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Ford Windstar Problems

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Comments

  • teabagteabag Member Posts: 4
    I also have a 95' windstar with 91k and have had just about the same exact problems, blown head gaskets, blown engine, 3 transmission rebuilds, all at the dealer's shop, makes you wonder??????
    I'm also thinking about selling it before something else happens, but right now the transmission has been getting gradually worse about going into reverse (delays/slips) after setting all night. The dealer said nothing is wrong. If anyone with knowledge of this vehicle could tell me what they think is wrong with the tranny, and about what should it cost to get it fixed at a non-dealer repair shop. We love the van whenever it is not broken, but we are so gun shy now, we will probably sell it, any thoughts out there?
  • ajg1960ajg1960 Member Posts: 1
    Well, I must say this has been something of a shocking day for me. I happened to look at ratings of Windstars by chance (I am looking to buy another car and hoped to keep this van for quite some time - I'm rapidly altering this strategy I think). I have a 95 Windstar with 95K miles and up to about an hour ago I would have had nothing but good things to say. I have had absolutely no problems with this van and have enjoyed it.
    Now I am really considering getting a new van before the problems start.

    I'm wondering what Ford is doing (if anything) about this. From what I've seen they have paid for some of the blown head gaskets, but not the transmission problems - is that somewhat true? If something does happen are there some sources out there that I can use to help me in dealing with the service dept? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Unfortunately, I think that much of it is true. Consumer Reports is a good source for reliability ratings as well.

    As for anything that can help you with the service department, Blue Oval News has a lot of useful inside information on all Ford products, so you may want to spend some time browsing that website.

    Good luck!
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • kpascal2kpascal2 Member Posts: 2
    I read recent postings regarding problems with Windstar 2000 power doors. Last night my husband and I went to a dealer for an end of the month, end of the year special on the Windstar SE Van. They only had one left. I noticed a
    problem with the power door. At first the salesman said it was caused by a dead battery since he said that people often don't close the door completely when looking at cars on the lot. However, after he jumped the battery I immediately figured out that the problem was the door not the battery. The door would close and then kick back. When I played with it for awhile it closed and then wouldn't open. The dealer assured us that he
    would have the problem corrected. We bought the car on Friday, but it is still at the dealership waiting for an "adjustment". I went on the
    internet today and saw that at least 2 to 3 other people have had this problem with their 2000 model in the last 6 months. Only one person
    indicated that the problem was fixed to their satisfaction.

    Have others had the same problem and was it satisfactorily corrected? What was the problem. Any ideas regarding what we should do? Please let me know because we are supposed to bring our credit union check to the dealer on Tuesday. Thanks
  • denairdondenairdon Member Posts: 1
    We had a similar problem with the driver's side power door on our '99 Windstar SE. We took it into the local dealer several times, and they replaced door gaskets and other door hardware, and still we had a problem. Finally, the dealer sent it out to a local body shop, and we have had no trouble since.
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    If its any consolation, the power sliding doors seem to be problematic on all the different minivans that have them, not just the Windstar. I think a big part of it, though by no means the only reason, is the electrical contacts that let the door know its nearly closed get easily corroded.
  • kpascal2kpascal2 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks to denairdon and bblaha for the information and feedback. For denairdon: Do you know what the body shop did to the door that corrected the problem?
  • chalupnychalupny Member Posts: 39
    I recently took my 99 Windstar back to the dealer because of engine ping. I had taken it in about a year ago and was told that it was normal, no problem, use premium fuel, etc... They now have a fix from Ford (Valve Cover Assembly kit - not sure of all parts that are involved here) and have ordered the kit that will suppposedly fix my pinging problem. I'll let everyone know if it works. Ford does have a fix for it now though - so don't let the service department tell you "it's normal" or it "won't cause any damage" or "just use premium fuel".
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    Is there any sort of Ford documentation on this fix? Some sort of number that a person could use when talking to the dealer? We haven't been having any pinging, but if it ever starts, I'd like to be able to take it to the dealer and say "fix it according to XXXXX".
  • teabagteabag Member Posts: 4
    Is there anywhere on the web that I can find statistics about the Ford rebuilt 3.8L engines that the Ford dealerships are using. I now have about 6,000 miles on the rebuilt engine and of course the transmission needs work (post #209), so if I think the engine will last and I get the tranny fixed, would I be crazy to keep the car or sell it to some other poor sap? I fear God and the next owner.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Try www.blueovalnews.com ; they have some interesting Ford inside information which you may find helpful.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • pjyoungpjyoung Member Posts: 885
    Nothing's being done for transmissions at this time. If they do offer some extended warranty for the transmission, it would most likely be 7 year/100K miles, like they did on the head gaskets. Given that you've got 95K miles, it might be prudent to consider yourself lucky and get out of the van before that magical 100K miles shows up. Don't expect to get a lot for the van though...it's history precedes it.
  • jetteduckyjetteducky Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 2000 SEL last December and have had it in the shop 3 times. The first two times, we were having problems with the driver's side sliding door and something was draining the battery. They had it two weeks the first time, thought they figured it out but we were back a few weeks later. This last week we took it in again because we were having problems with the passenger side door. We also hear the grinding noise when making a slow sharp turn. Wish I had solutions, but Ford doesn't seem to know what's going on. Not to mention their service is horrible. I'll never buy another Ford again.
  • mkotting1mkotting1 Member Posts: 1
    My 99 Windstar was the one with 2 transmission failures before 35000 miles (The first time it failed it was not rebuilt correctly). See post #196. Well, I emailed Ford customer service on their website to complain, ask if there were any changes made in the transmission, and let them know that they should build better transmissions. They were very courteous and said they'd see what they could do to restore my confidence in the vehicle. They called the service manager at the dealership where I bought the vehicle and to make a long story short they are giving me a 6 year/100K mile warranty with a $100.00 deductible. This is exactly what I was hoping for. So thanks to Ford customer service-I am totally satisfied.
  • stanellestanelle Member Posts: 2
    I own a '99 LX and also recently noticed the paint
    cracks. I too was extremely disappointed that a
    relatively new vehicle was having that problem.
    I took mine in to my Ford dealership. The person
    that looked at it told me that something
    definitely was not right, but he couldn't tell me
    what might be causing the condition. He said that
    I should take it by the body shop (at a different
    location). I have not done so yet but will post
    my findings when I do. Your hypothesis certainly
    seems reasonable to me. I kind of suspect this is
    a wide spread problem with the way those roof
    channels were designed. Not to mention the
    annoying gushing of water that runs down my wind-
    shield during a rain every time I come to a stop.
  • stanellestanelle Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem with the RH power door on
    my '99 LX. I had to take it to the body shop for
    adjustment. Unfortunately, I do not know exactly
    what they did.

    In general, I have been very disappointed with
    the reliability of my Windstar. I own(ed) two
    other Ford vehicles in the past: a Thunderbird
    and an F-150 pickup. I've had no problems with
    either of these vehicles. So when it was time
    to purchase another bigger, family car, I boasted
    and pleaded with my wife (a devout Honda owner) to
    buy a Windstar for its safety rating and more
    powerful engine. Little did we know then. Now
    I look like a fool in front of the worst person
    to look foolish (my wife ;-) At the time, we had
    considered buying a Honda Odessy (sp?), but would
    had to wait for six months. We needed something
    faster than that and thought we were getting
    something just as good with the Windstar. Oh
    well, live and learn. Unfortunately, I am a
    young guy and Ford will be missing out on many,
    many years of my business.
  • mygirlsplusmemygirlsplusme Member Posts: 3
    does anyone else hear popping noise near feet , like the body is flexing . and what you did to correct .
  • 8366683666 Member Posts: 1
    i purchased a 1995 windstar the car ran fine until
    i took it back for the recall, thats when my problems started. two days later the gasket started to leak antifreeze, i took it back to metro ford in miami they redid the work the problem resurfaced two months later, when i took it back they told me it was the thermo stat and heater hose cost 17900 dollars, that did not correct the problem , next they said that it was the water pump 375.00 , that did not correct the problem, next the radiator had to be replaced 250,00 that did not fix the problem, finally they redid the head gasket ,which incidently i told them that was the problem , they kept the car 1 month. i am sure that the ford motor company knows about this problem and should declare this vehicle a lemon and give all the owners their money back, just like they are doing with those bad firestone tires they put on their explores never by a ford car or suv lets run them bums out of business.
  • bobshimizubobshimizu Member Posts: 1
    Our 97 WS has had its fair share of problems. The tranny went out at 28k, rear disc brake problems at 35k, steering rack at 48k, leaky wheel(!) at 52k and now again at 69k. What a piece o' crap! Any other suckers having any similar problems with the wheels? Called the Ford dealer (Folsom Lake Ford in Folsom, CA.) Says that the rims are on a nationwide backorder. No wrecking yards in Nor. CA have a single steel wheel in stock... Really sucks. Any suggestions?
  • gil14gil14 Member Posts: 3
    I own a 95 Windstar, which I bought with 34,000 miles on it, and now has 75,000. Compared to some of the stories I've read, I've been relatively lucky. The first owner got to replace the transmission.In the last two years, besides the normal maintenance, brakes, tune-up, oil changes, battery, etc, I've only gone through three starter motors and an alternator. The there was the $10 coolant system fitting which cost us $200 to replace and stranded us for three days of a week long summer vacation last year. The engine is now starting to run a little rough and I've got a little seepage betwwen the heads and the block, and the tranny is staring to slam a little. This year the car only cost us two days of our summer vacation when the brake lines burst when I had to hit the brake hard at about 40MPH. I was not even close to locking them up, and had slowed to about 10-15 MPH when I rear ended a couple of cars ahead of me. Fortunately they took it well and no one was hurt. The mechanic who fixed the brake lines said they had burst in two different places. Even though I didn't think to retain the parts as evidence, I've got a great insurance co. claims adjuster who believes me and is trying to recover their costs (about $7000) from Ford. From what she tells me, though, I'm not very optimistic. Has anyone out there had any similar experiences, trying to recover costs from Ford, or heard of this sort of brake line failure with other Windstars? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • jrags2jrags2 Member Posts: 1
    We just paid nearly 2,200 to AAMCO to rebuild the trans. in our 95 Windstar. Had to take it back for some minor adjustments, but it seemed to be working well. Van would not start after switching engine off, and at the time of this post, sits in a convenience store parking lot. (Did the same thing 6 months ago and had to have a new engine). Anyway, does anyone know if Ford has issued a transmission recall on the 3.8 95 Windstar? Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I'd love to get my money back! (Incidently, we did take it to the dealer whose mechanic could not find anything wrong with the transmission...the guy at AAMCO couldn't believe it since his diagnostic machine lit up like a Christmas tree). Any info. would be appreciated.
  • dcram1dcram1 Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I too have had numerous problems with my van, especially with the power sliding doors. It will be my last windstar, as long as the new dodge has a good saftey rating.
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    my 2000 SE did the same thing and would also "click" before it started to do anything, the guy at the dealers service desk, the "advisor", said they all did that. I insisted they check it out, the tech took the assembly apart and found a bunch of plastic chips in there! They replaced the unit and its fine now though there is a slight vibration, my wife can't even tell but maybe I have a sensitive foot or something. But its nowhere near as bad as on a Previa I had before where it really was "normal" on all Previas!
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    are you in search of a 15 inch plain jane steel wheel to fit your WS or some special one or alloy?
    If you just need a plain steel one I found out that the factory option full size spare for a Windstar is in fact a regular Taurus wheel. Unless the guy in the parts dept at the dealer is pretty savvy he won't realize this. I had to get 4 for my snowtires on my 95 WS and it was a lot cheaper asking the Ford dealer to get a Taurus one than a Windstar one! God knows why! There should be after market ones now also, there weren't any in 94 when I needed them. Those Taurus wheels have lasted 6 Midwest winters and I'm hoping they fit on my 2000 WS.Anyone know if the brake rotors/drums are bigger on the latest WS compared to the old one? Try tirerack.com for aftermarket steel ones if the Ford dealer wants too much for Taurus ones, they usually sell them for about $40 each.
  • kjclowkjclow Member Posts: 29
    I have a 97 windstar with about 80,000 miles. It burns (?) brake fluid. Can't think of where else it is going. I have had to replace pads about every 30,000. Needs done again, probably rotars this time. Has anyone else noticed these problems?
  • mprotzekmprotzek Member Posts: 1
    I'VE GOT A 98 WS WITH 42000 MILES.WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND TURNING OR QUICKLY BREAKING OUR ENGINE WILL OFTEN STALL @ THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES.THIS USED TO HAPPEN ONLY WHEN MAKING A HARD LEFT TURN.NOW THIS HAPPENS WHEN MAKING NORMAL TURNS.HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM,OR KNOW WHAT COULD BE HAPPENING.
  • this is a common problem on 98's and has been addressed in earlier posts. there is a tsb on the problem and is easily fixed. i think it should be free even if you are out of warranty, but am not sure. i had the tsb done 20k ago and never had the problem recur. good luck.
  • bspargo2bspargo2 Member Posts: 3
    Over the weekend I took my '96 WS into the shop because the Check Engine light came on at 56k miles. Thinking that this would be a relatively inexpensive trip, I was sadly mistaken when the mechanic called to tell me that the head gasket had blown. This of course is an $1,800 repair. After the mechanic called the dealer I was told that the only extended warranties at this time were for the '95 WS and if I came in a complained enough they might give me a couple of hundred dollars off of the total. Is there anyone out there with '96 WS head gasket problems? Maybe if we band together, we'll get the same benefits as the '95.
  • bspargo2bspargo2 Member Posts: 3
    I have a '96 WS that is burning brake fluid. I have changed the brake pads twice in 30k miles. There has got to be something wrong with this...
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    The "rumor" has always been that Ford fixed the HG problem mid year 1996. So if you have an early 96 model, the chances are it has the same problem as the 95s, even though only the 95s are covered by the warranty. What the "fix" means I have no idea.

    If you do your homework, you may be able to build a successful small claims court case.
  • jfmjrjfmjr Member Posts: 2
    I've got a 96 with almost 100K and its started to burn brake fluid as well. Any ideas
  • alvovskiyalvovskiy Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I'm going to buy a van, 97 or 98. Possible choices are Ford WS, Nissan Quest, Pontiac Montana, Chevy Ventura (Caravan and Voyager have too bad crash test results, Mazda MPV or Toyota Sienna are too expensive). Now I have Previa 91, it is pretty roomy inside and I wouldn't like to go into significantly smaller car. Any ideas which of those four is better? Also I probably will take an extended warranty for about 3 years. Is it important form which dealer to buy a car in order to be able to get such a warranty? Which warranty is better?
    Thanks in advance for any ideas.

    Andrey
  • wtapiawtapia Member Posts: 2
    We bought a 98 in the summer of 97. Just before we got to 60k miles, the tranny blew. We also had a whining noise coming from what we thought was a pulley bearing. Wrong. Power steering pump was shot. All service but 2 oil changes were done at the dealership that we bought the van at.
    I would like to say that Ford did pay for the tranny, but we had to come up with $500 for labor and another $900 for the power steering system.Not to mention that it took 10 days to get fixed and I still made the payment on it even though I didn't get any use out of it.
    HEY FORD- ARE YOU READING THIS!!! This is only the 2nd Ford we have owned. We also had trouble with the 87 Taurus we bought. I don't know what would compel us to buy another new vehicle from Ford, but in this case two strikes and you're out.
    If you are reading this, I bought my van at Korum Ford in Puyallup, WA.
  • dnj2dnj2 Member Posts: 4
    Here is the documentation on the "Valve Cover Assembly Kit" that is the Factory Fix. It is TSB 00-21-8 [4 pages] and it is dated 10/09/00 so its brand new news.
    The parts are allegedly on natl back order and very hard to find.
    This fix is covered by both bumper to bumper & emissions warrantys.
    FoMoCo allows 1.5 hrs to complete the fix which also includes carbon removal.
    I have been working this problem on my Windstar with my Dealer since Apr of this year @ 19k miles and am hopeful that this TSB solves it as during optimum pinging conditions the pinging is brutal. Dealer has had my car for about a week so far but has given me a no-charge loaner 2000 Contour to keep me rolling.
    Dont let anyone tell you to use premium gas.
    Good luck to us all - and there are a bunch of us pingers out there.
  • lynne63lynne63 Member Posts: 1
    I have seen several posts for a grinding noise in Windstars just after starting and after sitting for a day. I have the same problem, doesn't happen all of the time, but does sound almost like trying to restart the van after it's started. Has anyone found the solution to this? Of course the dealer says if they don't hear it, they can't fix it....and since it only happens every so often, it's impossible.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    Has anyone had an experience with the speedometer of the Windstar malfunctioning. The Odometer and cruise control both work correctly, however the speedometer needle bounces all over the place, registering speeds as high as 80+ mph.

    What was the problem and how was it corrected.

    TIA
    Carl Keehn
  • yamanyaman Member Posts: 113
    We had the same problem in our 96 as well. Had to get a new one.
  • deariedearie Member Posts: 2
    I come from a family of Ford owners. We've had Taurus's, Windstars, etc. My sister-in-law, cousin, and myself all have 1998 Windstars. Unfortunately, all of us have had problems with the vans, none of which Ford will own up to. My sister-in-law had to replace her transmission twice, my cousin has a knocking noise coming from his transmission, I've had to replace the brakes, and now I've just learned that my engine needs replacing. I am leasing my van and am sick at the fact that I'll have to put $4000 into this van that I will give back in 5 months (yes, I'm over the mileage so it's not covered under warranty anymore). My feelings are; who would get an extended warranty on a lease when supposedly you'll only have the car until the lease is up. Anyway, has anyone else had problems like these with the '98s? What about dealing with Ford's customer service? Do I have any backing when I insist that they replace the engine at no cost to me? Any info would he greatly appreciated.
  • weslwesl Member Posts: 53
    dearie:
    How bad is your engine? Could you nurse it along for five months or even park it until the lease is over? If it is still driveable, sideline the van, rent something in the interim, and dump off on Ford later. If you have to replace the engine, don't go through Ford. Find a junkyard, replace the engine with one from another 98 WS, and hopefully no one will notice. Could save you 2,000 +. You could always try to fight Ford. Good luck, Wes.
  • daveriedel3638daveriedel3638 Member Posts: 4
    I just unloaded my 95 Windstar after 2 1/2 very expensive years ownership. It was the worst vehicle I ever owned! Furthermore, corporate HQ's and the dealers are terrible- they tried to ignore the problems or disavow any responsibility for them. Anyway, among the problems I had was getting the transaxle overhauled to replace a cracked forward piston. Ford disavowed any responsibility for this too, although it has been a common problem since the tranaxle's debut in the taurus in 1985. Anyway, apparently Ford has still not fixed the problem, as a coworker just got a factory recall on her 1999 Windstar for transaxle replacement - Cracking forward pistons again. Ford did that repair at no cost to her. Has anybody heard of Ford finally reimbursing owners for repair of the AXOD transmissions in '95 Windstars? I am holding onto the receipt for this work, JUST IN CASE they do something like they finally did for the cracked head gasket debacle.
    I guess at Ford, the motto IS NOT "Produce a good product and the profit will naturally follow". Instead, it's "Lets get the profit now and hope we aren't forced to fix our longstanding screwups". I have returned to GM and I hope to God that nobody in my large family ever buys another Ford. They are one lousy company!
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    The problem seems to be temperature sensitive, ie. when the temperature goes below 50 degrees, the speedometer does its crazy dance. It also appears to be electrical rather than mechanical in nature, I am wondering about a loose or dirty connection. Where should I look for loose connections? In addition, there seems to be a buzzing coming from under the dash near the fuse/relay box, when the speedometer malfunctions. Is there a specific circuit or relay that I can try and reseat?

    TIA
    Carl
  • bdemasbdemas Member Posts: 51
    daveriedel3638: In your post #248 you mentioned a recall on the tranny in a 99 for a co-worker. Do you any more information on that? Does it apply to 2000 as well?
  • bblahabblaha Member Posts: 329
    If you didn't get a letter, then I don't think it applies to 2000s. I'm pretty sure its a voluntary recall on Ford's part, since it isn't listed at the NHTSAs website. We got the letter for our 99 SE. I can't recall exactly, but it seems the recall is to replace the "rear lube tube and stabilizing bar" or something like that.

    Didn't have any problems beforehand, didn't take them long to work on it, and don't have any problems with it now.
  • daveriedel3638daveriedel3638 Member Posts: 4
    bdemas: Regarding that recall it was strictly on the '99 windstars and it involved them pulling out the old transaxle and installing a new one. Unfortunately, the new transaxle probably has the same bad design/parts that were in the original transaxle. Furthermore, in my short, but painful experience with Ford, these recalls are very specific in their application, eg: they identify the vehicles affected to their dealers by VIN and a recall probably will not be made for all Windstars for a model year. You should be concerned though because Ford has not shown any interest in improving product reliability. The problems I had with transmission, head gaskets, electrical, cooling system, brakes, etc, etc are the same problems they had in the Taurus's (which windstar got its drive train from) and that '96 - 98 windstar owners are now having. You may be lucky and have a good one that can be driven to 200K miles. But odds are against most Windstar owners and the sooner you can get rid of yours, the better your chances of getting an acceptable trade in for it. Good luck my friend.
  • pqschwartzpqschwartz Member Posts: 9
    Dearie, Read all of the posts on Windstars. Bad transmissions are common. I just had the second one replaced in 6 months, fortunately under warranty. If you can hold off on mileage, do it and get rid of it. We can't get rid of ours; trade in value is well below what we owe on it and selling it privately has been unproductive.

    Good luck.
  • liljalilja Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I have a 99 SE 3.8 liter with most all the bells and whistles. I have the trailer towing package. At 33,000 miles I have had only one problem - the idle air valve failed. Power doors have been fine. Electrical fine. Occasional jerky downshift. Tires appear that they will go about 50000 miles. Front brakes are about 60% worn and back about 30%. It tows a 3000 lb Coleman trailer very well. We have towed about 7000 miles so far. 80 mph once, 8600 feet in altitude once and across the Mojave at 105 degrees. Temperature rock
    steady. Towing we get 16 - 17 mpg. Normal driving about 20 mpg. Highway about 23 - 24 mpg. We did get 9 mpg once, driving at slow speed, up and down hills around Atlanta, house hunting. This engine has never pinged, and I burn the cheapest gas I can find. As a 15 year aircraft mechanic, I am impressed as to my engine's ability to use any fuel with no complaints. An aircraft engine with that high compression ratio would need 130 octane fuel. A note to readers of this list: most people who post here have been having problems. You generally don't hear from people who are happy. So far, I like my van very much. I hope the next 100,000 go as well for me!
    P.S. The early 90's Honda I owned was no great work of art - it had a whole list of it's own problems. The Japanese are not the end all to beat all.
    Ken
  • deariedearie Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your responses. For all interested, here is the latest. Unfortunately, at the time the engine went, we brought it to the Ford Service Department where we bought the van. They had to send it their "Engine" Dept which is off the premises. After a week of the car just sitting in the shop they finally looked at it. Originally they said that they didn't know why the engine blew. They saw fresh oil, old oil, metal and water in the engine. Right off the bat they were going to take half the responsibility and pay 50-50 on a new engine. My husband complained, saying that the van is not even 3 years old, that we shouldn't have to take any of the responsibility. Sure enough, they came back and told us that we neglected the van and that their 50-50 deal is "null and void". We found as many oil changes receipts as we could find but unfortunately not the latest ones. So now, 2 1/2 weeks later we still don't have the van back - it's still in the shop. Unfortunately, they have the van so they know about the engine problem - I can't put a rebuilt one in. I'm sick about this whole thing. If I give it back in March, I will have paid about $7000 for a car that I don't have anymore. I think I'm stuck with buying it. Does anyone know about buying a leased car? Is the residual value negotiable? This is the first and last leased car I ever own.
  • kbenjamin1kbenjamin1 Member Posts: 1
    After reading all the posts here I feel very fortunate. Have a 98 GL which had struts replaced under warranty at about 10K miles. Power window motor on passenger door at about 5K miles. heard same noise as "strut" incident and my Ford mechanic said I needed new tie rods. They also detected a "transmission problem" calling for a transmission rebuild costing between $1,200 and $2,400 the symptoms for which where no present until I drove into the dealership that day. When moving from reverse to drive the steering whell would shutter briefly. Although this hadnt happended before I brought it in. Thankfully, I know someone in the "transmission" business who told me this was a function of loose tie rods. The tie-rods were replaced and low and behold the so called transmission problem was gone. Not withstanding the fact the the tie rods went prematurely, I didnt get ripped off for a phoney transmission job. Fuel pump just went at 50K miles, but compared to everything else I've read, Ive been luck....now considering selling before my luck runs out. My WS has a 25 gal tank, but I was never ever able to get much more than 19 gallons in, even when it was fairly empty, after the new fuel pump has been put in, it takes 19 gal with 1/4 tank. anyone else have this problem? Also speedometer always seems to be slower than police monitoring readouts. Anyone? good luck to all
  • tk211tk211 Member Posts: 3
    can someone provide information on how to get ford to buy back a vehicle? my 98 windstar has been at the garage since august 21 - because the transmission would "slam" on slow turns and acceleration. they have replaced torque converter, wire harness, transmission and are now talking to the "engineers" instead of the "technicians" from ford.
    they are waiting on a "new computer part" to install. quite frankly i'm sick of waiting. i tried the 800 number and the guy i talked to just listened to me complain without giving me any solutions. i don't think i will ever trust that it is reliable - so ford can have it back - unless any of you want it :)
  • sccarguysccarguy Member Posts: 8
    You said "I was never ever able to get much more than 19 gallons in, even when it was fairly empty, after the new fuel pump has been put in, it takes 19 gal with 1/4 tank." Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but 19 gals sounds about perfect. 25gals/4=6.25 gals per quarter tank. I' actually surprised you get 19 in at that point, since there's a reserve beyond the "Empty" point, so each 1/4 tank on the guage actually represents less than 1/4 of the stated tank capacity.
This discussion has been closed.