1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

1999 FORD WINDSTAR: TIE ROD ENDS DEGRADED AT 60,000 MILES, SENDING BITS OF METAL THROUGH THE SEALS IN THE RACK AND PINYON STEERING SYSTEM; GENERATED VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. COULD HAVE CAUSED DANGEROUS ACCIDENT. MECHANICS FIRST REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP , WHCIH DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. SECOND REPAIR WAS REPLACEMENT OF R&P STEERING SYSTEM. REPAIR WAS OVER $1,000.

RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. I HAVE READ OF NUMEROUS OTHER FORD VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF MINE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. EVEN A NEIGHBOR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS A 1999 WITH 56,000 MILES. NOT EVEN 5 YEARS OLD WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURED. THIS COMPONET SHOULD LAST FOR A VEHICLES' LIFETIME. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD, THEY OFFERED NO HELP. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN INVESTIGATION! IT COST OVER $800 DOLLARS TO REPAIR, AND BEING THAT IT WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FORD RACK AND PINION SYSTEM, I SHOULD PROBABLY START SAVING MY MONEY NOW FOR FUTURE REPAIRS. OUR MECHANIC TOLD US TO NOT REWARD FORD ANYMORE, AND BUY FROM A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER.*AK

I TOOK THE VAN TO THE CAR WASH ON SAT. 14TH OF FEB. AS I STARTED TO WASH THE VAN STARTING WITH THE ROOF, THE PAINT STARTED FLAKING OFF ABOVE THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR.*AK

I OWN A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. AT 35,700 MILES THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (LUCKILY IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY) NOW AT 59,000 MILES I'M EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO REPLACED A TIE ROD, AND THE FRONT END IS ALWAYS CREAKING, BUT NO ONE CAN FIND THE SOURCE.*AK

STEERING RACK FAILURE ON 1999 FORD WINSTAR (INTERNAL SEAL FAILURE - 48,182 MILES).*AK

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT LATCH DID NOT LOCK INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP TO FIX THE SEAT BELT LAST YEAR. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR SEAT BELT FAILED AGAIN. CONSUMER RECENTLY CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED HIM SEAT BELT COULD BE FIXED AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED BECAUSE THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PAY THE AMOUNT THAT THE DEALER REQUIRED TO FIX THE SEAT BELT. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 1999 FORD WINDSTAR ON COME ON 4 TIMES IN LAST TWO MONTHS. A "LEAN CONDITION" WAS REPORTED FIRST 3 TIMES FROM SHOP. REPLACED FUEL/AIR FILTER, SPARK PLUGS/WIRES AND SOME HOSES. LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN SAME DAY IT CAME BACK FROM SHOP. SEEMS LIKE MANY OTHER CONSUMERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM (SEE WEBSITE - HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/FORD WINDSTAR/493.HTML). WHEN WILL FORD HAVE TO STAND UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE DESIGN INSTEAD OF THE CUSTOMER BEING NICKEL & DIMED TO DEATH (SOME FIXES AREN'T EXACTLY NICKELS AND DIMES EITHER). *JB

MY WINDSTAR STARTING MAKING A WHINING NOISE AND IT BEGAN TO GET WORSE AND WORSE.HE NOISE WAS ONE THING, BUT THE DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS... IT STARTED TO PULL WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED.*AK STEERING BECAME VERY DANGEROUS.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DID NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR THE WINDOW. THE BLADE TOUCHED THE BOTTOM AND THE TOP OF THE WINDOW, BUT NOT THE CENTER WHERE THE CONSUMER NEEDED IT THE MOST. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK VAN INTO SHOP TO HAVE CHECKED. THROUGH DIAGNOSIS AND CONTACT WITH LOCAL FORD DEALER, DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS WERE LEAKING, REQUIRING A 700 PLUS DOLLAR REPAIR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME, HAVE ISSUED NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE A " KIT " AVAILABLE TO REPAIR. BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT FORD HAS BEEN FULLY AWARE OF FOR A LONG TIME, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL SO THE CONSUMER IS NOT BURDENED WITH REPAIR COSTS FOR A PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF LONG AGO. *CB