10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 10,302 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
When filling vehicle with gasoline engine check light would come on. This happened twice last year. Owner's manual indicated that after three starts engine check light did not go off. Then brought vehicle to the dealer to be checked. Engine was running very rough. Contacted the dealer, advised consumer on 9-Mar-2000 that there was a problem with the head gasket.
- Levittown, NY, USA
No summary listed for above vehicle.
- Wantagh, NY, USA
3.8 liter engine 44,000 miles and the head gasket failed. This is the same problem with the 1995 Windstar that Ford is now addressing. My quoted price to get fixed was over $1600. The dealership contacted Ford and they agreed to pay less then 3/4 of the cost. I am responsible to pay $495 to fix the part. I contacted Ford and told them that I thought this was obscene that a 4 yr old vehicle driven as a family vehicle with no heavy duty work could have a castrophic engine failure. Of course I got nowhere. I still don't understand why they will fix the 95 Windstar and not reimburse me for mine?
- Amherst, OH, USA
No summary listed for above vehicle.
- Wantagh, NY, USA
3.8 liter engine 44,000 miles and the head gasket failed. This is the same problem with the 1995 Windstar that Ford is now addressing. My quoted price to get fixed was over $1600. The dealership contacted Ford and they agreed to pay less then 3/4 of the cost. I am responsible to pay $495 to fix the part. I contacted Ford and told them that I thought this was obscene that a 4 yr old vehicle driven as a family vehicle with no heavy duty work could have a castrophic engine failure. Of course I got nowhere. I still don't understand why they will fix the 95 Windstar and not reimburse me for mine?
- Amherst, OH, USA
No summary listed for above vehicle.
- Wantagh, NY, USA
3.8 liter engine 44,000 miles and the head gasket failed. This is the same problem with the 1995 Windstar that Ford is now addressing. My quoted price to get fixed was over $1600. The dealership contacted Ford and they agreed to pay less then 3/4 of the cost. I am responsible to pay $495 to fix the part. I contacted Ford and told them that I thought this was obscene that a 4 yr old vehicle driven as a family vehicle with no heavy duty work could have a castrophic engine failure. Of course I got nowhere. I still don't understand why they will fix the 95 Windstar and not reimburse me for mine?
- Amherst, OH, USA
Headgasket failure. Ford is holding to their mileage limit, although mileage has no bearing (no moving parts). 95 and 96 Windstar 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.
- Troy, MO, USA
Engine missed/surged for several months beginning 4th quarter 1999. Several attempts made by two Ford dealers to determine problem. Langdale Ford finally diagnosed as blown head gasket, number 2 cylinder. Said chronic problem exists with this engine and there have been recalls, but not for our specific year yet. Ford refuses to recognize problem or cover part (or all)of cost in spite of the fact that they are currently (2/28/2000) recalling the 1995 version of our engine.
- Lake Park, GA, USA
This failure stranded my wife and children along the side of a busy highway. It was a catastrophic failure of the main head gasket and has resulted in repair cost exceeding 2200 dollars at this point. Ford is not willing to admit the defect, even though my preliminary research indicates that hundreds of other Windstar owners are experiencing the same problem of premature failure. Please help us get justice by forcing Ford to repair/replace the defective parts at reduced or no cost!!!
- Delaware, OH, USA
Both engine head gaskets have blown at 69,000 miles, causing anti-freeze to leak onto spark plugs. Owner will have to pay for repairs.
- Barboursville, WV, USA
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.
- Hudson, MA, USA
Engine head gaskets have blown, causing water coolant to leak into the oil pan. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
- Taboltt, TN, USA
We took our Windstar in at the first initial failure(12-2-97). The engine check light had come on, so we took it to the Ford garage closest to our residence. We were told at that time that there was nothing wrong, and that should the engine check light come back on that it should reset itself in a few days.... not to worry. This happened 6-7 times afterward with the light always going off after 3 cold starts. But when we would take a long trip. It would start all over. In Oct. Of this year (1999) the light came and and did not go off. When we took it to the dealer where we bought it, they said it needed a tune-up. ($217) we took it home and the next day we took it back because the light came back on. The dealer said it needed a new 02 sensor (approx. $100) the next day the light came on again. We took it back. The dealer said it was the computer, which they replaced at no cost. Light came back on. Took it back. Said the alternator was magnatized. New alternator didn't help. Finally the told us that it possibly could be the engine head gasket. Their estimate is $1200 which we cant afford. There was a recall for the 1995 Windstar for the same exact problem. But because my Windstar is a 1996 Ford is un-willing to help. My Windstar was manufactured in Jan of 1996. So I am sure that that engine has the same defect of the 1995 engine. I want to stress how fustrated I am with Ford Motor Company in their stance on this matter. They really don't care how safe the vehicle is.
- Spokane, WA, USA
Defective engine head gasket that Ford is refusing to repair.
- Howell, MI, USA
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.
- Lilburn, GA, USA
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.
- Eden, NY, USA
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.
- Spotsylvania, VA, USA
Engine head gasket cracked, resulting in oil leakage. The dealer has been notified.
- Laporte, TX, USA
- Lebanon, OR, USA