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Ford Windstar Problems
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Comments
look for more posts to update you on what happens. Thanks everyone.
Since my front end fell apart at 10K (no pinch bolt installed in steering knuckle at factory) we've been relatively trouble free, except for my wife ramming a Bambi in December ($2,500 in damage).
1) I own a 98 Windstar (48K miles) with rear air and heat. Now when I switch the control knob to rear heat (from the front console) it turns on the AC. Has anyone had this problem? If so, what was the fix.
2) I hear a pulley noise up front. I had the serpentine belt replaced, but the noise is still present. It is a not a constant sound but a sounds like a squeeky wheel. Any thoughts on what it could be?
3) We have a rattle in the dash on the passenger side. Any thoughts on what it could be?
4) Is it time to trade? And if so what would you recommend?
1. My '96 Windstar had the same condition regarding the rear temperature controls. I never did find the cause of the problem. I had to switch on the AC in the rear first and then switch to heat for the controls to function properly.
2. The pulley noise sounds like a bearing in either the AC compressor or the power steering pump. In either case, keep a close ear to the problem. If the squeak becomes more constant and louder get the part replaced immediately. When the bearing problem gets worse, it will cause that pulley to freeze and will destroy the serpentine belt leaving you stranded on the road.
My '96 had the power steering pump go bad and I replaced it. Be sure you are using the correct power steering fluid for your van. The auto parts store where I purchased my replacement pump gave me Mercon/Dexron III fluid for my new pump and said all Fords use this. This is not true. Also, you should not use standard power steering fluid in most Fords. They require Ford Type F fluid. When I used what the store gave me, the replacement pump was very noisy. I flushed out the system and replaced with Type F fluid and the unit became quiet and operated very nicely.
Thank you for the information.
If you had this vehicle would you continue to drive it (look to fix these repairs) or trade it. You are a couple of years ahead and I would appreciate your advice.
Thanks again!
You're welcome. I feel very fortunate to have had my van till March, 2001 and not have had any major repairs needed. I changed the oil every 5000 - 6000 miles and performed all other maintenance as required. I loved the way the van handled and performed. If Ford were a responsible and reputable company, I would probably still own the van today. After reading all the horror stories of other W/S owners with tranny problems and head gaskets, I became very concerned when my check engine light came on and the van started running poorly. After repeated attempts to have the dealer find and correct the problem, all the dealer service manager could tell me was it was probably the head gasket and Ford was not going to offer any assistance to correct it. I was able to clear the computer and get the engine to run well long enough to trade in my van. I received a good trade-in value from the dealer because of the excellent condition the van was in.
My van had 90,000 miles on it when I traded. It sounds like your van is being used at a similar rate. If the pulley problem is being caused by the power steering pump and you can do the work yourself, it will cost approx $60.00 to replace.
If it's the AC compressor, it gets much more expensive, approx $800 at a shop. It's hard to say whether the van is worth keeping or not. Based on the numbers of people who've experienced major problems with their engines and trannies and the average mileage at which these have occurred (the average mileage for head gasket problems is approx 60,000 miles) I would recommend you seriously consider trading in within the next 6 - 12 months. You will get a deduction for high mileage but as long as the van is in good physical condition and there are no service lights on, you will get a good trade-in value. It's a gamble either way you decide. All I can say is I don't trust Ford and won't buy another for a very long time.
But I must say, it has been pretty reliable otherwise. Now I have 122,000 miles on it, and the ABS light stays on. Is this just a fluid level problem? The brakes were replaced about 20,000 miles ago.
Also, my mileage actually had been about 18 mpg, but the last 5,000 miles it has dropped to 13 mpg overall. Does anyone have any clue why? I do not service my vehicle at a Ford dealership. My mechanic is trustworthy, but he says he does not have any clue why the mileage has dropped.
Also over the last 5,000 miles, my mileage has dropped from a respectable 17 mpg to about 13 mpg overall. Does anyone have any advice?
I don't use Ford mechanics, and my mechanic that I consider trustworthy and reasonable says he can't figure out why.
Thanks!
When taking my car to another dealer just for the rack n pinnion, stablizer links, struts, motor mounts, oil pan gasket (this was a 2 week repair job), I had found out that the 1st dealer that had been making attempts at repairing my car, left my car is awful shape. Most of them parts was either lose, or gonna fall off.
I had to go one step ahead of the 1st dealer and contact Ford Motor Co, the 1st dealer evently got to where they refused to look at the suspenion in my car. Once I contacted FORD, and started a dispute settlement on my taurus, Ford had paid for the taurus to be sent to another dealer, where my experience changed from BAD to GOOD. Ford Motor Co and this Billingsy Ford of Lawton, Oklahoma treated us like we was Kings.
But we learned our lesson about this BAD dealer in Altus, Oklahoma. Unforunately the state of Oklahoma has no Lemmon law that protects consumers from BAD DEALERS.
My suspension was repaired, and any other problems that came about the Taurus went right back to Billingsley of Lawton. There is GOOD ONES out there, and there are BAD ONES. But unforunately there are no warnings on these BAD ONES prior to encountering them, I think there should be a board for consumer protection against Dealer that are BAD< or FORD needs to take action against them. 9 times out of 10 its the DEALER not the FORD product.
I got a free ISP up to 5 years from my encounter on this BAD DEALER, and untill these BAD DEALERS NAMES are kept silent, it happens over and over again.
Where was Oklahoma law protection for me as a consumer. This Bad dealer mechanics was either not experienced, or experienced enough, or it was simply intentional with the findings that Billingsley Ford found.
Ford Motor Co does HELP, just give them a chance. They helped me, and I am thankful for them> They are the greatest.
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
I have also noticed reading up on different problems on the w/s, that there seems to be a lot of problems with the speedometers and ABS systems. On my van when you are going around 60-70 Mph, the speedometer jumps to around 80-90 Mph and fluctuates. The dealer wants over $400.00!!! That's ridicules. They also told me that when they pull the speedometer that they have to keep the vehicle for about three days without giving me a loner. Regarding the ABS, when I brake the brakes start to pulsate between 15-5 Mph. The dealership wants $80.00 just to tell me what is wrong. This does not include the cost to fix the problem. I have also had a problem with the rear window wiper not wanting to work when it is cold out.......Something needs to be done with these companies not wanting to stand behind their work.
I did check Sam's Club. They do have the BF Goodrich Advatange Plus tire, size 215-70-R15, for $53 each. They charge another $11 for mounting, road hazard, disposal etc. So, mounting and tax, you are around $275. The tire is a 65K warranty. This is a good name tire for a lot less the premium brands (and it is made by Michelin).
Let me know what you come up with.
Http://homwtown.aol.com/lisam1120/myhomepage/news.html
Hope this helps.
OK, it is my family we haul around so I didn't skimp too much - OTOH, I didn't go crazy either. After talking with a couple of shops I got the impression that the cheap tires (35000 to 40000 mile tires) have softer sidewalls that would not last very long on a 4200 pound vehicle.
I went to the local Fleet Farm and picked up a set of four Duron Vertex IV. They are a 75000 mile tire made by the Dayton Tire Company. They were on sale for $49.95 each and for the month of March they had free mounting, balance, and valve stems. $212.79 later I took the tires to their Auto Service Center and they had them on the van in 45 minutes. I asked them to do an alignment as well. It turned out I didn't need one. After they put it on the rack they showed me that all four wheels were within spec. Sooooo... They charged me $6 to dispose the old tires and $10 for the alignment "check".
That is the least amount of money that I have spent on service for this van since I bought it in 1998!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
I got my 95WS back from the dealership at the beginning of March... That was for engine number three. Put new tires on it last weekend... Now the temperature guage is "swinging" between the O and the L in NORMAL...
This sucks... Why do I believe them?
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
I like your posts though because you seem to generally be trying to get things resolved, and don't get too carried away with rhetoric. Good luck with your difficulties. We have 30k miles on our 99, and I can't say its given us any problems. It hasn't, and my wife loves it (she won't even entertain the idea of letting me get her a 3 series as a daily driver). But I empathize with you.
Nonetheless, I have been through two service managers and two Ford CSRs. The latest CSR seems genuinely interested in resolving the issue and is much more apologetic than the last. This still does not change the fact, however, that the servicing dealership she is a liason for has not been able to get the vehicle to run for more than 20000 miles without something major happening. The part that I don't get: as a customer, I don't care if the problem lies in the hardware (the parts supplied by FMC) or in the maintenance (the servicing dealer). I just want the issue resolved. This is how car companies lose customers - there are too many competitors with comparable products.
I JUST WISH THEY WOULD FIX MY CAR!
OK - off the soapbox.
One thing that you might be interested in... The Ford CSR explained to me that the engineering team 'incentive' program has JUST (for the 2001 model year) been modified to measure the quality of their designs. In other words, if an engineering defect occurs, no bonus. So far, from what I have read, it looks like the 1999 "issues" list is pretty short.
I wish you luck, and, once again, Thanks!
2004 Honda Accord EX-L Graphite Pearl
2007 Honda Civic EX - Atomic Blue
2013 Honda Civic LX - Crimson Pearl
"Through our efforts and partnership with Ford Motor Company, we were able to install a new (rmp) engine at no cost to Ms. Abrahams while providing her with comparable loaner transportation at no charge. At this point in time I believe she is happy with Ted Britt Ford."
First of all... I am not even close to happy, Second, They did'nt do this out of the goodness of they're heart like he is making it sound. They have to replace the engine, and they have to provide me with a loaner, Its there policy. Remember they took that loaner away from me at one point because I made them really mad with my homepage and contacting an Attorney. And i'm happy???? I don't think so. Now there is some other leak, and just yesterday I did my own little test for the van missing and it's not a pretty thing. Place a glass of water on the top of the dash, put the car in park, nuetral and drive and watch the water in the glass, if it jumps around like a dancing bean then you got problems. Mine was doing flips in the air...lol I have to make funny on this at times, otherwise i'll drive myself insane.
Oh and I wanted everyone to know that I ordered two bushels of lemons and when I picket the dealership in April, the lemons will be handed out to passer by's with the dealers name on them. Maybe this will show just how happy I really am.
Thanks for all the support!!!!
Lisa
So far we like this 2001 (SE Sport, had for a week now, ha!) We bought the 7 yr. extended warranty after all of the problems we had with our '95 (had the extended warranty then too) even tho I don't expect the same problems *knock on wood*!
Sharon
Unfortunately, a forum like this also tends to attract those who are dissatisfied and seeking redress. It is hard to judge from this sample as people don't tend to write "I have a Windstar with which I am well pleased". Having said that, I have a 1996 Windstar with 82K miles on it, it has been relatively reliable. It is a comfortable van, great for trips and hauling.
:-)
1) buy back?
2)loaner car for duration?
3) any way to get rid of this minivan before more problems arise?
thanks
#439 How many miles are on your van? Ford has to pay for it as long as it is in the extended warranty period, within the 100,000 miles.
Make a page like I did and send it to the dealer and you may get some things done. I have gotten new tires, brakes and rotor's at no cost, however I am still putting up a fight about a refund of $3000.00 for the down payment and I really don't want the van at all. Here is my site... Hope you have good luck with what ever avenue you choose.
Lisa
Http://hometown.aol.com/lisam1120/myhomepage/news.html
Does the extended warranty come carry over from the original buyer? I purchased a simple 6 month warranty when i bought the car used, figuring that if anything would go wrong, it would go within 6 months. Guess I was wrong.
http://www.autosafety.org/autodefects/FORD-3.8L.htm
http://home.att.net/~ccatanese/ford
http://www.edmunds.com/editorial/features/fords38literv6headgasketproblemstraight/42970/
The following excerpts comes from the Edmunds site above:
"The last type of service notification would be a warranty extension, which is just that: an extension of a part or whole of the vehicle's warranty. In any of these service notifications, it does not matter if you are the original owner or if you purchased the vehicle used; the service notifications go with the vehicle and not with the owner."
Also:
"...program 00M09, which basically extended the original program from five years or 60,000 miles to seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurred first, covering the same vehicles as the 98M01 program. Letters to consumers for this program went out in March of 2000. Ford obtains a current list of owners from R.L. Polk and several other sources".
According to what you are stating, neither 7 years nor 100,000 miles has occurred yet.
Dear Lisa:
This is in response to your recent e-mail concerning
the difficulties you have encountered with the 1995 Ford Windstar you
purchased from Smart Wheels in Fairfax, Virginia. We appreciate your making
this Office aware of this matter.
First, let me explain the role of the Office of the
Attorney General. This Office functions as the law firm for Virginia state
government. In that capacity, we represent the various state departments
and agencies and provide advice to state officials. Although able to
provide copies of statutes, state laws, conflict of interest rules and other
policy considerations prevent us from being able to provide private legal
advice or represent individual consumers.
You have asked about Virginia's lemon law. The
Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, Va. Code §§ 59.1-207.9 to
59.1-207.16:1, is commonly referred to as the "Lemon Law." To access this
and other Virginia laws you may visit The Virginia Code Commission's web
site which is http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/codehome.htm
<http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/codehome.htm> . Once at this site, click
on "Code of Virginia" and then type in the code section in which you are
interested, or in this case you may click on "Popular Names" and then "Motor
Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act." Although I cannot interpret this statute
for you, I can call to your attention that this law applies to the first
eighteen (18) months after purchase of a vehicle.
Because Smart Wheels is located in Fairfax,
Virginia, I am taking the liberty of forwarding this complaint to the
Fairfax County Department of Telecommunications and Consumer Services
("Fairfax County DTCS"). Typically the Fairfax County DTCS will conduct an
investigation and attempt to resolve the complaint through voluntary
mediation or arbitration. When an investigation reveals a pattern of
violation of Virginia consumer protection laws, the Fairfax County DTCS
works with the County Attorney's Office to stop the illegal practice.
I am also referring a copy of your complaint to the
Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board ("MVDB"). Among other duties, the Board
is responsible for certifying or licensing motor vehicle dealers and motor
vehicle salespersons as well as receiving complaints concerning the conduct
of persons and businesses licensed by it.
Finally, because you feel the seat belt issue may be
a problem in other 1995 Ford Windstar vans, I am also sending a copy of your
complaint to the National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB"). Among other
things, the NTSB conducts special investigations and safety studies on
various modes of transportation.
In closing, thank you again for writing to this
Office. I hope the action we have taken will be helpful to you.
Very truly yours,
Linda A. Dickerson
Consumer Specialist
Antitrust and
Consumer
Litigation Section
cc: Fairfax County Department of
Telecommunications & Consumer Services
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 433
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
Motor Vehicle Dealer Board
2201 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220
National Transportation Safety Board
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20594
Hope this will help some of you.
That said, I still don't like the way the van drives. The shift points are lousy and it wallows around corners. The brakes have always squealed when backing especially first thing in the morning. I think that it has something to do with the pad and disks not being compatible material.
I feel for all of you out there that are having major problems. Good luck. I know that I will be getting rid of mine as soon as the New Beetle is paid for.
What gives???
Also according to the service tech, my tranny fluid looks to need replacing at 20k and my brake fluid should be flushed at the same time.
Is this common or do I have a dealer that has not sold many cars lately???
Lisa
And that's the *least* of my problems with my '95 Windstar!