1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF TOP OF 99 WINDSTAR. PRIMER IS STILL INTACT BUT THE PAINT WILL PEEL OFF IN BIG "HUNKS" AND NOW THERE IS A AREA OF APPROX 12"X4" THAT IS JUST PRIMER. THE RAIN GUTTER PAINT IS CRACKED AND WILL PEEL OFF SOON. FORD HOTLINE REFERS TO DEALER, DEALER SAYS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. (OF COURSE IT HAPPENS RIGHT OUT OF WARRANTY.)

WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A RECURRING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONDITION. DEALER REPLACED UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS AT OUR EXPENSE (AT 48,000 MILES). CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. VEHICLE IS NOW STALLING WHEN STOPPED OR AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS PARKING. ENGINE HAS A KNOCK/RATTLE AT OPEN THROTTLE. AT 53,000 MILES I FEEL AS THOUGH THE ENGING IS STARTING TO COME APART.

THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE ROOF OF THE VAN. WE FEEL ON A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD THIS KIND OF THING SHOULD NOT HAAPPEN, THE PRIMER IS SHOWING THROUGH. IN OCTOBER I TOOK THE VAN TOO GET IT LOOKED AT AND AT THAT TIME THE GENTLEMAN I TALKED TO SAID THE FORD REP. HAD TO SEE IT TO GIVE US AN ESTAMATE.WHEN THE REP. CAME TOO TOWN HE WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE ROOF. ALL WE WERE HOPING FOR WAS SOME HELP REPAIRING THE DAMAGE.MY HUSBAND ALSO TALKED TO THE PERSON WHO LEFT THE MESSAGE AND ALL WE ARE BEING TOLD IS THAT THE WARRENTY IS UP. I WAS WANDERING HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND HAVE NOT DISCOVERED IT YET, THE ONLY WAY WE SAW THE PAINT PROBLEM WAS WE LOOKED OUT OF MY INLAWS WINDOW AND SAW THAT THE PAINT WAS PEELLING OFF. THAT WAS IN OCTOBER2002 AND FORD NEVER LET US KNOW UNTIL JAN.2003 THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRENTY AND THE REP.WASIN TOWN THAT DAY AND NEVER LOOKEDAT THE PROBLEM.

I OWN A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR VAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES THAT IS USED FOR PLEASURE PURPOSES ONLY. TWO DAYS AGO THE POWER STEERING UNIT COMMENCED HOWLING WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. YESTERDAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER IN ARCADIA. DURING THE DRIVE TO THE DEALER THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO STEER CORRECTLY. HOWEVER, WHEN THE SERVICE MAN AT THE DEALER TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE INTO THE STALL HE SAID THAT THE STEERING HAD FROZEN AND WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALER, AFTER CHECKING THE POWER STEERING UNIT, DECIDED THAT THE PUMP IN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAD FAILED CAUSING COMPONENT PIECES TO PASS THROUGH THE SYSTEM CAUSING THE STEERING FAILURE.THE DEALER SAID THE REPAIR WOULD REQUIRE REPLACING THE PUMP AND ALL COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM AT A COST OF MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS. MY CONCERN IS THE STEERING COULD HAVE FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IN ADDITION, FAILURE OF THE POWER STERRING UNIT AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE LEAVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS MIGHT BE A DEFECT IN OTHER CARS....THUS THE REPORT TO YOU. THE FORD DEALER'S TELEPHONE NUMBER IN ARCADIA IS 863 494 4848

I PULLED OUT OF A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT INTO A ROADWAY MEDIAN SO I COULD MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. WE FELT A JOLT AND HEARD A LOUD "THUNK" SORT OF SOUND. THE ENGINE REVVED UP HIGH SUDDENLY, BUT WE WEREN'T MOVING MUCH. I LET OFF THE GAS. THE VAN ROLLED FOR A BIT, BUT ONCE WE STOPPED IT WOULDN'T GO ANY MORE. NO GEARS AT ALL. DEALER ADVISED WE NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. WARRENTY JUST EXPIRED. ONLY 43,000 MILES. I CALLED FORD AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS ALONG THE LINES OF "YEAH, THAT'S A REAL SHAME."

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRAKES IN MY 1999 WINDSTAR FAILED. BOTH OCCASIONS INVOLVED DAMAGE TO MY WINDSTAR. THE FIRST ACCIDENT OCCURED IN NOVEMBER 2002 AND IN THAT ACCIDENT TWO OTHER AUTOS WERE INVOLVED. IN BOTH ACCIDENTS THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE EVEN THOUGH I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES HARD. I TOLD THE DEALER (KOON'S FORD IN FALLS CHURCH, VA) ON BOTH OCCASIONS THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I FELT SO SCARED DRIVING MY WINDSTAR THAT I JUST TRADED IT IT AT A BIG LOSS (US$4,000 TRADE IN) FOR A NEW 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOA. I TOOK POSSESSION OF MY NEW AUTO TODAY 1/18/03). THE BRAKES SIMPLY DID NOT ENGAGE ON THESE TWO OCCASIONS. WHILE THEY WORKED FINE AT OTHER TIMES. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO.

WATER LEAKS INTO THE SEAL OF THE REAR HATCHBACK CAUSING DAMAGE AND MOLD TO BUILD UP IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.

1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE DEALER INSTALLED UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE GASKETS AND THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS REPLACED. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MUST BE REPLACED. PH