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Ford Windstar Problems - READ ONLY

2608 messages,  Last post on Oct 27, 2006 at 8:51 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Windstar, Van

Messages Page 76 of 262

#742 of 2608 Windstar problems by jlpicard1

Nov 30, 2001 (9:52 am)

If you do the following, your dealer may have little choice but to help you!!
 
For the 3 years I have owned my 1999 Windstar, the vehicle has pinged incessantly, "grunted" on start-up and been plagued with electrical problems. All responses from the dealer, until yesterday, were "it's normal", or "cannot duplicate". With my warranty running out soon I wanted things fixed before I had to pay. I looked right here on the Edmund's site and pulled up the TSBs on 1999 Windstars. There are 240 of them! 240 bulletins from Ford to their dealers regarding problems that have been reported on 1999 Windstars! I looked through all 240 TSBs writing down the numbers and dates of the TSBs relating to the problems I was having. I then made a list of the problems I was having and the TSBs(with dates) which were issued by Ford regarding the problems I reported. I gave the list to the service manager when I dropped my vehicle off. On the repair order, next to each problem I reported, the service manager noted "customer has TSBs written down"! When they called me at the end of the day (the van had always been there for days previously) the "cannot duplicates" and "it's normals" were addressed and parts were ordered to perform additional repairs(per TSB)!
 
This post may be premature as it's only been 24 hours since pick up, but so far no pinging for the first time in 3 years!(6+TSBs), no electrical problems(2+ TSBs) and parts are on order to fix my "grunting"(3+ TSBs)!
 
Sorry for the long post, but the moral of the story is, if you go in with the TSBs written down, they cannot deny the problem exists, and if they cannot deny it, they may feel they have little choice other than to hopefully fix it!
 
Good luck!

#743 of 2608 davids1 by jlpicard1

Nov 30, 2001 (10:24 am)

12-13 mpg is what my 1999 LX gets when my wife does lots of super short trips around town (especially during winter or during summer with the A/C on). I do not have bad injectors and nothing is clogged! I get low-mid 20's on the highway. You can boost mpg by using synthetic oil and switching to a K&N air filter. Best prices on K&N air filters are at
  
www.performanceint'l.com.
 
Keep us posted on your progress!

#744 of 2608 TSBs and Recalls by 5greyhounds

Nov 30, 2001 (12:31 pm)

My 95 Windstar was totaled several months ago. Fellow in a pickup ran a red light. Anyway, I was happy with it. Had 135k on it and I really looked forward to a few more years of service. Anyway, I went back to my Ford dealer and found a 99 SE at a really nice price. However, I did go to NHTSA site, went to the recall area and found 5 of them and had them fixed prior to my accepting the car. Three were minor and two were critical. There were also some TSBs but many of them were for specific cars that were manufactured during certain times and there were some with as few as 50 per TSB. Some of them seemed to be almost repeats of others.

#745 of 2608 98 Windstar Transmission Problem by bobmay35

Nov 30, 2001 (1:58 pm)

I have a 98 Windstar that I purchased used a year ago Aug 2000. I now have 50,000 miles on it and have been having transmission problems. I took it to my dealer and one of the bearings disenagrated and evidently destroyed the whole transmission. It had to be rebuilt at a cost of over $2100. I call this premature failure and probably caused by defective material used for the bearings.
 
I contacted Ford but they like to do the two step around the problem. The dealership is fine it is the people in Detroit that are a problem.
 
I also learned that Ford is not a member of the Better Business Bureau. I now understand why. They sell junk that they know is defective.

#746 of 2608 98 Windstar Transmission Problems by bobmay35

Nov 30, 2001 (2:09 pm)

I have a 98 Windstar that I bought used Aug 2000. It has 50,000 miles on it now and the transmission had to be completely overhauled because it appears a bearing in it disenagrated and destroyed it. It cost over $2100 to get it fixed. I call this premature failure and wonder how many others have had the same problem.
 
I contacted Ford, after a run around they will not take any responsiblity for the problem. I now know why they are not a member of the Better Business Bureau.

#747 of 2608 Windstar Headache.. by budd85

Dec 03, 2001 (5:31 pm)

I have a '98 windstar with 42,000...I bought used with 29,000 in 1999. It die on me this past weekend...I thought it was the alternator...After having my mechanic take a look he replaced the alternator...2x...Still no good...He advice taking it to a ford dealer....To make a long story short there was A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS THAT CAUSE TOO MUCH AMPERAGE TO THE ALTERNATOR AND CAUSE THE OTHER 2 ALTERNATOR TO BURN OUT...SO ANOTHER ALTERNATOR WAS PUT IN.ALSO THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED..
THE FORD PEOPLE CANNOT GIVE ME AN EXPLAINATION AS WHY THIS CAN HAPPEN......COST $1100. DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM????? I'M NOT SURE IF I SHOULD KEEP THIS VAN..

#748 of 2608 Problems--Budd85 by 5greyhounds

Dec 04, 2001 (4:25 am)

Things break or go bad. My 95 had a ground wire corrode and snap off at 100k. Rare, but one of those things. It never really let me down. I even had the head gasket replaced under the extended warranty and had a loaner van to use. It is regrettable it cost what it did but now that it is fixed why sell it? You just invested more money in it. If you luck is like mine you would sell it and then nothing would go wrong for the next five years. One rule of repars them I have used is if repair bills over a year equate to a new car payment them it is time to sell. My wife has a 94 Probe GT that needs repairs once in a while but I average only about $50 a month on it, not including the expensive routine maintance every 30K. It have 115K on it now. If it starts to drain you sell it. It really sounds like a rare event. I have not seen the issue on any thread. Good luck

#749 of 2608 2002 Windstar - The beginning by jsiedhoff

Dec 04, 2001 (7:30 am)

In my previous posts, I told an ongoing saga of my 2000 Windstar which I was able to get Ford to replace. After two months of fighting with Ford, I was put in a 2002 with an extended warranty at no extra charge. Well, both sliding doors are rattling EXTREMELY loud and I am not happy. This should not happen on a brand new vehicle with less than 1,000 miles on it. Our 2000 problems started with a rattling door also but it was only the right side. This two model year newer van is worse!! Has anyone else had problems of any kind with their 2002? Please let me know.

#750 of 2608 Throwing in the towel... by wholigan

Dec 06, 2001 (3:50 pm)

The time has come for Ford and I to part ways...
 
Hello everyone. My name is Pat. And I am a 95 Windstar owner (soon, a NEVER AGAIN Ford owner).
 
I bought this vehicle from my sister-in-law and her husband in 1998 when it had 35000 miles on it. Since that time I have had the transmission replaced three times. I have had the motor replaced two times. Each time I kept thinking that this can't happen again. It did. I paid for additional services (like inner tie rods, outer tie rods, new brakes after a rust through failure at 65 MPH that nearly killed my wife and children, new blower motor, new tires, et. al.) thinking that after these major failures, the vehicle should last longer. It just does not want to - not for me anyway. NO ONE has serviced my vehicle other than Apple Valley (MN) Ford. I have been through three service managers and two Ford Customer Service Representatives. I tried the "be sweet like sugar; not bitter like vinegar" route. I tried the squeaky wheel route. I have begged, pleaded, negotiated, and squandered to have Ford replace the vehicle under the buy-back option implemented in March 2000 that ran for (about) six months. But my van didn't break down in this window (the 2nd engine blew in January 2001, therefore, I was not eligible). Nor would the Ford CSR make an exception.
 
And so, it begins again. Now the engine is knocking UNBELIEVABLY hard. Just over 10000 miles since you put the last motor in. I can't speculate on what is wrong. The last time I did a self diagnosis I was told that the oil in my coolant reservoir was not possible because the coolant from the engine tested out with no trace of oil.
 
This is the second Ford vehicle that I have owned in the last 10 years that you do not seem to be able to fix. Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I have fought the battles. You have worn me down. Not even talking to the executive offices helped. Bottom line, you are losing this customer. Too bad, too; judging by the recent performance of your company.
 
The local technical college is going to get a free 95 Windstar with 86000 miles on it. I'll take the tax write off; while it is still running anyway. I'll sleep at night knowing that I did not sell it to another "uneducated" mini-van buyer. My mother brought me up better than that.
 
Good-bye Ford.

#751 of 2608 '95 Speedometer problems by slbaron24

Dec 06, 2001 (4:52 pm)

PLEASE READ....Do you own a '95 Windstar nearing 135K miles?..My '95 W/S has 135K miles on it and the speedometer is going wacky. When I'm following traffic (going about 65MPH), the speedo says I'm going between 90-120MPH! The speedometer is also making a lot of noise. The only thing it could be is the speedo-head. The dealership is playing games with me because they said that they haven't heard of this problem. They told me it would be $80 just to tell me what is wrong with it. ((I didn't believe them because I had already changed out the speedometer. I went and got a speedometer out of the junkyard (because a new one goes for $500, yes $500!!!) This speedometer worked fine for about 5,000 miles, than it too, started doing the same thing the original speedometer was doing....)) Since I knew I was getting jerked around, I asked for Ford's main #. When I called Ford, the CSR I spoke with said that he had heard a lot of complaints of the same kind. He also told me that Ford wasn't paying for it, but to save my receipt, so just in case in the future, that, if there would be a recall, I would get my $ back. There is a TSB on a "wavy and sticking speedometer" already, but I for some reason they still want me to pay to fix it...This doesn't make any sense to me.....Anyway, IF YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE CALL THIS PHONE # (800)392-3673. This is Ford's main #. The CSR told me if there are enough complaints that they would have to issue a recall!!! It is too much of a coinsidence that 2 speedometers have the exact same problem. This tells me that there must be a lot more out there. (Sorry so long!)

Messages Page 76 of 262

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