3.6

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,597 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1996 Ford Windstar:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #6

Jul 012010

Windstar

  • 125,000 miles
I purchased a 1996 Ford Windstar van 3.0 L in June 2010. I have had numerous issues with this vehicle from day 1 to current most dangerous is the blowing spark plug which has blown out 2 times forcing me to drive it to a place where it could be parked for repair first time blow out was 7 days after purchase repaired by a mechanic now 2000 miles later again blew out Ford should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring such a huge hazard this could seriously ignite fuel fumes and cause a major fire, explosion while some one is driving with there children to find a repair shop unaware of the danger and damage this could cause, second issue is a failing shifting module or tranny and this has happened alot driving and all of a sudden the vans transmission shifts to a 1st or 2nd gear causing extreme change in speed and in heavy traffic we have almost been rearended several times due to this issue, vessil must be pulled over and trans reset by shifting to park and sometimes shutting off the vehicle and starting it again.Ford dealer gave us a 3000. Estimate to replace transmission and told us we would continue to replace trans aprox every 70,000 miles this is a chump way to build cars and they have managed to get more money out of repairs than sales I will never own another Ford again safe or not. Ford should be forced to reclaim all these dangerous vehicles and replace all money spent on repairs and purchase of the vehicles due to endangering and there is no way they didn't know about these problems.

- Soap Lake , WA, USA

problem #5

Aug 152001

Windstar

  • Manual transmission
  • 88,580 miles
Check engine light on, white smoke emitting from tailpipe, missing, wildly erratic speedometer at 35-40, rear air blows hot. Replacements: Had gaskets, lower intake gaskets, upper intake gaskets, spark plugs, wires, thermostat, gasket, ? belt, timing cover, timing cover gasket, water pump. Speedometer and A/C problem not yet fixed.

- Laurel, MS, USA

problem #4

Sep 122003

(reported on)

Windstar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Problems with gas fumes coming from the exhaust system.( doris stewart on behalf of her parents robert stewart and jacqueline stewart).. the vehicle overheated at idle, the dealer replaced the head gaskets, the air condition stopped working and there was a problem with the power train control module.

- Grove City, OH, USA

problem #3

Feb 152002

Windstar

  • miles
Vehicle misfires. Consumer found water in oil and exhaust. Took vehicle to dealer and dealer stated that it was a blown head gasket. Engine needed to be replaced.

- Colleyville, TX, USA

problem #2

Dec 052001

(reported on)

Windstar

  • miles
Exhaust fumes entered into vehicle.

- Woodbridge, IL, USA

problem #1

Mar 132000

(reported on)

Windstar

  • miles
Consumer noticed a very bad odor in the passenger's compartment. Consumer contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause.

- Greenboro, NC, USA