1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WE WERE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AT THE CORNER OF 7TH AVE. AND PIKE STREET IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, MY HUSBAND PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN HE DID THAT, WE HEARD A "THUNK" NOISE, AND THEN THE GEARS STARTED GRINDING AND THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. WE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO TACOMA TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITY.

JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG WITH A CAR, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT AS THE OWNER OF THIS 1999 FORD WINDSTAR LX. I'VE HAD TRANSMISSION WORK DONE, BRAKE WORK, REPLACED TIRES (TWICE IN 2 YEARS), REPLACE THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER. I CAME TO THIS SITE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T START, WOULDN'T TAKE A JUMP, WOULDN'T MAKE A SOUND. I CALLED TO HAVE IT TOWED AND THE GENTLEMAN JIGGLED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE CAR STARTED. A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME NO ONE COULD START IT. TESTING THE BATTERY AND PRIMARY PARTS FOR STARTING THE CAR PROVED THAT THESE PARTS WERE ALL FUNCTIONING NORMAL. A FEW HOURS AND $127.00 LATER (NOT INCLUDING THE COST OF TOWING THE VEHICLE) I'M TOLD THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE. IT IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $900.00 WITH A 90-DAY WARRANTY. RECOMMENDATIONS TO ME WERE TO GET RID OF THE CAR. "THIS PARTICULAR PART IN ALL FORD VEHICLES IS POORLY BUILT." I HAVEN'T DECIDED WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AT THIS POINT, HOWEVER, I FEEL PRETTY SURE MY DECISION WILL NOT INVOLVE STAYING WITH FORD. *JB

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF, PULLING THE AXLE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE HAS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SUB FRAME HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK......ACCORDING TO A FEW DEALERSHIPS THE SUBFRAME HAS HA DNUMEROUS PROBLEMS CAUSING THE MANUFACTURER TO ALTER THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TIE ROD IS MOUNTED ON THE WINDSTAR SUBFRAME WHEN THE TIE ROD FAILED RUSTING COMPLETELY OFF . VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN MAKING ALEFT TURN WHEN THE WHEEL SHIFTED AND BROUGHT VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. IF IT HAPPENED EARLIER IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT 55 WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. COST BY FORD WAS $1155.00. *AK

TRANSMISSION ON OUR 1999 FORD WINDSTAR HAD TO BE REPLACED COSTS US 2500.00. CAR HAS ONLY 56,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

ON OCT 30, 2004 ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TOKE TO DEALER LEAKING HEAD GASKET COSTING $459.00 NOW THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED WHICH IS GOING TO COST 2398.00 TO FIX TWO MAJOR REPAIRS IN 2 WEEKS THIS IS CRAP FORD SO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH A RECALL. *AK

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD EGINES. WHEN IT IS COLD USUALLY A TEMPERATURE BELOW 20 DEGREES THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS DON'T SEAL CORRECTLY, CAUSING A ENGINE ERROR IN THE COMPUTER. MY DEALER SAYS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS THEY WILL FIX ABOUT 50 A SEASON AND ALREADY THIS SHORT SEASON THEY HAVE FIXED ABOUT A DOZEN INCLUDING MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR.*AK

BOTH SLIDING DOORS ON OUR 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, DO NOT OPEN WITH THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER AND THE LEFT SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR IS DETERIORATING THE SAME AS THE LEFT SIDE. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF SOMEONE WERE IN THE CAR AND NEEDED TO GET OUT QUICKLY FOR ANY REASON. *JB

HAVE NOW REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM AND POWER STEERING PUMP TWICE IN OUR 99 FORD WINDSTAR. FIRST TIME WAS AT 68,660 MILES, AND JUST REPLACED AGAIN AT 156,912 MILES. HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED NHTSA TO BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE. *JB

FRONT HEATER DOES NOT WORK. I WENT ON WEB AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS WITH SAME PROBLEM. EITHER HEATER DOOR BEHIND RADIO DOES NOT CLOSE OR GEAR THAT OPERATES DOOR BREAKS. REAR HEATER WORKS, BUT IN COLD WEATHER OR SNOWY WEATHER, ONE CANNOT SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *JB

NO HEAT OR DEFROSTER FOR FRONT HALF OF VEHICLE, REAR HEATER WORKS FINE. THERE IS A BLENDING DOOR IN THE HEATER BOX ON THE FIREWALL THAT APPARENTLY HAS A SMALL MOTOR THAT OPERATES THE BLEND DOOR. THE MOTOR IS FINE. MECHANICS TELL ME THAT A SCREW THAT HOLDS THE BOX IN PLACE LOOSENS ALLOWING THE BOX TO WARP WHICH RUBS OR STOPS THE ROD ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR AND THE BLENDING DOOR FROM MOVING SMOOTHLY. MY MOTOR OPERATES FINE BUT HAS BROKEN THE ROD MAKING A CLICKING NOISE WHEN YOU OPERATE THE MANUAL CONTROL FROM COLD TO HOT. THE DOOR STAYS CLOSED IN THE COLD MODE, NO HEAT OR DEFROSTER. *JB