1995 Ford Windstar Steering Problems

1)MY VAN WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND THE TIRES WERE WORN. 2) I TOOK MY 1995 FORD WINDSTAR TO FIRESTONE TO HAVE NEW TIRES PUT ON AND AN ALIGNMENT DONE. THEY INSTALLED THE TIRES AND TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE SWAY BAR WAS BROKEN IN TWO. THEY ALSO STATED IT WAS BAD CRAFTSMANSHIP BECAUSE THE BAR IS A HOLLOW METAL TUBE INSTEAD OF A SOLID PIECE. THEY ALSO SAID I NEEDED BOTH INNER TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED BECAUSE THE LACK OF CONTROL FROM THE SWAY BAR PUT STRESS ON THEM AND DAMAGED THEM. 3) TIRES WERE REPLACED AND I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $400 FOR THE SWAY BAR AND $300 FOR THE TIE ROD ENDS AND ALIGNMENT. *JB

TIE RODS WERE REPLACED AT 50,000 MILES. THEY NEED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. LOUD SQUEAKY NOISE WHILE TURNING THE STEERING.

BRAKE WORK X2 TRANSMISSION X2 ALL BELTS TIRE & SUSPENSION WORK LUGS ON WHEELS NOT PROPERLY REPLACED ,IT ALMOST FELL OFF STILL PAYING ON VEHICLE WHILE IT SITS IN ASHLEY FORD PARKING LOT W/ DEAD TRANSMISSION I AM UNABLE TO PAY CLOSE TO $2000 FOR REPAIRS

AT 146,00 MILES I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT I WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER HEAD GASKET REPAIR DONE (THAT WOULD MAKE IT THE THIRD TIME THIS PART HAS FAILED) TO SAVE THE CAR...I WILL NOT DO IT, AS IN FEBRUARY, I SPENT OVER $750 TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES REPAIRED FOR BRAKE FLUID COVERING THE SHOES OF THE BRAKES, CAUSE BY BRAKE LINE CORROSION (JUST AS IN THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE CORROSION THAT WAS A NATIONAL RECALL!!!!) BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE REARS

1995 FORD WINDSTAR, TRANSMISSION FAILURE, ELECTRICAL GREMLINS, POWER STEERING BOX FAILURE, ENGINE FAILURE. *LA

WENT TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE AND 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT DONE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE INNER TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITHT HIS VEHICLE.*AK

REPLACED RACK AND PINION STEERING. *AK

DURING RIGHT TURN, LOST STEERING CONTROL. AFTER STOPPING, RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS POSITIONED FOR SHARP LEFT TURN, AND LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS POSITIONED FOR A RIGHT TURN. RIGHT FRONT OUTER TIE-ROD FAILED. BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT TIE-RODS WERE REPLACED. THESE ARE SEALED UNITS AND CAN'T BE LUBRICATED. I SUGGEST THAT FAILURE WAS DUE TO LUBRICANT BREAKDOWN OR LOSS OVER THE YEARS, A SERIOUS DESIGN AND SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

EXHAUST SYSTEM HAS CORRODED, AND IS CAUSING FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED TWICE AND WAS REPLACED. HEAD GASKET FAILED AND WAS REPLACED; ALSO THE INTERNAL LEAKS FROM HEAD GASKETS IN VEHICLE CORRODED FLEX PIP AND EXHAUSTING INTO VEHICLE. ENGINE FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE OUTER RIGHT AND LEFT TIE RODS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED. AIR FILTER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. PCV VALVE FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD CONTINUES EXHAUST LEAKS INTO THE VEHICLE, CAUSED SOME SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM TO THE DRIVER. *YH

CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A STARTING PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT CRANK BUT THE LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A RATTLE AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPEEDOMETER, DEALER STATED THAT THE OUTER TIE ROD ENDS NEEDED REPLACED AND ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILED TIE RODS WERE NOT USED ANYMORE DUE TO A LUBRICATION DEFECT. *SLC

THE ENGINE WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET RECALL. IN JULY,2000, WE ARGUED WITH FORD ABOUT A BAD ENGINE RUNNING FOR WHICH WE HAD JUST PAID OVER $300 TO EVALUATE BY AN OUTSIDE REPAIR SHOP. AFTER ABOUT 6 WEEKS WE RECEIVED OUR CAR BACK WITH A NEW LONG BLOCK PAID FOR BY FORD, INCLUDING A RENTAL VAN FOR THE TIME IN THE SHOP. IN JANUARY 2001 THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN AND WE WERE CHARGED $81.45 TO CHECK IT OUT AND REPLACE A WIRE BAD ON CYLINDER 6 WHICH WAS MISFIRING. THREE MONTHS LATER IN APRIL 2001 THE CAR RAN ROUGH AGAIN AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BACK ON (HAPPENED FOR YEARS INTERMITTENTLY SINCE WE OWNED THE CAR). THE NEW LONG-BLOCK HAD ANOTHER BAD HEAD GASKET REINSTALLED PER THE SECOND FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. AFTER NEARLY ANOTHER MONTH WE HAD THE SECOND NEW LONG-BLOCK IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR. NOW LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND 40,000 MILES LATER, FOLLOWING THE 110K SERVICE OF RADIATOR FLUSH AND OIL CHANGE AT 113,098 MILES THE ENGINE RAPIDLY LOST OIL AND IS MISFIRING AND BURNING OIL. FORD'S POSITION ONCE AGAIN IS THAT THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12K MILES. ON A SMALLER NOTE, THE BRAKES HAVE GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES AND WE HAVE REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS. THE POWER STEERING HAS PERFORMED VERY POORLY. WE CHANGED THE FLUID IN 2000 AND THEN THE FORD SERVICE CENTER AND THEY REPLACED THE OUTER TIE RODS AND RESET THE ALIGNMENT. WITHIN MONTHS IT WAS GOING OUT AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY. MOST OFTEN WHEN STARTING OUT THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND YOU MUST MANUALLY STEER THE VEHICLE.

WHEN TURNING WHEELS IN EITHER DIRECTION THERE WAS A LOUD RUBBING SOUND. DEALER STATED BOTH FRONT TIE RODS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 20 MPH ON A CITY STREET COVERED WITH ABOUT ONE [1] INCH OF WET SNOW. THE STREET CURVED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, I STARTED TO MAKE THE TURN BUT THE VAN BEGAN TO SLIDE STRAIGHT AHEAD. I SLID FOR ABOUT 20 FEET BEFORE BUMPING THE CURB ON MY RIGHT SIDE. THE VAN THEN WENT OVER THE CURB , WENT ABOUT ANOTHER 10 FEET AND STRUCK A NARROW [6-INCH] UTILITY POLE HEAD ON.I WAS HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL WITH BOTH HANDS PREPARING FOR THE SLIGHT IMPACT.I WAS QUITE SHOCKED WHEN BOTH AIR BAGS EXPLODED. MY HANDS WERE BRUISED SLIGHTLY BUT NOTHING SERIOUS. THE VAN WAS NOT DAMAGED EXCEPT FOR A SMALL[2-INCH] SPLIT IN THE TOP, NOT FRONT OF THE PLASTIC BUMPER. I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP, MULLINAX FORD, IMMEDIATELY. THEY LOOKED AT THE VAN AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A COLLISION THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THEY CALLED FORD MOTOR CO. AT MY REQUEST TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE AIR BAGS FOR ME AT NO COST. FORD RESPONDED BY STATING THAT AS LONG AS THERE WAS A COLLISION THEY NOT REPLACE THEM AT NO COST. I LATER MADE A CALL TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RECIEVED THE SAME RESULTS. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED, AND FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE BORN THE EXPENSE [$1500.] OF REPLACING THE AIR BAGS.I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE FACTS CONCERNING AIR BAGS BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY SHOULD DEPLOYED AT THAT SPEED.PLEASE INFORM ME OF ANY RECOURSE THAT I MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, [XXX].*AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT ON 8/8/2000, SEVERAL PROBLEMS AFTER VEHICLE WAS RETURNED ON 10/10/2000, PROBLEMS STILL NOT FIXED! NEED HELP ASAP. THANK YOU .*AK

FRONT STRUTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. FRONT END ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. CASTER AND CAMBER RESET. THERE IS A SQUEALING NOISE FROM FRONT END WHEN TURNING, DEALER REPLACED OUTER TIE RODS AND RIGHT CONTROL ARM. *TT

HAD LEFT FREEWAY & NOTICED A NOISE. PULLED OVER, STOPPED VEHICLE & TURNED IT OFF. RESTARTED VEHICLE & NOISE BECAME LOUDER. WHILE GOING UPHILL, ENGINE FELT SLUGGISH & WAS DRAGGING. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP & MECHANIC INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS THAT INNER TIE ROD HAD BROKEN.*AK

THE RADIO AND CLOCK JUST WENT DEAD WHILE WE WERE ON THE ROAD. *AK

STEERING FEELS STIFF DUE TO STEERING RACK FAILURE. YH

FORD AND THE DEALERSHIP WERE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. FORD TRIED TO MAKE ME HAPPY IN THE END WITH AN ADDITIONAL WARRANTY FOR 24 MONTHS OR 24,000. BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS. TO SORRY TO BAD THEY SAID. THIS PAST YEAR WE HAD MORE PROBLEMS, IT WAS VERY VERY VERY STRESSFUL AND EXPENSIVE. WE HAD TO CHARGE REPAIRS AND PUT SOME ON HEME EQUITY. THINK OF THE INTEREST $. I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE. I HAVE SINCE SOLD VAN. I WILL STILL PURSUE THIS TO GET BACK $ AND TO TELL OTHERS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

FORD DID PAY FOR THE HEAD GASKET PER RECALL, HOWEVER THE DEALER RECOMMENDED AN ENGINE FLUSH BECAUSE OF THE HEAD GASKET. HAD TO PAY 100 FOR THAT. THEN THE DEALER (APPLE FORD) SAID THE THE TIMING COVER GASKET NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND CHARGED 598 LABOR. I HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM A LOT WITH THE WINDSTARS. I ALSO BELIEVE I WAS CHARGED LABOR FOR THE HEAD GASKET, BUT THE DEALER GOT AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE OF THE TIMING COVER. ALSO NOW THE DEALER IS SAYING TIE ROD PROBLEM TOO! THESE 95 WINSTARS ARE LEMONS!