1995 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TRANSMISSION SLIDES OUT OF GEAR AT A STOP. DEPRESSING THE GAS WITH EXPECTION OF CAR MOVMENT RESULTS IN HIGH RPMS AND AFTER A 1-2 SECOND DELAY, A SUDDEN HARSH FORWARD MOVEMENT. THIS DELAY CAUSED US TO BE LURCH AND BE REAR ENDED BY OUR SUBSEQUENT SLAMMING. *AK

A LEAK AROUND THE HEAD GASKETS. DEALER SERVICED VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER VEHICLE WAS SERVICED GASKETS STARTED TO LEAK AGAIN. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

TRANSMISSION GEARS WERE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

HEAD GASKET IS SHOT, DEALER SAYS WARRANTY RAN OUT 5 MONTHS AGO, SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKETS AND THAT THEY WON'T REPLACE IT. CONTACTED FORD AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS A RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKETS IN THE WINDSTAR AND THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED BUT WE CAN'T GET ANYWHERE WITH THE DEALORSHIP OR WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE . *AK

BEFORE FREEDOM FORD REPLACED OUR ENGINE, WE WERE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH WE REPORTED AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM TO WHY THE DOOR CHIMES AND DOOR ADJAR LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON, OUR ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS RELACED ON 09/27/2001. THEN OUR BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE LIGHTS IN THE CAR STARTED DIMMING, WE REPLACED OUR BATTERY AND FOUND OUT FROM FORD THAT OUR ALTERNATOR WAS BAD. WE HAD TO PAY 387.51 FOR AN ALTERNATOR.! NOT TO MENTION THE 1800+ IN EMERGENCY EXPENSES WE HAD TO PAY THAT FORD REFUSE TO PAY US BACK WHEN OUR ENGINE BLEW WHILE DRIVING HOME ON A VACATION. HOWEVER THEY DID REPLACED THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE AFTER LONG NEGOTIATION BY MY WIFE. WE ARE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OUR DOOR CHIMES AND LIGHTS AND FORD SAID ON 02/14/2002 THEY COULD NOT CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S WRONG UNLESS IT COMES ON AND TO BRING IT IN WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON. FIGURE THE ODDS ON THAT, I LIVE ABOUT 20-25 MINUTES AWAY FROM THERE AND THE LIGHT MAY GO OUT BEFORE I GET THERE. ALSO, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN THE FRONT MIRROR ON THE INSIDE CAME OFF WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING. I MEAN LITERALLY FELL OFF. THESE FORD WINDSTARS ARE NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD AND THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE VANS OR FORD SHOULD BE ORDERED TO GIVE THE OWNERS A PRORATED REFUND OR SET AMT. BACK FOR ALL OUR PROBLEMS AND FINANCIAL SUFFERINGS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH. I PRAY THAT NHTSA ISSUES A RECALL OR ORDER FORD TO TAKE THE 1995 WINDSTARS OFF THE STREET AND ISSUE US A PRORATED REFUND. THESE WINDSTARS ARE NOT SAFE.IMAGINE YOUR ENGINE BLOWING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH YOUR FAMILY IN THE VAN. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.E-MAIL ME WITH THE ANSERS TO MY QUESTIONS.. WILL NHTSA BE ISSUING A RECALL OR FORD A PRORATED REFUND ON THESE FORD WINDSTARS SOON? I STILL OWE ON THIS FORD, BUT WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT ANYMORE, BUT IT IS ALL WE HAVE. HOW CAN WE GET RID OF THE WINDSTAR AND THE LOAN PAYMENTS AND BUY SOMETHING ELSE? I PRAY THAT YOU WILL HELP US OWNERS OF WINDSTARS. THANKS.*AK

SPEEDOMETER WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. AT TIMES THE CONSUMER WILL NOT KNOW SPEED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE BUT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE SPEEDOMETER PINION GEAR. PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH INCORRECT SPEEDOMETER PINION GEAR. *YH

ENGINE FAILED IN A CATASTROPHIC MANNER-- WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HWY - APPROX 35 IN COMMUTE TRAFFIC, ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED RUNNING ROUGH- WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON-- A STEADY LIGHT INDICATING THAT SERVICE IS NEEDED. THE FLASHING ENGINE LIGHT SUGGESTS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. NO OTHER WARNING LIGHTS AND TEMP APPEARED NORMAL. NOT HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN 10 MILES W/ THE CONDITION REMAINING THE SAME, I EXITED THE HWY AND MY ENGINE MADE A TERRIBLE NOISE THEN THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY ON A HWY OFF RAMP-- I MANAGED TO START IT AND DRIVE ABOUT 300 YDS TO PARKING LOT. I NOW KNOW THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PREMATURE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 100,000 OR 7 YEARS WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. MY CAR IS 7 YRS OLD, BUT HAS 115,000+ MILEAGE. BY LOOKING AT YOUR DATA BASE, THERE ARE SEVERAL FAILURES OF THIS TYPE. WHY WAS THE WARRANTY EXTENDED TO ONLY 100,000 MILES? WHY WASN'T THE PROBLEM FIXED AS IN A RECALL? MY ENGING FAILED SO ABRUPTLY-- I'M GRATEFUL NOT TO HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT!*AK

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1995 WINDSTAR. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN 10/99 AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPUTER/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITH SENSORS AND FUSES GOING OUT. MY TIMING GASKET COVER CRACKED AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING (10/01). I HAD TO HAVE THAT REPLACED ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP, ETC. NOW, MY ENGINE HAS EITHER A BEARING OR HAS THROWN A ROD AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO HAVE MY ENGINE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3500. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE PROBLEMS (STRUTS, ENGINE MOUNTS, ETC....). I HAVE SPENT OVER $6000 (NOT INCLUDING REGULAR MAINTENANCE COSTS --OIL CHANGES, BRAKES, TIRES, TUNE UPS, ETC). I HAVE HAD TO SPEND MUCH $$$ ON CAR RENTALS WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED. NOW I'M FACED WITH A HUGE NEW PROBLEM--THE ENGINE. *AK

ENGINE REPLACED BY NEWMAN FORD 03-99, HEAD GASKET FAILURE #2 JAN 10 2000 MIL.60240 #3 HEAD GASKET FAILURE FEB 6 2001 MIL. 67500.*AK

STEAM WOULD BE VISIBLE WHEN VEHICLE WAS IDILING OR PARKED, CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER STATED HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING, PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK