1995 FORD Windstar

Speedometer will bounce around from 0 – upwards to 90 mph, and cruise control stopped working.

Paint on hood and front top peeled off down to primer coating

Wife drove car to pick up daughter. Started smoking on way home by the time she got it home she was putting out a steam cloud so thick cars were getting out of her way waiting for her to pass. Took car to repair shop advised it was a blown head gasket and that Ford had had a recall on this. Contacted local Ford dealer and they stated that eventhough car only had 86,264 miles the warranty on this problem had expired March of 2002 and they would not cover any replacement or repair. Since I needed a car I couldn\\\’t wait and felt the expenditure (between $900 to $2500 dealer cost) was better spent on a more reliable vehicle. I traded (only $500 trade in value) in on a used 1999 Dodge Caravan.

We bought this car used from a Ford dealer with 86000.miles on it and we put 14000,on it and it blew a head gasket, we are retired on a fixed income and can’t afford extra bills like this, we couldn’t even afford a new car. so we are stuck with a car that we are afraid of. We were told by the dealer that this was a one owner car and that there were verry few problems with this car.

Was told in Oct or November slipping tranny should be replaced,Today head gasket blew .I am told I went over the 7 years because car went into service 8/95.I did not know this as I bought the car used.I still owe 5,900. on the loan.What will I do?????

Was getting no heat. After Mullinax Ford in Amherst, Ohio looked at the problem, I was told they could not flush the coolant out and replace the thermostat because the head gaskets were no good and coolant was leaking onto other parts and inside the engine which now needs to be replaced! I had the Windstar in for the Head Gasket Extended Warantee in 1998 at only 24,000 miles and was told all was Okay. Now it is 10 months past the extended warantee and they will not assist! Went as far as the customer service line but it did no good.

Transmission- shifting rough since 30,000 mi. 2 dealers tested over the years & said no problem (just adjusted shift points. Same complaint in July, 2003. Dealer checked, said no problem. 1 month later had independent shop rebuild transmission. Engine- head gaskets replaced at 15,000 mi & 35,00 mi. Same symptoms now at 103,000. Just past extended warranty

Tranmission failed July, 2000 at 80,000 miles. Replaced with new transmission for $2786.53. Second transmission failed November, 2002 at 129,800 miles (49,800 miles on transmission). Dealer wants $2750.00 to replace.

Total transmission failure. This is the 4th transmission in the vehicle. The transmission that will be installed will be the 5th transmission. Ford has continued to insist that there is not an inherent problem with the tranmission in thes model although there have been 634 complaints/investigations lodged with the national traffic and safety board.

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 $900.00 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 $1000.00 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

This vehicle was sold with the guarantee of top quality. Since it was sold it starting having problems shortly there after. The vehicle has not been reliable and has a lot of problems. I would like to see Ford make repairs on this vehicle for little if any cost. I feel it is their responsibility for the malignance of this vehicle. I would like your advise and assistance in talking to Ford Motors, how to talk to them and how should I present my case? What should I say regarding serious maintenance problems with this Windstorm Minivan? It was used and bought from a used vehicle dealership but it came with a contract guaranteeing quality.

This vehicle has had more than it’s share of problems. The head gasket was brought in for a recall and it still malfunctioned.

This is the THIRD transmission since 78000 miles, when I purchased the vehicle.each time, the first being a Ford dealer, they assure me that there have been updates and improvements.And yet the darn thing fails again.Main seal faliure, shifting failure, overheating.This most recent failure is a mear 15,000 miles since total rebuild.

They had repair or replace the head gaskets 3 other times.The last time in 2002, the same day I picked up the vehicle, half way home the engine light goes on and the next thing the engine stalls. I got it towed back to the dealer. To my surprise to find out the engine had sceezed.The dealer had to call the head quarters to have someone come and look at the vehicle. To get the ok to fit it. The engine was rebuild. Now after only 28,000 miles later the head gaskets and engine is broken down again. To find that the ford company will not repair it again. I sit and wait for some solution. I don\’t have the money to repair or buy another vehicle. Please help me solve this matter. Thank you

The transmission tore up in our van at the end of 2000 and has failed again. When it tore up the 1st time, we were covered under warranty, but since we only had 60 days left the company refused to put in a new and put in a rebuilt. Now we have to fix it again. We have been luckier than alot of customers that I’ve researched, but we are still getting a raw deal with our van and we are very unhappy! We are still in the process of “arguing” our message to the Ford Co. but can tell it will be a failure also. And our heat quit this past winter and now the air is out. When it rains it pours.

The transmission has broken down. It hasn’t been fixed yet.

The speedo head has been replaced twice. The last time Ford took it upon them selves to have the miles taken off the sticker and added them to the new speedo head with out permission from DMV so now we don\’t know forsure how many miles are on the 1995 Windstar. and I can\’t sell it because DMV put not actual milage on the title. RaceWay Ford in Riverside has not taken care of this for me yet and this happened before I got the first motor replaced. The engine cooling over flow bottle keeps ending up empty.I don\’t know if my first complaint was submitted or not. I had to have the engine replaced twice on the Windstar. I had the headgasket replaced before 100,000 miles shortly after 1007+ miles the engine had to be replaced along with the transmission had to be rebuilt and the window motor on left side had to be replaced. At 600 miles on new motor dicovered headgasket was defective the coolant had ran into the catylic convertor and I had to buy a new one for $500+. Now 20,000 miles later I had to buy another engine and had to have transmission serviced. Atk said engine wasn\’t under warranty because of oil contamination. Now I read you papers and find that the coolant that leak from the head gasket could have contaminated the oil. The catylic converter sounds like something is loose. So I\’m trying to decide who to sue my mechanic, ATK or Ford. Who do you think I should sue. I paid $2495.88 to get everything done the seconed time. The first time I paid $5362.38 and the $500 + above that. My son almost got into a wreck because the brakes didn\’t grab hold the antilock didn\’t work he had to turn towards the side walk and the traffic that was stopped started moving just in time before he ended up on the side walk with his whole family in the van with him.

The minivan was over heating, we had bought a two year warranty (base care warranty)took the minivan back on 1/22/03 and paid them out of our pocket 614.54 for some repairs (we have copies of the repairs), after the repairs that that they did, they told us we needed a new engine, and they were going to give us the engine because it was covered in our warranty, but then approximately a week after we received a call that we had to paid out of our pocket $3,000 not including labor for a new engine, they said the reason why they were not going to pay for the engine was that it was our fault that the engine failed for not changing the oil. We took them receipts that had taken the minivan for the oil changes but they still said that we had to paid for it. The warranty was going to be expire on April of 2003, and I think thats why they refused to make the repair. Right now the minivan is parked and not in use. Can you help us this matter? thank you

the hinge and runner of the sliding door broke, resulting in the back side of the door falling off the car.

The Head Gasket failed in our 1995 Windstar at 80K miles. This caused the engine to cold lock and need to be replaced. When the engine cold locked, the oxygen sensors were ruined and this added to the repair bill. We did not know what the problem was, so we tried repeatedly to start the van with the blown engine. This resulted in the breaking the starter. Our repirs were not only on the engine, but also on the parts that were damaged because of the enginee problems.Ford is aware that this model van was manufactured with a faulty engine, but is unwilling to take responsibility for the repairs because the van has been in service for 8 years–even though the mileage is far below what would be considered normal for an engine.

The engine was the main problem due to the head gasket recall. In July,2000, we argued with Ford about a bad engine running for which we had just paid over $300 to evaluate by an outside repair shop. After about 6 weeks we received our car back with a new long block paid for by Ford, including a rental van for the time in the shop. In January 2001 the engine was running rough again and we were charged $81.45 to check it out and replace a wire bad on cylinder 6 which was misfiring. Three months later in April 2001 the car ran rough again and the engine light was back on (happened for years intermittently since we owned the car). The new long-block had another bad head gasket reinstalled per the second Ford Dealership service center. After nearly another month we had the second new long-block in less than one year. Now less than 2 years and 40,000 miles later, following the 110K service of radiator flush and oil change at 113,098 miles the engine rapidly lost oil and is misfiring and burning oil. Ford’s position once again is that the warranty was only for 12 months or 12K miles.On a smaller note, the brakes have gone out numerous times and we have replaced rotors and pads numerous times with no improvements. The power steering has performed very poorly. We changed the fluid in 2000 and then the Ford service center and they replaced the outer tie rods and reset the alignment. Within months it was going out again intermittently. Most often when starting out the power steering goes out and you must manually steer the vehicle.

The engine problem was the infamous head gasket problem. Even though the engine was over the arbitrary 7 year limit, it was far below the 100,000 mile extended warranty limit. In my opinion, setting a time limit is discriminatory against anyone who drives fewer miles than average.The transmmission problem appeared suddenly. After waiting to turn left, I attempted to accelerate, but the vehicle behaved as though it were stuck in neutral. By the time I had a transmmission expert check the problem, it would no longer shift either into reverse or first gear.

The engine headgasket on my Ford Windstar has failed a totalof 4 times in a 4 year period (57117 miles, 57722 miles, 71713 miles and 89523 miles), resulting in total engine failure because of coolant leaking into and fouling internal parts. The initial defective engine design was never addressed and installing new headgaskets provided only a temporary bandaid solution until the extended warranty period ran out.

The engine failed after the head gaskets were repaired in Oct, 2000. Ford repaired the head gasket failure under their extended 7 year 100,000 mile warranty but will not cover the engine replacement, because the warranty has expired. My Ford dealer said that 25% of all engine failures occur after head gasket failures because of oil contamination form the antifreeze. The engine has not been repaired yet.

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Repair was needed due to a head gasket failure.I had to pay out of pocket for this defective device since I don’t qualify for the free repair.(due to recall)I just purchases this vehicle From a used car lot in August, 2004. I feel that I should be able to recoup the money that I spent on repairs considering this was a recalled part anyways.

Paint is blistering off the rear door all around the license plate It is lifting off in sheets leaving a greenish gray undercoating showing. Also it is cracking along the side panels at the ledge area before the windows.The driver side window motor fails to work and I have problems since day one with the left rear vent window. It opens and closes when it wants to. Also I have a problem with the sliding door sensor while driving the dash signals the door is ajar and the bell and the interior light blicks constantly while driving down the road. All doors are completely closed. this also is tempermental and acts up when it wants too. I went to my dealer ship and showed them the pain they said I need to see a autobody shop to have the car painted they feel the car is old and out of warrenty not their problem

On March 29, 2002, My 1995 Ford Windstar experienced a knocking sound. Noticing the oil light was on, I immediately pulled into the shopping center nearby. I was amazed when I had to add 3/12 qts. of oil, which immediately drained out. This vehicle just recently had an oil change, so I know it was not low on oil. The vehicle was towed to AutoFair of Manchester, NH. On April 2nd, I was advised by the service advisor, K. Hamel that the TIMING COVER GASKET was the problem and I needed to replace the engine at a cost of $3,639. I also spoke to K. Hamels’ boss, and was told no warranty was available. I then called the Boston Area Customer Service Representative, Justin Boyson. He proceeded to ask me how I got his name…not, how can I help you? He advised me there was nothing that can be done…there is no program available for my auto. This is an outrage, since Ford is well aware of this faulty timing cover gasket which is a known Ford defect which was admitted to by the regional reprsentative, and it should be included in the extended 100,000 warranty.

On 6/13/2003, at 57049 miles, our 1995 Windstar overheated and seemed to be losing coolant so we took it to Zimmerman Ford, St. Charles, IL to be checked out. They reported no problem found and we paid $66.79 for a cooling system service and lube service. On October 4th,2003, the check engine light on our Windstar went on. We took it to the same dealership to be checked. They charged $111 for SBDS tests and told us we had head gasket failure and quoted $2100 to repair. We contacted five other dealerships in the Chicago area who quoted between $900 and $1600 to do the job. Our van is currently with Family Ford of West Chicago being fixed. We have been told to expect a bill of about $1300.Moving from Zimmerman to Family Ford was not just a cost decision. Zimmerman refused point plank to help us get help from Ford. Family Ford have agreed to keep the faulty parts and help us in any way they can.We have contacted Ford at several levels trying to persuade them that their 7 year / 100,000 extended warranty, plus the 6 year / 75,000 mile extended warranty that we purchased both imply that the head gasket should not have failed at 60,000 miles as ours did. We have also put forth the argument that the original extended warranty 5 year or 60,000 states “or” not whichever comes first so we feel we have a case to be covered under the terms of this warranty, given that we reported a possible problem at 57049 miles. Ford has said (several times by phone and e-mail)that they are unable to help as we are outside the terms of the extended warranty. They also say that they have very few complaints on this vehicle any more so they will not make an exception for me. I was told that they have made no exceptions outside the 7 year / 100,000 parameters. I feel that we have been penalized by Ford because we have a low mileage on our vehicle and the poor engine construction on the 1995 Windstar, in our case, still failed prematurely at 60,000 – it just took a little longer time for it to happen because we have not used the vehicle heavily. We have however, maintained the vehicle as recommended by Ford.For your information, the transmission on this vehicle failed catastrophically at 35115 miles after 4.5 years. This was within the mileage warranty, but outside the time limit. The dealer which was closest to where the vehicle failed sold us an extended warranty to cover the failure. Hence the problem cost us $519.75 as opposed to the full cost of the transmission.Currently, the driver’s power window does not function. With engine problems looming, we have not yet looked into how much it would cost to fix this.

My front springs needed to be replaced. They were replaced at my expense on May 7th, 2005. The repairs came to around $700 or so I believe.I would very much like Ford to stand by the email below dated July 11th, 2005 from Kristen Kinley of Ford FCSD Public Affairs 313-337-2786 [email protected] states that: I am \"still eligible for the 01M03 extended coverage on the front springs\". I would very much appreciate it if either Ford, or my Ford dealer would reimburse me for the money I paid out of my own pocket to my Ford dealer on May 7th, 2005 to have those front springs replaced since Ms. Kinley\’s email dated July 11th, 2005 states that I am \"still eligible for the 01M03 extended coverage on the front springs\".The front springs were replaced at my expense on May 7th, 2005 at Ed Carney Ford Inc. 189 Route #10 East Hanover Twp, NJ 07936Phone: (973) 386-1771Fax: (973) [email protected],Robert Pinkus—-Original Message—–From: Kinley, Kristen (K.L.) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 12:53 PMTo: Pinkus,Robert J (Robert)Subject: FW: 1995 Ford Windstar 2 Dr GL Passenger VanRobert, I called our Customer Service Center directly. Here\’s what they told me about your \’95 Windstar. Briefly…I don\’t have the details on each of these, but if you provide the recall numbers (those listed before the description below) to the dealer, they should be able to look it up in their database and pull up the specific repair procedures for each. Hope this helps. You are still eligible for the 01M03 extended coverage on the front springs 02S36 brakeline – repaired 6/20/02 97S88 hood separation – repaired 12/6/00 98M01 Head gasket – repaired 11/22/99 This vehicle was not part of the affected population for the other field actions Kristen Kinley FCSD Public Affairs 313-337-2786 [email protected] SUSPENSION:I-BEAM:SOLID:FRONT SPRING:COIL BRAKES:HYDRAULIC:LINES:FITTINGS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:HARNESS:FRONT:UNDERHOOD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR:REGULATOR:STARTER INTERIOR SYSTEMS:PASSENGER RESTRAINTS:AIR BAG:FRONTAL:PASSENGER STRUCTURE:HOOD ASSEMBLY FUEL:FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY Nature of Defect:1. SUSPENSION:I-BEAM:SOLID:FRONT SPRING:COIL Recall Number: 01I007000 Dates Manufactured: DEC 1993 to JUL 1998 Number of Vehicles Affected: 948492Date Owners Notified On: N/A Vehicle: 1995 Ford WindstarDefect Description:This is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Vehicle Description: 1995-1998 Ford Windstar minivans. The front coil springs could potentially fracture due to corrosion. Note: the 1997-1998 Windstar mini vans are also covered by NHTSA safety recall 01V-199/Ford recall 01S19. The mini vans covered by the safety recall were originally sold or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Consequence of Defect: Some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring.Corrective Action: Ford is extending the warranty for front coil spring replacement to a total of 10 years of service from the warranty start date, with unlimited mileage. This coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners at no charge. If either front coil spring fractures during the coverage period noted above, the dealer will replace both springs at no charge to the owner.I bought my used 1995 Ford Windstar GL Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): 2FMDA5146SBC14761 on February 8th, 2000 from Warnock Dodge in New Jersey. It may have been sold to the original owner by Warnock Ford in New Jersey.

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.

My 1995 Ford Windstar has blown a head gasket. As I understand, this is a listed factory defect, by Ford. When I contacted the Riser Ford dealership, about this problem, the service tech. said there were no service bulletins on this failure. I ,then, contacted the Ford Motor co. They said , in fact, there was a bulletin on this head gasket failure, but the cutoff date for this repair was 2005. Well, the gasket failed in January of 2006. I feel that Ford needs to rectify this situation by repairing the damage to my van, that their defect caused.

It is well documented that the 1995 Ford Windstar Head Gasket is defective. We own a 1995 Ford Windstar, and at only 72000 miles the head gasket blew off and we now have engine damage. Ford told us that they would do nothing even though there is well documented evidence (TSB 94-9)(OOMO9) that the Head Gaskets are defective on the 1995 Ford Windstars. Ford told us that because we have owned the van 9 years that we do not qualify for the Ford Head Gasket replacement program because we have had the van too long. This is ludicrous! Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

In June 1999, while driving on the highway, the head gasket failed on my 1995 Windstar and the repair was made at no charge to me by the Ford dealer in accordance with the recall and TSB #98-4-9. My dealer installed gasket kit F5PZ-6051-BA. The car had 42,000 miles on it. Almost exactly 42,000 miles later, my second head gasket has failed causing the engine to overheat. The Ford dealer will replace it at a cost of approximately $1500, using gasket kit F5PZ-6051-FA.

In Jan.2000 engine was replaced -Ford Motor replacedApril 4,2003 second engine failed-( it only had 35000miles on this engine)I had car serviced according to the manual since I have had the car ( bought new in 1995)Ford Motor Co. stated they Cann’t do any thing since it was not under warrentyA engine should last a lot longer

In 2000,my engine failed after a faulty head gasket repair from approx 6 mos before (80,000 mi) which was 3 mos after dealership hac checked for faulty head gasket per owner notification card (57,000 mi). Ford replaced the engine (97,000 mi). Asked whatif new engine fails for same thing and was told Ford would not cover it. New engine head gasket failed (60,000 mi on new engine–157,000 on vehicle)Transmission failed at 149,000mi but had always had problems since buying the vehicle in \’97. Dealership said tranmissions in Windstars, Sables, and Tauruses were faulty but only Ford would not fix except in Canada.

I\’ ve just lived through a very bad roll – over car accident ! I

I was almost broadsided by a big rig. my brakes when hit they failed to stop. I kept rolling. The ABS system didn\’t kick in and stop the van. We just kept rolling. I had my 5 kids with me in the van and my seat belt failed to lock up and I had 2 other seat belts in the back seat fail to lock up also. Everything seems to go wrong with this van. The oxygen sensors were the first to go. The wheel bearings went after we had it only a month. The airbag sensor came on 2 months after we got it, and even after being fixed it won\’t go off, the starter went a few months ago, the relay switches go bad all the time, now the transmission is bad. it has been serviced every few thousand miles and now its slips out of 1st to 2nd . It shakes and stumbles trying to shift gears. Sometimes it just sits there and jerks. it feels like it is going to fall apart in the middle of the street. This van is well maintained and everything is falling apart on it. I believe that the FORD company should come good for all of this BS that we have to deal with, with their vehicles that they made.

I purchased this van in 3/2003 and have had 3 transmission failures. total loss each time.

I purchased thie vehicle from Fair Oaks Ford of Naperville IL in Aug. 2000 with mileage of 84,000. I never knew about Ford\’s TSB # 98-4-9, Head Gasket failure. I\"ve had minor issues with my vehicle which I did not feel needed a service call to the dealership and were taken care of by myself or a family member and I kept a check on all fluids regularly. However Had I been made aware of the possiblity of the head gasket problem and known what to watch for I probably would have caught the problem a lot sooner and not have to incur such a large expense. I would like to know to whom at Ford Motor company and can write to, the Dealership and Fords customer care line refused to help.

I purchased a 1995 Ford Windstar in 1997. Excellent vehicle and I kept it well maintained for 7 years. My van only has 80, 000kms on it. That’s excellent for a 9 year old van. So I that thought. That when trouble started. I installed a new starter a month ago. Fine I thought that’s it. Well that was nothing. A few days ago the head gasket blew. I took it in to the dealership where I purchased it orginally. They checked it over and told me the the head gasket had blown and that I needed to replace the engine. This is where its get ugly. I was told it would cost me $4800 plus tax to do so. Well I became angry because this should be repaired by Ford. Ford refused to help me. I believe that it is their responsiblity.

I just got this van and iam already having problems with the interior light sutting off. Its a 1995 ford windstar and its saying the door is open when its not. So the only thing i could do is to take the fuse out to get the light off. If anyone know what i might be able to do please e-mail me at [email protected]

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 5,000.00 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.

I have had alot of problems with my breakes and had them checked 2 times and nothing was wrong but the noise when you back up is so bad ,now its really bad sounds when you back up.The overdrive light was blinking so i took it in to get checked,paid 65.00 to have him plug something and check it he told me the code p-0733 came up gear 3 incorrect ratio ,says its internal cluth slippage 3rd gear,said about 1,500 to fix or more .I thought someone said we have a recall on this its too much to pay and this should not happen i need someone to help if this a recall i need it to get fixed,please help.

I HAD THE WINDSTAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR.FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, I STARTED GETTING PROBLEMS WITH MY BACK POWER WINDOWS, THEY STOP WORKING.PAINT JOB STARTED PEELING FROM THE FRONT.THEN EVERYBODYS NIGHTMARE HAPPEN TO ME, TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER WENT ON ME COMING HOME FROM A LONG AND STRESSFUL DAY AT WORK. I WAS WITHOUT MY 95 WINDSTAR FOR A LONG TIME.I SPENT THE HOLIDAYS TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WITH MY FAMILY OF FOUR.THE MONEY I PUT INTO THIS WINDSTAR, I COULD OF BOUGHT ME SOMETHING MORE RELIABLE.FORD YOU REALLY HAVE TO MAKE STRONGER TRANSMISSION FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE.

I experienced 3.8L head gasket/engine failure on April 6, 2003 without any prior symptoms or warnings. Vehicle had just been serviced at 60,000 miles which including flushing the cooling system. Cost of repair is estimated at $3,500.

Heater Core failure that led to immediate Cylinder Head cracking that led to Coolant entering engine oil system and total engine failure.Transmission Failure of original and replacement transmission.Told by Auto Parts store employee about the Cylinder Head recall as his sister owned same 1995 Windstar 3.8L, Ford had a vendor answering calls. Representative stated that Ford had mailed Recall Information to the wrong address, that is why I never recieved it. Rep unable to explain how Ford mailed Hood recall info to correct address, but not the Cylinder Head recall info. Rep refused to address issue further.I would LOVE TO taker part in any Cylinder Head or Transmission Class Action proceeding.

HEADS HAVE FAILED TWICE – RECALLED -4-30-1998 MILEAGE 44676 HEADS FAILED – REPLACED AT MY COST $1250.003-29-2000 MILEAGE 81164 HEADS FAILED – LONG BLOCK REPLACEMENT PAID BY FORD7-26-2000 MILEAGE 89482 HEADS FAILED, ENGINE BLOWN REPLACED BY FORD9-10-03 MILEAGE 130639 HEADS FAILED – ENGINE BLOWN – FORD WILL NOT REPLACE.

Head gasket. Went to start vehicle , noise then smoke and smell of antifreeze from exhaust.

HEAD GASKET ON REPLACEMENT ENGINE FAILS AFTER 25,120 MILES. FORD WON\’T PAY. CLAIMS SECOND ENGINE WARRANTY EXPIRED 1,200 MILES AGO.When the head gasket failed on the first engine at approx 77,000 miles Ford replaced it. Now, 25,120 miles later, the head gasket on the replacement engine has failed.While Ford acknowledges that the first engine\’s head gasket should not have failed, and accepted responsibility for it, Ford now claims that the warranty on the replacement engine was good for only 24,000 miles. Because the replacement engine has gone 1,200 miles beyond, Ford is disclaiming all responsibility.By extending the original warranty, Ford has acknowledged that the head gaskets should not fail so quickly. The distinction they are trying to draw between the reasonable life of the first head gasket (100,000 miles) and the reasonable life of the second head gasket (24,000) makes little sense and borders on the irrational.

Head Gasket gone, dealer says the engine is going, due to leak from head gasket damaging bearings on crankshaft.Ford is aware of this, and continues to allow this, while their dealers continue to profit from this engineering flaw. It is a slap in the face, to lose $4000 dollars to a known flaw, and worse to have to have the dealer, tell you entirely about it, to sell you another vehicle! Purchased for $8200 in May 02,Warranty expired Aug 02, vehicle is dead Jan 03 (offered $2000 so the dealer can sell it to someone else?)It has been a costly year.

Head gasket failed. Was blocked tested by AAA service center, San Jose, California. Was informed that is will cost me between $1500 and $2000.00 to repair this problem.

Head gasket failed at 35,279 (3/98) and repaired by Ford under warranty. Head gasket failed a 2nd time at 80,957 (3/01) and repaired by Ford under warranty. Head gasket failed a 3rd time at 116,298 (9/03). On 24 Sep 03 I wrote Ford requesting they fix the orginal problem. Head gaskets do not regualrly and predictably fail. I would appreciate any help you can provide. I believe my problem is unusual as I am told the head gaskets don’t fail this often.September 24, 2003 Ford Motor Company Ford Customer Relationship Center P.O. Box 6248 16800 Executive Plaza Drive Dearborn, MI 48126 I am the original owner of a 1995 Ford Windstar van. The vehicle has 116,298 miles and has blown the head gasket for the third time. Warranty work performed on this vehicle by Ford Motor Co. in 1998 and again in 2001 did not solve the problem. My request is for Ford Motor Co. to take appropriate responsibility and action to fix the vehicle.History: March 16, 1998, with 35,279 miles, under warranty, the engine’s head gasket failed and was repaired by Ford of Walla Walla, WA. Invoice attached. March 29, 2001, with 80,957 miles, the engine’s head gasket again failed and was repaired by Harrrell’s Ford in Placerville, CA, under warranty at no cost to me by Ford Motor Co. September 16, 2003, with 116,298 miles, the engine’s head gasket has again failed. I have spoken with Harrell’s Ford Service Manager, Mike Alunbaugh, and he informed me that Harrell’s Ford would not be able to repair the engine under warranty. He also told me he spoke with his regional manager and informed me that the regional manager can do nothing to resolve the problem because the regional manager has no authority to respond to problems when a vehicle has over 100,000 miles.I called the Ford Customer Relationship Center and spoke with Charmain. This was a very frustrating experience. Her advice was to wait for a recall! I did have Charmain forward a report to the Engineering Department, but she told me I would not receive any further response from Ford Motor Co.The problem with this vehicle is very clear. Head gaskets should not fail with this frequency. The Center for Auto Safety states that a head gasket should not fail within the life of the vehicle (CAS 11/24/99 letter to William Clay Ford, Chairman, Ford Motor Co.). The head gasket on this vehicle fails with regular predictability. It failed at 35,000 miles, then it failed in another 46,000 miles, and now it failed again at another 35,000 miles. If a head gasket is correctly and competently repaired, it will last longer than 35,000 miles. The conclusion is that the true problem was not accurately diagnosed and repaired the first time in 1998 while under the original warranty. Ford Motor Co. has acknowledged their responsibility for this problem on this vehicle by the repair they made in 2001. Yet, the real problem with the engine still exists.I request Ford Motor Co. fix this problem that has persisted since the original warranty repair. I look forward to hearing from you, Mark C. Charlton

Head Gasket blew at 78,683 miles. Warranty ran out on 1/30-02. Current word from Ford Dealer is that it will not be covered by Ford. This is an on going problem that Ford knew about, it should have been a recall and not an extended warranty. All 1995 windstars with the 3.8 liter engine should have had the gaskets replaced, or Ford should cover any blown gasket, regardless of when the gasket failed or mileage.

Fuel was leaking from the gas tank and a service station detected a stress crack near the middle strap of the tank similar to what is described in recall 99R33. I contacted Ford customer support to have the tank replaced according to recall 99R33. I was told to go to a Ford dealership. The service department called Ford recall hotline and they denied the repair on the ground that the vehicle was not bought in one of the “hot states” decribed in recall 99S33. I explained to them that I was planning to drive to Mississippi and as such I have met the recall condition but I was still turned down. I believe that the crack occured because of poor assembly by Ford and that Ford shoul repair any Windstar that has this problem not just those in the “hot states”.

Fuel tank began leaking and had to be replaced. The Ford website shows that my car is subject to recall 99R33, faulty fuel tank mounting. This is a regional recall for southern states with high temperature. I am in Tennessee and was not included in the recall notification system, although Tennessee has high temperaturtes like Alabama that is included and I have vacationed each summer in Alabama.

Ford Windstar 95Shift 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 Fords attention.Also replaced Head Gasket Engine and head gasket again.Tranny sensor, Door ajar sensor. What a carMARK HERSHKOWITZ

Ford owes us $4,000, we were almost killed in this vehicle twice. Once the brakes failed on a major highway and then the engine blew and we almost hit a telephone pole. The dealer refused to do repairs under warranty/recall and demanded $2,000 to fix the engine. Regan Ford was supposed to fix the vehicle in 1998 and refused to do the work which would have prevented the engine failure in 2002. They refused to do repairs again in 2002 and stole our rental vehicle out of our driveway. For some reason the local police called this a civil matter when it was actually criminal. We junked this vehicle to protect other families from an unsafe vehicle. We now get recall notices for the corroded brake lines which almost caused us serious injury. Unless Ford wants to help buy a new vehicle, this generation will no longer be Ford customers.

First engine blew at 32000 miles. Second one blew 4000 miles out of warranty. Transmission blew 1 year later. I have personally repaired the brakes several times, alternator three times, repaired power window motor once, rear door lock actuator, rear door switches, sliding door contact assy, 2 drive belt tensioners, 1 EGR valve, and numerous other items. Current mileage is 149.000 and the engine is showing signs of head gasket problems again.

February 25, 2003Mr. Brant NoltieDirector, Customer SatisfactionFord of Canada Ltd.PO Box 2000The Canadian RoadOakville, OntarioL6J 5E4Dear Mr. NoltieRE: COMPENSATION FOR 1995 FORD WINDSTAR HEAD GASKET DAMAGESI remain completely unsatisfied that Ford has to this point been unwilling to compensate me for significant damage to my vehicle due to the well-documented head gasket flaw. In particular, I would expect that the company would review individual cases like mine where the gasket failed only six (6) months after the seven year extended coverage elapsed. That represents only 8.3% of the warranty period. I’ve gone through the main customer satisfaction route: polite, structured but inflexible. Thus my letter to you. Consider the facts:

fanbelt pulley

Failed recall on head gaskets. Replacement of head gasket has caused the knocking of the engine of my vehicle as well as to some 80% of the vehicles on which the recall was performed by Ford and for which the engines had to be replaced. I have visited several of dealers and all have affirmed that 80% of the recalls resulted in the replacements of engines. I did have any knocking sound coming from my Windstar prior to the recall.In addition, Greenwich Ford gave a letter attesting to the fact that the head gasket recall was a complete fiasco on the part of Ford and most engine blocks had to be changed when performing the head gasket recall because if not replaced, the shaft would rupture according to the Service Manager. In fact, he has informed me that in the past three months, Ford has agreed to replace the engine block of a customer

engine went out due to head gasket failure on the 3.8 liter engine. ford dealer in tn. fixed it at no charge to us but eng isnt running right still.transmission wouldnt shift out of second or third gear and the overdrive light would just blink. changed turbin speed sensor and some modules in the side pan of transmission suggested by ford and did not fix the problem went on the internet and look at previous windstar problems and found a few that said to look for vaccume leak on line coming off intake to transmission founf hole in line and fixed problem.brakes; well i have changed the brakes on this van 4 times in the last 3 years and the rotors twice and now my brakes are shot again and the rotors are warped again. spoke with ford to find out if there is a technical service bulletin and ford said no bulletin exists i have looked on web sited with many different problems with this brake system and i have see literally hundreds of complaints on them what can we do about this.

Engine head gasket blew at 85,000 miles. Ford will not fix because the 7 year 100,000 mile warranty is up due to the age of the vehicle. The speedometer does not read correct speed and is very erratic. The dome light switches are intermittent and cause the dome light to stay on. The rear window wiper is inoperable. All the above complaints are too common not to be called a recall!!

Engine has failed twice – first due to head gasket at 66651 miles, second at 93139. Transmission has also failed twice, first at 67000 miles at a cost of $600, second at $1150

Engine – Multiple Head gasket repairsWheel/axle – Broken spring (occurred on all 3 Windstars we’ve owned)Tire – When spring broke, it damaged the tire beyond use

Defective Head gasket main problem now. Ford says sorry you got 106,000 miles on it we only cover the first 100,000. Even tho Ford own designers say the gasket should last atleast 120,000.

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 Windstars 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.

Brakes: We have had Ford brakes fail approx every 8,000 miles, showing heavy wear, braking power diminished greatly. When we bring it to the dealer we are told there is plenty of brake shoe left and they refuse to repair and tell us it\’s normal wear. The only brakes that have held up longer were Midas and Car Care–using non-MOPAR parts.Transmission: At delivery and subsequently, the car had a very audible clunk when you put it from park to reverse–it sounded like trans. was falling out. When we took this complaint to the dealer they said nothing was wrong, even after they found a washer and a nut and metal shavings in the transmission oil pan. They refused to investigate further. They notified us that these things were in the pan. This problem continued with slippage and lurching until Oct \’02 when the trans. died. It was repaired at a private shop. The tech. said the trans. shredded itself to pieces. They gave us a detailed diagram of the trans. showing us where the washer and nut were missing from. This repair person did not know any of the past history of the car or prior repairs.Suspension: Ongoing problem. Right front wheel area clunks constantly and makes a snapping sound. Dealer has always refused to investigate and car is now out of warranty.Power window: Passenger side stopped working.Power seat: Driver seat is tempermentalRadio: Shuts itself off, says it has errors, resets itself.

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

Brake line that crosses over catalytic convertor to passenger side wheel severely coroded at point over convertor. This resulted in pin hole leak, loss of brake fluid and severly compromised stopping ability (front brakes no fluid pressure. Ifixed it myself through replacement with NAPA generic part. What bothers me however is that this corrosion will I think be common as I think it is part due to heat from convertor (drivers side convertor as there are 2 on 3.8L). I think this is going to be a big issue in older Windstars.

Both Head Gaskets on my 1995 Windstar 3.8 engine blew. In 1998 I took the van to my local Ford dealer when I received the recall letter. They stated that at that point in time it was OK. They did not tell me that I would be driving a time bomb ready to blow out at any time.Instead of just inspecting these head gaskets Ford should have removed and replaced with the new reengineered ones.

Blown head gasket. Dealer states need new engine because damage spread throughout.I understand that this problem is common to 1995/1996 Ford Windstar and Ford Motor Co. is aware of this problem. They should have had a recall of all affected Windstars to correct the problem rather than waiting until the consumer experiences engine failure, which could happen at any time, especially on long trips. This creates a lot of hardship and inconvenience when it happens.Ford should also extend the warranty on these vehicles or recall all of them to correct the problem.I had a Nissan Van years ago and when they found out about the problem with the engine, they recalled all of them and bought them outright from the owners to be destroyed. I don’t expect this to happen with an American company, but the least they can do is stand by their product and correct whatever the problems maybe. Please send me information as to how I can get reimbursed for my expenses. I am retired and on fixed income.

Blown head gasket.

Blown head gasket for the second time. First time was at 54,000 miles and was told there would be no further problem.

At 148,000 mi, this Christmas evening, 12/25/03, the engine head gaskets again failed. This time, though, the dealership (Bob Davidson Ford) REFUSED to replace them. They insist that I have the whole engine replaced, at a cost to me of $4300. Something about not being able to warrant their work if they only replace the gaskets. Sounds like there’s something worse than gaskets failure at play here.

at 146,00 miles I was just informed that I will have to have another head gasket repair done (that would make it the third time this part has failed) to save the car…I will not do it, as in February, I spent over $750 to have the rear brakes repaired for brake fluid covering the shoes of the brakes, cause by brake line corrosion (just as in the right front brake line corrosion that was a national recall!!!!) but there was no recall for the rears

April 14, 2004Dear William Clay Ford: In my 59 years I have owned more than a few Ford products, Falcon, full sized Fords, Conversion Vans and now a Windstar, to name a few. I have always been happy with my Fords until the Windstar. We bought our Windstar, used in l997, at Hall of Fame Lincoln-Mercury in Canton, Ohio. In March of l998 there was a problem with the engine temperature fluctuating and the heater throwing cold air. The dealer said it was a head gasket and fixed it under warranty. (28,432 miles). Nothing was ever said about it being a design fault. In December of 2002 the van developed the same problem. I took it to a well-known and trusted mechanic, John Noyes of Noyes Sunoco. He diagnosed it as a head gasket. Not knowing that it was a re-occurring problem, I figured that the mechanic at the Lincoln-Mercury dealer just did a bad job so I was not going to take it back there. In retrospect, I remember the service manager trying to send me to the Ford dealer because it wasn

Apparent Head Gasket failure/leakage occuring during warranty but not honored by Ford because it was reported out of warranty period

Actually this vehicle has been showing too much problems, the transmission doesn\’t work properly, it doesn\’t have the speed or gear when the situation request it. The brakes starting on the master brake cylinder was replaced one, the paint has several damage on the area never,s been touched, the computer system keeps sending wrong information to the rest of the system including fuel system.

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.

40750 miles dealer factory recall on forward clutch piston failure and replaced recall head gaskets.At 88952 miles, lost reverse replaced transmission completely with new aprageage and plantery gears, and new drum for rev piston. Same repair did not fix and they had to repair ttta cracked rev drum.July 2004 transmission when driving feels like it shifts into neutral and the rpms rev to 5-6 but you do not accelerate. I think its time for the salvage. Shame though body good and interior excellent.

2003 – door ajar light2002 – blew head gasket;2002 – heater core replaced2001 – ignition coil pack & ignition leads replaced2001 – front tie rod ends replaced2000 – refrigerant coolant loss1998 – EGR valve replaced1998 – transmission fluid cooler hoses replaced1997 – blew head gasket, repaired under warranty

1995 Ford Winstar Head Gaskets leaking. Head gaskets were replaced Mar 1999 at 40352 mi. under 98M01 recall. And again Jul 2001 at 79464 mi. under 00M09 recall. Talked to my local Ford dealer, they said to call dealer that did repair. Both said there was nothing they could do for me. But head gaskets should last more than the 9246 mi. Said repair warrenty only good for 12 months.

1995 FORD WINDSTAR WAGON EXTENDED SPORT VAN: Air suspension compressor failure. We had the light come on in the dash and was told the air bladders were bad. We spent 600+ on new air bags for the rear suspension to find out that it didn\’t fix the problem. We were told we had to take the van to Ford dealer to have a diagnositc done for them to tell us the compressor is bad and there could be other things wrong but they won\’t know until the compressor is changed out. This system was apparently not put on many of the Windstar\’s because there is not one to be found used. To top that off every time I ask if the parts store has one they argue with me about it having aitsuspension. The Ford dealer can order me the part for $500+ which is way out of my league. I know that this vehicle should be able to convert over to a regular shock system but I am unable to locate the correct conversion kit or find one at a reasonable price. Please help me with this problem. Also I have replaced the battery with new batteries several times because it keeps going dead.

1995 Ford Windstar LXtransmission failure due forward clutch piston. loss of power. safety issue… crossing high volume traffic

1995 ford windstar lx with seatbelt problems customer states that the passenger side seat belt retractors no longer work**cc the consumer stated there should be a safety recall issued for this defect. the consumer created a temporary fix by attaching a clip to the anchor point. the consumer stated, when a person is propelled forward, the retractors are supposed to seize the seat belt and keep it from unwinding. *jb

1995 ford windstar master brake cylinder leaked causing circuits for the horn, back up lights, and cruise control to be inoperable. *ts the consumer stated the cruise control is still inoperative. the dealer stated the problem stemmed from a burnt circuit. *jb

Consumer wanted to know if there are any pending class action suits against ford motor company regarding engine and transmission problems with 1995 ford windstar. *la *sc *jb

Consumer is handicapped and the conversion vehicle is not working right, especially the fuel tank which is not taking any gas. *ak consumer states wrong address he has never owned a ford vehicle.*jb

Ford offered an extended warranty, 7 years or 100,000 miles because of head gasket problems. the consumers vehicle has 43,000 miles but the 7 years expired in march. on april 22 the vehicle was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. ford will not remedy the problem. *jg *nm

Fuel leak, causing fumes in passenger compartment.

Air bag sensor malfunctioned after running over a piece of tire in the road, causing both air bags to deploy. dealer has been contacted. *ak

Both air bags deployed, without warning, when driver of vehicle swerved to avoid hitting a small animal.

Blown engine cylinder head. in addition, replaced faulty transmission/air bag sensor and temperature sensor.

Re: 1995 ford windstar vin [xxx] this complaint relates to damage incurred just prior to an official recall notice for collapse of this vehicle's suspension system and ford's refusal to reimburse me for the damage incurred and repairs performed. i have contacted the dealership, called ford's customer care recall line, and written to ford's ceo with no response. it is my understanding that ford is obligated to pay for all repairs which resulted from a situation under which a recall is declared, even if they were incurred prior to the recall announcement. on june 12, 2001 the driver front end collapsed and the vehicle crashed to the ground and listed to the left. the cause was the failure of the front suspension coils, which acted like a hook and completely tore through and shredded the new tire i had just put on the vehicle. i have photographs of the incident. the ford dealership was booked several days out so i took the vehicle to another facility, boca tire who identified the problem and suggested that we have both the front and rear systems fixed for safety. on august 24, 2001, the starter failed and we were advised it is likely this was related to the suspension crash. we subsequently had suspected transmission problems. shortly after the initial incident we received a notice of an extended coverage announcement for the front coil springs of the 1995 windstar. i contacted the customer relationship center and explained all of these issues and problems and that it seems highly unlikely that all of these problems are not related to the initial failure of the coil springs and the collapse of the front end. we incurred $1,380 in repairs. we turned in my repair receipts for "ford reimbursement review" and received a very small amount which no one at ford could explain (did not just relate to front end only repairs, etc). information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

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). *tr

My wife was leaving church in the parking lot, the head gasket blew. hi. my name is [xxx]. i am the unlucky owner of a 1995 ford windstar. the windstar has a factory defect in the head gasket mounting, that causes premature gasket failure(service bulletin #00m09). well my windstar blew the head gasket on january 15th, of 2006. the van only has 76,000 original miles on it. when i contacted ford about this, they informed me that they would not repair it. i made 3 contact attempts to riser ford, in hot springs, and 2 contact attempts to the customer relations dept' at ford motor co. each time they said they would not help me. i intent to take this all the way. i should not be responsible for defective part repairs to my vehicle. *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Engine head gasket/transmission/abs/brake light switch/tie rod and power steering hose failed. *ak

Brake switch wiring failed. mjs

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford windstar. while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed fuel leaking under the rear driver side tire. the contact noticed a visible crack in the fuel tank. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 99v309000 (fuel system). the contact stated that the recall part that was supposed to be on the vehicle was not visible. the vin was invalid. the failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

Speed control does not engage. there is smell of gas with tank full and stationary . this vehicle not driven often so maybe a month between occurrences.

Antilock brake failure.

Seat belt twists when retracted or released due to inadequate guides on door pillar. *sd

Seat belts in the rear seat can not be buckled securely.

Abs brake system failure, abs light comes on. *ak

Hatchback latch failed, causing door to open when secured, also replaced front brake rotors/pads/shoes, also transmission leaked oil and a/c compressor failed. *ak

Rear window reflects object in 'trunk' area, making it impossible to see the road, causing accident.

Sway bar rusted through in 2 spots, causing it to break/accident.

Anti-lock brakes failed 3 times, once resulting in an accident. *ak

Rotors were warped so badly that even turning them down did not help.

Warped rotors.

Transmission failed.

Steering knocks/snags upon turning wheel.

Windshield wiper blades do not work properly during winter storms.

Pre mature wea rof rear brake pads; seat belts fail to latch properly/ fuel injector failure and gears to not shift easily. *ak

Transaxle failed. *dh

Antilock brakes failed 3 times.

Transmission failure. *ak

Vehicle slipped out of parking mode into reverse, causing accident. *sd

Brake pads/shoes replaced/drums and rotors turned.

Alternator replaced.

Shocks replaced.

Antilock brakes fade/fail.

Transmission failed four times. *dh

After slamming brakes to avoid hitting deer in roadway, brakes failed to operate properly.

Antilock rabs valve replaced.

Brakes leaked fluid and failed 7 times, resulting in two accidents.

Airbag did not inflate in accident.

Front seat belts do not retract all the way. *ak

Anti-lock brakes failed, resulting in an accident. *ak

Poor brake performance. *sd

Consumer complains that power brake systems causes brake pedal to be too soft.

Antilock brakes failed, causing accident.

Abs brakes failed on icy road, resulting in a collision. *ak

Transmission interlock system failed, allowing four year old to accidentally knock gear shift out of park gear, causing accident.

Steering column bearings failed, causing steering to jam.

Cruise control accelerated past set speed/vehicle had to be brought to a stop by using the brakes. *ak

Rear brake lights work intermittently.

Electrical system failure.

Brake pads worn.

Antilock brakes failed, causing accident.

Driver's side power window malfuncttioned, would not go up if window was all the way up and outside temperature was over 80 degrees/ when it cooled off, power window operated normally. *ak

Brakes make grinding/crunching noise. *dh

Rear wheel brake cylinder leaks. *dh

Window motor failed, battery failed.

Fuel gauge and door chime failed.

Transmission failed.

Power window buttons continue operating after van is shut off, but would not operate with dog's head stuck in the window.

Front passenger's seat belt twisted. *sd

Door ajar warning light comes on, even with all doors closed/locked.

Transmission shifts harshly. *dsh

Misalignment, causing vehicle to pull to the right. *sd

Electric ramp/door for wheel chair access functions intermittently.

Floor leaks, due to rust/gaping holes in floor and door

Power steering pump leaks. *dsh

Air in rear heater core, causing heating/coolant problems. *sd

Sudden acceleration. *sd

High idling. *sd

Weld bracket for sliding door failed.

Two front brake rotors failed. *dsh

Rear windshield wiper failed.

Excessive tension on the shoulder belt causes abrasions/irritation of skin. *sd

Transmission lashes, causing abnormal torque situations/loss of control. *sd

Loud noise in right front when turning, due to upper strut bushing.

Rear suspension makes loud clunk due to insufficient lubrication.

Left front seat control clicks when lowered, due to seat track.

Brakes master cylinder failed, causing brake pedal to fade.

Engine rocker assembly causing whining noise under hood.

Seat belts become twisted due to rolling the wrong way.

Radiator failed, causing driver to smell antifreeze.

Under dash wiring harness shorted out, causing air conditioning/abs/parking lights to fail prior to after recall repairs (94v-222). *ak

Rear wipers/rear defrost inoperable from switches.

Antilock brakes failed/abs warning light came on.

Front windshield washer over sprays windshield.

Heater control knob overheated, burning hands.

Left front door rattles when opening/closing.

Sliding door interior trim panel is cracked.

Remote door lock fails for right front door.

Recall due to loose alternator output wire.