While driving my 2000 Ford Windstar in a grocery store parking lot, preparing to go onto a very busy road, the van made a loud bang and slammed to a stop. I was alarmed as I had my foot on the gas pedal at the time and I was going about 10 miles an hour. The jolt from the sudden stop was enough to jerk myself and my 3 children forward, it was rather shocking. If I had been going 65, or if there had been a car close behind me, and it slammed to a stop, it would have had catastrophic results. I pressed the gas to go, and nothing. The only gear that would work was reverse. I had to park it and call a tow truck, it was taken to a Ford dealer who determined the transmission needed to be replaced. The van had 115, 552 miles on it.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

2000 Ford Windstar LX transmission blew out while driving on interstate I85 in va 80,000 miles on it. Fluid came spewing out the back end of the van. $2500 cost to replace the entire transmission. No warning signs that there was a problem with the transmission.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

2000 Windstar-cruise control slowly stopped working, almost like a loose button or wire was the issue, then completely stopped, ABS light randomly going on and off then finally staying-stopping distances increased, tach, speedometer, and other dash gauge needles swinging wildly while driving- tach stopped working first then speedometer(witnessed by Iowa highway patrol), od off light started coming on at random times. Finally stayed on, transmission slipped occasionally when at stop signs. Took it to trans. Shop no codes found, next day the van would not shift into any gear. Van is now a yard ornament. Issues ongoing over the course of about a year.

- Gilbert, MN, USA

Ford Windstar 2000 - transmission failed at 110,000 and rumor is that Ford knew these were weak but installed them anyway. Power steering pump failed three times between 60,000 and 100,000. Power steering pistons each failed around 80,000. Heater/air conditioning air flapper failed - replacement was $1500 installed. Sliding door release stuck at 80,000. The car is a junkstar. I'll never buy another Ford - they build with plastic and lightweight junk and they just fail - fail - fail.

- Laguna Hills, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact was driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving forward. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that a gear in the transmission needed to be replaced; the part had been re-engineered as it was defective. The vehicle was repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 72,000. The cruise control module and wheel bearings had to be replaced. Updated 05/23/11

- Grand Rapids , MI, USA

I was traveling on the Chicago interstate I-290 at around 3:30 am when my rear axel snapped on my 2000 Ford Windstar minivan. The incident occurred on the morning of September 27th, 2010 on a clear day with ideal road conditions but in a long term construction zone. I was traveling about 45 miles per hour and in light traffic when the axel snapped on the passengers side causing me to jerk violently to the right and through construction barriers into an open lane and onto the shoulder a short distance later. Any other time, this could have been tragic but given the early hour of my travel to work and the reduced speeds due to ongoing construction I was able to control the violent movement to the right without injury or mishap. The car was towed a short time later to a local repair shop and I searched for information on broken axles and Windstar I found the information on the Ford recall. A local dealer paid for towing to their lot, and arranged for a long-term loaner vehicle and for vehicle rental insurance. The car was maintained in a regular fashion but was 10 years old and had 184 thousand real miles on the odometer. It remains at the Ford dealer in elmhurst, Illinois awaiting word from Ford Motor Company on any repair or replacement discussions. No offers of correction, repair, or replacement have been made to this time, October 20th, 2010 best regards,

- Riverside , IL, USA

While driving a 2000 Ford Windstar that had been regularly maintained and brought to the dealership for every checkup, the transmission decided to go out. I had parked the car and when I went to go forward, nothing happened. The car had been running great up until this point and there were no warning signs of the transmission being ready to give. I had to get the car towed to get a rebuilt transmission. I do not have the old part, but have heard it is a rather common problem among '99-'03 Windstar.

- Chicago, IL, USA

My 2000 Ford Windstar just died as I was pulling into the driveway today 9/26/2010. The car wont move forward in drive, but goes backwards in reverse. For the last few years its been jerking and racing and I called Ford and told them about it. They said the jerking when you shift is normal. I took the vehicle to the dale jarret Ford in charlotte nc to service another recall and I mentioned about the jerking when you shift and the needles flipping out. He said that his wife's car had similar issues and it was the alternator. The salesman shifted the gear up and down and said it was definetely the alternator and it would cost $350 to fix. I took it to another place that said the alternator was fine, it was the cluster that made the needles flip out. Nice goin' Ford guy!! the overdrive light had been flickering since Saturday morning and by Sunday afternoon, the transmission looks like it is fried. Please let me know if there is a recall or any other options. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Matthews, NC, USA

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would shift in and out gear and then began to shift much extreme force. The radio also came on and by itself. The dealer had not been contacted and the failure was not diagnosed. Prior to the failure the vehicle was in the transmission shop to replace the gear shift box and a seal was added to assist with the transmission leak. The failure mileage was 120000 and the current mileage was 140000.

- Iuka, MS, USA

Intermittent failure of the ABS and traction control system. When the engine heats up a little the ABS and traction control lights come on indicating that they are no longer working. In the morning when the car is first started the light are off for awhile until the engine has had time to heat up.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

2000 Ford Windstar returning from trip to Virginia from baltimore; O/D light starts flashing and then fluid and smoke pour from under car at 55 mph, found mechanic right off freeway exit, mechanic finds that transmission self-destructed. Replacement with good warranty is $3500. Looked online and there are many, many same situations but no recall from Ford. This could have been very dangerous on the Washington beltway.

- Abingdon, MD, USA

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle is very hard to shift. He hears a loud banging noise when shifting and the vehicle also looses power. The failure is more pronounced on an incline. Ford Motor Company has not been contacted nor has the dealer. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were approximately 130,000.

- Staten Island , NY, USA

My 2000 Ford Windstar had transmission problems that started in late 2008. Automatic transmission lever was hard too shift into any gear. A few months later the transmission started leaking. As the months went by the leaking got worse. In may of 2009 there was now quite a bit of transmission fluid leaking from the transmission, causing the need for fluid to be added in order for the transmission to work. Problem fixed in July of 2009. Transmission oil seal was defective on the van, even though it only had 75,000 miles on it. Head gasket needed replaced as well. Total price: $1700.

- Elyria, OH, USA

At 82,000 miles car was running bumpy and O/D off light was flashing. I took it to Ford and they told me that the transmission is nearly broken and should be replaced for $3300. I got it rebuilt at aamco for $2300.

- Dorchester, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle began jerking extremely hard. The contact was able to drive to her residence where she discovered a leak in the automatic transmission. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where she was advised that the transmission would need to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 119,000. Updated 11/16/10.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

I hit a small pot hole and when I got to the parking lot I was told my rear tires were side ways. My husband was able to get the car home 2/10ths of a mile. When the mechanic look at it he said the pot hole wasn't the problem. It was already cracked. He said he had repaired a number of axles on Ford. Also, my transmission began skipping at the same time this whole incident started. When we first bought the van, I was in line in the cafeteria and a gentlemen asked me if I was picked each day in a Windstar and I said yes. He informed me that Windstar are notorious for having transmission problems. I know he is right.

- Manville, RI, USA

2000 Ford Windstar SE van. Transmission problems. At 35,500 miles the original transmission failed and Ford replaced it. Overdrive light blinks and additional repairs have been needed. I have been on several websites regarding Ford transmissions (2000 - 2005) year models of vans, SUV, and light trucks. The blinking od light is a recurring theme (hundreds of complaints) and requires expensive repairs. Ford has to be aware of this transmission defect, but has not nothing!!!

- Stafford, VA, USA

As typical with Ford Windstar my 2000 Ford Windstar transmission malfunctioned in the middle of driving on a major roadway almost causing a severe accident that would have injured me and my wife and three kids and the occupants of the other vehicle. There are several complaints about Ford Windstar transmissions failing and this is not the first transmission to fail in our vehicle. The costly repair for what seems like a problem with numerous Windstar vans should be the responsibility of Ford this issue could kill someone if a failure was to occur on a major interstate when vehicles are traveling at high rates of speeds and drivers do not have time to react to a sudden transmission blowout. This is a very serious safety issue that occurs without warning and Ford should be held responsible especially after they received stimulus money from all of us taxpayers. They should be held responsible for their junk. This will be the second transmission replaced the first one was replaced by a Ford rebuild which is the one that failed. With a pricetag of over $2000 that's hard on people who live paycheck to paycheck.

- Deltona, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The cruise control and the ABS light were flashing. The dealer stated that the fuse that controls the ABS light and the cruise control were faulty as well as a leak in the master cylinder. A year after the fuse was replaced, the ABS light began flashing again and the gas gauge was not working properly. The transmission also began to fail. The vehicle is currently at the dealer. The contact is aware of the safety risk since the failure could potentially cause a crash. The current mileage was 124,545 and the failure mileage was unknown.

- Fresno, CA, USA

Transmission failed in the loading zone at the airport. Towed to local transmission repair shop; advised that cost to replace with a used transmission would be $2800. Current blue book for this vehicle is $2125 in fair condition.

- Bandon, OR, USA