After having nothing but Fords...Ford station wagons & a Mercury Sable wagon...I was completely sold that Fords were a great automobile. As the kids starting getting older and began driving they didn't want to be seen driving a "station wagon" so we bought a Windstar. Very hesitantly; I didn�t like vans. But after having it for a couple of months I was sold and very happy with my van. Absolutely no problems, had it services regularly, we were truly happy the van...3 kids learned to drive with it. But then one day I was taking the kids to school, dropped off our youngest at the Middle School and was stopped at the light, when it was my turn to go the van hesitated (had never done this before) but in an instant if kicked into gear and off we were to the High School however about a half a mile later I noticed the "OD" light was flashing on and off, and then a few more miles later the van started hesitating again, and eventually would not shift past second gear (it went into neutral). I called my husband, very agitated because I had four high school kids in the van, a car line and trip to work yet to make in a vehicle that would just stop going (but the rpm needle was revving up). The entire car line I kept having the put the car into park, turn it off, then turn it back on and start all over...eventually I realized that as long as I didn't get over 15 miles an hour it wouldn't do it. After tackling the school, I called my husband again and told him that my vehicle was not going to be able to get me to work (I had a major highway to get on). My husband suggested that I avoid the highway and take crazy long back roads to my place of employment and an hour later I arrived at a place that was less then 10 miles from my children�s school. I called my husband again to let him know that we'd made it and he arranged to have it picked up and looked at. Little did we know we would begin a roller coaster ride. The first mechanic said it was the "high-low gear censor" (that sounded good- and it was inexpensive to repair �YEAH�). Unfortunately that didn�t fix it, so another tow bill later and another mechanic checked our transmission and told us that nothing was wrong with the transmission it was the �LOW-HIGH GEAR CENSOR�, we explained that we�d already had that replaced but he insisted that was the problem and the one we�d already had installed could have possible been bad too. The next day we were told by phone that it wasn�t that censor after all and this mechanic was completely stumped. Upon my insistence my husband had the van towed for the third time to the Ford dealership (who wasn�t interested in fixing our vehicle, they were only interested in trying to sell us a new one) but after (almost) having to get very stern with the salesmen and the indigent with the shop manager they eventually (2 days later) supposedly attached our van to their computer that was �completely UNABLE to give them any information�. I was honestly told my a ford mechanic that they didn�t know what was wrong with our van�not believing my ears I entered into a very in dept discussion with the mechanic but unfortunately for me the only advise he could give to me was to trade it in on another vehicle. My last remark to him was, �why, so it can be on your used car lot in less then a week� and �I am at the Ford dealership, right�. Needless to say we had the vehicle towed (at another expense) to another mechanic where it sat for more than six months while he tinkered with it and eventually just gave up and told us that is was probably a simple little chip/censor but that he couldn�t figure out which one, and that it could be in the transmission itself (which wouldn�t affect the combustion/pressure build up �?��which is probably why the one mechanic told us the problem wasn�t with the transmission). I called the Ford dealership and asked if there were censors in the transmission and if so could they give me a estimate on what it might cost to figure out which censor and fix it, the smart-butt on the other end told me that censor �were not� placed within the transmission themselves, and what I needed to do was bring the vehicle in for them to put on their machine and pin-point the exact problem. After that we contacted a transmission place in another town about forty-five minutes from where we live and asked what a new transmission would cost�$3000-$5000. Unfortunately, five new drivers on our insurance later, plus another rather expensive tow bill to the other town has prevented us from having a very nice vehicle put on the road. We live in a very rural place and the only other Ford dealership is more than forty-five minutes away�.unable to get a second opinion. So now my Ford Windstar sits behind the barn with the hopes of one day being able to get her fixed. My confidence in FORD�completely shot; if I�m unable to repair my van I�ll never have another one because this has been a horrible ordeal. Completely unnecessary. Now I drive a Dodge Durango and I'm very happy with it but with gas prices the way they are, I sure do miss my van!