1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WOULD START, BUT THEN IDLE, STUTTER, AND STALL. THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND ALL THE HOSES WERE REPLACED, INCLUDING OTHER REPAIRS. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,700. THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE, BUT NO ERROR CODE DISPLAYED WHEN A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FAMILY MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED OF A FAILURE WITH THE VALVES AND INTAKE MANIFOLD, OF WHICH FORD WAS AWARE. THE FAILURE WOULD DETER OIL FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE VALVES. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STARTED HER VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. AFTER DRIVING A BLOCK OR MORE AT 2 MPH, WHITE SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR OUT OF THE HOOD. SHE JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND SOMEONE ELSE INSPECTED UNDERNEATH HER HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRING MELTED AND COULD BE UNHOOKED. HE PROCEEDED TO UNHOOK IT AND DRIVE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

ABS LIGHT COMES ON MORE AND MORE OFTEN. STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE ELIMINATES THE PROBLEM FOR A WEEK OR TWO. *TR

THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN SINCE PURCHASE, BUT THEN RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE OD LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS FINE, SHIFTS A LITTLE ROUGHLY INTO FIRST GEAR, BUT ALL OTHER PARTS ARE FINE. I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED, AND THE LIGHT STILL FLASHES. *TR

A MULTIPLE OF TIMES (APPROX 4) HAVE TAKEN MY FORD WINDSTAR INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CONTINUING TO GLOW. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE FIRST INCIDENT WHEN I TOOK IT INTO FUTURE FORD OF ROSEVILLE BUT IT HAS BEEN AT LEAST 4 YEARS AGO. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION THERE WAS A CLUNK FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VAN. WHEN MOVING OFF FROM A STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SUDDENLY 2"-3" OFF OF CENTER, DOWN TO THE RIGHT. DROVE HOME AND PARKED THE VAN. MECHANIC CAME TO INSPECT AND FOUND THE SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY HOLDING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED, IT HAD CRACKED THROUGH AND NO LONGER HELD THE WEIGHT OF THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. HE RECOMMENDED NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DANGER OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE FAILING AND CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE, EXTREME REPAIRS AND POSSIBLE INJURY IF OCCURRING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR LESS. THE DEALER ONLY CAUTIONED AGAINST POSSIBLE EXHAUST SYSTEM DAMAGE IF THE OTHER SIDE FAILED. THIS WAS NOT BOLTS OR NUTS RUSTING, THE MAIN SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY DEVELOPED A CRACK AND SEPARATED. I AM HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, ESTIMATED COST $1200 - $1400 DEPENDING ON THE DIFFICULTY OF REMOVING THE ASSEMBLY'S BOLTS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PART FAIL ON A VEHICLE. 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS ATTEST TO THIS. I HAVE SEEN VEHICLE FRAMES IN JUNKYARDS 20 YEARS OLD STILL INTACT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS PART OF A VEHICLE THAT IS DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS ONLY SHOULD EVER FAIL IN AVERAGE USE. I WILL SAVE THE PART IF YOU DESIRE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE AND ON WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY VALVE COVER, AND THE ENGINE NEEDED AN UPPER INTAKE AND DRIVER SIDE VALVE COVER. THE COST TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS $500. THE DEALER DID NOT EXPLAIN THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, WHEN THE VALVE COVER DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY, IT CAUSES OIL TO LEAK INTO THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 89,946.

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATES INTERMITTENTLY (IT MIGHT BE FINE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN WILL SUDDENLY COME ON). WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF, THE ABS SEEMS TO RESET AND THE LIGHT WILL BE OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RESTARTED. THE CODE IS C1185. MY MECHANIC WANTS TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC PUMP AND EHCU ($1000) THE VEHICLE IS A FORD WINDSTAR 1999 SE 125,000 MILES. *TR

THE REVERSE SENSING SYSTEM AT THE PRESENT TIME IS INOPERATIVE. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO FORD 5 OR 6 TIMES FOR REPAIR. IT SEEMS TO FAIL AFTER A HEAVY RAIN. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT 1 TIME WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND BACKED INTO A VEHICLE THAT WAS PASSING BEHIND ME WHICH I DIDN'T SEE. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL OTHER TIMES WHEN I RELIED ON THE SENSOR TO WARN ME IF SOMEONE WAS WALKING BEHIND THE VAN ESPECIALLY SOMEONE THAT IS SHORT, I'M UNABLE TO SEE AND DEPENDED ON THE REVERSE SENSOR TO WARN ME. EACH TIME I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER UNTIL THE WARRANTY RAN OUT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE REPAIR DEPT TOLD ME THAT IT IS POORLY DESIGNED. AS SOON AS THE WIRES TO THE SYSTEM GOT WET IT WOULD FAIL. THEY CHANGED THE HARNESS AND IT WOULD WORK UNTIL IT GOT WET. *TR

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED ON HIGHWAY. SUDDEN HOT SMELL COMING FROM VEHICLE. PULLED OFF HIGHWAY UNDER POWER, NO APPEARANCE OF SMOKE, FLUID, OR OTHER ISSUE. ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENTER HIGHWAY AND FOUND THAT VEHICLE WOULD GO FORWARD WITH SELECTOR IN "N"-NO OTHER GEAR POSITIONS WORKED. VEHICLE MOVED TO SAFETY OFF HIGHWAY (FORD DEALERSHIP). COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AFTER MOVING TO DEALERSHIP. NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE. ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN 2001 WITH FORD REBUILT TRANS BY FORD DEALERSHIP. *TR