10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 2 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 3,698 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The rubber seals on the side door and driver door have all stretched out and fallen. This causes a problem if it falls down by the brake and gas pedals on the drivers side or one can trip going out the side door. They do not break from use they stretch and/or the glue comes off and they fall.
- Elwell, MI, USA
Ac coolant was low and switching mechanism had to be replaced. At 54000 miles was told timing cover was leaking and head gasket was leaking. Head gasket was finally covered at no charge but timing cover got little relief. Now at 80000 miles, the coil assembly fails and I am told that my head gasket is leaking again and the dealer says they only guarantee their work for one year. We had the head gasket fixed on the recall. It appears the headgasket may be leaking again (one Ford dealer says it leaks another says it doesn't). We are in for regular servicing next week --we will see what they find). Our vehicle being repaired once and beyond 7yrs old seems to be beyond what will be covered. The van has only 139,000 kilometers on it (so we are not past the 100,000 mile barrier). We have had another gasket on the time cover replaced which I think was also a recall item. I appreciate keeping up the pressure in the campaign against Ford.
- Victoria, Bc, UN, USA
The hinge and runner of the sliding door broke, resulting in the back side of the door falling off the car.
- Oakville, UN, USA
The paint is blistering off the hatch and sides in large patches. The airbag light blinks and the power window on the driver side fails to close all the way and struggles to open. The rear vent windows work when they want to.
- Brick, NJ, USA
Case 1 my family was coming home from vacation when the engine blew while we were on the highway. Smoke came up from under the hood and we were force to stop the van on a crowded highway. Thanks to a nearby truck driver who stopped behind us, we were able to call someone and get to safety. It took a lot of negotiation for me to get Ford to take care of this matter, but they finally did. Now again on our recent trip to ga on 08-28-03 while driving home, our check engine light came on and overdrive light started blinking and the transmission blew. Transmission fluid leaked all out and on the back of our van too. It also started smoking underneath the hood and from the tailpipe. We were informed by freedom Ford in Norfolk va that we had transmission failure. Our check light has come on numerous occasions and despite their action it still keeps coming on. In addition, our overdrive lights blink, our cruise control do not work, the door adjar lights stays on at times even when the doors all locked and causing the inside interiors lights to stay on, our gears do not shift properly and gets stuck between gears and upon acceleration it sometimes hesitates, repaired coolant leak from timing cover gasket and front crankshaft seal, coil ignition, the air condition when on makes these strange noises, etc. Replaced. We are very dissatisfied with Ford Windstar and have spent more money on repairs than what it was worth. We even still owe on the van. Ford needs to issue a recalll or a refund. This is not a safe vehicle to drive. Please keep me informed. Thanks and god bless.
- Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Ford Windstar 95 shift lever prdnl does not match gear. When in park car rolls have to find D or R by moving shift lever. Sometime have to put lever in to park twice or three times befor it catched and car starts. When the car rolls back and kills someone it will get Ford attention. Also replaced head gasket engine and head gasket again. Tranny sensor, door ajar sensor. What a car mark hershkowitz
- Bloomington, MN, USA
My 2 main problems are my transmission & timing gear cover. The tranmission is very hazardous. Mine is slipping between 1st & 2nd gear. I have been reading on the internet that on some of the transmissions they have been slipping out of gear. I sure don't want to have that surprise. I'm disabled & need my van to haul my powerchair with me when I go to the doctors office. I wouldn't know what to do. I talked to a mechanic & he said if it goes it will leave me on the road. I think this van is very dangerous on the road. Ford know they were having head gasket & transmission trouble on the 1995 Windstar why don't they take care of there problems. They know they had bad gaskets on the heads, timing chain covers, & transmissions but they still went with the cheaper gaskets that leak. I think the government should step in & make them pay for those repairs before more people get killed like that Ford police car that jumped out of gear & ran over some people in southern mn. A few yrs. Ago. Whats it going to take? a few more thousand people to get killed before they figure that there transmissions are no good.
- Virginia, MN, USA
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
- New Bedford, MA, USA
I have owned this van since 1999. Since I have owned it we have had nothing but problems with it. I have had the rotors turned, and replaced at least 3 times, and they need it again. I have had the head gasket replaced 3 times and one of them times was at 99,000 miles when it was under the warrenty. It had been replaced at least one time before that. My sliding door won't stay closed, even though I just spent $300 getting a new latched put on. My windows won't work. I had larson motors fix a head gasket and my electronic windows, cost me over $250 for the window, that only worked 2 times. I called, and since they put "may not be the problem" on the invoice, they think that clears them, and they wanted me to spend more money on another part. My speedometor has been replaced once and is broke again. The alternator has been replaced. I could go on and on. I am getting no where with anyone. I have spent around $5,000 in repairs, and can't trade the thing off, since I still owe too much on it, due to a tornado that hit our home, and what the insurance didn't cover, the balance was put on our car loan. We don't have the best credit do to having to spend anywhere from $100-300+ a month on repairs to this lemon car. I have a family and need to know that I have a reliable car to drive. I have been stranded with my 3 children a minimum of 4 times this past year.
- Sidney, NE, USA
To whom it may concern, in June of this year(2002) I was shopping for a vehicle for my wife and found a 1995 Windstar at pat mccraken Ford in dewitt Michigan. It was in nice shape and ran good. I had no idea of the headgasket problem that I was about to inherit. Around the middle to the last of November my wife was driving home and it overheated. I replaced the thermostat, radiator cap and waterpump before taking it back to the dealer. He wants to charge me $900 to replace the headgaskets not including new heads which might be bad. On a trade-in on something else he only wants to give me $1000 for the van, which I know he will fix for his cost and put back on his lot to cheat some other unsuspecting person. What makes me mad is that he knew before he put it on his lot that the 1995 Windstar's were prone to engine failures. Being unemployed at the present time I didn't need this problem. Terry
- St. Johns, MI, USA
I own a 1995 Ford Windstar the paint is blistering off in huge pieces. Ford says it is not their problem, paint should not peal from a car like this it is blistering off in sheets. I have read that Ford is paying for painting only if the customers are really loud about complaints. I have also read that many complaints have already been sent here. This automobile has been a nightmare with defects and recalls. Anyone in the automotive business laughs when they here what kind of car I own. 10 years to pay it off, 3 head gaskets later rebuilt trans engine heads warped from factory coils springs breaking electrical malfunctions, paint lifting off the vertical sides, brake problems....the list goes on and now Ford no longer lists the Windstar on their site. They have changed the name to free star I wonder why?
- Brick, NJ, USA
1995 Ford Windstar. Dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis----------------770784.
- New London, MO, USA
Motor has gone up 5 times since ownership.
- Baltimore, MD, USA
I was told on 1-15-03 by mullinax Ford service dept. In amherst, Ohio that I needed new head gaskets and engine in my 1995 Ford Windstar. There was a major design flaw in those engines and Ford knows it. They did an extended 7 year, 100,000 mile warantee on it and because of my low miles (57,800) I did not experience the problem until now. I am 10 months past the warantee. I feel that Ford should take full responsibility for these engines and should have recalled them all. I have gone through many channels and Ford will not help me. The cost estimate for my repair was $4,500. This is now an unsafe vehicle.
- Vermilion, OH, USA
This vehicle was purchased at an auction in detriot. The previous owner purchased the vehicle from brighton Ford Motor Company. Before we purchased their vehicle, a engine was installed by the previous owner and the flywheel was replaced twice also. After we purchased the vehicle in January of 2001, we had it in for repair for the flywheel. At that time it was under warranty. It was repaired by metro Ford of lansing. Again on Jan 23, it was service again for the flywheel still under warranty. On Sept 11, 2001, the vehicle was again service not under warranty this time costing us $1362 in repairs. The last two times the flywheel was repaired was on Aug. & Oct. Of 2002. Even while driving this vehicle poses a danger to me and my children. It switches gears while I am driving and sounds like the engine itself is coming apart, all while driving. The engine light is on and the overdrive light is flashing constant. I do not know how long the vehicle is going to last, I can tell it is dying again. Please provide any help as soon as possible. Thank you, [xxx]. dt information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- Lansing, MI, USA
While driving at normal speed vehicle started to run a little rough. Engine light illuminated, temperature gauge went to hot. Consumer pulled over, and saw smoke coming out of tailpipe. Consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced head gasket.
- Shagrin Falls, OH, USA
Consumer is concerned that manufacturer sent him a recall in March of 2000 for head gasket. August of 2000 vehicle started smoking which came from exhaust system, and vehicle was running hot. Engine check light appeared on dashboard.
- Columbia, MD, USA
There was a recall notice on this vehicle which was pointed out to me by auto mechanic. I have forwarded this information to NHTSA via mail. Ford service at friendly Ford in las vegas nv said that there was a recall but my VIN number was not included in that recall notice even though the vehicle description in the notice describes the exact situation, ie. Vehicles purchased in southern sections of California.
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
Contacted manufacturer who stated that the extended warranty ended in 7 years. My vehicle's head gaskets failed 7 years, 9 months. Coolant leaked into the engine causing major damage. No warning such as check engine light went on until after failure. Nkm
- Woodstock, IL, USA
- Livingston, NJ, USA