1997 Ford Windstar Powertrain & Transmission Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IMMOBILE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, SMOKE ERUPTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF AND THE VEHICLE WAS VACATED. THE HOOD WAS RAISED AND FLAMES LOOKED AS IF THEY IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HOME OF THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL #97V097000 PERTAINING TO THE POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR, 86,000 MI. PROPER MAINTENENCE HAD BEEN DONE. I SEE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS HERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NHTSA IT IS TIME TO STEP UP AND FORCE A RECALL. HOW LONG DO THE CONSUMERS HAVE TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT. WE DON'T HAVE THE $3000 THEY WANT FOR REPAIRS. WHAT HAPPENED TO COMSUMER RIGHTS? THE WAY IT STANDS NOW I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AMERCIAN CAR. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE ECONOMY. YOU HAVE TO HOLD CORPORATE AMERICA RESPONSIBLETOPUT OUT QUALITY VEHICLES. YOU HAVE THE POWER. DO WHAT YOU ARE THERE TO DO, PROTECT THE CONSUMER, NOT THE CORPORATE MONEY.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND IT ROLLED, HIT A TREE, PROCEEDED ACROSS THE STREET INTO A UTILITY POLE, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL.*AK *NLM

WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY STARTED TO READ THE WRONG SPEED. CONSUMER STATED IT BOUNCED ALL OVER THE PLACE. AT TIMES CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SPEED SHE WAS TRAVELING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT SHE WAS OVERCHARGED. *YH

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE VAN WENT OUT OF GEAR , THE ENGINE REVVED UP, AND ALL ACCELERATION STOPPED. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO GET THE VAN TO GO BACK INTO GEAR - ANY GEAR - AND IT WOULDN'T. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF A PROBLEM - NO NOISES OR LEAKAGE OF FLUID OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL.

A SMALL CHILD ACCIDENTALLY HIT GEAR BOX AND VEHICLE CAME OUT OF GEAR. CONSUMER FELTIT SHOULD NOT BE THIS EASY FOR VEHICLETO COME OUT OF GEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE COST $2,000 TO REPAIR.*AK

ERRATIC OPERATION OF SPEEDOMETER, COMMENCED TO JUMP BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH OR MORE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE UNLESS COST GO TO CONSUMER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

SPEEDOMETER BROKE, AND CONSUMER COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE.*AK

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER (EG SPEEDOMETER MOVING TO 80 WHILE VEHICLE PARKED). *AK

SPEEDOMETER GOES FROM 15 TO 80 AND STAYS AT A HIGH SPEED. MY MECHANIC HAS STATED THIS IS A EXPENSIVE PART AND FORD IS AWARE THEY ARE HAVING A PROBLEM. HE HIMSELF HAS SENT MANY CUSTOMER BACK TO THE DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEEDOMETER REPLACED. *AK

SPEEDOMETER SPEED INDICATOR JUMPS UP AND DOWN, UNIT BUZZES. *AK

REPAIR PART COST IN EXCESS OF $450 (WITH LABOR). LOSS OF SPEEDOMETER DEEMED SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AS SPEED COULD NOT BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED.

INSIDE SLIDE DOOR LOCK IS BROKEN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK SPEDOMETER HEAD BROKE. *YH

VAN LOST POWER ON ACCELERATION AND STOPPED. THE FRONT DRIVE WHEELS LOCKED-UP. DEALER DETERMINED PLANETARY GEAR IN TRANSMISSION BLEW. MANUFACTURER PAID FOR THE OUT OF WARRANTY (BY 4 MONTHS) REPAIRS. NOTE FORD HAS HISTORY OF PLANETARY GEAR FAILING (MY 91 TAURUS). *AK

AT 60000 MILES SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED, AND CONSUMER COULD NO LONGER READ THE SPEED ON VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED SPEEDOMETER CABLE. *AK *TT

SPEEDOMETER BOUNCES AND OR REGISTERS INCORRECT SPEED, DEALER SAYS SPEEDOMETER HEAD IS DEFECTIVE, ESTIMATES REPAIRS AT $350. AFTER RESEARCHING NHTSA, I FIND OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. A VEHICLE THIS NEW SHOULD NOT EXPERIANCE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *AK

WHILE TRAVELLING AT SPEED OF 55 MPH, SPEEDOMETER STARTED CHATTERING ERRATICALLY AND FLUCTUATING FROM 55-90, THEN STOPPED AND INDICATED CORRECTLY. PROBLEM HAS SINCE SHOWN UP CONSTANTLY AND WILL NOT INDICATE CORRECTLY ABOVE 40 MPH EVERY TIME. CRUISE CONTROL HOLDS AT CONSTANT SPEED (BY TACH RPM). DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF SPEEDOMETER AT COST OF $550 PARTS + LABOR -- OR -- THE SPEEDOMETER CAN BE REFURBISHED, REQUIRING THE VAN TO BE KEPT AT THE DEALER FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS AT A COST OF $260 PARTS + LABOR. *AK

SPEEDOMETER STARTED TWITCHING VERY LITTLE AT ABOUT 34,000 MILES. THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO SMALL. AFTER WARRANTY WAS OVER IT WOULD SWING WILDLY FROM 50 TO 110 MPH. ALSO MAKES A GRUMBLING SOUND. UNABLE TO DETERMINE SPEED . DEALER IS REPLACING SPEEDOMETER FOR @$600.00 AT THIS TIME. EDMUNDS AND OTHER CAR SITES HAVE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS JUST LIKE MINE. DEALER SAID THEY KNOW JUST HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM...MUST BE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. IF THIS IS HOW THEY BUILD THESE AND CHARGE ME A TON TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT, I WILL BE LLOKING FOR A HONDA OR TOYOTA NEXT. SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING...BEEN USING THE TACH FOR A LONG TIME MYSELF.*AK