1995 Ford Windstar Complaint Log

THE DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO THE ALUMINUM PISTON WHICH BROKE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD OR NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY, MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. FORD HAS A NEW STEEL DESIGN ON THE PISTON. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ONE MONTH AGO I REPLACED THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOR $520.00 AND NOW MY TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

NONE

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACK AT A STOP AND THE VEHICLE REVS UP, WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO ALUMINIUM COMPONENT WHICH WAS USED IN PLACE OF CAST IRON. YH

DRIVER'S SEATBELT TENSIONER MALFUNCTIONED WHICH WONT PROTECT OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND COLDER WEATHER THE ELECTRONIC SPEED SENSOR WILL BOOST THE SPEEDOMETER'S MPH READING TO 15 MPH OVER ACTUAL. THE RESULT IS THAT I NO LONGER KNOW MY ACTUAL SPEED. IN WARMER WEATHER WHEN THE SENSOR IS FUNCTIONING I MAY ACTUALLY BE GOING OVER THE SPEED LIMIT AS I HAVE LEARNER TO DISCOUNT A 80 MPH READING AS 65 MPH. THE SENSOR IS GETTING WORSE WITH AGE. AT ABOUT 60,000 MPH IT WAS A MINOR NUIASANCE. SINCE IT COSTS SOME $400 TO REPLACE FORD SUGGESTED I JUST LIVE WITH THE INCONVIENCE.*AK

THE VAN WAS IN PARK INSIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY. ONE OF CONSUMER'S BOYS CLIMBED INTO THE FRONT SEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE, AND THE VAN ROLLED DOWN A HILL AND HIT TWO HOUSES, DAMAGING SOME TREES AND GRASS WAS DESTROYED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK FORWARD. STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SWITCH GEARS. ALSO THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF AFTER ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60-65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS ALL OF A SUDDEN BOTH AIR BAGS DEPOYLED FOR UNKNOWN REASON. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED , AND DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE CONSUMER FOR REPAIRS.828322 DUP OF 828282; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS WHEN THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED.

ENGINE OIL CAP LOOSENED FOR THE SECOND TIME, CAUSIG OIL TO SEEP INTO THE ALTERNATOR. AW

AFTER REACHING 50MPH SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTS JUMPING, NOT READING THE RIGHT SPEEDS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

9/18/98-PUT FOOT ON BRAKE WHEN APPROACHING OTHER CARS STOPPED AT LIGHT AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP BUT HIT THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. I WAS QUITE SHAKEN UP. THE POLICE OFFICER WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SAID

TOOK VAN TO DEALER 9/17/98 BECAUSE AFTER STOPPING, VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE IT KICKED INTO GEAR. DEALER FOUND NOTHING, CHARGED $98 FOR TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE. STILL DIDN'T WORK RIGHT. ON NOV. 18, DRIVING IT AND LOST USE OF REVERSE COMPLETELY. DROPPED IT OFF AT DEALER. SAID TRANSMISSION NEEDS $1,325 REPAIR. FORD AGREED TO PAY $900. NOT HAPPY, BUT NO ALTERNATIVE. STILL WAITING FOR CAR TO BE FIXED TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER. NO LOANER CAR GIVEN EITHER.

HEAD GASKETS FAILING AGAIN AFTER FORD REPLACED ORIGIONALS

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING BRAKE WEAR PROBLEM. BRAKE PADS/ROTORS WERE REPAIRED OR REPLACED FOUR TIMES WITHIN 43,000 MILE OF WEAR. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND HAD NOTHING TO SAY CONCERNING THE CONSUMER PROBLEM. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 35,279 (3/98) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 2ND TIME AT 80,957 (3/01) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 3RD TIME AT 116,298 (9/03). ON 24 SEP 03 I WROTE FORD REQUESTING THEY FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT REGULARLY AND PREDICTABLY FAIL. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE. I BELIEVE MY PROBLEM IS UNUSUAL AS I AM TOLD THE HEAD GASKETS DON'T FAIL THIS OFTEN. SEPTEMBER 24, 2003 FORD MOTOR COMPANY FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER P.O. BOX 6248 16800 EXECUTIVE PLAZA DRIVE DEARBORN, MI 48126 \T\T\T I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. THE VEHICLE HAS 116,298 MILES AND HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE THIRD TIME. WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN 1998 AND AGAIN IN 2001 DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY REQUEST IS FOR FORD MOTOR CO. TO TAKE APPROPRIATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION TO FIX THE VEHICLE. HISTORY: MARCH 16, 1998, WITH 35,279 MILES, UNDER WARRANTY, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY FORD OF WALLA WALLA, WA. INVOICE ATTACHED. MARCH 29, 2001, WITH 80,957 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET AGAIN FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY HARRELL?S FORD IN PLACERVILLE, CA, UNDER WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME BY FORD MOTOR CO. SEPTEMBER 16, 2003, WITH 116,298 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET HAS AGAIN FAILED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HARRELL'S FORD SERVICE MANAGER, MIKE ALUNBAUGH, AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HARRELL'S FORD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE SPOKE WITH HIS REGIONAL MANAGER AND INFORMED ME THAT THE REGIONAL MANAGER CAN DO NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAS NO AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO PROBLEMS WHEN A VEHICLE HAS OVER 100,000 MILES. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND SPOKE WITH CHAIRMAN. THIS WAS A VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE. HER ADVICE WAS TO WAIT FOR A RECALL!

TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND DOWN SHIFTS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN TWICE IN 53 WEEKS, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE WEB THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

DEFECTIVE REAR UPPER SUBFRAME MOUNTS FAILED AND AFFECTED THE HANDLING AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE.

TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT BY ITSELF FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. WHEN AT A FULL STOP HAVING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, I WOULD STEP ON THE GAS AND IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. . AFTER 2 REPAIRS, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON HAD CRACKED, REQUIRING A NEW TRANSMISSION.

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 40MPH THE ABS BRAKES KICKED IN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. BRAKES WOULD GRAB & THEN PULSATE. WAS NO HARD BRAKING OR PANIC STOPPING. IT IS AN INCONSISTENT PROBLEM. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS & ROTORS.

RECALL # 97V180000 FORD/HOODS; CONSUMER MADE 2 APPOINTMENTS. VAN WAS LEFT AT DEALERSHIP OVER 4 HOURS ON BOTH APPOINTMENTS. UPON RETURN, SERVICE WAS NOT COMPLETED BECAUSE DEALER HAD NO PARTS AVAILBLE TO COMPLETE RECALL. APPOINTMENT MADE IN NOVEMBER OF 97 AND ONE MADE IN AUGUST 0F 98. CONSUMER NOT SURE IF APPOINTMENTS WERE MADE WITH THE SAME DEALER. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE.

CRACKED HEAD GASKET.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP IN/OUT AT STOPS.

TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING BADLY. DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS A SENSOR. JUST HEARD ON THE NEWS FORD WINDSTARS HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH 95 TRANNYS. GOVERNMENT SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL 95 WINDSTARS AND HAVE THE TRANSMISSIONS CHECKED.

PASSENGER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR IS UNABLE TO BE OPENED ON EITHER SIDE OF VEHICLE, AND THE INSIDE HANDLE CAME OFF. DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM REPLACED 3 TIMES BY DEALER. ALSO HAD TO HAVE DRIVING GEAR REPLACED. *AK *ML

IN RESEARCHING DEFECT FOUND IN THE FORD WINSTAR, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY OTHER OWNERS ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED NUMEROUS (MORE THAN NORMAL) FAILURES IN THIS MODEL. TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AS THE VEHICLE FAILED DURING DRIVING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE AND HAD TO BE QUICKLY DRIVEN OFF THE FREEWAY UNDER LIMITED POWER ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC.

NOT SURE OF EXACT DAY 1ST TRANSMISSION REPLACED. MONTH AND YEAR ARE CORRECT 9/98.*AK

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON 1995 WINDSTAR.*MR WHEN STARTING UP VEHICLE THE VAN WAS ENGULFED IN WHITE SMOKE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WATER HAD LEAKED THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET DESTROYING THE ENGINE. *TS *JB

DRIVER PULLS OUT ONTO A NORMALLY BUSY ROAD FROM A SIDE ROAD AND THE TRANSMISSION STALLED.

RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BRAKE LINE RUPTURED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR. MASTER CYLINDER LOST ALL FLUID.

I'VE HAD TWO RIM/WHEEL FAILURES WITHIN SIX MONTHS, BOTH OF WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WHEEL RIMS SHOULD FAIL.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE 5 MONTHS AFTER WARRANTY.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT (ENGINE HEAD GASKET), THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO HEAD GASKET REPAIR (98M01), HOWEVER DUE TO OVERHEATING AND FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET THE ENGINE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. *MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).

RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT DONE DUE TO FAULTY DIAGNOSIS (SENSORS REPLACED), VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT AND THEN RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED, HOWEVER VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ENGINE FROM EXTENSIVE TIME OF OVERHEATING AND FAULTY DIAGNOSIS. *MJS 98M01

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS SMALL PROBLEMS WITH MY WINDSTAR. LARGE PROBLEMS BEGIN WITH THE TRANSMISSION GOING OUT IN AUGUST OF 1998. NOVEMBER 2, 1999 WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 35 MPH MY TEMPERATURE GUAGE READ HOT. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO COOL DOWN. WHEN THE GUAGE SHOWED WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE, I TURNED THE CAR ON AND IT SHOOK AND WHITE BILLOWING SMOKE ROLLED FROM THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH WATER BEING RETAINED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, THE DOORLOCK MOTOR, THE DRIVER WINDOW STICKING AND NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL SMALL PROBLEMS.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED A FIRE UNDER THE VAN. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, DEALER STATED THE BRAKE FLUID LINE HAD RUPTURED WHICH CAUSED THE FLUID TO LEAK ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VAN IS BEING REPAIRED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS GOES INTO NEUTRAL WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHT OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC STOPS SUCH AS ON INTERSTATE AND THEN WILL LURCH FORWARD WHEN GAS IS GIVEN OR FAIL TO MOVE UNTIL DRIVER MANUALLY SHIFTS SELECTOR TO LOW GEAR. FORD DEALER SAYS THIS CONDITION IS CALLED NEUTRALIZING AND WOULD REQUIRE THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY $1900. ANOTHER FORD DEALER SAID HE IS AWARE OF THIS BUT AS YET FORD HAS NOT BEEN WILLING TO FIX THIS DEFECT. JASPER TRANSMISSIONS SAYS NOT ENOUGH FLUID GETS TO HUBS AND WAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. FORD SUPPOSEDLY REMEDIED THIS ON LATER MODELS BUT CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASED 1ST YEAR ARE LEFT HANGING. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS RE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH. UPON IMPACT THE REAR RESTRAINT BUCKLE RELEASED, CAUSING THE CHILD, WHO WAS RESTRAINED IN A CSS, TO BE TOSSED FORWARD, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTATCED. *AK

RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT UNLATCHED DURING COLLISION.

DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION PISTON (ALUMINUM) FAULTY, RESULTING IN CRACKING.

WHILE AT A STOP THE VEHICLE SEEMED AS IF IN NEUTRAL THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN LURCHED FORWARD, HAD THERE BEEN SOMEONE IN FRONT OF THE VAN IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, FORD HAS BEEN WELL AWARE OF THE PISTONS IN THE CLUTCH CRACKING FOR MANY YEARS AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM IN THE 1995 VANS, THIS PART WAS UPDATED IN THE 1996 MODEL , ALL CUSTOMERS WITH 1995 VANS MUST PAY FOR THE REPAIRS THEMSELVES

WHILE AT STOP CAR APPEARS TO BE IN NEUTRAL THEN SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD.