ON MY VEHICLE. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE ARE A TON OF COMPLAINTS OF BLOWN HEAD GASKETS IN THE 1996 FORD WINDSTAR, BUT FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. FORD WAS HIT WITH CLASS ACTION SUITS REGARDING THE 1995 FORD WINDSTAR THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND EVENTUALLY AGREED TO EXTEND THE 1995 WINDSTAR WARRANTY PERIOD. HEAD GASKETS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IT SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 72,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE HAD ALL OF THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED WHEN THEY WERE DUE. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF A NEGLECTED VEHICLE FROM A MAINTENANCE PERSPECTIVE. FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE SERVICE REP HAS TOLD ME THAT IF THEY CAN'T GET A RE-BUILT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, IT WILL PROBABLY BE NEXT WEEK BEFORE THE REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED. NEXT WEEK IS CHRISTMAS. THIS WAS MY FIRST FORD PRODUCT THAT I PURCHASED. IT WILL BE THE LAST. ANY COMPANY THAT HAS THIS MUCH DISLOYALTY TO ITS CUSTOMERS CAN NOT EXPECT ANY LOYALTY IN RETURN. THEIR ACTIONS SPEAK VOLUMES TO THE LACK OF QUALITY CONTROL IN THEIR PRODUCT, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, QUITE FRANKLY, ANY SENSE OF COMMON DECENCY. A PROPER HEAD GASKET WOULD HAVE COST THEM PROBABLY UNDER $10.00 WHEN THE ENGINE WAS BUILT. IT IS NOW COSTING ME $5,800 TO FIX THEIR INAPTITUDE AND INCOMPETENCE. *TR

FRONT SWAY BAR IS FOUND TO BE HOLLOW AND BROKE IN HALF ON PASSENGERS SIDE. FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE REPAIR COST SINCE THEY WERE AWARE THAT THEY WOULD NOT HOLD UP IN SALTY AND SNOWY CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. HE STATED THAT THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH AND THE WIRING HARNESS WERE MELTED FROM THE INSIDE. THE SWITCH WAS HANGING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND FELL TOWARDS THE FUSE BOX. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. THE ENGINE SIZE, FAILURE MILEAGE, AND A VALID VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

ABS LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY. WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO A PROBLEM ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, REPLACED PARTS ON RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, ABS LIGHT STILL STAYS ON. NO OTHER REASONS FOUND FOR LIGHT TO BE ON. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED. *JB CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON. I HAVE PAID $89 3 TIMES TO HAVE 'DIAGNOSTICS' RUN WHICH SHOW NO REASON FOR THE LIGHT TO BE ON, YET IT CONTINUES TO STAY ON WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW MY CAR TO PASS STATE INSPECTION.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. AFTER PICKING UP HIS VEHICLE FROM THE MECHANIC, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH THAT CONNECTS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MASTER CYLINDER. HE NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL. THEY ADVISED HIM TO CALL NHTSA. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH WATER, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SMOKE. THE VEHICLE HAS REMAINED PARKED AT HIS RESIDENCE SINCE AUGUST 6, 2007. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RIGHT CONTROL ARM OF THE REAR AXLE HAS SPLIT IN HALF. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIFT. THE FAILURE HAS CAUSED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TO SHIFT BACK THREE INCHES. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO CALL NHTSA. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS I NOTICED LOSS OF COMPRESSION DURING ACCELERATION AND OCCASIONAL KNOCKING SOUND FROM BACK OF ENGINE. WITHOUT TEARING ENGINE APART IT SEEMED THAT THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AND ALLOWED FLUIDS INTO THE ENGINE. CONFIRMED ROD BEARING FAILED AT 94,000 MILES. CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE NOW. *AK