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Ford Windstar Problems
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Also, fyi my van's in the shop (sigh, again) as they try to fix the rough shift between 1 and 2 gears. I finally requested and was granted permission to drive a mechanic around in the vehicle so I could replicate the problem which they said they were unable to replicate. Ugh. How I'm driving this lovely Ford Focus as part of their required loner program. Gee thanks. ANyone else try to get 3 car seats in the back of a Focus? It's gymnastics to get the kids all buckled in! I mean, I bought a van because regular vehicles don't have enough room! blah blah blah. I promised myself I wouldn't rant today--I'm supposed to just be information seeking. So I'll stop now!
Any advice would be appreciated. I reviewed about 75 archive messages but I didn't see anything about the seat belts so hopefully someone can help me. Many thanks..and good luck to all of us ;-)
Please, Please, Please... let this be the last time I see the service department for a while...
Hope yours treats you better than mine does!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
Get rid of the van ASAP. Ford will not help you down the road. This is from someone who had owned 7 different Fords in his life and got burned on his Windstar. I have never been more disgusted at a company in my life.
I am trying to sell the van and am not having much luck. Hope you have better luck, or can get rid of the van faster than I. By the way, the new tranny is still sometimes unsure of shifts between 1 & 2
Please reply to kjdmhesk@aol.com if you fit in the profile.
Thanks
This past Friday, the transmission died. I brought it to the dealer I bought it from and I was told the repair cost would be $2,600 !!!!!
So here's a cranny with a history of problems, rebuild at 28k and 33k miles later, it dies and Ford expects me to foot the bill ???
The salesman I bought it from suggested I buy a used cranny and forget about it. Why am I not surprised.
Any one with similar stories ?
I'll go to the Chairman of Ford if necessary to arrive at a reasonable solution.
Does this sound like transmission problems down the road?
Does anyone out there have any idea what might cause this problem?
I have a 98WS 60K no problems. My transmission does same thing at slow speeds, I think it is pretty common. Highly recommend 25 to 30K xmission fluid changes on all windstars.
TPG1999,
There is a service bulletin out on the stalling problem, a one part replacement. Usually the stalling occurs at slow speeds while turning. Mine was done at 20K, no problems since.
I am wondering why they won't just replace it. It would seem to me that since it's under warranty, it would be of lesser cost for them to replace it (mechanic time and my loaner car for 7 days and counting now.)???????
I can already tell that Ford won't stand behind us. We've never owned a Ford before--Chrysler and GM were our last several vehicles. I thought GM did an outstanding job with customer service and honestly, we never had a problem requiring a mechanic regarding the Chrysler. I'm wishing I'd have bought the darned Caravan!!!! It was a tie right down to the finish. The "selling" point to the WS was the ease with which I could fold down the seats with only one hand...since the other was usually holding some child! *sigh*
On an interesting note, my friend's Caravan was just in the shop for a transmission failure (2000 model!) And she experienced the same crappy Customer Service I got from Ford. The two dealers (purchase dealer vs. fixing dealer) fought over who was to give her the loaner car. She's a lot nicer than I am and she left without a loaner and went without one for 3 days!!!!! And then they put her in a Camry. She and I had a chuckle about the 3 car seats we each had smashed into the back seats of these tiny vehicles. We also both laughed because we made our oldest daughters climb into a booster seat which was already buckled, because there isn't enough maneuvering room to latch the buckle once the child is in the booster seat! (at least we were laughing...)
It actually made me think that maybe Ford is no worse than the other manufacturers???
I don't know what to think but I do know that I really appreciate your feedback. Do you have any idea about the ratcheting seat belts? Does your LX have them? They really make life with car seats much easier--I know this from the lovely Ford Focus I'm driving right now!!!
Regarding your urge for me to sell, I must confess that I've been having the same feeling. My DH is not equally inclined (yet) *sigh*
Thanks and good luck to you!
Lori
Like my 99 alot. Going out tonight to look at a 2001 SEL though.
Thank You in advance for your advice.
Yehuda
I was afraid it was a problem with the transmission and brought it back to the dealer so the service department could look at it. They told me the grinding sound was an ABS (antilock brakes) valve, not the transmission, and that there was nothing they could do about the noise. As a matter of fact they told to be worried if it doesn't make the grinding sound because then there maybe something wrong with the ABS.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Does the dealers explanation sound reasonable?
Lisa
I bought my Windstar last April, two months before my wife and I had our first child. I bought it because of the safety record. Little did I know that the safety was because it sat at the dealer while being fixed so much. I did buy it used off the dealers lot, but it had been a dealer rental and had been titled at the dealership from day one. I was able to see the entire records of everything that had been done to the van before I bought it. The only problem that occurred was replacing one of the lifts for the rear door. I though I was getting a great van. Its the crimson red with the alloy wheels- looks good.
I have had problems with the following things-
1- wind noise from the windshield- dealer could never find the problem. After I took one electrical tape and put around the molding around the windshield it stopped. So I took so epoxy glue and put under the molding. All of my noise was gone.
Dealer- Not fixed Me- $2.99 for glue.
2. Rattles- I knew that the van would have rattles but it sounded like I was in a popcorn machine. Solution- Dealer said they adjusted the rear doors and it should reduce the noise. It did just a little. But what really worked was taking the fuzzy side of velcro and putting it on the doors male/female interlocks about 3/4 up the door. Stopped all of the rattles completely ever since.
Dealer - Not fixed Me $.59
Many wheel alignments, - dash rattles- fixed with velcro at point of attachment, fuel gauge stopped working- had to pay $100 after warranty ran out and was fixed the same time as the tranny; It was because of a faulty fuel sending unit; Three different plastic covers, 1 on rear door, black one one drivers side door at the side view mirror and one of the floor covers that just came apart; Seats that are coming apart at the seam- noticed after the warranty ran out; Speaker in the rear side door that sound like its blown. Ford said it was because of bad connection. They fixed and it went away, has re appeared six months later; All but the main cig lighter works. I have replaced the fuses three time and only have use the lighters three times for cell phone plug in. I could go on.
These are things that I guess could qualify under lemon laws, but nothing really that major except the tranny.
All of this with less than 40,000 miles. Would you like to buy mine. (speaking of this, no dealer around would give me more that $11,500 for trade-in because of all of the problems WS are known to have. All books have around $14000 for trade in value)
In regarding the ratcheting seat belts, I am not sure what you are talking about. I know that we have not had any trouble putting both our infant seat when our son was born and we just changed to the child seat with no problem. I believe that all seat belts in the Windstar have a tension latch, or where the seat belt male uses tension to hold the belt in place, much like the center of the back seats in the WS and most cars have. The new thing out in the LATCH system, which the new caravan's have. It a three point tether system.
When my Windstar was in the shop it took two weeks. The dealer said, to help me with the costs (only because I was fuming mad) they were just going to replace the tranny and not tear it apart. That would take even more time.
Whatever you do, don't call the customer service line of Ford Motor Company to get help. Go straight to the regional ford manager. the customer service representative at your dealer should be able to give you his name. The 800 number that they give you for Ford detroit customer service and also in the back of your owners manual are just people who don't have anything to do with ford. The buck stops there or so they say, and when you don't like what they have to say, they do not answer to anyone, so you get stuck.
I wish you all of the luck what ever you do. Ford has lost my business I hope that they discover, which they won't, that the most important part of business is customer satisfaction. Something that Quality Job 1 isn't doing.
Good Luck
Ford extended the warranty for the head gasket problem to 7 years or a 100,000 miles. They sent out letters but your dealer should also have the information. Our 95 experienced the problem at 30K and was covered. The only problems we have had other than the head gasket is a oxygen sensor replacement and ABS brake circuitrity replaced each at about $150-200. The ABS problem returned but since the 95 is mainly used for cargo I decided to remove the fuse to eliminate the ABS braking (Car brakes fine but of course I can lock the wheels in a fast stop since the ABS is disabled). We also have a 99 but have had no problems with it so far. Rick
The spell checker here doesn't seem very good.
Here's a correct version of the message.
----
pking1,
I also own a new WS SEL which I bought only a week ago.
I, too, noticed the slight grinding sound when the van starts to move. I "always" hear the sound when I shift the gear from P to D and the van starts moving.
The sound is so slight that you could miss it, but it always happens.
I assumed that it was because of the AS checking itself and I thought it is explained in the ABS section of the owner's manual.
I haven't driven the van much, only 180 miles since I bought it. I bought it mainly because its safety and interior feature. I considered Ody but didn't want to pay the arrogant dealer MSRP. Whenever I read the posting here, though, it makes me kind of scared. However, there's nothing I could do about it now but to enjoy it.
Enjoy yours too.
Thanks.
Steve
Host
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We purchased a '01 Windstar GL and had no squeak intially. Now we are hearing the squeak in the same exact spot as the test driven van. I can't believe that this is coincidence.
The squeak only seems to appear during cool, dry weather. If it is raining outside, or moist, we don't hear the squeak. Could it be coming from a shock or spring in the rear wheel well of the van?
Anybody else hear squeaks in the same spot?
Also since you ran down your list of problems, I'll do the same...just in case anyone out there has similar problems. Yours and mine couldn't be more different! I wish we could think of a velcro fix--how ingenious!
1. the passenger sliding door closes on a SLIGHT hill posing quite a danger to the little fingers of my 5 year old who tries to help mommy by getting herself into the van without help. We;ve been to 3 dealers for this and NO FIX yet (hopefully it's being fixed this time as I dragged the service manager out for a demo and clearly showed him how the door is not horizontally aligned, perhaps causing the roll)
2. The vehicle got stuck in Park several times over several days when very new (under 2,000 miles) and I had to do some thingie with starting the vehicle in neutral rather than in park and then I was able to shift into drive or reverse or whatever I needed. The vehicle wouldn't act up for the mechanic and weirdly enough, the problem disappeared. I believe that everyone, including my DH thought I must have made a mistake but I am sure it wouldn't shift out of park!!!! (and yes, my foot WAS on the brake pedal--at one point I was on a hill, getting my mail and I stupidly put the thing in park and had to go through the neautral thing again to get up my driveway).
3. In December, with the van fully loaded for delivery of LARGE items to my sister's house, I went out to warm up the van and it started, but wouldn't stay ON when I relaxed the key.. My kids were sobbing that they wouldn't get to see their cousins, my husband was working a double shift and I had no other vehicle and it was about 4 degrees outside. And it was my birthday and I was really mad at Ford that weekend!!!! That turned out to be a bad fuel pressure regulator valve.
4. This transmission problem started after that spisode in the Ford garage. I took it in two weeks ago to have that (and the door) fixed and they gave it back to me stating that there was nothing wrong with either the door or the transmission.
That's why this time I dragged the service manager out to show him the door problem and I demanded (nicely) that a mechanic ride with me while I reenacted the shifting problem. I received a call today that the vehicle is finally ready! yippee! Except I can't get to the Ford garage until tomorrow afternoon because we have sick kids ( I swear, I can always count on needing to get to the pediatrician when my van breaks. Could my kids be feeling the stress??)
Also, I laughed right out loud about your safety rating comment. I made the same one myself to a friend and I had thought I was both funny and original...great minds, so they say!! :-)
Finally, thanks for the tip about the toll free people. I wish I'd known that last year. I spent 45 minutes of precious little of my free afternoon one day detailing with great documentatino and clarity, all of the service problems and lack of thoroughness. Now I know why the person didn't care!!!! ugh.
So, Wentitz...Based on your comment, I'd have that tranny looked at. I'd insist on taking a mechanic with you to feel it. Drive as long as you have to in order to make it happen. This is what (after two trips to the service bay) seems to be finally working for me. My problem was a shimmmy when upshifting from 1 to 2. It also was inconsistent and at first my DH even thought I was confusing the feel of the tires slipping on icy roads. Once I had to really pin down the description to convince him, I was able to be very specific with the mechanic. Mine ocurs when the vehicle is warm, not cold. It progresses in severity as the vehicle gets warmer. It ocurs in an upshift from 1 to 2 and varies between starting at speed 15-20 or 20-25. It occurs only once the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Slowing to say 10 miles and then speeding back up will not replicate the problem. Perhaps if you can get some specifics like this you could also convince your mechanic about it. Good luck.
What a shame about all of this. I really liked the vehicle and it it never occured to me we'd have such trouble. Meanwhile the worst part is that I live in the country and EVERYTHING is a drive away...can't even get to a neighbor's without packing a lunch if we're walking! My only nearby relative is 15 minutes away and she and her DH drive only Honda's (you know the types--"Honda and nothing but a Honda") and I can't even call them for help. I can't bear to hear "You should have bought a Honda" one more time!!! Ugh!!
Anyway..as I think I've said before, good luck to all of us. And thanks so much for your help.
I checked the WS owners manual as you suggested and sure enough, under the ABS section, there is a couple of lines that describe what has been happening to me. The manual says the brief "mechanical" sound you hear when you start to drive is normal.
I'm relieved it's not the transmission. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Pking1
Thanks,
SEL3
1. The 7 Year/100000 mile Head Gasket Program Warranty Extension will end after seven years from the vehicle's original purchase date.
2. The legal liability period (this is the time window in which you can sue) will also end after seven years from the vehicle's original purchase date.
If you are seeing symptoms and are within the window, have your vehicle looked at!!!
Tam16 - second and third head gaskets/engines are not uncommon (I am on my second replacement engine and third replacement transmission - all since January 1999). Many HG repairs done by Ford in 1998-1999 DID NOT USE the STEEL REINFORCED head gasket. They were using the OEM part - that is the part that seems to fail...
Now I am leaking oil (new engine in March 2001)... Like I said before - this SUCKS!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
Nonetheless, I wish you great luck in getting rid of it - I took it to one Toyota dealership that refused it on trade! Looks like I'll be taking a tax write off when the time comes... Enjoy!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
Lisa
Good luck
--Problem of ABS & BRAKE Lights flickering on & off at stop light & then staying on. (the brake cylinder is known to have a sloppy float causing the light to come on when you come to a stop, fill the cylinder to the top & the light goes out.}
I had my brake wheel cylinders & brake system checked twice by my local garage & the brake system checked by my Ford Dealer & they could not find any leaks. My master cylinder would lose brake fluid slowly, about 1 inch over 30 days.
I did see about 1 tablespoon of fluid overnight appear on my driveway. I laid a large piece of cardboard under the engine overnight & was able to catch this fluid stain on the cardboard. I then took the cardboard into the dealer marking where the front tire was on the cardboard. The dealer was then able to pin point the area of the leak under my van.
The following part was leaking and replaced. {Proportionating valve}. There are 2 of these valves joining the brake lines located under the vehicle, just behind the driver's seat area. The brakes had to be bled.
FORD#BRAKE VALVE (F8Z*2B091*BA}
-Parts & Labour $185.00
Thanks.
Insights would be appreciated...
Wholigan
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
I am reading about brakes, head gaskets, transmissions.
thank you for assistance.
bill in denver
I have a late 96 model year van and it has been reliable so far, with 82,000 miles on it.
For those who have had theirs repaired and the HG blows again, it makes you wonder. Did the repair include the gasket with the new design? Or, if they did, did the service shop fail to check see how warped the head was?
It seems to me that for anyone thats had the HG blow, if the service shop properly machines the head and cylinder block (you can't take too much off of course) and uses the new style gasket, there shouldn't be a repeat blown gasket.
Ford ought to have had the appropriate repair procedure by now...there's certainly been enough examples.
FWIW, I have a '99 with 30k miles, and no problems to date.
Have had mine for 5 weeks now and it's been back to Ford 3 times. Yesterday with the advice of Ford Engineering they replaced the sensor and the latch assembly. I was told this should fix the problem otherwise Ford wouldn't spend the money to replace the parts. I hope this works but I'm not very hopeful.
Any information will be very helpful!
thanks
When I first started driving the Windstar I noticed that when I would put on the brakes to slow they would catch slightly then release then stop. I am new to anti-lock breaks so I just thought it was normal. Now I am not sure.
Yesterday I was driving less than 25 miles when started to break at an intersection. I put my foot on the break, but the van acted like it did not want to stop and I heard the engine rev. The whole thing lasted on a second or two, but my vehicle did move about 5 feet before it came to a complete stop. Called the service center and was told everything is on a sensor and unless the engine light came on they have no way of telling what it might have been. They have not heard of this happening with others so just keep an eye on it and if it happens again let them know. I'm a little nervous now when I break. Anyone else had that experience?
Secondly, when it is windy outside and the windows are down the roof of the vehicle will make a loud noise, almost like the luggage rack it being ripped off the roof. Sounds like what you would hear if you took a piece of tin and shook it. It happened again yesterday when I turned on the air-conditioned and then shut the windows. It is very loud and I jump every time it does it. I don't know how to explain this to the service center, so if anyone else has experienced this I would appreciate some advice or help.
I read through the posts about 1 source in the town halls and I did some research on other sights and they seem to be a reliable company - most customers are satisfied - and because it is under factory warranty, I don't have to worry about pre-existing conditions.
Update on the roof noise...The roof actually bows in and out. It can be popped out by just a push from the inside, but it is rather annoying. We had the vehicle for about two months before it started doing this and it seems it only does it when the windows are down.