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Ford Windstar Problems
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The dealer has managed to throw in, supposedly from Ford, the 6 year, 100,000 mile Powertrain warranty, a $600 value they said. When I went in to the dealership I talked to their Customer Service person and brought with me 20 pages of various items pointing out the problems with the 99 transmissions and also the low quality rating of the Windstar in the Ford family. I requested to meet with the Ford regional rep and they said they would be meeting with them and pass the case and information along. I followed up on this and they said the rep could not do any more since Ford had already taken care of some of it and that I had the opportunity to buy the extended waranty at the time of purchase which was $1450 and so the response was Pay now or pay later. I said while that was interesting it does not speak to the quality of the Ford products and the business they will lose unless they keep owners happy.
My goal as I stated to this Customer service person is to get Ford to kick in another $600 and then I will be satisfied that I am paying for the Powertrain warranty only.
I requested the face to face meeting with the Ford regional rep and they said he may take it or request me to write down the information and send it to them depending on the person. The saga continues... when is someone going to start the class action lawsuit for transmission issues, particularly the 1999 like was done for the 1995 model? It is still ridiculous that consumers have to put up with this kind of lack of quality and backing of a product.
On another note the van is on a road trip with a working transmission and pinging like crazy my wife tells me since she is going through 85 to 100 degree highway driving conditions which are the optimal conditions for pinging. Mine had the TSB's done already so now what? Do I push to have the PCM replaced or carbon buildup blown out like others have suggested? With all that pinging the next thing to go will be the pistons and engine as this is not a healthy situation for any car. I guess my Powertrain warranty will cover this with a deductible I suppose.
I received a call back from the dealer Customer Service rep and they called the regional rep who apparently will only take things in writing. So now I guess I am down to a letter writing campaign and avoidance of facing up to the reality that the transmission should be covered in its entirety. The saga continuess...
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/ivoq/default.htm
What is interesting is that they say
"If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your report is the first step in the process."
So I would consider any transmission failure a safety issue considering the consequences of the situations you can find yourself in with failure while on the road.
I would think the more people that complain about their defects, eventually Ford will have to fess up here they designed a poor transmission.
Toyota Sienna (sp). Hope this helps!
Has anyone had a similar problem? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Has anybody else encountered rusting problems? The dealer claims this is 'normal'.
Thanks.
thanks in advance for all your help!!!
Well the car was diagnosed by the Ford Dealership and this is what they found:
Code P0174, they said that the valve body failed and the torque converter went bad. The code description I found said that "Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off". The dealer gave me an oral estimate of $1625 to repair the valvebody and torque converter. I was pretty annoyed and grilled the service rep as to why internal transmission parts fail after 3.5 years and only 38K miles. He actually admitted that the valve body was defective. I asked for the number of Ford's customer service and he would not give it to me. I then found the number (1-800-392-3673) on www.blueovalnews.com and gave them a call.
Herman, the rep I spoke with at Ford, was very polite and asked me what the problem was. After I told him that my transmission had failed at 38K he said that it was unusual and all he hears are good things about the Windstar. I told him to check on edmunds.com and see all the '99 windstar owners with transmission problems. He then asked what I would like Ford to do for me (remember that the van is OUT OF WARRANTY!). I told him I would like them to pay for my transmission to be replaced. After putting me on hold he got back on the line and asked if I would be happy if Ford replaced the tranny and extended the powertrain warranty to 6yrs/100K miles at an expense to me of $495. I accepted his solution and the new transmission is now on order!!
The experience of dealing with Ford's customer service was pleasant and they offered me a fair solution without argument. Obviously they know that there is a problem with the transmissions on those vans or they would have told me to go fly a kite, but none-the-less it's far better than taking them to court and enduring all of that nonsense.
My advice to anyone with a '99 Windstar that has transmission problems is not to waste your time at the dealer level and instead give Ford a call right a way.
By the way if they don't help you to your satisfaction be sure to visit www.lemonaidcars.com. That site has lots of insight and advice as well as great links.
If anyone has any questions feel free to email me at mike_clough@hotmail.com. Be sure to put Windstar in the subject line because I get lots of spam and I'm quick to delete messages from unfamiliar senders.
Thanks to all those that have posted previously. Without this info I would have been lost.
Mike
Isn't it interesting how customer service reps only hear good things about the products they support? I never call those folks unless I do have a problem.
Anyway, great story - thanks for sharing!
Steve
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...I would guess that the majority of the spam I recieve is the direct result of certain sites (I won't name any names) selling my account info to the highest bidder!!!!
Thanks
Mike
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Mechanics- I would love to hear from you as the van is sitting in the shop right now.
The old pads were a little over 1/8 inch thick left. But I went ahead and changed them because I started hearing this strange grinding-like noise when I brake moderately. It sounded like the pads were worn out and scratching up the disc, it wasn't.
Its only been a few days and maybe only 100 miles since the change, but I have not heard that grinding noise again. I suspect that perhaps my brake fluid level was a little low before the change (its close to max now after pushing the brake pistons back in).
Another thing was a rattling noise I thought was coming from the exhaust system seems to have stop. I was going to buy replacement rubber mounts for the exhaust pipes, but since the brake change, I haven't heard the rattle. I am now suspecting those missing clips on the brake pads may have caused the strange rattling noise when I hit bumps.
Oh yeah, the replacement pads did not come with the clips.
Other than that, I've gotten over 50000 miles in almost 3 years with this van, without significant problems. I've brought it in for some routine maintenance and recalls and thats it so far!
Can someone suggest a source (perhaps local to the Houston area) for brighter bulbs (halogen?) for the backup lights for the Windstar? Or even for other aftermarket products for the Windstar.
The Low Tire pressure warning light stays on constantly. I keep the tires set at 32 to 35 lbs and reset the light and within an hour it comes back on. Dealer has never been able to fix.
We have a gasket leak around the drivers side sliding door that has never been fixed.
We have had many (4 ?) recalls.
It is now leaking oil like a sieve. They replaced the oil pan gasket but it has started leaking again.
I would not recommend this car to my worst enemy.
I called up to Ford Customer Service and complained the problem that they should pay for. In the end, I paid $60 for labor and Ford paid for the parts.
I'm also going to buy an extended warranty for this van, since it looks like there may be some problems in the future. Are you folks using the Ford ESP warranty? Or a third party warranty. My gut feeling is to go with the Ford ESP plan even if it is a couple of hundred more. I tend to use dealerships for service anyway, and that would hopefully lessen any arguments over who pays. I've got a quote for $1540 for a 6yr/100k Premiumcare warranty. Sound like a decent price?
Understanding Extended Warranties
Extended Warranties: Extending The Joys Of Ownership
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
My solution has been to make sure to do the following when parking: 1) stop the van and keep pressing the brake pedal, 2) shift into neutral 3) apply the emergency brake, 4) shift into park.
This seems to help with both the locking in park and the mysterious rumbling sound no one at the dealership seemed to be able to help with. We opted to not get the extended warranty on a gamble. I just hope we're not sorry.
Oh yeah, I have a 2000 SE. Change the transmission fluid at over 30k. I'm at 53k and will have it changed again shortly.
My van came with Goodyear tires (215/70R15) and seems to be balding slightly on the inside edge. I'd like to think I have taken good care to balance/rotate and maintain proper air pressure. Am I about right on life expectancy of these tires? They are original and I'm at 53k now. I will be replacing them soon too.
windstalker has it right. Put on the hand break, let it settle in and then put it in park. If that pin goes you will need a overhaul. I finally have my wife trained: Park in the street.
I just thought I could get to 60k I those tires, but I guess its OK.
I asked about the oil light some time ago, but I'll bring it up again. My 2000 SE oil light does not seem to function as I would expect it to.
If I put the ignition to on, after 3 chimes of the seatbelt (I'm guessing about 3 seconds as well), it lights up. If I start the van, the oil light will light up for a few seconds with the other lights. If I start the van without waiting the three seconds, the oil light will not ever turn on. I can't say for sure because I have (or think that I have) not had an oil pressure problem for it to light up.
I have brought it into the dealer and they say nothing is wrong. They aren't getting and codes and even showed me two other Windstars that did the same thing (one was in the shop, the other was their courtesy van).
So in the end, I just changed my habit of waiting the 3 seconds for the oil light to turn on before I crank it.
Does anyone have this same strange problem?
I had my first failure last week. It would start but not keep running. Had to have the idle air control valve assembly replaced. I have the premium care so the tow was free, the repair was free and the rental car was free. It cost me 1500 for 6/100K so with the tow (60$), the repair (174) and the rental care(28) it is well on the way of paying for itself.
We have had many naggin problems, however. Been back to the shop 4x for the air conditioning. And, it still does not work reliably. Plus, I have had brake problems, and rampant coolant leaks. In addition to that, there must of been at least 6 warranty recalls so far.
So, I am a little nervous. I have 15K mile on this van. And, I am worried what happens as it gets a little older.
I am thinking about taking my lumps, and getting a Honda or Caravan.
What do you people think ? Hold onto the van, and roll the dice. Or, dump it and get something that may be more reliable.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I would get rid of it just because I have had trouble with two Windstars. I bought a new 2000 Windstar in the summer of 2000 and it was in the shop multiple times for recalls, various squeaks and rattles, etc. (I have postings here on Edmunds with my ongoing problems). Anyway, We took a family trip from Illinois to Florida in 2001 and the Van broke down in Alabama on the way there and was taken to a dealer to be fixed. We got a rental and finished our trip. On the way home, we picked up the van in Alabama, it stalled once or twice in Tennessee but we made it back to Illinois (about 15-20 miles from home)when the van went dead again. It was taken to my local dealer where it took them over 2 months to find a problem. In the meantime, Ford (after many hours of dealing with upper level reps) agreed to trade us out of our van for a 2002. It has been in the shop multiple times also (mostly squeaks and rattles) but luckily, it has not had a major mechanical problem (yet). I will never buy another Ford again once I get rid of my Windstar.
We do have it stall when coming to a stop and making a sharp turn. Am I correct after reading these messages and other feedback that it may be the air idle control? Yes, I know about the TSB, but my Ford dealer says I must pay for the diagnostic tests so I haven't gotten it fixed. It happens in spells.
My latest problem is possibly related to the transmission. This happened twice about a month apart. The vehicle was "off". I started the vehicle and shifted into reverse. I pressed the gas pedal and the engine only revved without moving or without moving much (much like the sound a vehicle makes trying to get it unstuck from snow or mud and the tires are spinning). The parking brake or foot brake was not on. A month later this happened again. I've been told to check and change the transmission fluid which I'm doing. I think the fluid level is OK though. Other possibilities suggested it was a valve getting stuck (under $1K to fix) or that the whole transmission (2K to 2.5K)! What do you think?
Then there is a whining sound this vehicle makes sometimes when idling. Would that be the expensive power steering pump mentioned?
Thanks for any feedback!
BTW, the trade-in on these things is ridiculous. Two different dealerships offered me under $6500. This vehicle has no body damage, clean well cared for interior, and was running OK the day I took it. Then they want to charge me 15K for a 2000 model with only 30K less mileage? Is there another van in a comparable price range that is any better like Caravan, KIA, Pontiac Montana, and whatever a Mazda MPV is?
Thanks!
Also be aware that the motor for the power sliding doors are subject to go bad as well as the control module for the doors. There is also a recall/redesign of the power sliding door hinge. Somehow the hinge can cause a senser to send a wrong signal to the control module telling it to open the door.