1996 Ford Windstar Complaint Log

SPEEDOMETER BECOMES ERRATIC WHEN SPEED OVER 45 MPH, ACCOMPANIED BY BUZZING SOUND FROM INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. NEEDLE JUMPS UP 15-20 MPH MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO JUDGE SPEED. *AK

RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WORN OUT, DAMAGING ROTOR, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. LEFT FRONT BRAKE WORN OUT, BUT ROTOR SALVAGEABLE. NO AUDIBLE INDICATION UP TO FAILURE WARNING OF WORN PADS. LOOKS LIKE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER ALSO. VEHICLE NOT DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY OR HEAVY TRAFFIC. *AK

AUOTMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR INTO A NEUTRAL AFTER YOU COME TO A STOP. YOU THEN HAVE TO PUT IT IN A LOW GEAR TO GET IN BACK IN DRIVE. THIS CAN BE A HAZARD IN TRAFFIC. THE POWER STEERINNG PUMP MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE MUCH LOUDER THAN THE NORMAL SOUND THE PUMP MAKES, THE DEALER HAS SAID PREVIOUSLY THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THE WINDSTAR. THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAS STOPPED WORKING, UNK REASON HAS NOT BEEN LOOKED AT. THESE PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING IN OTHER WINDSTARS OF THE SAME YEAR .

BRAKING HAS BEEN FADING FOR THE PAST YEAR RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER CHECKED BRAKES, FOUND: "BRAKE ARE GOOD". MY WIFE HAD A FRONT-END COLLISION WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER HIT A 3RD CAR CUTTING INTO THEIR LANE. *AK

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER CORRECTLY, SPEED ALWAYS ERRATIC. FAILS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE DAY. UNKNOWN HOW MANY TIMES REPLACED ON VEHICLE. I BOUGHT IT USED. HAVE NOT YET TRIED TO PRICE THE REPAIR. LOOKING TO SEE IF ANY INFO ON HELP ON HOW TO HANDLE. THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT.*AK

RODS IN THE ENGINE BROKE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FORD SAID THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. *AK

FORD HAS BEEN GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND ABOUT REPAIRING MY WINDSTAR. THEY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR SILENT EXTENDED WARANTEE BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT IN THE WRONG PLACE. THEY CONTEND THAT VANS BUILT WHERE MINE WAS WERE FINE AS FAR AS THE HEAD GASKET IS CONCERNED. ALSO, THE WAYSIDE FORD DEALERSHIP IN MARLBORO MA LIED TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE COVERAGE WAS FOR 50,000 AND NOT 60,000 MILES, SO I DIDNT QUALIFY. *AK

SPEEDOMETER JUMPS BETWEEN 70 - 100 MPH AT LOW (40) OR HIGH (65) SPEEDS. MAKES BUZZING NOISE. VERY DANGEROUS AS IT IS MISLEADING AND DISTRACTING (UNNERVING) TO THE DRIVER. DEALER "NEVER HEARD OF" THIS PROBLEM. OWNER PAID $525 REPAIR.

ALL 4 GOODYEAR AQUATREAD II TIRES SHOWED SIGNES OF TREAD SEPARATION AND WERE REPLACED, TIRE SIZE P215/R0R15, DOT MKM02DHR477. *SLC

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ABOVE 35 MILES PER HOUR. FAILED AT 35 MPH-JUMPS TO 60 THE TO 90MPH. *ET

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, STAYS ON ENGINE RUNS ROUGH. THIS CONTINUED FORM JANUARY TO JULY WITH VEHICAL GOING IN TO SHOP AS MUCH AS 5 TIMES IN ONE DAY . SAYVILLE FORD ON LAST ARRIVAL SAID HEAD GASKET FALURE AS IN ALL WINDSTARS FROM 1995 AND 96. THEY SAID THIS IN JANUARY AND EVERY VIST AFTER THAT UNTIL THE LAST ONE WHEN WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF EXHAUST. THEN THEY SAID REPLACE HEAD GASKETS. AT THIS TIME THEY FOUND THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER ROD BENT AND I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. THEY STILL HAVE THE VEHICAL AND WANT ME TO PAY FOR DAMAGES I WILL NOT SEEING THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT IN THE BEGINING. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY WOULD NOT STEP IN SAYING THE DELERSHIP AND THE CAR IS MY PROBLEM. I EVEN ASKED FOR THE FACTORY REP TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THE DELERSHIP WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST HIM. THEY WILL NOT CALL HIM WHERE DO PEOPLE TURN FOR A FAIR SHAKE? PLEASE CALL ME ?!!

I HAD MY FRONT BRAKES REPLACED JANUARY 7 , 2000 . I RECENTLY HEARD A LOUD " TUMPING " NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL / AXLE ASSEMBLY. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THEY REPLACE THE " SWAY BAR / TIE RODS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND DID A SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENT AND ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. I TOOK THE VAN OUT OF THE PARKING LOT ONLY TO RETURN IMMEDIATLY. I THEN TOOK THE " EXPERT " FRONT END MECHANIC FOR A TEST DRIVE . HE HEARD THE NOISE FOR THE " FIRST " TIME AND TOLD ME I NOW NEEDED STRUTS. THIS HE SAID WOULD SOLVE MY PROBLEM . I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE THIS REPAIR DONE ON JULY 23 , 2000. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE MY PROBLEM . ALSO I AM CONCERNED THAT MY DEALER AS WELL AS FORD WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THESE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE 36 MONTHS ON MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BUT NOT MY 36,000 MILES ( I AM AT 33,900 MILES ) . IF YOU COULD SEND ANY INFORMATION ON RECALLS , CLASS ACTION SUITS OR HELPFUL TIPS ON WHAT TO DO I WOULD BE FOREVER GRATEFULL . THANKS RON TURNER

TRANSMISSION ALSO WENT WHEN CAR WAS I YR OLD. OBVIOUSLY A LEMON. HELP. *AK

FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. *AK

LUGS: NUTS HAVE REPEATEDLY BROKEN OFF WHILE CONSUMER HAS DRIVEN VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER HAS ALREADY REPLACED LUGS: BOLTS FOUR TIMES, BUT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BREAK. *AK

WHILE ACCELERATING, SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE JUMPS AT 20 MPH TO 40 OR 50 MPH. THE NEEDLE CONTINUES TO WAVER. ACTUAL SPEED IS MUCH LOWER THAN SHOWN SPEED. DEFINITE SAFETY PROBLEM. DEALER WILL ONLY REPLACE HEAD AND NOT FIX. REPLACEMENT WILL BREAK TOO BASED ON RESEARCH FROM REPUTABLE SPEEDOMETER SHOPS. *AK

SPEEDOMETER JUMPS WHILE GOING 50MPH OR FASTER. ALSO, MAKES RATTLING NOISE. *AK

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER PROPERLY. NEEDLE WOULD JUMPS BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND REPAIRS WOULD ONLY BE DONE AT CONSUMER EXPENSE. *AK

CONSUMER FEELS MANUFACTURER SHOULD EXTEND RECALL REGARDING DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS FOR 1996 MODELS. *SLC

THE SPEEDOMETER "JUMPS" ABOVE 45 MPH. THE NEEDLE BOUNCES AROUND AND WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST WE ARE GOING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAS EFFECTED THOUSANDS OF FORD OWNERS. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THE SPEEDOMETERS.

SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40MPH. THIS MAKES IT HARD TO TELL HOW FAST YOUR GOING.*AK

VEHICLE IS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD AREA. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

FRONT PASSENGER'S WHEEL LUGS: NUTS KEPT GETTING CUT OFF WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED WHEEL TO FALL OFF. LUGS: NUTS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND NO BRAKES IN NORMAL STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT. THEN BRAKES WERE FINE. 2 WKS LATER HAPPENED AGAIN SO TOOK TO FORD. FORD REPLACED ALL BRAKES DUE TO HEAT FROM SLIGHTLY SET EMERGENCY BRAKE (WARNING LIGHT WAS BURNED OUT THEY SAID). BRAKES TO FLOOR, BUT MANUEL BRAKES THE NEXT DAY. FORD DRAINED BRAKE LINES. HAPPENDED AGAIN. FORD SAID YOU WILL HAVE MANUEL BRAKES--IT TAKES A WHILE FOR NEW BRAKES TO SETTLE IN. KEPT HAPPENING-PEDAL TO FLOOR, MANUEL BRAKES, THEN NORMAL BRAKING. NO IMPROVEMENT IN 2 MONTHS SO RETURNED TO FORD. FORD SAID NO PROBLEM. ON 12-22 REAR ENDED A TRUCK AS BRAKES FAILED WITH NO MANUEL BRAKES AVAILABLE. FORD SAYS NO PROBLEM. FORD ENGINEER REFUSES TO TALK WITH ME AND SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN CAUSE THAT KIND OF PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE COMMENCED TO RUN ROUGH AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD COME ON. VEHECLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVER UNDERED EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK

FORD RECALLED ALL CARS WITH THIS ENGINE EXCEPT THE 1996. MY WINDSTAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN JULY 1995 USING THE SAME ENGINES THAT WERE PUT IN THE 1995 CARS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT LEVEL SPEED DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD. *AK

SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL IN WINTER CONDITIONS, IMPACT WITH TREE, SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED, DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE, DRIVER EJECTED AND HELD OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE IN SEAT BELT. SEVERE RIB, LUNG INJURIES WITH HEART CONTUSION. IMPACT WITH TREE LEFT FRONT QUARTERPANEL, VEHICLE TOTALED. (DOT NUMBER: NOT KNOWN TIRESIZE: 15)

WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH AND TRANSMISSION BLEW UP. HEARD A RATTLING NOISE PRIOR TO THE BLOW UP. PULLED OFF ROAD & VEHICLE DIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. TRANSMISSION WAS GOINE. SMOKE HAD APPEARED LATER. VEHICLE TOWED. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER LOOKED LIKE A GRENADE HAD EXPLODED INSIDE. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & TOLD VEHICLE OVER 36,000 MILES & NOT UNDER WARRANTY. NOTHING COULD BE DONE. TRANSMISSION NOT REPAIRABLE. *AK

SPEEDOMETER JUMPS TO 120MPH WHEN TRAVELING AT 65MPH, SEEMS TO WORK FINE UNTIL YOU REACH 40MPH THEN IT WILL JUMP. COST TO REPAIR WAS $493 FORD WOULD NOT COVER COST EVEN UNDER EXTRA-CARE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK

FORD HAS A HISTORY OF HEAD GASKET FAILURES ON THE 3.8 ENGINE FROM 1995 ON.ALSO SPEEDOMETER CABLE HEAD HAS WENT OUT FOR THE 2ND TIME!*AK

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE JUMPS, WILL NOT INDICATE CORRECT SPEED, CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD.DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED SPEEDOMETER READING 40 RPMS. THEN WOULD JUMP TO 100 RPMS WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE GAS ON NORMAL TRAVELING. ALSO, THE READING FOR HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELLING JUMPS AROUND AND IS INACCURATE. FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A TSB. *AK *ML

VAN IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. ONLY 1 DRIVER, OVER 50 YEARS OLD. KEPT A MERC GRAND MARQUIS WAGON FOR 14 YEARS AND 250,000 MILES. TIMING COVER GASKET FAILED - LEAKED COOLANT. THIS IS VERY PREMATURE - SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN/FABRICATION PROBLEM, GASKET PROBLEM. OVER $600 TO REPAIR. WINDOW TRACK BECAME SEPARATED FROM DOOR - HAD TO BE REWELDED. OVER $150 TO REPAIR. SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN 4 YEARS OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. DEFINITE ASSEMBLY PROBLEM. UNDECTABLE UNTIL NEARLY FULLY SEPARATED, AND OUT OF WARRANTY, AND EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS IN USING WINDOW. *AK

THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. YH

WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES A SPEED OF 50 MPH , SPEEDOMETER CABLE HEAD MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING RAPID FLUCTUATIONS ON SPEEDOMETER DIAL OF + OR - 30 MPH. THIS MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN SAFE AND PROPER HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

SPEEDOMETER NOT ACCURATE. SPEEDOMETER WILL JUMP 5-10 MILES ON THE GAUGE OR WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET WILL BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE GAUGE. *AK

HEADGASKET FAILURE. FORD IS HOLDING TO THEIR MILEAGE LIMIT, ALTHOUGH MILEAGE HAS NO BEARING (NO MOVING PARTS). 95 AND 96 WINDSTARS W/ 3.8L HAVE HORRIBLE HISTORY OF HEADGASKET FAILURES. FORD'S OWN SERVICE PLAN ALLOWED UNLIMITED MILEAGE FOR 95'S THROUGH 98. NO SIMILAR PLAN FOR 96'S. FORD ALSO REFUSES TO REPLY IN WRITING. WILL ONLY REPLY VIA PHONE. *AK

WAS TRAVELING 40-45MPH IN FOGGY WEATHER WHEN A DEER APPEARED IN THE ROAD. HIT DEER & BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED,CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SUFFER BURNS ON THE FACE & ARMS. ALSO, FRONT SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. *AK

ELETRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED ONLY WHEN WASHERS WERE BEING USED, DOME LIGHT STAYED ON WHEN DOOR WAS CLOSED AND WON'T GO OFF.*AK

THIS WAS DONE DURING MANUFACTURING. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED.

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A LOUD SOUND. CONSUMER DROVE CAR TO DEALER. DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THA T TRANSMISSION WAS FULL OF METAL. BEARINGS WERE RATTLING AROUND IN TRANSMISSION. THAT WAS THE NOISE CONSUMER HEARD. *AK

NHTSA RECALL # 96V086 000/ POWER TRANSMISSION: EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE STARTING TO ROLL OUT OF DRIEWAY AFTER BEING PARKED. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK

THIS IS A COPY OF THE COMPLAINT I SENT TO FORD REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 1996 WINDSTAR. I AM STARTING TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. CONSIDERING ALL THE THINGS I'VE READ REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THEIR IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS YET. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE (JUNE 1999) IN FOLSOM, CA FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. THE VAN IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH 46800+ MILES. RECENTLY I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER. IT WOULD GET TO APPROXIMATELY FIFTY MILES-PER-HOUR AND THEN START FLUCTUATING +/- FIVE TO SEVEN MILES-PER-HOUR. THE PROBLEM GRADUALLY BECAME WORSE, GETTING TO THE POINT THAT IT STARTED SWINGING WILDLY AND WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT. I FIGURED IT WAS PROBABLY A SPEEDOMETER CABLE. I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IN YUBA CITY TO HAVE THEM GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE. WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE VAN, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS LIKELY NOT THE CABLE, BUT THE SPEEDOMETER UNIT ITSELF. I ASKED HOW THEY COULD BE SO SURE AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS COMMON TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER GO BAD IN THIS VEHICLE. I WAS FLOORED TO LEARN THAT THE COST OF A NEW ONE WAS $333.33, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. NOW, I HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT NEW CAR PARTS ARENT CHEAP, BUT $333.33 SEEMS RATHER RIDICULOUS.I THEN CALLED A SPEEDOMETER SPECIALTY SHOP, SPEEDOMETER ELECTRIC, IN MARYSVILLE TO HAVE A SECOND OPINION. NOT THAT I DONT TRUST THE DEALER, BUT BECAUSE AS A TECHNICAL SERGEANT IN THE USAF I JUST CANT AFFORD WHAT THE NEW SPEEDOMETER COST. MR. LARRY WITHEROW, LONGTIME OWNER OF SPEEDOMETER ELECTRIC, VERIFIED THAT IT WAS NOT THE CABLE, BUT INDEED THE SPEEDOMETER ITSELF. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE HAS REPLACED APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SPEEDOMETERS FROM WINDSTARS AND OTHER FORD VEHICLES IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIRS. IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS AND THE DEALERS COMMENTS AS WELL THAT I AM WRITING THIS LETTER. *AK

HEAD GASKETS FAIL ON THE 3.8 L ENGINE. FORD WILL NOT FIX. THEY HAD A RECALL IN 1998, 98M01 BUT WILL NOT FIX AFTER JAN 1999.

OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC TO HAVE TIRE CHANGED & NOTICED THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS WAS LEAKING COOLANT ON MANIFOLD/FRONT TIMING CHAIN. IF ENGINE RAN DRY, WOULD HAVE SEIZED . WAS VERY HARD TO WARM UP. MANUFACTURER KNOWS OF PROBLEM. *AK

I TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND ASKED MECHANIC TO LOOK AT HEATER BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE HEATING PROPERLY. THAT'S WHERE THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN. THE MECHANIC CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS WATER IN #4 CYLINDER WHICH I HAVE LEARNED IS A PROBLEM WITH 3.8L ENGINES WHICH FORD WAS AWARE OF FOR SOME TIME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD WHERE THE INTAKE GASKET AND THE 18 SENSORS WERE REPLACED. INSPITE OF THE NOTED SLUDGE, THEY FAILED TO DROP THE OIL PAN AND SENT ME ON MY WAY INTO THE DARK WITH A CAR WHICH HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN. THE CAR BROKE DOWN IN LESS THAN 5 MILES. NOW I'M BEING TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE. SHOULDN'T THE ENGINE LAST LONGER THAN 125,000 MILES? WHY DID I HAVE TO HAVE IT TUNED UP AT 100,000 IF THE ENGINE IS ONLY SUPPOSE TO LAST ANOTHER 25,000 MILES? FORD HAS PROVEN NEGLIGENT IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 3.8L ENGINE. HAD MY CAR NOT BROKEN DOWN THAT NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING I WOULD HAVE SET OUT AT 5:15AM ON I-20 AND I285 IN ATLANTA. IT WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT THIS CAR BROKE DOWN SO QUICKLY WHEN THEY FAILED TO REPAIR IT PROPERLY. *AK

OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLAHSING - ADVISED BY FORD DEALER TO NO LONGER DRIVE. EEC TESTED FOUND FAULTY VALVEBODY. THIS WAS THE THIRD MAJOR INCIDENT WITH FRONT BRAKES. AT 26,107 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM WAS COMPLETELY REBUILT. AT 38,831 MILES THE ROTORS WER