1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE GAS GAUGE REGISTERED A FULL TANK BUT THERE WAS NO GAS IN THE TANK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK ON LOW SETTING . WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES BY THE DEALER. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER REPLACED THE MOTOR FOUR TIMES WITH NO CHANGE IN SYSTEM.*AK

I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN 2000. THE DAY AFTER PURCHASE IT HAD TO BE RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE PROBLEMS. WE NOTICED A HARD SHIFTING RIGHT AWAY AND INQUIRED ABOUT IT WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE IT HAD A LARGE ENGINE AND WE WERE JUST NOT USED TO IT. WE DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS WHEN AT 60,000 MILES THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASING. WE TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. WE WERE LUCKY AND HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH AFTER MANY PHONE CALLS AND COMPLAINTS FINALLY PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW 2 YEARS AND 30,000 LATER WE NEED ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION. THE VAN STARTING LURCHING WHEN STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AND THEN TRIED TO STALL. WE HAS ALSO NOTED A NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE WHOLE FRONT END IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT. WE ALSO HAVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHERE THE LIGHT COME ON AND NEVER GO OFF. THE A/C-HEAT, COMES ON WHEN YOU START THE VAN AND THE BLOWER IS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO LOCK WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN DRIVE, FINALLY LOCK ABOUT 50 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THE VAN AND ALL THE PROBLEMS IT HAS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FORD WILL NOT DO SOMETHING. I GUESS THE LIVES OF THE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT DRIVES THESE VANS MEAN NOTHING TO THEM. I GUESS IT WILL TAKE THE DEATH OF SOMEONE'S CHILDREN AND A HEAFTY LAWSUIT TO FINALLY GET SOME ACTION. MY WIFE IS NOW AFRAID TO EVEN GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF OUR VAN SINCE IT HAS A TENDENCY TO HAVE ITS FAILURES IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ( GUESS WE ARE GLAD IT HAS A FIVE STAR SAFETY RATING). WE WOULD GET RID OF IT BUT HAVE NOW FOUND OUT THAT IT HAS NO VALUE EITHER. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND FROM THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT I HAVE PUT A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IT. THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON WITH CODES 171/174 LEAN ON BANK 1 AND 2 I HAVE REPLACED THE O2, THE EGR, THE DIFFERENTIAL, I HAVE HAD THE UPPER INTAKE GASKET REPLACED AND THE EGR HOSES CLEANED. THE LIGHT STILL BURNS. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR SINCE BUYING IT AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE.I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES, THE STRUTS AND THE STABLIZER BAR , AS WELL AS ONE OF THE TIE RODS. THIS VAN MIGHT LOOK GREAT BUT IT RUNS LIKE CRAP WE HAVE SPENT ENOUGH ON THIS USED VAN TO HAVE BOUGHT A NEW ONE. *LA

WHILE DRIVING A VAN FULL OF 6 YOUNG GIRLS TO A SPORTS PRACTICE, THE VAN STARTED JUMPING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND ACCELERATING. WE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IN DRIVE .SUDDENLY, IT JUMPED INTO DRIVE, ALL THE WHILE , MY CARFULL WERE VERY UPSET AND THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO CRASH. I BARELY MADE IT TO THE PRACTICE PARKING LOT. THE VAN WAS JUMPING THE WHOLE DRIVE. IT THEN STALLED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON BUT THERE CAME A VERY LOUD, SCARY NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I GOT IT ON, BUT IT WOULD NOT DRIVE IN DRIVE, ONLY IN NUETRAL. I HAD TO BE TOWED. IT WAS A MAJOR HASSLE. I CAME TO FIND THAT TH E TRANSMISSION HAD GONE AT 72,000 MILES. I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE DEALER THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALWAYS ON. IT WAS EVALUATED AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR PROBLEM THAT ALL STARTED AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES. COME TO THINK OF IT, THE VAN "JUMPED FROM GEAR TO GESR SINCE DAY 1". FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL ALSO BE CONTACTED. IT SEEMS PRETTY FISHY THAT THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING.*AK

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR THE EMISSION TEST INSPECTION, AND DID NOT PASS THE INSPECTION'S TEST. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN OF THE VALVE COVER WHICH WAS SENDING OIL TO THE PCV SYSTEM. INTAKE GASKETS WERE ALSO REPLACED. *LA

MY VAN STARTED MAKING A SCREECHING NOISE EVERYTIME WE MADE ANY TURNS, WE CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND IT WAS FINE. VAN SAT IN THE YARD CAUSE IT WAS EMBRASSING TO DRIVE WITH THE LOUD SCREECHING NOISE AND SINCE WE HAD A 2ND CAR WE JUST LEFT IT IN THE DRIVEWAY. THEN WHEN MY HUSBANDS CAR GOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WE HAD NO CHOICE AND HAD TO DRIVE IT. AS SOON AS WE TRY AND DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WE NEW SOMETHING MAJOR IS WRONG IT TOOK 2 PEOPLE TO TURN THE WHEEL ON THE VAN JUST TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. SO I CALLED MY STEP DAD AND EXPLAINED WHAT IT WAS DOING AND HE SAID SOUNDS LIKE THE POWER STERRING PUMP WENT OUT ON IT SO WE TAKE IT TO A VERY RELIABLE MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT NOT ONLY IS THE POWER STERRING PUMP BAD THE RACK AND PINONS ARE GONE ALSO. I CAN'T BELIEVE WITH A VAN THAT IS NOT THAT OLD TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN SO QUICKLY. I HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FORUMS ABOUT THE FORD WINDSTAR AND I SEE PAGES AND PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING I'M DEALING WITH NOW. WHAT DOES IT TAKE BEFORE A COMPANY STANDS BEHIND THERE PRODUCT AND ISSUE A RECALL.*AK

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE! FIRST TIME WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN TO DEALER - THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATTLE SOUND (WARRENTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT). IT WAS HAPPENING AROUND 40MPH - WHOLE FRONT END WOULD RATTLE. THEY HAD TRANSMISSION "EXPERT" LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION. ABOUT 10,000 MILES LATER - WHAM! COULD NOT DRIVE. TOOK IT BACK (AFTER WARRENTY EXPIRED) AND TRANSMISSION "EXPERT" SAYS IT IS TORQUE CONVERTER AND IT WOULD NEED NEW/REBUILT TRANS - NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY. I WENT ELSE WHERE FOR THE REPAIR, NOT A CENT MORE TO FORD - EVER. NEXT, AFTER I GOT MY TRANS REBUILT BY 3RD PARTY, IT FAILED AGAIN 25,000 MILES LATER. THEY GOT ALL THE UPDATES, ETC - AND TRUST ME, THEY DO A GREAT JOB ON TRANS (THEY REPAIR FBI CARS). AFTER 2 REBUILDS LATER - WE ARE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN - BUT, IF SOMEONE OFFERS ME MONEY FOR THIS CAR, THEY CAN HAVE IT! FOUND ON ROAD DEAD - (AND CHANGING THE NAME TO FREESTAR DOES NOT HELP THE COVER UP)

WHILE STOPPED AT RED LIGHT, OUR FORD WINDSTAR WAS REAR-ENDED BY A FORD FOCUS ESTIMATED TO BE GOING 50-60MPH. BOTH OF US IN THE FRONT SEATS SUFFERED SEVERE CALF MUSCLE INJURIES. WE BELIEVE THESE WERE CAUSED BY THE MANUAL SEAT ADJUSTMENT BAR THAT RUNS THE FULL WIDTH OF THE SEAT. WE WERE BOTH WEARING SEATBELTS. AN ADDITIONAL NOTE: THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE ON IMPACT.*AK IS THERE ANY HISTORY OF LEG TRAUMA CAUSED BY SEAT HARDWARE IN REAR-END COLLISIONS?

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGHLY. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BIND. *AK DEALER ALSO MADE REPAIRS ON FRONT END, POWER STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND TIE ROD ENDS. A 4-WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS ALSO PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. *LA