Bulletins

BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN
1217811/01/1998613234Information regarding tsb 98-5a-12 (transaxle/transmission/transfer case-vehicles towed behind recreational vehicles-recommended guidelines) does not list towing information for certain model vehicles. *mjs06/19/2000
994303/08/1999604751Information regarding reprogramming powertrain control modules (pcms). *tt05/11/1999
9711109723711/10/199753663Concerns with harsh engagements and harsh shifts with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) 628, p0741 and/or p1744. *yc03/30/1998
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
98030401/01/1998607705Intermittent no forward engagement with or without dtc p1784 action. *ak02/06/2001
9915207/26/1999608431Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt01/05/2001
001501/10/2000612203Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs06/06/2000
1302407/01/1999610767Some vehicles equipped with the ax4s transaxle may exhibit a harsh 3-2 downshift when coasting around a corner and then stepping into the throttle to accelerate away from the corner. *tt05/12/2000
98251204/01/1998603540Some vehicles may exhibit a customer concern of inoperative overdrive cancel light. *yc02/24/1999
988804/27/1998601238Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc07/10/1998
9751103/03/199751945Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd07/17/1997
BC10120970201/02/199751184Verify the transaxle installed in the vehicle is the correct model and model year for the vehicle. *jd06/27/1997
BC014197020101/02/199751041Verify the transaxle installed in the vehicle is the correct model and model year for the vehicle. *jd06/27/1997
BC101719723001/23/199751522Vehicles built between 2/95 and 9/01/96 may experience rough/harsh or irregular shifts due to water entry into the transaxle range sensor. *jd06/27/1997
BC352497230101/23/199751505Vehicles built between 2/95 and 9/01/96 may experience rough/harsh or irregular shifts due to water entering into the transaxle range sensor. *jd06/27/1997
9426712/01/199438061A low transmission fluid level may improperly set continuous memory dtc's for transmission concerns on some vehicles. *tw02/07/1995
9424711/01/199437759The forward clutch piston may crack on its outside diameter. *tw01/06/1995
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
0314807/21/200310003748New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt10/29/2003
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT
1481104/01/2001619293Information on additional parts required when replacing transfer case on vehicles equippped with ax4s transaxle. *tt05/23/2001
1261603/01/1999605338Information on transaxle service case replacement with oss (output shaft speed sensor) hole. *tt06/08/1999
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH
0118109/17/2001625715Brake shift interlock.*jb11/30/2001
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER
1477303/01/2001619462Information on indexing orange dot on torque converter to flexplate. *tt05/31/2001
96261212/16/199650997Transaxle - torque converter replacement guidelines and torque converter/transaxle cooling system cleaning procedures - service tip. *tw06/17/1997
9624911/18/199650908Torque converter - leak test procedure - service tip. *tw06/17/1997
9515707/01/199545937The torque converter identification codes have been revised as of 3/1/95. *sd04/25/1996
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
0117109/03/2001625687Transaxle - ax4s - replacement application chart - windstar vehicles only. *nlm11/30/2001
1302407/01/1999610767Some vehicles equipped with the ax4s transaxle may exhibit a harsh 3-2 downshift when coasting around a corner and then stepping into the throttle to accelerate away from the corner. *tt05/12/2000
9918409/06/19996090053Some vehicles equipped with ax4s transaxle, may exhibit a harsh 2-3 downshift may occur when coasting around a corner and then accelerating. *tt03/06/2000
99673508/01/1999608455Some vehicles equipped with the ax4s transaxle may exhibit a harsh 3-2 downshift when coasting around a corner and then stepping into the throttle to accelerate away from the corner. *tt12/01/1999
9517708/01/199545965Transaxle-revised clutch clearances-axode/ax4s. *sd04/25/1996
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL
98267504/01/1998603573A revised forward clutch inner seal for the axod, axode, ax4s & ax4n transaxle is available with improved sealing and reduced chance of the seal rolling during installation. *yc02/25/1999
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE
1255903/01/1999605294Concerns with reverse clutch that could become sheared or torn in extremely cold temperatures. *tt06/07/1999
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
BC067896102510/25/199650356Information on aode/4r7w transmission main control & case replacement. *tt04/24/1997

Investigations

NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
POWER TRAIN
DP98004FORD MOTOR COMPANY05/18/199807/02/1998AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE
 The petition alleges that my 1995 ford windstars have a defective transmission that can fail, creating a safety hazard.

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
03/12/20091490001
 Ford windstar gl van 1995 is taking extended distance to stop after application of brakes. brake pads were changed and new rotors were installed still brakes are not working after the speed of 40mph. no light on the dashboard is lit to indicate the problem. *tr
08/15/199994000
 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.
10/15/200361576
 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.
09/15/20030
 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.
09/15/200360
 Ford windstar 95 shift 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 car mark hershkowitz
08/15/2003147000
 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.
02/15/200359270
 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.
07/15/200379000
 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.
06/15/20030
 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
01/15/20030
 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.
07/15/200393500
 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.
09/15/199615000
 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
11/15/2002118625
 This vehicle has had more than it's share of problems. the head gasket was brought in for a recall and it still malfunctioned.
12/07/20021
 Consumer called complaining about having problem with the speedometer instrument do not provide the right speed, needle go up and down after 45 mph. please provide further information. mr
04/29/2002204/01/2095
 Speedometer fluctuates at 50 mph. second time i had problems with the speedometer.*ak
12/03/2001112/03/2001
 Speedometer was working intermittently. at times the consumer will not know speed. contacted dealer. *ak the consumer stated that the dealer replaced the cable but the problem was in the speedometer pinion gear. per technical service bulletin vehicle equipped with incorrect speedometer pinion gear. *yh
 Vehicle would have severe shaking in front wheels when speedometer reaches 50mph and above. can maintain control of vehicle when vibrating. problem is most noticeable when vehicle is loaded down or going down hill. been to dealership, and informed problem was normal.*ak
06/01/2000101/01/1995
 The speedometer fluctuates within a 20- to 30-mph range. it was fixed once and all they did was replace the cable. there are now saying it is the entire speedometer. this is very dangerous!. *ak
08/01/2000
 Speedometer will start to bounce from speed to speed once speed reachs about 50 mph. contacted dealer, and dealer is willing to change piece, but will not cover it under warranty. *ak
06/06/2000
 Speedometer needle fluctuates back and forth. driver is not able to verify correct driving speed. van has been taken to the dealership. problem has not been corrected. dealership is not able to keep this part is stock. please provide any further information.
07/31/1998207/01/1994
 Have had to replace speedometer twice and starter twice within first 58000 miles. *ak
11/21/19974
 Speedometer head and cable failed. nlm
3
 Speedometer would be the third one to be replaced, can't tell how fast you are going
02/01/20003
 Speedometer has been replaced on three occasions. also, speedomter reading was not acurate. the needle flickered. consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has replaced parts. *ak
07/15/199905/01/1995
 The speedometer does not register at any speed, first it was only at high speeds, but now it is at any speed. it makes a loud rattling noise as well. *ak
03/11/1999106/18/1998
 Speedometer head failed. mjs
107/01/1995
 Odometer failed. mjs
01/01/1998208/01/1995
 Speedometer has been replaced once because of the incorrect speed indications. problem exists again. dealer says the defect is no longer warranted. *ml
 The needle on the speedometer jumps around after driving 30mph. dealer has replaced speedometer once before. problem exists again. *ak
05/01/1997
 We purchased the van with 42,00 miles on it. since then the following repairs have been preformed since april 1998: brakes and rotors replaced, rotors were warpped because of heat, we bought extended warranty on van to cover cost of repairs including electrical to find out it covers zip. a senor is considered a computer chip and not under warranty. the transmission had to be replaced, then after the 90 day warranty was up the senor in the transmission had to be replaced, the door senors all had to be replaced, the turn signal/curse control senor had to be replaced, the check engine light comes on about an average of every two months in this car and it costs us at least $180.00 each time to have it fixed. i just had the van in to check out the check engine light and have the car smoged the first week in june 1999 then two and a half weeks later as i was driving home the check engine light comes on, fumes come in throgh the vents and car starts cutting out. had to wait til this week to take to shop so i could afford to fix it as the shops don't take payments. contacted the 1800 # for ford and they sugested i trade the car in. i still have 2.5 yrs to pay on this piece of ford. this car has been down totaling 8.6 months sin the last 15 months. i find that the senors are a major defect in this van, maybe someone should check out the problem here. also had to take van in for a recall on headgasket. i am fortunate to be able to have a back up car or i would have lost my job due to this cars cost and repairs to me, not only do i have to make the payment but also the costly repairs. this time it is costing me over $700.00 to fix and it has only been out of the shop less then a month.
06/21/199909/01/1997
 A local ford dealer has informed me that this vehicle needs a head gasket replacement. i find it unacceptable that a head gasket failure should be expected at any time, especially in a vehicle that has not seen severe driving conditions. in the two years that i have owned this vehicle, various dealers have been unable to correct some issues that were merely annoying (speedometer wavering and jumping; whistling sound coming from engine compartment; rear wiper arm boot failure; buildup of snow/ice on front wipers during snow). with this recent failure (head gaskets), i am convinced that i have purchased a lemon.
06/20/1997309/01/1994
 I have also expirienced emission problems, erratic speedometer, brakes vibrating, car rattling, sliding recall.
03/21/1999102/01/1994
 Automatic transmission failed prematurely. manufacturer and dealer contacted and denied any responsibility. new transmission installed with incorrect speedometer gear. stopped by state police and issued a citation for speeding at 74mph in a 65mph zone. my speedometer was reading 65mph! i believe a incorrect speedometer gear is responsible for the original transmission failing since it seems the speeds seem the same now as when i had the original transmission. i'm used to the same speed yet the speedometer is low by about 10mph! *ak
04/30/1998205/28/1995
 Rough idle and acceleration problem due to faulty speedometer cable assembly.
09/18/1998
 After reaching 50mph speedometer needle starts jumping, not reading the right speeds. consumer has contacted dealer. *ak
11/01/1996107/16/1994
 Speedometer assembly failed.
01/04/19975
 Whenever driving the vehicle at 65mph & above, the speedometer would jump around. would not give correct speed. it can happen when weather is cold, outside & inside. has not taken vehicle to dealer. *ak
10/05/19985
 Speedometer/odometer has a ticking noise when driving. dealer contacted, in for repairs five times. repairs on the cable and other parts were done. dealer is aware of the problem, but the noise still exists. *ak
11/08/1996110/19/1994
 Speedometer failed/radio failed several times,
03/05/1993
 Speedometer reads inaccurately.
01/29/1998108/01/1997
 Transmission failed at 36969 miles.
01/01/1998102/11/1996
 Transmission forward clutch piston failure.
07/01/199708/15/1994
 Speedometer malfunctioned. *ak
05/01/199702/07/1995
 Speedometer failed to show correct speed. driver was going 85 mph in 75 mph zone. driver was ticketed by nebraska state police for speeding. *ak
09/01/1995104/01/1995
 Speedometer inoperative.
04/01/19951
 Odometer failed. *dh
06/21/19951
 Speedometer replaced. *sd
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
12/23/2010175250
 Overdrive light starts flashing and does not go into gears as it should. also have recently had to replace struts--broke as i was driving along. had to replace rear axle already and have been told my year of windstar was not included in recall.
09/04/201089000
 I have a 95 ford windstar (89k) lx3.8; dtc p0306.... gave rich condition, black smoke out tailpipe, excessive fuel consumption ... don
05/20/2008722521
 1995 ford winstar transmission failed at 72,252 miles. transmission began smoking and fluid leaked out. while changing oil gasket, found chunks of metal in pan. despite changing oil gasket and putting it new transmission fluid, car still hesitates and jerks at stop light, sign. told transmission needs to be replaced. *tr
03/09/2007132838412/01/2004
 Purchased the van used in 2004. a few weeks later the transmission had to be rebuilt. shortly after that the brake lights came on. mechanic could not find anything wrong with the brakes, although periodically they made a noise and would stiffen up, then the pedal would go slack and then return to normal. the muffler fell off and was put back on. the check engine light had been on, when hooked up to the computer it only showed codes for the exhaust system. then it started overheating and a bit of white smoke came from the tailpipe. the intake manifold gasket was replaced. 2 days later the overdrive light started blinking and the van didn't have much power and would stall out while emitting a thick cloud of white smoke from the tailpipe. mechanic says now the head gasket is blown. *jb
02/23/20072
 Tl*- the front transmission seal on his 1995 ford windstar failed and started a fire, spreading oil all over. the failure caused the transmission to malfunction without the possibility of being rebuilt. this was the second ford winstar that the contact had purchased and the transmission failed. the dealer stated that they had at least five vehicles per year with this problem. *ak
04/15/20064
 Dt*: the contact stated that there are on going problems with the transmission. the vehicle was taken to independent mechanic for repairs on 4 occasions. the vehicle continued to slip out of gear while driving even after repairs were done. on the fourth visit the mechanics extended the warranty on the transmission and determined that the coil springs were out dated. the manufacturer was contacted regarding coil springs they determined that the vehicle was not protected under warranty any longer.
09/05/2005157231212/31/1995
 Ford windstar 1995-transmission had complete failure. hit gas and was unable to go in any gear. transmission repair facility said failure was caused by aluminum piston, replaced with steel. also facility reported ford suggests overfilling transmission with fluid so sufficient fluid is available when turning corners. total cost of repair was over $2000. *nm
01/10/2006130000310/28/2005
 Transmission was overhauled by a ford dealer in 1997 with a $400 deductible. transmission failed again in 2002 and was rebuilt. the van is currently in the shop again for more transmission work at the cost of $1995. the transmission failed again while driving. this created a hazardous condition for my children and i. the cost of repairs this time will exceed $2000 at an independent transmission shop. ford is aware of this problem and has issued a tcp previously. i push for a recall and for ford to offset the cost of several transmission overhauls.*ak
05/25/200579500106/15/1994
 The automatic transmission on the vehicle needs to be rebuilt/replaced. at 80,000 miles. i do not tow with the vehicle nor did i abuse it. i am the original owner. transmission repair shop found bits of metal in fluid. *nm
06/03/2005406/03/2005
 Dt: the contact owned a 1995 ford windstar. the contact purchased the vehicle on june 3, 2005 and the odometer read 59,000 miles. contact ran a car fax report, and in the year 2000 the report was showing 100,300 miles on the vehicle. also, the vehicle was not drivable because the transmission, head gasket, and fuel injection broke. she spoke with the dealership, and stated when they sold the van for someone else they would try to get contact money back. *ak
03/01/20054
 Defective 1995 ford windstar with recurrent mechanical malfunction. *bf the transmission was replaced soon after the vehicle was purchased. the consumer experienced an engine knock for the 3rd time which was due to a mechanical malfunction. *jb
10/29/2004180000104/01/1996
 Car engine was skipping while driving down the road at mid speeds, auto shop said it was either the torque converter starting to go bad or the transmission had a short in the overdrive switch. next night after driving approx 30 miles, parked car in driveway, 20 minutes later, whole front end of car was engulfed in flames. car was totaled by insurance company. *jb
09/11/20031210/21/1995
 Engine has been sputtering, flashing overdrive light keeps coming on. rear passenger front and rear windows won't open, radio console started to get real hot and then went out. engine continues to sputter as though its skipping a gear, and overdrive light constantly blinking.*ak
06/23/20041
 Problems with head gaskets, transmission, and faulty brakes on 1995 ford windstar.*mr *jb
06/22/20021320001
 While driving consumer noticed a greasy substance on the rear windshield and smelt smoke. consumer pulled off the road to check the smell, but didn't find any problem. then, consumer pulled back onto the road, drove for a few seconds, before pulling into a gas station. consumer was alerted by the gas station attendant that vehicle was on fire. a fire extinguisher was used to put out the fire. vehicle was towed to a dealership, who indicated the fire occurred because of transmission seal failure. *ak
01/01/19011
 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
11/15/2002149000302/20/2001
 Had to have heads replaced, electronic brain, and the transmission failed all within 1 1/2 years from date of purchase. *jb
1
 While driving at any speed transmission failed to change gears smoothly as normal. gears would slip and perform erratically. a technician was unable to duplicate the problem.*ak
01/17/2004161000109/13/2001
 1995 ford windstar transmission lurches into 1st gear when in park. extremely dangerous!!. almost ran into someone in a parking lot, trying to turn into a space and it lurched forward missing them. scared to death. *ak i went directly home and while at a stop sign it lurched again, however i was far enough away not to run into the back end of the vehicle in front of me. getting this fixed at a ford dealership. they knew exactly what was wrong and qouted me a price quickly, after saying they do these all the time..... maybe ford should be replacing this.....and reimbursing us...... before someone dies!!!
11/01/2003150000109/11/1997
 In june '99 took van in as per owner notification to have head gasket checked. dealership found nothing. in nov '99 head gasket failed. ford would not do anything. in dec '99 sent letter to tx state atty general consumer division with lists of complaints found on this web site. in feb '00, ford moved warranty up to 100,000 miles and got refund. in may '00 engine failed. in aug '00 ford replaced engine with another 3.8 l. in sept '00 transmission started failing (but noticed problem since day purchased. dealership states problem in all windstars, tauruses, and sables. in feb '03, replaced transmission. in nov '03 head gasket fails again in new motor close to 60,000 miles on this motor. ford will do nothing. seek help through your state atty general consumers affairs office, send copy of letter to ford, your local bbb, detroit bbb, and consumer reports. also, my engine cuts off when taking off after stopped with wheels turned sharply left or right.
11/24/20031298191
 After driving several hundred miles on the interstate, we was driving in town, made a stop at the store, when we left the store we stoped at the end of the driveway, where the transmission would not do anything.*ak after talking to several transmission shops, and taking vehicle to ford shop we found out that this is a common problem for the windstar van. ( transmission failure without warning ) had this have happend on the interstate ity could have caused a severe accident, or even a fatality...
01/13/20031
 1995 ford windstar, transmission failure, electrical gremlins, power steering box failure, engine failure. *la
09/01/199823450112/29/1994
 Vehicle transmission went out on 1995 windstar.*mr when starting up vehicle the van was engulfed in white smoke. the consumer was informed that engine needed to be replaced, water had leaked through the head gasket destroying the engine. *ts *jb
08/19/2003850002003/09/1996
 Stalls at stop, slips, then shifts hard in to gear. spoke to two persons in the transmission shop they both agree that it's ford company's problem because they see at least six vans a month with same problems with transmission stalling. *la
61349608/30/1994
 Engine failed twice due to a faulty head gasket. also, original automatic transmission failed and was rebuilt. about two years later, transmission failed and the dealer replaced it with a new transmission. another two years later, the transmission failed again and was rebuilt. the cause of the failures was not determined. *ak the recalled engine blew and the manifold gasket blew. when the consumer contacted ford they stated they couldn't do anything right now but would notify them later and maybe they could help. consumer had two windows that didn't go up or down - replaced $412.34. both tie rods were replaced. *ph *jb
08/28/200373400108/02/1995
 On the date indicated below while travelling with my children (the youngest only 18 months old) and my mother to visit relatives in leonardtown md, approximately 4 hours from my home, my 1995 ford windstar transmission failed completely, shortly after exiting the ft. mchenry tunnel, which was very crowded. i had the van checked before i left for my destination, particularly the transmission fluids and other fluids, and there was no indication that failure was imminent. i was stranded by the side of the road for over 2 hours, but consider myself lucky because if this van had stalled in the tunnel, we probably would have been killed. the problem is that this is the third time the transmission has failed on this vehicle which only has 73,400 miles. i am currently looking at an out of pocket expense of $2,000.00 and i would like to know what the problem is with this van, which has consistently given me problems since i purchased it. i have also filed a complaint with the ford company, but have not yet heard from them. i have filed numerous complaints with ford regarding the 1995 windstar (which various ford employees have told me is one of the worst vehicles ever made) and the company does not want to acknowledge that the van is indeed a lemon. i paid good money for this van, and expect to last a little longer then it has. thank you for taking the time to review this complaint. *ak
07/22/2003105000108/11/1998
 First of all we have had to have the head gasket repaired on our van twice. the first time it took the dealership almost 3 months. now when we are driving on the highway at the speed limit of 65 mph, transmission slips back into 2nd gear and makes a grinding noise. the tachometer grows up and down. sometimes it does not even go out of 2nd to accelerate. i do not feel like this is a very safe vehicle to have anymore. and all the dealerships state there is no recall. however many of the people we know with the same vehicle have the same problem. *ak
07/24/200397802205/07/1994
 1995 ford windstar's transmission has completely failed for the second time (this is now the third transmission) within 97,000 miles. ford will not acknowledge existence of transmission problems which has impacted my family in over $5,000 financial costs, in addition to potential safety issue.
06/28/2003130140105/10/2001
 While driving down the highway in akron ohio,i had the tac drop and the engine quit. it then came back on,(the engine). so stop at daughter to pick up sum furniture to take to dayton. as i was going down the interstate 71 toward columbus,ohio i got off the interstate and put fuel in the van. i contiune down the interstate at a reduce speedand the check engine light was on and i had i analized by autozone autopart store near my home said bank one running lean,then the van die all toghter,so i toe it to my home and brother and i took the belt off the engine and the pulley and vibation damper fell off of the engine. the vibation damper was sheared off from the engine.what would case this to do this?the cam shaft has the rest of the vibation damper still on it . what would cause this rebuilt engine to do this ?*ak
60003
 The consumer stated that the vehicle was not shifting properly. the transmission was replaced but 15000 miles later the transmission was leaking again. this is the third transmission in 8 year and less than 100000 miles. *ph *nlm
07/21/2003190000202/10/2003
 1995 windstar lx transmission failure and head gasket failure three weeks apart. *ak
07/10/200393672411/24/1994
 Total transmission failure on the 4th transmission in 1995 ford windstar replaced by ford.*ak
07/08/20031
 While applying gear into drive vehicle hesitates and vibrates. *ak
06/18/20031230001
 Brake light come on frequently. door ajar light stays on occasionally causing interior lights to remain on even when all doors are shut. dash light quit working. took to certified mechanic and found the problem was in the ashtray light, disconnected ashtray light and dash lights started working again. engine light staying on. took to certified mechanic, was told that vacuum hose was off the egr valve. mechanic put vacuum hose back on. problem recurred 3 days later but this time not vacuum hose. believe the problem to be egr valve itself. engine surges/misses constantly. did a tune up, replacing plugs wires, etc.. problem still exists especially after vehicle is run for a while. often shifts hard during acceleration. have done transmission service, problem still exists. do not take off hard from stops. *jb
09/10/2000431457
 The automatic transmission hesitated to shift gears, and when it did shift gear, it shifted hard. the transmission was replaced 3 times and the torque converter was replaced 4 times. *jb
05/30/200278476207/13/2000
 Transmission failed on 5/30/02 on our 1995 ford windstar when mileage was 78,476. cost of new transmission was $2732.92. previously we had replaced transmission in 8/00 when mileage was 61,210. *jb
06/01/2002202/01/1997
 Transmission went out. the van spent over a month in the shop as every time i would go get it, i had to take it back because it was still shifting into 2nd gear very hard. it has been only a few months and the problem is back. i do not drive vehicles hard.jb
 Transmission failed causing vehicle to lurch forward. *ak nlm
02/07/2003
 Consumer having problem with the automatic transmission. dealer has been notified. please provide information. ph
12/21/2001110000108/04/1996
 1995 ford windstar engine head gasket failure - ford will not admint to a defect in quality. this van now sits in my driveway for over a year and no one will fixit for under 3500.00. problem is that because of the defects in this van, the value of it is 1000.00. i also put two transmittions into it, water pumps, thermostats, radiator and no one informed me of a potental defect with the head gaskets
412/24/1996
 The entire engine was replaced, however the vehicle continued to have engine problems, the transmission side pan gasket, heat, power window, defroster, door switch assembly, were all replaced, the dome light would stay on continuously, and the right caliper was leaking.*jb
01/01/2000206/01/2095
 This vehicle has a very questionable reliability. premature engine and transmission failures. ford should do something to compensate car owners for their lack of quality control. dt
11/03/200211/01/2000
 The vehicle will not go into gear once you come to complete stop. also, surges into gear when you give it gas from a complete stop. forward clutch piston has failed. has this part been recalled yet? dt
08/16/2002
 While driving at any speed up hill and with no warning transmission will decelerate, even when foot is on accelerator. it will be hard forconsumer to control vehicle. dealer notified. *ak
10/18/20011
 Consumer states that the transmission was slipping and would go out of gear, the dealer rebuilt the entire transmission, consumer stated that the failure was due to a faulty piston. *slc
08/08/20021
 When emerging from an automated car wash in neutral, the car automatically shifted into drive and was propelled forward. this action culminated in a crash with a metal pole, resulting in severe property damage and slight personal injury.*ak
06/28/2002309/03/2000
 While driving transmission will leak fluid, while parked the consumer saw smoke, the consumer opened the hood to let the smoke escape and notice fluid dripping, the dealer stated that the transmission failed.*ak *nlm
06/22/20023
 The transmission was replaced by dealer under warranty 1st time.*jb
07/19/200205/01/2002
 The transmission failed while stopped at a stop light. vehicle wouldn't move unless put into park and shut off and then restarted. had to do this several time while driving home. i could go about two miles before the transmission would stop working and go to neutral. overdrive on/off light would keep blinking.*ak
 Automatic transmission continued to fail, sticking in overdrive. transmission has been rebuilt twice by dealership within 6 months. also, there was always an electrical smell before transmission broke down. please describe details.*ak
07/06/2002203/01/2002
 Transaxle was replaced at 105,000 before purchasing from dealer then 4 months later transaxle goes out(111.000 miles) while driving down interstate dealer where purchased is refusing to fix it. *ak
06/27/2002
 Torque converter assembly has a grove in it that causes seal to fail, resulting in loss of transmission fuel. transmission overheated, almost causing a fire.*ak
04/28/2002
 While driving heard a popping noise/vehicle will run roughly, and would not go into reverse.contacted mechanic.outer head gasket had blown.also, replaced transmission. *ak
06/12/2002
 At 65mph transmission will not shift gears. also, will not run. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak
 While driving at 65 mph and without warning vehicle shutdown, and became inoperative. dealer and manufacturer have been notified.*ak
11/01/2001
 When coming to a stop vehicle shifts to neutral. when consumer shifts back to drive, it jumps to 2nd drive. dealer determined that transmission needed to be replaced.*ak
05/24/2002301/01/1997
 While driving 30 mph, transmission failed, no prior indication that something was wrong. this is third transmission in vehicle.*ak. consumer stated vehicle also experienced 2 blown head gaskets, and an oil leak.*jb
05/01/2002
 Transmission will make strange noises. when putting vehicle into gear it will not move at all. consumer will fill out additional information. *ak
05/24/2002301/01/2097
 The windstar was at a full stop at a stop sign. as the gas was applied steadily to start out a loud noise was heard and the vehicle failed to move foreward. transmssion failed and would only work in reverse. we backed the van off the road and had it towed to the dealership. we were instructed that the transmittion would have to be replaced. it is the third transmittion that has been put in this van.*ak
09/01/2000206/01/1995
 Consumer states that the transmission gears were slipping, a rebuilt transmission was installed. *jg
04/28/2002109/01/2094
 An authorized ford mechanic informed me that in all probability the problem with the transmission was caused by the 1st / reverse piston in the valve body and that it is very common in the axod transmissions used in windstars and taurus's as well as many other of ford's front wheel drive cars. a friend at work has had his transmission replaced twice for the same problem.*ak
05/22/1997105/01/2096
 Transmission failed at 55,400 miles. *ak
10/26/1998105/01/2096
 Transmission failed (second time). ford dealer (sawgrass ford of sunrise, fl) claimed it was not possible to install a 'new transmission, only a 'rebuilt' one. dealer would not warrant repairs (rebuilt transmission) for more than 12 months or 12,000 miles. had vehicle towed to and repaired at a transmission shop that would guarantee repairs for a longer period.
04/05/2002411/01/2094
 First the head gasket leaked-dealer replaced on an open end recall, second the transmission went. had that rebuilt with all updates included. cost $1450.00 out of pocket. third the seal arount the timing chain leaked. had all the gaskets replaced to the out of pocket expense of $450.00. fourth, on a family vacation we were driving down i79 south from erie pa and all of a sudden there was this clinking noise coming from the motor. we were fortunate enough to get off the interstate before the engine died completely. there were no engine warning lights on prior to the complete shut down. had vehicle towed to nearest garage and found that we had thrown a rod. they are replacing the engine with a large block to the out of pocket cost of $3,000.00. when we called the manufacturer we were told that because we did not tow the vehicle to a ford dealership they could not help us. the nearest dealership to us was 88 miles away from where we broke down. the van only had just under 57,000 miles on it. i cant believe that ford won't help us.
03/15/2002204/01/1995
 This vehicle has required two transmissions. one at 50000 miles and the second at 120000. this is in addition to the numerous door open indicators and a blown head gasket.
01/01/2002
 Transmission was slipping. also, vehicle will kick into second gear. consumer took vehicle five times to a dealer, but the problem continued. *ak
10/15/20001
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
02/21/2002209/01/1995
 The van would not go into reverse a cracked clutch piston was the cause . the tranmission was rebuilt & ford would not reimburse me for the cost. the engine head cracked in 2000 & was repaired by heintzelmans truck center.i asked that the engine be replaced & they stated ford would not pay for that. they could not guarantee that damage was not done to the motor itself. in feb of 2002 i took the van to rolling hills ford for a coolant leak & was advised that i needed a new engine because of the damage done from the motor overheating. the motor had less then 20,000 miles since the head was reapired. they refused to contact the zone rep. & ford refused to pay any costs after being contacted.*ak
12/15/2001106/01/1994
 Transmission slides out of gear at a stop. depressing the gas with expection of car movment results in high rpms and after a 1-2 second delay, a sudden harsh forward movement. this delay caused us to be lurch and be rear ended by our subsequent slamming. *ak
3
 While driving vehicle decelerates to the point that front end becomes sluggish. *ak consumer states check engine light and the overdrive light comes on and the shift lever lights up, when lifting feet off the accelerator pedal the transmission suddenly shifts to low gear. *yd
01/05/2002109/01/1994
 I have had numerous problems with my 1995 windstar. the transmission failed in 10/99 and i had to replace the entire transmission. i have had many problems with the computer/electrical system with sensors and fuses going out. my timing gasket cover cracked and coolant was leaking (10/01). i had to have that replaced along with the water pump, etc. now, my engine has either a bearing or has thrown a rod and i have been told i need to have my engine replaced at a cost of $3500. there have been many more problems (struts, engine mounts, etc....). i have spent over $6000 (not including regular maintenance costs --oil changes, brakes, tires, tune ups, etc). i have had to spend much $$$ on car rentals while my car was being repaired. now i'm faced with a huge new problem--the engine. *ak
11/29/1999207/01/1998
 We have experienced two engine failures on this vehicle, one in november, 1999, which ford denied responsibility for, even though we were told by no less than 10 mechanics it was a defective design, and then another failure in july, 2000. also in 2000, we reported problems with the transmission slipping and the vehicle jumping out of gear when in park. again, ford is denying any responsibility, though we have noted numerous cases of the same problem that other windstar owners have experienced. *ak
11/12/1998101/01/1998
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
203/01/1995
 Transmission being replaced for the second time. started reporting problems at 10,000 miles. dealer could not identify. (slugish, bucking, rough acceleration.) at 60,000 miles would not move out of park. dealer replaced head gasket and made other adjustments (don't know what because they are all in code on repair slip) at 90,000 miles the transmission went. motor mounts also had to be fixed. problems with acceleration and bucking came less that 7,000 miles later. second transmission went less than 20,000 miles later! also have had numerous problems with the ignition switch (replaced 3 times and still does not work right) and warning lights for the brakes and airbags. (no problems ever found) ford dealer says transmission is not a recall item and there is nothing that they can do. i find this shocking in light of the nearly 4,000 complaints that the nhsta has logged for the 95 windstar, (669 for transmissions!!!). ford should be ashamed!*ak
01/21/2002208/01/1994
 The transmission put itself into gear from park in the garage as i was getting out the drivers door injuring me and damaging the garage wall and the van door. after pressing the brake to stop the movement, found car in park and all tested all gears - they all produce reverse. showed the wife. went to videotape the failure, but had to turn the car off to get the recorder. when i turned the car back on the problem was magically gone! i am in the process of trying to reproduce the problem with the video running. please help the citizens of this country. ford is hurting this country, its citizens, and probobly has killed a few because of this problem. i was lucky. don't let this turn into another tire thing. do something now! p.s. this is the second tranny replaced by ford and the second engine replaced by ford.*ak
108/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
11/24/2001
 Vehicle is not able to be shifted into gear due to aluminum pistons cracking. contacted dealership.*ak
04/15/2000201/01/1998
 I am presenting you with my concern about the safety of the 1995 ford windstar minivans. we purchased one in 1998 from a reputable used car dealer in roanoke, va. within the first year of ownership we had to replace the transmission. within the following year, we had to replace the head gaskets. there was a recall on both of these items but we conveniently were past the issue date. i wrote ford a polite letter expressing my desire for assistance in these matters. they denied assistance and stated that if enough people complained that they would possibly up the recall again for the third time. not 35,000 miles from the previous head gasket repair did they blow again. this was particularly dangerous due to the fact that the vehicle was flushing raw fuel out the tailpipe creating a serious fire hazard to my family. the van is currently sitting on magic city ford's lot as i am adressing you. since these problems have begun to surface i have done a significant amount of research and have discovered that i am not the only one experiencing these problems. rather it is a known problem with the vast majority of the entire line of 1995 ford windstars in which the company is conveniently eluding most of it's responsibilities to the consumer. i have even had people i do not know stop me and ask me if i had experienced any such problems. how can a vehicle that is proven to have so many defects from the get go been allowed to remain on the market? no matter how many times the head gaskets and transmissions are replaced they will continue to blow because a manufacturer defect in the engine itself. it is wrong to put a temporary fix on these vehicles and allow them to re-enter the consumer market knowing of these life threatening defects. if you would like, i can obtain multiple web-sites of thousands of people expressing the same problems with their vehicle. they too have been denied coverage by ford because they are conveniently past the recall. thank you.*ak
06/01/200011/01/1996
 We have contacted ford numberous times and didn't seem concerned. we have so much money in this van we can't get rid of this lemon. now the engine light is coming on. the interior lights stay on and has ruined batteries. we have to change brakes at least 3 times a year. now my locks start locking w/o anyone pushing the button. it has been really a nightmare..
305/01/1995
 I've have the transmission replaced/rebuilt 3 times, meaning this is my fourth transmission. twice in 1999 alone and both times serviced by coastal ford. i had the engine head gaskets blow, also in 1999, and serviced by coastal ford and i also had to pay for that, which was over $1,400.00. i just replaced the transmission again in nov 2001 (for my 4th transmission in 6 years). i've replaced the brake abs system and had the brakes serviced repeatedly for new rotors, and other componants (not the usual pad replacement). i've written ford and the local ford dealership several letters over the years and they have never replied to me. i have spent well over $12,000.00 in repairs on this van several thousand in rental car charges, even when it was a known ford recall and ford would not even cover the cost of the rental. van always hesitates and engine races and slows while stopped. *ak
10/01/2001
 Transmission slips. there are fixes that ford says need to be done when transmission is torn apart for repair. they know about the problems but will only mandate what needs to be replaced. they should recall as this is not isolated. it is like the headgasket, they extend the warranty but will not replace unless it goes bad. odds are great it will as others have. it will ruin the engine if it goes bad on road or worse cause accident if highway speed is involved. thank you for your help. if you cannot, thank you anyway. dan gaines. *ak
10/20/2000
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
 While driving gear slipped 3 times, and there was an accident. dealer had been notified. please provide any further information or make corrections. *ak
11/01/2001
 Transmission jumps out of gear while driving. dealer has rebuilt transmission. please provide additional information. *ak
03/13/2001209/01/1995
 My 1995 ford windstar has been a nightmare since i bought it in sept of 1994. the first major transmission problem went at 6,500 miles and was fixed by warranty. the head gasket blew at 54,000 miles and 39 months of use. ford initially said tough luck but then the secret warranties became known and they reimbursed me for that repair. at less than 100,000 miles on the chassis the coolant level started showing low again but the head gasket failure didn't become highly noticeable until 103,000 miles. ford refused to repair this time as the vehicle was now over 100,000 miles although this new ford head gasket had less than 50,000 mile on it. so, i am preparing to sue ford and the local dealer on that repair. finally, the transmission totally failed a few weeks ago and i had a new transmission put in. it lasted 1 week and the ford windstar is now getting another transmission (covered under the 2 year or 24,000 mile warranty of the replaced transmission). after reading about all the ford ?!@#$% regarding the 1995 ford windstar problems, why is that your agency has done so little in forcing a recall? ford ought to be recalling those vehicles or offering the owners money to buy them back.*ak
10/24/2001111/01/1997
 The sales rep, john j. baker, of m&s chevrolet demanded $300 cash to allow us to purchase the used ford windstar. we told him the odometer numbers did not line up and he stated that was normal. the front brake pads were replaced at the close of the sale on 11/11/97 and have been replaced twice since then. the transmission slips and is balky, so sometimes the brake engages when you have your foot on the gas. the brakes actually failed to perform on 10/24/01 with our family of five in the vehicle on a major highway, route 495 in ma. we avoided an accident by moving into the break down lane and slowing to a complete stop. the dealer owner, mr. michael sylvester ,and his attorneys, rizzo &kelly, stated that this previously leased vehicle had an accurate odometer reading. this van was purchased at auction by a former employee of m&s, who is now an auto wholesaler in the area. we need a safe vehicle for our family and we need immediate action taken, even if it means that ford will authorize the necessary repairs at our local dealer, regan ford, of. *ak
06/15/200107/01/2000
 Reverse gear will not work after the van has been running for any amount of time. i have contacted ford many times, only to be told there is nothing they will do to help since the vehicle is over 60,000 miles. i see all of the complaints with the same problem, and am so angry that nothing is being done even though this is a defective transmission part. how many complaints do there need to be before ford is held accountable for these repairs? not being able to reverse the vehicle seems to be a very major problem to me, and i feel as if ford is giving me the run around.*ak
06/01/2001106/01/1998
 I have had a continuing stream of endless repairs to this ford windstar. staring with the water pump one week after purchase; then the left front spring and strut collasped; next the abs system almost cost me my life by failing on a downgrade into an intersection; a compoent of the fuel injection system in the main computer failed; the rear master cylinder on the brakes was leaking; the transmission has never shifted correctly almost giving passengers whiplash; the rear power door lock on the tailgate has just never worked form day one; i did receive a recall for the hood and that was replaced; now the power windows operate without the key in the ignition, but the door locks do not work and the vehicle is totally diabled, it will not start or even try to turn over. i am just a nurse not a millionaire, i have paid almost $5,000.00 in repairs into this vehicle in the 2 1/2 years i have owned it. and now it is dead, leaving me with no transportation to work, my only source of income. please help.
01/01/200110006/01/1996
 Brakes and transmissions are a safety factor. please take action to make ford pay for repairs.*ak
07/29/2001103/01/1997
 On 7/29/01 traveling on i495 in massachusetts, the car started revving and the rpms fluttered between 3k-4k. shortly thereafter on masspike (within 10-20 miles), car could not achieve more than 50 mph. i pulled to the side of the turnpike where i noticed smoke from car. at this point i tried to get it into gear again to get off highway and could not get it out of 2nd gear, then 1st, then nothing. the car has been towed to the dealership who diagnosed a transmission failure due to the failure of a converter seal which then leaked out my transmission fluid. they will replace my transmission for $2400. this incident occurred within three weeks of picking up the car from the dealership where the engine had been replaced under the warranty extension ford has given to fix head gasket failures in this car. there had not been any transmission problems prior to this incident in the car.*ak
01/01/200110006/01/1996
 Brakes and transmissions are a safety factor. please take action to make ford pay for repairs.*ak
 When trying to accelerate vehicle would hesitate. it would downshift and then slip, trying to catch and then slip again. would not go into gear when pressing accelerator pedal. would catch eventually, and then take off. have taken to dealership , had transmission replaced. replacement transmission acts like the previous transmission.*ak
205/01/1995
 Kent parson ford was not helpful at all. no safety defec tlisted. *ak
02/27/2001101/01/1996
 The transmission does not consistently engage when put into drive and does not usually engage when put into reverse.
09/01/1998204/01/1994
 Not sure of exact day 1st transmission replaced. month and year are correct 9/98.*ak
04/05/1999105/01/1994
 When i called the transmission shop to make an appointment, he told me what was wrong with my ford windstar before i had a chance to tell him! he said that he had rebuild significantly more windstar transmissions than any other car. he recommended i contact our local ford dealership (matthews ford - heath, ohio) to see about some type of reimbursement. after all, in his opinion, this was a design deficiency! matthews ford representatives were unaware of significant transmission problems and refused to hear any more. now that ford is admitting that they were aware of this design flaw early on, i believe that i am owed reimbusement for all repairs, especially in the light of the fact that they are admitting design was bad. *ak
07/09/2001105/01/1995
 Transmission failure six months/9k miles after ford dealer replaced engine under program for head gasket failure. *ak
06/16/2001203/01/1999
 First transmission failure 21/01/2000 at 70,000 miles. second failure 06/16/2001at 87,000 miles.*ak
07/01/2001
 Dealer refuses to repair transmission. please provide further details.*ak
3
 The consumer believes the vehicle has an electrical computer system defect which causes coolant back up and effects the transmission burning it out, it also causes repeated damage to the head gasket and transmission, the consumer is requesting reimbursement for all repairs made. nlm
 Speed sensor and transmisson were failing, causing gears to shift erractically and resulting in vehicle to violently shake as it deaccelerates. dealer has replaced speed sensor at 64,000 and 77,000 miles, and transmission was replaced at 70,000 miles, problem still reoccurring. provide any further details on this matter. *ak
01/01/19990
 Consumer was traveling 35mph on highway and was was shifting gears. there was a poppying noise, and second gear downshifted to first by itself. dealership was aware of problem.*ak
02/01/2001210/01/1996
 Transmission and head gasket sfailed at 48000 both replaced. engine failure at 50,000 now waiting 8 weeks for replacement engine.
2
 Forward piston cracked causing oil leakage and loss of power, and vehicle to operate erratically when the gear is in drive. *ak *yh
05/24/2001102/01/1995
 Had minor coolant leak, turned out to be ford program engine replacement. just over 100 miles later, transmission fluid all leaked out. dealer claims unrelated to engine problem. never had transmission problem prior to engine being removed. trans was inspected as part of aaa safety inspection when van was in for engine replacement. some sort of seal leak, van still in shop--having trans rebuilt. no problem before engine issue, major problem 7 days later. ford should pay for the trans since it is a known problem, and if they did not have to rip the engine out, take off that trans and put new engine on, i probably would be driving the windstar today. we have had regular service, spent over $90 to have trans checked last year so that the vehicle would last us. ford was e-mailed when we got the van back from the engine replacement because not everything was working properly. e-mailed a few hours later when the trans fluid poured out and other than the automatic response saying they rec'd my e-mail, i have heard not one word from them. not much for customer assistance! the trans and engine are related, and i do not know how ford can say they are not. no problem before they reconfigured under hood to put different shape/size engine in, problem after.
06/21/2001110/01/2000
 Transmission replacement will cost $2585 per dealer. i see from your web site that there are numerous complaints about this transmission. this is a manufcturing defect that should not be sholdered by the public. ford needs to recall this transmisssion before someone gets hurt. the vehicle will rev and lurch forward while stopped in traffic.*ak
03/06/2001111/01/1994
 #1 anit-lock brakes would activate every time the brakes were applied. #2 the transmission would slip very bad than engage violently from a stand still , or the transmission would start off in second gear. also the transmission would slipp and engage violently form a stand still in reverse. (side note my nieghbor has a 1996 ford windstar, he also has the same problem twice. first at 30000 miles, and most recently at 100000 miles)
1
 Within 97,000 miles transmission has malfunctioned, reverse position is inoperable, cause unknown . *ak consumer also states that low one gear is inoperable, consumer also experienced head gasket failure, as well as overheating in the fuel tank.*jb
05/25/2001208/01/1996
 This is the 2nd transmission that i have had go bad. the first one had to be completely overhauled at 39,000 miles at a cost of $1, 254.20. the van now has 85,000 miles on it and the transmission has failed again. this time it will cost $1,517.50 to fix it. i have contacted ford and they informed me that because there are no current programs available to cover this problem, there is nothing they can do. i have been advised by them to pay for the repairs again and wait and see what happens in the future with a possible recall. i have had nothing but problems since purchasing this vehicle in 1996. i was also informed that the head gaskets need to be replaced for the third time. they were replaced at 53,000, 58,000 and now 85,000. *ak
03/25/200008/01/1997
 We have replaced the engine, transmission, head gaskets, and many additional parts. i have spent close to $6,000 in repairs since buying this vehicle. i just want ford to admit that the 95 windstar has problems.
04/01/199808/01/1997
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
1
 The consumer is having problems having vehicle repaired promptly for a faulty aluminum ring used in the transmission (99r33). nlm
04/14/20001
 The transmission did not shift correctly and had to be replaced. nlm
03/21/2001106/01/1997
 Appears to be another case of early transmission failure due to defective components. danger at time of failure was that from a stop i put my foot on the gas to move forward and the engine just raced. had i anticipated accelerating to avoid oncoming traffic there would have been trouble.*ak
06/01/1997104/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
05/24/19990
 Delayed acceleration and jolt when coming to a stop. consumer fears tranmission may fail while driving highway with family. *ak
04/01/20010
 When traveling transmission operated erratically/ jumps out of gear, and engine races. *ak
05/17/2001108/01/1996
 This is the fourth head gasket failure requiring engine replacements.*ak
04/28/200101/01/1997
 Extremely low mileage for transmission failure. i have spoken to many other owners with the same problem. *ak
06/01/2000
 While driving at approximately 45 mph vehicle lost all power from transmission. consumer had to put vehicle into second gear in order to guide it off the road. consumer took vehicle to a private mechanic, who rebuilt transmission. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak
05/10/2001108/01/2000
 Van was in park; put van in reverse, sounded like it shifted, but refused to move. possible cracked reverse drum, states mechanic. *ak
05/14/1999
 Transmission has trouble going into gear when the vehicle is hot, and won't go into gear until it hits 2000 rpms. contacted dealr, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak
04/21/2001105/01/1994
 No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak
12/08/2000104/01/1995
 Paid over $2400 @ dealer to repair. this vehicle has become too expensive to maintain. no defective part mentioned. *ak
03/15/2001109/01/1998
 Transmission went out around 80,000 miles. 2nd gear and reverse gear fault. problem due to forward cushion plate (a $6.87 part!!!) cost of transmission overhaul $1637.77...*ak
04/01/199909/01/1997
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
04/01/200105/01/1994
 The transmission has a problem down shifting after the car has been driven and is warmed up ford has been notified via customer service number. *ak
12/10/2000104/01/1999
 Head gasket failure,transmission failure between 47,500-49.500 miles. unsafe lemon.ford will not take responsibility. *ak
03/22/20012
 Ford replaced the transmission on my windstar just before the warranty was up. here it is about the same # of miles out and the replacement transmission is locked up and the car had to be towed to grahm ford. i see a $2000 debt in my future that i believe should be ford's responsibility. i'm happy the children weren't in the car when it bucked and locked up. i'm even happier it didn't happen when we were on the road or out in the middle of nowhere. i believe they made a faulty part and should own up to it. kathy gudel.*ak
08/01/200001/01/1997
 I have had several different problems with my '95 windstar since i bought it used in jan of 1997. the scary thing is i don't know what all has already been replaced on it , but here is my list head gaskets replaced, speedometer replaced & is now making noise again, rear heat and air repaired,trouble with ignition switch, steering is making noises hopefully this isn't a problem with the suspension spring you are already investigating, bells are rining all the time, door adjar light stays on periodically causing interior lights to stay on so you can't drive at night and your battery goes dead.most recently my transmission is giving me problems, it goes out of gear at a stop and then slams into it hard when you try to go forward also shifts hard from 1st to 2nd. this is very dangerous when entering a busy intersection or street. i did some home work on the internet only to find that it seems all of these problems are very common and everyone seems to have them at some point or another. i have been thinking of re pairing my transmission but i have read of several people repairing theirs only to put 2 or even 3 more in. what is it with this vehicle?no safety defect mentioned. *ak
03/21/2001
 Vehicle does not shift into gear. contacted dealer, and dealer is not willing to do anything.*ak
02/01/200120
 Transmission has failed. *ak vehicle completely shuts off with no warning while in motion, consumer states it feels as if the transmission locks up, mechanic checked vehicle and found that the problem was in the head gaskets. *slc
06/30/200004/01/1995
 Crack in aluminum forward clutch piston in the transmission
03/20/2000108/01/1999
 I had just stopped to fill up van with gas. i was pulling out of the station on to a main road, when just as i pulled on to the road the car made a loud clunk and then would not move any further. because the car would not move it almost caused me to be hit in the side by on coming traffic on a road that has a speed limit of 50 mph. i would have been injured severly if the person had not went around me to keep from hitting me.*ak
02/22/2001208/01/1994
 My automatic transmission failed and sent smoke into the passenger compartment. it previously failed in 1997 and was repaired under factory warranty. this will now be the 3rd transmission in 78,000 miles. in sep. 1999, my head gasket failed, and i bought a $495 service warranty from ford, since ford had not yet issued program m09 to repair head gaskets. i took the car to winner ford for transmission problems in june 2000 while still covered under warranty, but no problem found so no repair made. ford and dealer now offering no assistance, even though i tried to get it fixed while under warranty. ford should acknowledge this chronic mechanical failure similar to the head gasket problem and issue extended coverage for transmission on these cars and tauruses. the internet complaint forums are full of stories on premature transmission failures on windstars and tauruses. i also am having to rent a car, and should be paid for that cost as well.
 While driving and coming to a stop and when attempting to accelerate applied force to accelerator pedal, and vehicle did not respond. also, vehicle did not go into gear. consumer has contacted dealer, dealer noted problem was linked to a crack in transmission due to type of material used for transmission. consumer also, transmission needed to be replaced. please provide any further details. *ak
09/01/199904/01/1999
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
11/05/2000207/01/1995
 I had to have my engine and transmission repaired on this vehicle and from the reports i have heard i would like my money back because these things could have been avoided.
02/25/1999102/01/1999
 After purchasing the vehicle in feb 1999, the transmission failed one week after purchase on the highway at 51,500. now at 76,000 we are experiencing the same problems with the gears slipping and not shifting properly as we did when it failed the first time. *ak
02/09/2001103/01/2000
 I had bought my van in may of 2000. it had 70,274 miles on it. i bought an extended warranty for $1250.00 thinking i was protecting my investment. when the transmission went out, i was told by the warranty company that because the fluid levels (oil and transmission) were low and that the oil had not been changed since i purchased it ( they surmised this because there was no sticker on the windshield to indicate that the oil had been changed) and that the oil filter had also not been changed, it therefore was driver negligence (we were told it was a lubrication part that needed repairing in the transmission) and as a result, the warranty company absolved itself of having to pay the $1957.04 that i paid out of pocket to repair the transmission. the shop who fixed my vehicle (as to the ford dealership sub-letted the job out to them) told my husband and i that the fluid levels were fine! my husband changed the oil and the oil filter himself- hence the no sticker in the windshield! to make a long story short, my husband and i are tired of gettig the short end of the stick! i, not being mechanically inclined, am not sure if the problem we had with our van's transmission is related to the aluminum forward clutch piston that ford has been aware of since 1994 (see ford's tsb #94247 11/1994) or not, but we would like our complaint registered. should there be an investigation, we are willing to participate! thanks! the harveys.*ak
212/01/1994
 When driving no more then over two miles vehicle was leaking coolant and overheated. consumer has contacted dealer, dealer corrected problem under recall at 65 thousand miles. head gasket replaced with an aluminum part. vehicle experienced same problem at one hundred nine thousand miles. manufacturer refused to correct problem. *ak the manufacturer was aware of both the transmission and head gasket problems even before the consumer purchased this vehicle. still, there were no attempt by the manufacturer to correct these problems. *yh
02/01/2001407/01/1995
 Transmission failure in aug. 2000, replaced at my cost,then head gasket blew, ford recall/program fixed under warranty, immediately aftr main bearing shot. ford says it is not their problem. *ak
 Transmission fails to make a smooth transition from one gear to next. vehicle would jump when shifting. problem is getting worse. rod bearings was going, would make a rattling noise. *ak
02/09/1999107/01/1995
 Transmission overhauled @62.000, then failed 15,000 miles later,failed again 13,000 miles later. out of pocket costs approx. 1200.00. *ak
08/20/2000109/01/1996
 Transmission in this vehicle fails to shift from 1st to 2nd at times. vehicle will not build up speed when entering a highway. after it has been driven a while it shifts ok, but i fear i will have a rear end accident if the car does not shift while in traffic. i understand ford has had many failures on their windstar automatic transmissions. i have had trouble with this for several years. before and after the date i have listed on the form. i feel ford motor company should repair this problem since many of the windstar vans have the same symptoms. thank you for reading this. *ak
06/01/2000108/01/1995
 Driver side front suspension spring broke. initially vehicle was drivable but eventually the spring collapsed enough to cause rubbing on the tire. spring was replaced after a 3 month wait due to ford not having any. this is on top of 2 head gasket replacements and a transmission replacement. the vehicle is a lemon, ford knows it, and the consumer gets screwed. .*ak
12/17/19991
 Transmission and torque converter failed. yh
11/01/1998
 I have been doing research through the internet as well as consumer reports. ford has had many problems with their 95 windstars, including the transmissions. my car has been leaking trani fluid for several months and i'm hoping these minivans are recalled before my trani blows. with so many problems, i'm surprised ford hasn't been asked to take the darn thing completely off the road! thanks for listening!! *ak
06/01/1999105/01/1995
 Two sets of head gaskets have blowenout since replacement. also, motor mounts broke on new engine.*ak the transmission was slipping and may fail soon. *yh
12/16/1999402/01/1997
 I have several more incidents but these are the major ones. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak
12/06/20001
 The transmission problems have existed for a year, consumer has taken the vehicle from the dealer to have a reputable mechanic to replace the faulty transmission. *mjs
01/01/200101/01/1996
 Aluminum pistons in transmission cracked and contaminatied the transmission, causing lack of acceleration from a stopped position.*ak
01/01/200101/01/1996
 Two cracked aluminum pistons in transmission causing the contamination of transmission, which has lead to the rebuilding of the transmission with steel pistons.*ak
01/10/2001106/01/1994
 Transmission shifts into neutral while coming to a stop. complete failure of the transmission. known problem with many,many, windstars. time for ford to take responsibility for this problem as they did with the head gaskets. *ak
01/14/200112/01/1999
 More that 90% of windstar owners have had same complaint of van problems...seems that the transmission and the head gasket problem happen close together in time. i know that this has been submitted tons of times...dont you think that its time to pull these off the road and fix them once and for all before something serious happens? it was a close call for me and my three kids when the transmission went on the ford that i have.*ak
107/01/1995
 While attempting to move the vehicle from a stop the vehicle would not move, the consumer pushed the gas pedal firmly and it finally caught and jerked forward, due to failure of the forward clutch piston in the transmission. nlm
12/06/20001
 The transmission problems have existed for a year, consumer has taken the vehicle from the dealer to have a reputable mechanic to replace the faulty transmission. *mjs
11/01/2000309/01/1998
 On three occasions, after driving for over an hour at interstate highway speeds the van would start to lose speed rolling almost to a stop in the middle of the interstate. each time with other cars moving to avoid hitting me from the rear i would push the accelerator to the floor and the van would jump into gear for a moment then lose speed again. but i was able to get out of the traffic enough to avoid an accident each time. each time after the van set for awaile it would go back to normal conditions. this has happend 3 times. i paid for a tranmission service after the first two times. after the third time i took the van back to wade ford and told them what had happened and also told them i had seen reports that this problem had been identified to an aluminum forward clutch piston. they have had the van three days and can find no problem under their test conditions. the ford extended service plan runs out in 4,000 miles and they refuse to throw parts at the problem since they can't recreate the problem in the shop. this is a dangerous situation when it happens in the center lane of i-75 or i-95 in heavy traffic.*ak
11/01/2000105/01/1999
 Transmission: vehicle hesitates and has difficulty shifting up; engine revs up while attemting to upshift; must back off on accelerator pressure to baby it into shifting up; when slowing vehicle down, it downshifts with a clunk; sometimes gets stuck in park position; overdrive light blinks on and off for long periods of time. engine cooling system: overheating; interior heating system inoperable; pipe of thin metal continually ruptures causing coolant and water to spew out. engine: vehicle sometimes stalls when slowed down to turn a corner or to stop; vehicle sometimes won't start for five minutes or more after it has been started, run for two or three minutes and turned off. *ak
 When vehicle is put into 2nd gear it stalls. please provide further details.*ak
01/11/20010
 Consumer was traveling on the highway, and transmission slipped when she put vehicle in gear. also, when she applied brakes pedals went all the way to floor. *ak
11/01/199904/01/1998
 I had to replace the transmission aproximately november 1999 ($2000.00), a couple of months later i thought the thermostat needed replaced in the engine but it turned out to be the head gasket problem ford is having($1200.00), i contacted ford and got refused immediately because my van had over 100,000 miles on it. i believe ford knew of this problem when my van was under the 100,000 mile mark but did not notify the owners of this problem. i have a newspaper clipping stating that ford is having the head gasket problem and i am looking for reimbursement for this.*ak
12/02/199810012/01/1996
 The transmission fails to shift through the gears when we first start to drive the van. after we go a couple of miles it works ok. the problem has gradually gotten worse and none of the dealers that i have been to have been able to diagnose the problem. *ak
05/17/2000303/18/2000
 The transmission was replaced due to failure may 17, 2000, replacement transmission was experiencing problems as well and was replaced on july 14, 2000, however the transmission is still not functioning properly. *mjs
1
 Transmission replaced. *cj
111/01/1996
 Transmission failed while driving causing loss of power. nlm
10/01/19991
 Transmission replaced, however replacement has been in for service due to jerking and delay in shifting. *mjs
04/27/2000110/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
09/07/1999110/01/1994
 Tranmission failure at low milage is unacceptable/could be connected to head gasket. *ak
08/30/19991510/01/1996
 I am having problems with acceleration (shiftdown) when trying to accelerate for passing. this started being a problem after the transmission fluid was pressure flushed and refilled with new fluid. this was more than just a standard service fluid and filter change. it has become such a problem we are concerned when needing to pass a vehicle as sporadic results are the result. sometimes we can pass, but many times the transmission will not shift down for fast acceleration. there have been a number of times we have been within seconds of a major accident. i took the van into the shop, telling them to fix whatever is wrong if it was under $200. they test drove it and said they could not identify a problem. when asked if they did anything they said only a test drive, but it did appear to work better for thanksgiving weekend. i am specifically concerned about a news broadcast about an aluminum clutch plate wear and / or crack problem for 1994 and 1995 years of this van. *ak
11/01/2000211/01/1995
 1999 engine repair was head gasket covered under extended warranty. 2000 engine and transmission failure required replacement with rebuilt transmission and engine. *ak
108/01/1998
 Transmission failure. *slc
11/03/2000104/01/1999
 Vehicle suffered a complete transmission failure and the extended warranty provider refused to cover the repairs. ford is well aware of problems with the 3.8l engine and the axode transmissions. i find it curious that the extended warranty provider is also owned by ford, and the staff at the ewp was aware of a history of problems with this vehicle. *ak
 Water pump and transmission failed due to cracked forward piston which was made out of aluminium, causing vehicle to jerk and slow down speed. also, engine blewout about 1 week after transmission was replaced due to head gasket.*ak
06/29/20002
 At 75,000 miles transmission had to be rebuild due to transmssion failure. at 123,000 miles transmssion lost reverse, and repairs made at an independent repairs shop. believed problem was due to a defective transmission; dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak
09/25/2000607/01/2000
 Involved in accident on 8/8/2000, several problems after vehicle was returned on 10/10/2000, problems still not fixed! need help asap. thank you .*ak
207/01/1997
 Transmission doesn't not engage after you stop and a stop light, when you step on the gas it jurks you forward also doing the same thing in reverse, this seems to be an issue with this modem year and ford has not done anything about it is any body concerned or does a death have to accur before action will be taken against them. *ak
10/26/2000112/01/1994
 Transmission failure. part number f4bp-7000-bb.
07/01/200008/01/1997
 Our van was in the shop 6 times in 1999. the transmission is not right now and sometimes it will not start at all due to another problem. i hate to put any more money into this van but i will have to i guess. i can't afford to trade it in they don't want to give you anything for it. the transmission is dangerous in that you never know when it won;t go.*ak
09/01/2000102/01/1997
 I had the head gasket fixed under the ford recall; one week later the engine threw a rod, and it required a new long block and assorted parts. they had my car for 5 weeks, and never explained wether it was a defective engine or a mhuman failure. it then, one week later, started having transmission problems, with the car slipping out of gear on the freeway at 60mph. i called the dealership, only to be told it wasnt their fault, and the repairs would be at my expense, yet this wasnt happening before they took my car apart. i still have the car, driving it only as absolutle necessary; i cant afford the repairs and dont feel im responsible. this particular model has a terrible track record for defects.
08/01/19992003/01/1995
 Transmission started slipping or not engaging to 2nd gear. now it shifts harsh at all gears and high pitch whine is present.*ak
09/28/2000105/01/1996
 5 1995 ford windstars at one aamco station in 1 week period(transmission problems). *ak
05/21/2000207/01/1994
 Transmission failed while in turn across 4 lane road thank god no oncoming traffic. *ak
08/01/2000104/01/1997
 I have heard of many windstar owners who have also had transmission problems. the mechanic we go to said to expect to replace the transmission - we thought, oh, not our car. $2200 later, we find it may have been a head gasket problem instead.
12/19/19971
 I understand (through the internet) that ford is having many problems with its transmissions. mainly the windstar, taurus, sable, and continental with the 3.8l engine. my transmission was repaired in 1997 and i would like to be compensated for it!
09/20/199906/01/1994
 Transmission shifts into neutral at stop then lurches forward or rolls backward. *ak
12/17/1999206/01/1999
 Transmission replaced first time 12/17/99, failed again on 12/24/99 with 453 miles of use. both incidents required rental car which ford will not reimburse. we may not have incurred recordable accidents and injuries but this is a safety issue that demands a recall with similiar terms involve with the failed head gasket in the 3.8l windstar.
02/01/1997106/01/1994
 No summary
08/27/2000108/01/1994
 This vehicle is on the 4th engine and the transmission has failed twice at speeds above 50 mph luckily without accident. the brake line that busrt is located directly above the catalytic converter. having a brake line located directly above the catalytic. *ak
08/05/2000208/01/2000
 Transmission started slipping day after purchased, new transmission installed 2 weeks later transmission started downshifting while we were driving 65 mph, vehicle downshifted suddenly to 30 mph, problem continued is currently in shop , firestone says they will have to install another transmission. *ak
09/11/200010004/01/1995
 Delayed engagement in transmission has been occurring for two years. crack in forward drum would need to be replaced for $900. intermittent failures with starter. *ak
07/17/2000107/01/1994
 The transmission failed at 51k miles . the problem was that the forward clutch pistion cracked becuase it was aluminum and not capable of dealing with the stresses of the transmission. the problem is so bad that atra has a tech bulletin stating to replace the part ( bulletin 267). his problem has been reported by many other ford owners yet ford will not do anyhting about it. i am awaiting your response as to what action can be taken against ford.
110/01/1996
 The numerous failures on ford transmissions are because they used aluminum instead of steel in a high pressure area,it will probably take a class action suit just like the head gaskets and the ignitions. *ak
06/14/1999106/01/1994
 Transmission would not engage when car came to a complete stop.you would press gas and car would get to 1700 rpm then the trans would engage with a bang.ford had the same problem with this trans on 1994 taurus amd took care of it.
01/25/19991
 Automatic transmission failed. contacted dealer and ford corporation both refused to admit any problem with the transmission. $1,800 out of pocket cost. 6 months later the head gasket failed. initialially that cost $1,200 but was reimbursed for the expense when the part was recalled. i believe in doing research that a problem also exists with the transmissions and hope that enough people will complain to iniate a recall.
07/17/2000107/01/1994
 The transmission failed at 51k miles . the problem was that the forward clutch pistion cracked becuase it was aluminum and not capable of dealing with the stresses of the transmission. the problem is so bad that atra has a tech bulletin stating to replace the part ( bulletin 267). his problem has been reported by many other ford owners yet ford will not do anyhting about it. i am awaiting your response as to what action can be taken against ford.
01/25/19991
 Automatic transmission failed. contacted dealer and ford corporation both refused to admit any problem with the transmission. $1,800 out of pocket cost. 6 months later the head gasket failed. initialially that cost $1,200 but was reimbursed for the expense when the part was recalled. i believe in doing research that a problem also exists with the transmissions and hope that enough people will complain to iniate a recall.
110/01/1996
 The numerous failures on ford transmissions are because they used aluminum instead of steel in a high pressure area,it will probably take a class action suit just like the head gaskets and the ignitions. *ak
06/14/1999106/01/1994
 Transmission would not engage when car came to a complete stop.you would press gas and car would get to 1700 rpm then the trans would engage with a bang.ford had the same problem with this trans on 1994 taurus amd took care of it.
08/29/2000109/01/1999
 This is a known problem. ford replaced the aluminum piston with a steel piston on the 1996 models...
106/05/1995
 Transmission malfunctions. yh
12/01/1998107/15/1997
 Transmission hesitates when shifting out of 1st gear. yh
08/18/2000109/01/1994
 As early as june/july 2000, while in cruise control and/or manual speed control at speeds ranging from 35 - 65 mph. the transmission would disengage allowing the rpm to creep up. resolution was to remove foot from accelerator and allow engine speed to decline and restabilize and then the transmission would reingage. this occurred intermittently. the transmission range sensor was identified by ford service as the culprit and was replaced on 8/18/2000. a few days following the replacement, the scenario reocurred. further evaluation/service is scheduled for this friday, september 1,2000. when transmission slips out of gear, the engine is free without any restraint and no acceleration/deceleration of automobile speed is possible. this could result in serious injury if attempting to merge into heavy traffic or pass into oncoming traffic at the moment of failure.
09/01/1997
 No summary
04/15/1999109/01/1998
 When the engine seized up, i took the van to phil long ford. they proceeded to run the diagnosis and informed me the van needed a new engine which would cost $3500.00. i did not have the money for the engine and waited. in may of 2000 i received a recall notice on the head gasket. took the car to phil long in july. according to phil long, all that needed replaced was the head gasket. they replaced the head gasket, spark splug, changed the oil (antifreeze had leaked into the oil), and the oil filter. this was at their expence. all of a sudden, no new engine was needed. two months later, to the day, i lost all the gears except low. i need to know if there has been a recall on the transmission and what the warranty is on the transmission for a 1995 windstar. it seems unlikely that the transmission would go on such a new model.
03/06/1997212/01/1996
 No summary
07/08/2000108/17/1995
 After stopping at stop light vehicle would not accelerate above 40 mph until it stopped operating which left vehicle without power. *ak the dealer did the repair job but no power to acelerate again while on highway. the transmission seal blew out due to pressure build in the transmission fluid stalling the vehicle completely. *yh
08/08/2000101/01/1996
 Transmission would not go into gear after stopping at a traffic signal. after reveing engine, it caught hold suddenly. i barely missed traffic that moved while i was stopped. problem is broken piston-rtans forward clutch. aluminum part has been replaced by steel by ford at owner's expense since 1994 (sb94247) if transmission fails, but it should be recalled.*ak
07/29/2000308/01/1997
 I'm on my 3rd transmission and it is going out! dangerous, because vehicle slips at crucial moments needed for acceleration. please issue a recall for this product! it will cause lives (if it hasn't already). wife won't drive because she's too frightened by it's inconsistent acceleration. what if it slipped while near railroad tracks? what if it slipped/disengaged while entering freeway? very dangerous. *ak
06/20/1999105/01/1996
 The transmission failed at the same time that the engine overheated due to faulty head gasket . i took the van into koons for check engine light and they found nothing, but charged me $500, later, the engine seized and had to be replaced; upon getting my van back with a rebuilt engine, the transmission was not working properly and failed within the week. the aamco dealership told me that a forward clutch thing was not working, but worse yet: the transmission completely failed because it had become extremely hot; in fact, so hot that any internal components that were rubber or plastic actually melted, and the gear teeth became so hot that they changed color to purple-ish and cracked in places. yet ford refuses to associate the damage to the transmission with their faulty head gasket. incidently, i have been fully reimbursed for the rebuilt engine, but not the $500 ford 'service' response to the 'check engine' light, or the $2,500 transmission. *ak
06/23/2000202/01/1995
 While drving engine head gasket started to leak. water was getting into the oil. this caused vehicle to lose power. also, transmission would slip, and it took too long to shift into 2nd gear from 1st gear. took vehicle to dealer & mechanic indicated that transmission needed complete overhaul. also, would check head gasket.*ak
06/01/2000108/01/1994
 After operating the vehicle for a while, transmission will not engage into drive and sometimes will not engage into reverse. overdrive light then started to flash. when the transmission does engage, the vehicle tends to lurch forward in an unsafe manner. brought the vehicle to an independent garage. they changed the ecm (electronic control module) at a cost of $650.00 parts and labor. we left for a week vacation the next day only to have the same problem occur. garage insisted that the ecm was defective and that the transmission problem is a separate issue. brought the vehicle to dealer (shamrock ford). within a couple of hours, we recieved a call that the transmission has to be replaced. cost: $2600.00. upon searching the internet, we found that a lot of 1995 windstar experienced the same problem. we believe that this is not only an issue of manufacturer defect but also a safety issue, something the nhtsa should be involved in. ford motor company has not been receptive to our complains and requests for financial assistance in the repair although, we believe, that they are fully aware of the defect in the transmission as evidenced by their prompt diagnosis of the problem . we own a 1995 toyota celica with 245,000 miles and a 1988 toyota camry with 264,000 miles. we feel that we are responsible car owners and that our vehicles are not subjected to abuse and misuse. we bought the ford windstar with the belief that finally, american car manufacturers has achieved a level of reliability equivalent to their foreign car competitors. it now appears that at least one company, ford motors, has not.*ak
07/19/2000408/01/1994
 Ford has advised us that the transmission is not covered by any recall or rebate. why??? we have had 4 transmissions put in over the past 2 & 1/2 yrs. fortunately, 2 of them were covered under warranty.
09/01/1996
 We are currently fighting a failed transmission. when we took the vehicle to the ford dealership last week, we were told that it needed to be repaired or replaced. the dealer advised us that both scenarios were covered by a 12 month/12000 mile warranty, but if we elected the overhaul option, if a part failed that wasn't fixed, the warranty would not cover it. we elected the higher priced replacement. we were advised to come back the following week and the dealer would order a new transmission. my wife took off work and drove an hour to the dealership to leave off the car. when she got there, the dealer told her that ford has stopped all shipments of this transmission and that he would be unable to order our replacement. ford would give him no firm date on when we might be able to get a new transmission. since ford had decided that customer support was a matter of minor importance, we had no option but to repair the existing transmission and run the risk that the warranty would cover anything that happened. we have also had to replace the head gaskets on this vehicle and the oxygen sensors. i will tell you that immediately upon getting this vehicle back after the transmission is repaired, it is being traded in on anything else and i will never own another ford. when it comes to customer support from ford, we have had zero. *ak
10/01/1998104/30/1994
 The transmission failed prematurely due to aluminium component which was used in place of cast iron. yh
07/25/20001
 Vehicle overheated, and smoke was coming from pipe. then. consumer took vehicle to dealer, where technician saw that problem was a blown engine head gasket.*ak transmission failed three times. gas tank failed. windshield is defective. and side door clamps failed. *yh
12/01/1997
 Transmission began shifting funny shortly after purchase;slight slipping on shift,esp. at hiway speeds.took to hampton ford dealer in hampton,nh.they said that the computer showed no signs of slippage,and charged us $75.00 for diagnosis,not mentioned to us that that was not covered in the extended warrenty we had purchased with the van.now,the problem has become far worse;in order to accelerate at hiway speeds or from stand-still after vehicle is warmed,i have to floor the accelerator to get a proper downshift/acceleration.my pregnant wife and three children,ages 1 year to 13 years are often with her in the van(reason we bought a mini-van)...we have gotten a recall on particular engine conditions;why not for the transaxle?i cannot afford to have it replaced,and although an experienced auto mechanic,and certificated aircraft mechanic,have no means of equipment to do the job myself.i will never buy another ford product,as they have apparently not learned anything from the pinto,escort nor any other of the mechanical junk they continue to produce.i do not trust this vehicle to transport my family,and feel that someone should have picked up on this with my first visit...now ford vehicles are in need of replacement at under 70,000 miles???*ak
11/01/1997111/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
03/15/1999103/01/1999
 Aluminum clutch piston in transmission has cracked making car hesitate to go into gear (forward or reverse)also transmission jumps out of drive into neutral whithout warning making vehicle dangerous.this is a frequent problem happining to a lot of these transmissions. contacted ford (dealer and directly) and both refuse to be of any assistance.dealer wants $2990 for new transmission installed. *ak
06/28/2000107/01/1994
 Engine seized after head gasket failure in dec 1998. stengers ford (now out of business) took in excess of one month to repair. they admitted this was their first attempt to replace windstar engine. within a few weeks of receiving windstar back. also, transmission failed. *ak
07/03/2000112/01/1994
 When vehicle is at operating temperature, automatic transmission fails to engage properly from a standing start. several second delay when trying to accelerate from a standing start. transmission is slipping. upon investigating in various web-sites appears to be a widespread problem. hope others are complaining too. transmission fluid is at proper level. suffered the head gasket failure. engine was replaced in december 1999.*ak
01/01/19983
 Transmission system malfunctioned, and had to be replaced at every 25,000 miles. vehicle may stall unexpectedly while driving. vehicle had replaced transmission 3 times. please provide further information.*ak
06/15/2000106/01/1994
 Vehicle has been well maintained and routinely serviced per manufacturers recommenations and does not have towing capability. transmission would occasionly behave as if it were in neutral when trying to accelerate from a complete stop. it finally lost all drive in first and reverse gears, resulting in a $ 2000 transmission repair at the dealer. the faulty part was a cracked aluminium forward clutch piston, which is now replaced by a steel part .(i have the damaged part.) the transmission troubles started after the main head gaskets blew and overheated the engine. i had to repair the head gaskets myself because my vehicle was 4 months beyond the original recall notice limitations. after i repaired the head gaskets with the new ford parts, i just recently received the recall extension notice in the mail approx 2 months ago. what lousey timing.*ak
06/15/2000106/01/1997
 This is actulay the second problem the first was head gaskets in nov of 99 that was resolved with ford after fighting with them a month now its the transmission thats going out i have done some reserch on the internet and have found this to be a serious problem with this car and fill it schould be a recall . i had the transmission slip at a stop light and was almost rearended by a semi and trailer.this problem is very comon on the windstar and taurse and i fill ford that this will not be handled by ford on there own. this is not only puting people in financal strain but also persnal danger. the worst part about this it that ford is aware of this but does not care about their costumers in any way . i would like to see leagle action against them .*ak
10/26/1999104/01/1996
 Electrical brake light problem required dealer to pull out dash to repair 8/19/96. letter from ford says out of warranty. failure of auto trans at 59,428 in 11/4/97. there is a service bulletin issued by ford for forward clutch pistons. ford refuses again to cover.-- manufacturing defect. in oct 24, 99 head gasket failure--replaced engine at 87,376 miles. ford issues recall letter and we receive $3200 from ford june 16, 2000. second transmission replacement at 89,021. mechanic states overheating of engine affected the second transmission. during test drive of third transmission, the speedometer malfunctions. the ford dealer repairs problem. the total of these repairs alone total approximately $9500.00! *ak
10/24/1999104/01/1996
 Electrical problem in dash caused a brake light problem. ford dealer had to pull out dash to correct problem. car had a previous recall in which the dash had to be pulled out also. we believe the wire repair in the dash was a result of the previous dash electrical recall. ford says no. at only 59,400 miles the trans needs replacing. ford has a dealer service bulletin that states failure of transmissions can be due to a cracked or broken forward clutch pision. ford says no. blown head gasket at 87, 300 miles causes engine to have to be replaced. we received a recall letter in march and received $3200 for reimbursement. at 89,000 miles during february of 2000, the second transmission goes out and the mechanic states that the overheating of the engine head gasket problem can affect the transmission. during a test drive of the third transmission, the speedometer goes bad. a recall letter from ford in may of 1994 states that some speedometers can have incorrect gear and may cause a loss of function. a letter has been written to ford motor company explaining the excessive costs to maintain a vehicle. *ak
06/01/1998307/01/1997
 We have replaced engine twice and transmission x 3 now needs another engine and we've spent over $10,000.00
11/01/199918001/01/1996
 The transmission is slipping and the car won't go, then all of a sudden, it jumps and could jump in front of another car; the overdrive light is blinking and won't go off. you can't get it to switch on; the switch won't turn and it goes ding, ding, ding when you take the key out
06/01/2000206/01/1998
 Overdrive light blinking, we brought vehicle to ford dealership. the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of $1500-$2100 (2 quotes from 2 different ford dealerships). told us that the transmission was only covered up to 75k under special warranty, we had 80k. we choose to let the vehicle sit in the driveway. a week later check engine light came on. took it to another ford dealer, told us the head gasket needs to be repaired again (we repaired it last year). ford won't let us use the buy-back option as stated in the march 2000 letter to windstar owners who have head gasket failure. the dealership and a ford motor corp customer service rep said that once we accepted the reimbursement for the first head gasket repair, subsequent head gasket failures could only be repaired, the buy-back option was no longer available. the letter from ford does not state this and we were not informed at the time of the first repair that this could be a reoccurring problem and that we wont have that option later to use the buy-back program instead of repairing the vehicle. car is now sitting in driveway until we figure out what our rights are. we would like ford to buy back our windstar for what we owe*ak.
05/05/20001602/01/1996
 Non stop failure from purchase date. *ak
06/12/2000103/01/2000
 I have repeatedly tried to get my vechicle repaired but the dealer insists that he will not give me service.the service mngr. has refused to even look at the vechicle to determine if loaner is necessary. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
09/24/199902/01/1998
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
12/17/1999106/01/1999
 Head gasket failed requiring upper half of engine replaced. 1 week after getting minivan back, spun a rod in the engine, requiring engine being replaced. 1 month after getting back w/rebuilt engine, transmission failed requiring new transmission. dealer states that head gasket and transmission failures i experienced are very common with '95 windstar. ford not interested in helping me w/problems. *ak
05/15/2000107/01/1995
 On 5-15-00 i brought my windstar back to the dealer because it continued to lose coolant. i was told that it was the head gasket and that all costs would be covered by ford due to an extended warranty. when i picked my car up it didn't seem to engage into gear properly. on returning home(1/2 mile) i called the dealership to report the problem. i returned the van and was told that the transmission was gone and would cost almost $3,000.00 to repair. i have since contacted ford and must now wait for two business days before i will be contacted by the dealer. *ak
02/24/1999103/01/1998
 Transmission jumps into gear from stop unexpectedly, wife hit our house. *ak
05/20/2000205/30/1996
 Consumer was having transmission problems. vehicle would shimmy & hesitate when changing gears. dealer found that transmisson fluid was black & burnt. transmission was last serviced on jan. 27th, 1999. consumer was looking for reimbursment & will be filling a complaint against the manufacturer. *ak
 Vehicle will not shift into overdrive, causing vehicle not to pick up the speed needed to travel at highway speeds. dealer has been ocntacted. *ak
05/15/2000207/01/1998
 Won't downshift correctly, does jumpy movements. there is a delayed reaction between the accelerator and movement of car. car will shake a do bang noises. this is the second transmission repair. on 6-22-99 reported problem to dealer and the transmission pan gasket was replaced. *ak
10/01/1997
 Received an extended warranty notice on head gasket. when van began overheating and using coolant i took it in to have the head gasket checked. it was found to be bad and replaced under warranty. however, mechanic also inspected timing cover gasket and found it was also leaking but not covered under warranty. i was unable to afford the repairs for the timing cover gasket and mechanic advised it would be ok to drive if i watch coolant level until i can get this fixed. ford customer service representative stated that the i would have to pay for this repair as it was not covered by the extended warranty. transmission problems became apparent when the vehicle started shifting roughly and then could not be put in reverse. transmission required rebuilding. *ak
02/04/2000104/01/1994
 Blown head gasket; 2.5 months later, bad water pump and transmission overhaul needed. *ak
05/08/200008/01/1998
 Transmission failed after having repaired to head gasket and engine block. ford dealer does not acknowledge any connection. *ak
04/25/200007/01/1994
 Gears not engaging from park to drive. need new transmission. *ak
05/01/2000101/01/1995
 Why is there no recall for the transmission problems? there are numerous complaints found in several websites & newspaper articles regarding transmission failures/defects in the 1995-97 windstars. *ak
05/01/20006003/01/1994
 The abs brakes were inspected three times by the dealer under warranty and the problem was not solved, and the brakes continue to act erratically. engine head gasket was replaced by ford under its warranty in 1998 but it continued to leak small amounts. the timing chain gasket is now leaking. the transmission was replaced at our expense in february 1999 (we've reported it here earlier) all these problems are well known by ford, but except for the head gaskets, it has stonewalled us and other customers about the repairs. the transmission and the abs are definite safety hazards, and the engine damage that can result from the gasket failures can leave people stranded without notice. *ak
03/01/1995
 Head gaskets blew, leaking timing belt gasket, blown speed sensor, transmission problems
1011/01/1994
 Transmission has never worked properly. hard shifts between gears, and reverse gear fails intermittently. have had to ford many times in last 5 years (when under warranty) and they refused to look at or fix saying that's the way it's supposed to be (don't think that's true since there are days i can't back my van up). ford has never owned up to this problem. the 1995 windstar is a lemon with multiple problems and should be taken off the road. other problems are a leaky engine head gasket and spongy/faulty abs brakes. *ak
07/01/1998
 Transmission makes a thunking and knocking noise when driver puts vehicle in any gear. *ak
12/01/19991
 Automatic transmission malfunctions. yh
12/20/1999108/01/1997
 I had my transmission replaced at a local transmission shop since the van no longer held a warranty. that is when i heard of the astronomical failure rate of these transmissions. i searched the web to verify what i heard from the service tech. i found thousands of letters about this vehicle and it's deficient transmission. i have contacted ford and plan to continue to follow up on this issue until ford shows me they care about customer satisfaction. i want to be reimbursed for this trans replacement. *ak
06/01/1997407/01/1996
 We have replaced the transmission four times. we now have a head gasket problem with my 3.8 liter ford windstar engine. the reason i could not provide the vin # is because my car is in the shop at this moment being repaired. the approximate cost for the repairs is approximately $2,500. *ak
04/10/1999105/01/1998
 The head gasket failed while driving to the airport. average speed 35 mph. the transmission slips while taking off. from a stop. *ak
04/04/2000111/01/1994
 Ford is paying for a new engine, but should also pay for transmission failure--this car has been well maintained. *ak
07/02/199905/01/1994
 This minivan was my worst nightmare. after having the head gaskets checked and transmission serviced at 58702 miles my gaskets went @ 66940, transmission @68420,engine replaced at 71843 miles. all this happened at our busiest time of year. my daughter is a softball pitcher and the tranny went on my way to a rural town tourny, the engine went over 100 miles from home on our way to state tourney which we sent our daughter with the coach. but we missed it. after having the enginge replaced with a used one pulling into my driveway my poer steering went and the car caught fire from the fluid spraying onto the engine. the original hose was used with the replacement engine. new hose was routed a different way so the hose wasn't so close to the exhaust pipe. i was lucky this happened in my driveway. all this happened within a few months and ford or the dealership were not helpfull. i sold the van and will never buy another ford. *ak
08/07/199905/01/1994
 Ford and the dealership were not helpful at all. ford tried to make me happy in the end with an additional warranty for 24 months or 24,000. but would not pay for repairs. to sorry to bad they said. this past year we had more problems, it was very very very stressful and expensive. we had to charge repairs and put some on heme equity. think of the interest $. i was scared to drive. i have since sold van. i will still pursue this to get back $ and to tell others. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
2
 Transmissin failed twice. yh
109/08/1994
 Transmission failed prematurely. *mjs
 When driving consumer noticed an anti-freeze smell within the passenger's compartment. when vehicle overheated, consumer contacted the dealer, dealer stated that engine head gasket blew out. also, transmission needed replacing. please provide any further details. *ak
01/13/1998409/01/1995
 Forward clutch piston of transmission- ford will not recall it yet. why. *ak
05/21/1999107/01/1994
 Transmission has failed twice. in the first incident an accident was narrowly avoided as car lost power. engine failure caused vehicle to stop in intersection where numerous fatal accidents have occurred. *ak
04/01/2000
 Transmission wouldn't downshift, and vehicle didn't move. consumer took vehicle to transmission specialist, and mechanic told him that there was a crack in transmission wall. *ak
03/22/200004/01/1994
 At 50,000 miles the head gaskets went out. at 60,000 the transmission went out. there was no reverse, and the car was very dificult to drive. at 70,000 the brakes went out. we had no anti-lock brake system and finally no brakes at all. ford compensated us for the head gaskets only. this car is a hazard on the road! but we cannot afford another car right now!
04/05/2000101/01/1997
 Contacted aamco. told this problem is known. sun roof broke and they use updated one as original is thin and breaks at weld. additionally, dealer thought flywheel might be cracked and stated they had one in 2 days prior with same problem.
08/25/1999101/01/1996
 Think class action law suit!!!! ford has been aware of these problems all along!!!! do not let them get away with 95 windstar owners footing the bill for their mistake. don't get even get ahead. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak
08/27/1999106/01/1995
 Transmission would not shift up from second to third, like the transmission was thrown into neutral. coasted at 35 mph for about 1/2 mile. transmission finally shifted to third. about 1 mile later and at 50 mph, transmission shifted down into second. service tech blamed the transmission failure on old transmission fluid and torque converter clutch failure. total installation of re-manufactured transmission cost $2,150. service rep has no intention of offsetting some of the cost. will be talking to next level of managment at dealership.*ak
04/10/1999105/01/1996
 The transmission on our 1995 windstar van failed after 78000 miles, 3000 miles after our extended warranty period had expired. this vehicle has been a lemon from the start. we have had the hood bonding problem fixed under the recall on that problem, had the head gaskets replaced on the extended warranty before that recall came out, replaced the fuel pump inside the gas tank at my own expense, and now i am presently having problems with the power windows, the air bag system, and the power door locks. if this is read by anyone contemplating a mini-van purchase, i would think long and hard before buying a windstar. from the number of complaints from people from all over the country on the internet, i'd say this wasn't just an isolated thing, but should be looked into by the government regulatory people. none of our failures have resulted in accidents or injuries, but could have easily done so, had we not lived in a more rural area. i definitely would not want to have one of these vehicles in a more high-speed metropolitan area. *ak
03/04/1999112/01/1997
 When going to use the van one day, there was no reverse. all the forward gears worked. the reverse clutch drum had a crack in it and the whole transmission had to be rebuilt. when going to use the van on another day, it would not start. both of these problems occurred with less than 50,000 miles on the vehicle with total costs of $1378.88 and $341.41. *ak
03/13/200005/01/1996
 We bought this van 6/96. it has been in the shop 14 times since then, including a recall for the gas tank, and the head gaskets (which blew and we replaced and then a year later found out there was a recall). now, with less than 90,000 miles on it, the transmission is going out. we have owned 14 vehicles in 24 years, and have never blown head gaskets (engines) or transmission. these (this) vehicles have a problem!
03/01/1997201/01/1995
 The transmission failed again at 6 years and 57,000 miles. villaford did 1st repair. *ak
03/15/1995
 While driving and upon attempting to accelerate, vehicle acted as if it was in neutral, resulting in a slow take off/slow start. consumer has contacted dealer, who linked the problem to transmission. owner believed that problem was linked to aluminum seals used when the cars were first manufactured, which were later changed to steel. owner thought that alumiinum seals should be recalled. *ak *
 Transmission case is cracked due to loose gears, resulting in transmission leakage. please give any further details. *ak
 After stopping and upon depressing the gas pedal vehicle would not travel. consumer would have to shift to low gear to continue.dealer has been notified. please provide further information. *ak
04/22/1999102/11/1999
 Transmission failed. yh
02/26/200010/01/1996
 The # 3 cylinder fuel injector went out, which in turn made the module in the computer go out, and we have been informed that you can't replace the individual module you have to replace the whole computer at a estimated cost of 600 dollars. this is after having the head gaskets replaced and two new transmissions installed. *ak
02/26/200010/01/1996
 The # 3 cylinder fuel injector went out, which in turn made the module in the computer go out, and we have been informed that you can't replace the individual module you have to replace the whole computer at a estimated cost of 600 dollars. this is after having the head gasketts replaced and two new transmissions installed. *ak
1
 Transmission began slipping particularly when cornering around 45k miles. eventually, transmission would slip out of gear into neutral during normal driving. this exposed the occupants to potential hazardous situations with no power to escape in traffic and on the highway. *ak
07/28/1999107/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
08/13/1999105/08/1995
 A soleniod in the transmission failed. nlm
12/30/1999105/01/1994
 The reported failures are a common problem on this vehicle. i would think ford would compensate owners for these failures. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
11/23/1999303/01/1999
 While driving the temperature gauge barried at hot, then engine check light came on. pulled over and white smoke came from tail pipe. then van would not restart. a mechanic replaced the head and i drove it for approx. 400 miles when the engine started nocking and the trans. would not shift out of 2 gear until it got hot then wouldn't shift out of 1st i believe the head gasket damaged the engine and trans. van is undriveable and still owe for it. *ak
06/15/199904/01/1998
 This transmission started to shift without warning at around 80000 miles and began fully shifting out of gear a few thousand miles later. it seems that there are many other windstars with this problem which ford is willing to fix, but unwilling to accept that they blundered with this transmission. has the nhtsa adressed this issue as yet with ford. the dealer's computer has found nothing wrong with the tranny as yet even though it continues to slip out of gear. *ak
10/06/1999109/01/1994
 Oct 99 head gaskets failed / mar 00 transmission failed both replaced by dealer both are safety issues and have to be corrected by ford. do we need a major injury before someone does something about everything wrong with this van. *ak
 While stopping at a stop light and when depressing the gas pedal vehicle would not travel and was making noise. dealer replaced transmission. please provide further information. *ak
02/03/1996201/01/1996
 I have talked with multiple people from work, church and family members that have or have had a 1995 windstar and all without exception have had their transmissions rebuilt. most have taken the position that, things break, oh well i guess i'll just take it on the chin!. the funny thing to me after asking them to find out and also talking with transmission shops as well as ford repair techs at ford dealerships there seems to be one common failure point -- the forward clutch piston. all that i talked to in the transmission repair world say that the pistion is made of an inferior metal and that later in that year ford realizing their mistake started putting in an updated piston made with better metal. good for the folks that bought the later models but as of yet too bad for those of us that bought the early model. i have talked with people that their transmission went out at 300 miles and mine went out the second time at 107,000 miles and several at milages in between. any help you could leverage ford into owning up to their mistake would be great. thanks so much for your consideration gary clendenin. *ak
12/09/1999103/01/1995
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
02/15/2000
 Stopped at four-way intersection, light turned green, put foot on gas pedal to go forward, and vehicle rolled back. hit the brakes. tried it again, vehicle hesitated,then went into gear. *ak
01/31/1999209/01/1994
 Original complaint - car would not shift into reverse after parking, car engine replaced at transmission shop at 51770 miles, bonnell motors was not helpful so we took it to a referred transmission shop who said mfr's rebuilt part was krappy and the problem was torque converter blew while driving causing engine failure 2nd time. engine was under 12k miles/ 1 yr warranty however, have been having same problems with jerky starts and engine straining to make uphill drives before the 1st failure, so i am anticipating a 3rd failure with this engine.
03/04/2000105/01/1995
 Vehicle lurches forward at 25mph. dealer service dept identified the problem on the first upshift the transmission. he informed me that the two transmission specialists at the dealership have probably seen this problem 50 times. i was informed that an aluminum forward piston needed to be replaced at an estimed cost of $1200-2300. i further learned that ford knew of this defective forward piston as early as 1993, but continued to use them on new assemblies. where is the justice? is there a class action suit pending?*ak
11/22/1999106/01/1994
 Initially took vehicle to dealer nov. '99 for follow-up check on head gasket replacement from sept.'99 because of chugging and what felt like engine hesitation. i suspected complications from repair work performed on engine. dealer was not able to verify complaint. now know this was an initial indication of a premature transmission failure. it disengages at stops without warning. when attempting to accelerate from a stop engine revs and vehicle moves very slowly, or not at all. when this first occurred, had an incident where the vehicle moved slowly into speeding traffic when attempting to turn onto road from a stop. vehicle would not fully accelerate because trans would not engage (engine racing) and a collision was barely avoided because of this. my family was stranded in the middle of a high speed intersection with oncoming vehicles having to swerve or stop to avoid hitting us. trans eventually engaged. however, a very close call. we now know not to pull out into fast moving traffic unless there are no vehicles in sight, or we know they have ample time to slow down if the vehicle gets stuck in front of them. dealer now acknowledges problem is due to forward clutch piston failure and transmission requires replacement. *ak
02/01/2000
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
12/12/1999
 Engine head gasket and the transmission were defective. there was no heat inside of the car, and white smoke was coming from the exhaust system. transmission went into neutral, and slipped upon shifting gears. also, there was a clanking and knocking noise. *ak
01/01/20001
 Transmission failed completely. yh
02/21/2000107/01/1995
 Hillard auto park discovered that the transmission had failed while the vehicle was in for 2 unrelated recall notices. although the service manager stated that cause of failure couldn't be determined, failure appears to have been the result of original defective parts or design flaw. ford has refused to provide any compensation for the repair. *ak
06/03/19981
 Transmission failed. yh
02/21/200010/01/1999
 Driver's side front coil spring broke, which may cause a loss of vehicle control and a crash. also problems with transmission system which needs to be replaced. automatic transmission was sluggish at 67000 miles, progressively got worse--over drive light was flashing and transmission was not going into the next gear while driving.
209/01/1995
 2nd trans. failure-lst one @ 48,683 miles 7/'97 cannot get local dealer to return calls. *ak
02/08/1999208/01/1995
 This vehicle 1995 ford windstar is a lemon,do a search on the internet and it becomes obvious.all people that replaced transmissions and head gaskets in the 1995 windstars should be compensated.espeacially those that had less than 70000 miles such as mine .this vehicle is a nightmare and consumers should be compensated. *ak
12/13/1999105/01/1994
 At 48,612 miles transmission failed. $2338 to replace. no satisfaction from ford. stop at corner, step on gas would not engage, then engaged with a jerk. head gasket failed at same time. *ak
12/13/1999105/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
02/01/2000210/01/1994
 Transmission failed 3 times, head gaskets failed 2 times, ford doesn't care! *ak
11/01/1997104/01/1994
 Head gasket - slow loss of coolant up to 65,000 miles when coolant leak observed around rear head. bars leak added to coolant which stopped visible leak. currently at 112,000 miles and coolant has steadily dropped since this time with no visible leaks. apparently entering combustion chamber. gaskets are a well known problem with these vehicles. transmission - abrubptly downshifts approximately 6 times since purchasing new. has occurred at freeway speeds in od then suddenly drops into second gear causing vehicle to over rev and slow down suddenly (of course with no brake lights). disconnecting battery and then reinstalling always corrects problem (resets computer). both problems seem to be very comman with 95 windstars, both potentially dangerous. *ak
1
 Transmission failed. yh
01/24/2000109/01/1994
 This van had a rebuilt transmission at 36000 miles, and new brake rotors at 45000, wht is ford allowed to market such shoddy products? *ak
01/21/200002/01/1996
 Head gasket and timing cover leak (dealer estimate to fix = $3600). previously complained to dealer and ford (10/4/99 at 58207 miles) about a transmission problem that i now think was related to the current head gasket/timing cover problem (in another report here, the head gasket/timing cover was listed as a solution for transmission symptoms that were the same as one's i had experienced and reported). *ak
07/07/1997106/01/1994
 In july of 1997, my 1995 ford windstar experienced the beginnings of a transmission failure. i was driving the van at a low rate of speed, and came to a stop light, which was on an uphill incline. the vehicle was in drive but i noticed that it was starting to roll backwards (which i know is indicative of a transmission fault). if i had not reacted quickly, i would have crashed into a vehicle which was located behind me. i quickly called ricart automotive from the nearest public telephone, and arranged for a service appointment. the vehicle registered 15583 miles on the odometer, only because the odometer had been previously replaced, under warranty. if you add the miles on the previous odometer, the total was 51713 miles. i had to pay $1776.60 for a re-built transmission, since the total mileage put the vehicle out of warranty. i assumed that i was out of luck, because of the out-of-warranty situation, but i understand that there is a class-action lawsuit that is being pursued against ford for the faulty transmission. i no longer own this lemon, having replaced it with a 1998 ford windstar, which, i understand, may have transmission (and possible head gasket problems)of it's own. this situation is very disheartening to me, to say the least. *ak
05/15/1999106/01/1994
 No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak
12/01/1999105/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
08/01/1994
 Well maintained windstar needs new transmission at 52k miles ,and blew rod bearings at 64k miles requiring a new engine. have read hundreds of same problems on the internet. ford has a problem and needs to address it. *ak
01/14/200007/01/1994
 My 95 windstar has been nothing but problems since day one. my transmission went within 6 months after purchas., now the head gasket are gone, and ford knew there was a known problem with premature failure on there head gaskets on 3.8l engines. i never received the notification letter from ford about this problem. i had vehicle towed to nearest dealership malouf ford in north brunswick, nj and was told it'll cost me about $1400 to repair. i feel this is totally unfair to saddle the consumer again with repair bills for something ford new was a problem. they should honor there product and fix and no cost to me. i will be filing a complaint with the better business bureau and the small claims court if ford doesn't what i feel is fair and right. thanks francisco martinez. *ak
01/01/1995
 Engine head gasket failed after warranty had expired, replaced transmission after warranty had expired, steering locked up (repaired under warranty), wears out tires because has pulled to right since day one, have replaced braking system twice
11/01/1999108/01/1995
 Dealership could not find or explain why the transmission failed. premature failure. was asked how they explained it. *ak
01/04/2000112/01/1995
 This car has had constant electrical and transmission problems from the day we got it. warning lights would go on at strange times, interior lights would not go off, transmission would not shift smoothly, warning bells would not quit. we tried to deal with ford dealers in sringfield, missouri (friendly ford). they gave us the run around for four hours. we couldn't even get them to give us the regional service rep's name or phone number. we could never get to a person on the ford 800 customer service line, even though we stayed on hold for one hour. please help . *ak
12/28/1999110/01/1998
 Vehicle recalled but not applicable if over 60k and/or 5yrs old....second owners never notified of defect...ford will not repair if over warranty limits. no afety defect listed in summary. *ak
12/01/1999103/01/1997
 Engine failure was due to blown head gasket,transmission has been serviced and vehicle well cared for.
09/15/1999108/01/1995
 Rear view mirror fell off 4 times/transmission replaced at 60000 miles, and engine head gaskets replaced at 63000 miles. costly repairs and have been without vehicle for over 2 weeks just for these problems. *ak
01/27/1998210/01/1994
 In response to your problems with the windstar, i too, have a l995 windstar. my problems started in the winter of l996 having only had the vehicle a few months when the transmission went in january of that year. the vehicle had only l7,578 miles on it. my family was without a car because as i sure you are already aware of, ford does not give you a replacement vehicle while your vehicle is in the shop. another thing worth mentioning is the fact that when the vehicle had to be towed, it was towed under the warranty program wherein you had to use ford's agents (outside tow shop). the tow truck operator did hook the car correctly and actually broke the bottom bumper causing me over $l,000.00 in damages. i wasat the time by the tow truck operator that he would pay for the costs of replacing the lower bumper. again, much to my surprise, this particular tow truck operator did not carry automobile insurance coverage and therefore, did not pay me the damages. it took me two years after having gone to small claims court to file a complaint against ford and the tow truck company for the repairs to the vehicle. imagine that. ford hires people to tow your vehicle and they don't bother to check to see if the individuals have automobile insurance coverage yet you are required to produce these items when your vehicle is in the stop for repairs.in response to your problems with the windstar, i too, have a l995 windstar. my problems started in the winter of l996 having only had the vehicle a few months when the transmission went in january of that year. the vehicle had only l7,578 miles on it. my family was without a car because as i sure you are already aware of, ford does not give you a replacement vehicle while your vehicle is in the shop. another thing worth mentioning is the fact that when the vehicle had to be towed, it was towed under the warranty program wherein you had to use ford's agents (outside tow shop). the tow truck operator did hook the car correctly. *
12/09/1998105/01/1995
 When the transmission failed my husband contacted the 800 number with ford. the customer service rep would not give him a ford's rep name and number to call. they said he could leave his name and number and someone would call him back. he then called ben satcher ford in lexington because it is close to our house, and i have had such problems with bob bennett and their service. ben satcher would not help us either. they would not put us in touch with a ford rep. we finally dropped it. then, on christmas eve, we had the blown head gaskets happen. we were stranded in richmond, ky at 12:10 am on i-75, which is 4 states away from where we live. once the christmas holiday was over, we finally were able to get the van worked on at a dealership in lexington, ky. the service people there told us ford had sponsored a program on the head gaskets because they knew they had a problem. however, the program expired in december 1998, so we were too late. the dealership would not contact a ford rep either. they said we had to pay ourselves and take it up with ford. that bill was $1800 as well as i had replaced the transmission the year before for $1800. i'm now out $3600 for things that should not have happened with the mileage on the minivan. when we finally arrived home in sc, we had a recall sitting in our mailbox for the gas tank that can possibly catch on fire. i took the minivan in to bob bennett today for the recall. i told them the van is still not running correctly, please help me out and check it free of charge. i also contacted the service mgr. at bob bennett last week about what happened to us with the head gaskets, and asked for the ford rep. i asked him for that number again today. he's claiming he has a phone call in to him, but it could be 30-45 days or more before he has contact with the ford rep. he became quite belligerent with me and did not want to help with the problem that the van is not running correctly unless he charges me fully. help.
12/24/1999104/01/1995
 Complete transmission failure - no warning signs. fortunately we were almost stationary when the transmission just failed .*ak
12/08/1998105/01/1994
 Transmission problem/failure: after coming to a stop, the transmission would hesitatedbefore engaging. i first noticed the problem after about 50,000 miles. it became progressively worse. the main problem was determined to be a failed piston (aluminium). a secondary failure was the main housing do to the shuttle valve wearing out the bore (probably due to execessive chatter because of the fluid leaking past the piston). the hesitating engagement would occasionally cause the vehicle to roll backwards or not to move forward in traffic. i believe both situations to be potentially dangerous. the dealership fixed the problem at my expense; ford told me they could not help. *ak
12/27/1998
 While driving at 30 mph lost power and the gear won't move from out of second gear. consumer did'nt have any prior warning and the vehicle died out. *ak
05/01/1998109/01/1995
 No summary provided by consumer
12/26/199911/01/1994
 We realize you folks don't think of engine head gasket related defects and transmission failures as highway and safety issues, but we wish to go on the record as swindled by ford for failing to be responsible for manufacturing automobile with defective machine parts that if they failed while under certain circumstances could easily be responsible for death and injury of the vehicle occupants or other vehicle occupants. *ak
07/13/1999107/01/1994
 At 30,170 miles, transmission was replaced. at 45,472 miles the air conditioner would work when the van would first start and then the a/c would cut off. while awaiting for the parts to fix the a/c to arrive at the dealership, the van began missing during idle. i was driving out of my driveway on july 11, 1999 when the check engine light came on. i immediately pulled back into the driveway where the van sat until monday, july 12, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. per the service dept at the ford dealership, we were advised to drive the van there, if we could get it that far. upon leaving our home with my husband driving the van and me following in a reliable vehicle, we started out for the dealership only to stop midway because the van was overheating. we waited for it to cool and started for the dealership once again. my husband turned the van off as he pulled into the dealership and had to let it coast the rest of the way because again, it was overheating. they diagnosed the blown head gasket and intake gasket the next day. on dec 7, 1999, i was using the van to go home on my lunch hour. it started to die as i pulled out of my parking space but continued to run. i headed for home and within 2 blocks, while sitting at a stop light, the van died . i managed to start it back up only to have it die again. the van had to be towed this time. they diagnosed that the air flow tube had fallen off of the filter housing. on 12-16-1999, i was pulling from my parking space to go home from work for the day, only to have the van die. it started up again only to make it to the street out of the parking lot. it started again and i made it 1/2 a block before it died again. i started again and made it one full block this time before it died again. i had to start the van approx. 5-6 more times only to have it die each time in order to get into a local hotel parking lot. i called the service manager at the ford dealership and he came to check things out. he could. *ak
10/13/1999111/01/1994
 A hum/whine noise detected at low speeds. transmission service resulted in discovering metal when pan dropped. internal transmission failure. rebuilt transmission installed at a cost of $1,745. no warranty coverage. *ak
05/01/199808/01/1994
 None
06/01/199910010/01/1996
 Repair cost is $2300 if was to work overtime and pick some part time work i could afford to repair the van in about 3 to 4 months. this van is used for daycare and at this time we do not use it because of safety reasons but is still used for family. i feel the dealer knew of the problem with the ford windstar transmissions and sold the vehicle know that it would be unsafe to drive in the future. *ak
12/01/1999103/01/1997
 95 ford windstar needs new engine and transmission because of headgasket problem experienced in other 95 windstars. i never received any information from ford about this rampant problem with this component. repairs should be covered under my extended warranty, but still not sure if everything will be covered. began having problems almost immediately after buying the vehicle. after several trips to various ford dealerships, have had several tune ups and oxygen sensor replacements. last prior service was in june 1999 at rusty eck ford leavenworth, ks, where the vehicle was tuned up yet again. despite the fact that this is a well documented problem noone has ever mentioned this to me as a possible cause for poor performance and gas mileage until now, despite the fact that the symptoms are exactly the same as many other owners have experienced. corrosion problem is limited to right passenger door. the paint at the bottom of the door bubbles, then flakes off revealing already corroded metal beneath. no dealership will fix this problem, citing that paint is not covered under warranty. noone can explain how a five year old vehicle is rusting out so quickly. i've heard every excuse from acid rain to improper washing to driving through a caustic substance spill. *ak
1
 Transmission failed. mjs
12/07/1999107/01/1994
 Cost to repair is $1,500! no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak
11/20/1998112/01/1994
 Second gear failed. first gear performed fine but the shift into second resulted in high engine rpm and no transfer of power to wheels. third and fourth gear worked. $1,700 in repairs to rebuild electronic overdrive trans axle and torque convertor. *mjs
02/01/1999108/01/1995
 Driving in freeway vehicle started to chug. no warning lights came on the best i came remember. finished driving home thinking i'll get a tuneup on monday. sunday evening i drove to repair shop, (perfect tune) to have a tuneup done first thing in the morning. the shop called and told my husband a head gasket had blown and we had to replace the engine. i wrote to fords trying to get some assistance and also called them. i was told it was out of warranty and they would not considered any help or reimbursement to me. after the engine was replaced the vehicle still seemed to run rough. i took it back to perfect tune thinking ti was the engine (so did they). this went on for months having them look for the problem and trying to fix it. finally they said they couldn't figure out what was wrong and said i better take it to the ford dealer. i took it to brighton ford and they determined it was a bad transmission. within appoximately 6 months i had to replace the engine and the transmission. recently my sister saw a news report on windstars having problems with the head gaskets thus causing the engine trouble. is there also problems with the transmission. hope you can help. thankyou
11/30/199904/01/1994
 This vehicle has had problem from the day we purchased. most recently, it is currently at dlrship for service due to engine overheating, just short of van catching fire. prior to this, we had to replace the transmission (approx. 1 1/2- 2yrs. ago). at this point, we are truly concerned about the safety of this vehicle even after repair.
07/20/1999110/01/1997
 Transmission failed first making van dangerous to drive on the freeway. engine failed shortly after having transmission rebuilt by ford dealer. engine warning light reported to dealer several times before warranty mileage expired, but ford never warned us
12/01/199908/01/1994
 In the time from july 1999 to december 1, 1999 the following components have completely failed: automatic transmission, head gasket, timing chain cover gasket, valve cover gasket. the cost has now run over $5,000 and ford will not admit one ounce of responsibility despite having previous secret warranties on exactly these components on exactly this engine and transmission.
03/01/19975
 My 1995 ford windstar (vin: 2fmda5147sba13869) underwent repair in 1997 for an automatic transmission forward piston failure. i have recently heard that ford has repaired or replaced transmissions with same defect (including windstar and taurus) at no charge up to 5 years / 80,000 miles. my vehicle had less than 80,000 miles on it at the time of repair (3/18/97). i was charged $500.00 ($535.00 with tax) for such repair on 3/18/97 by a ford dealer plus another $100 in 3rd party diagnostic charges. ford denied me compensation when i reported this to them.
11/01/1999111/01/1996
 The automatic transmission began to fail in oct 1998. shifting to overdrive would not occur or would shift back and forth causing a bucking motion. after first trip to the dealership the filter and fluid were changed. the the condition worsened until the transmission would not shift into 3rd gear at all. this was then repaired but still does not shift properly all the time. the head gasket needs to be replaced now at 84,000 miles. i have seen these common problems on websites and thought i should report as they are the same type that seem to re-occur on this model. *ak
06/15/199907/01/1994
 The transmission problem is reported to be a small ring (like a sponge cake) which cracks. *ak
03/11/1999106/18/1998
 Transmission failed causing jerking and bucking. mjs
04/28/1999112/01/1996
 April 1999, vehicle was taken to bob tomes ford in mckinney since the engine was smoking. the head gasket was replaced at a cost of $1001. a letter from ford indicating possible failure of the head gasket had been received 1 year earlier, but the dealer indicated that the gasket did not need replaced. when it did fail, we were past the 60,000 miles indicated by ford as covered under warranty. since there was still smoke coming from the vehicle, it was taken back to the dealer (bob tomes). they indicated that the transmission needed replaced. since they had initially said that the smoking was due to the head gasket, we sought a second opinion at a local transmission shop (economy transmissions of mckinney). they replaced the transmission at a cost of $1353 (05/07/99). approximately 1.5 months later, the torque converter in the transmission failed. then approximately 1 month later, the torque converter failed again and had to be replaced. since then, i've noticed these same two problems listed on several web bulletin boards associated with the 1995 ford windstar minivan. in fact, 2 class action lawsuits are being prepared to bring against ford at this time. i will probably submit my name to those lawyers. (see www.cartrackers.com/forums under lemons or minivans). obviously, this site has over 2,000 complaints listed for this particular vehicle. in comparison, my 1992 toyota celica has just over 50 complaints listed. it would seem like ford has known about these 2 problems for a long time and has continued to ignore the complaints. many people who have contacted their customer service personnel have been very disappointed at the lack of cooperation received. i will register a complaint with them, although i sincerely doubt that it will be of much value. this is a case where our government could be of extreme value to the consumer. please do what's right and necessary. thank-you.
11/20/1999112/01/1994
 Transmission downshifts when vehicle is coasting, then upshifts when throttle is reapplied.
11/11/199912/01/1994
 Door ajar light and chime remain on when all doors are securely closed.
208/01/1999
 Transmission: needs to be replaced at 64527 miles, headgaskets were replaced at 48000 miles and need to be replaced again at 64527 miles.
10/01/1997
 Transmission going to fail soon; dealership failed to diagnose in 1997 under oem warranty. head gasket blew, dealership repaired at no cost. gasoline smells during and after driving. *ak
08/23/1998202/01/1996
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
07/01/1994
 Failure of forward clutch piston. orginal was made of aluminum and was replaced with a steel piston. work done by an independent transmission shop due to the dealer refusing to cover the costs. also have had problems with head gaskets, electric harness, ignition wiring
09/10/199906/01/1995
 Transmission jerks foward after stops. and rolls backward on slight inclines. causing the potential to collide with surrounding vehicles. *ak
02/17/1999106/01/1996
 Engine head gasket blew,causing white smoke to eminate from tailpipe and engine to overheat, resulting in destruction of engine. i had to replace both head gaskets, and had a remanufactured engine installed. my transmission and power steering rack also failed before this. what next? *ak
09/22/199907/01/1998
 The check engine light was coming on anytime i drove on an trip over 60 miles. after having it checked out and checked out, i could never get an answer about the problem. found out later that it was due to the head gasket being bad and dumping engine coolant throug the exhaust which in turn destroyed the catatlytic converter and sensor. however the computer would never give the codes that this was the problem. while checking this problem out, i had it in a transmission shop that knew of ford's transmission problems, and stated that this windstar had all the signs of a leaking aluminum pump in the transmi. cost was just under $1000. still the problem was not fixed. a guy said to check the exhaust, so i had the exhaust checked and found the catalytic convertor had melted down. had them replaced, still the problem was not fixed. my mechanic happened to be talking to the parts dept at a ford dealer and they mentioned the secret recall on the motor. so i checked on it and they said the mileage was too high (keep in mind that the van was doing this when i purchased it at 82,000). my mechanic pulled the head off and replaced the front head gasket where the #4 cylinder had blown the gasket. he replaced all fluids. several hundred miles later the motors main bearings went out due to having had engine coolant mixed with it for so long (told to me by the springfield, il ford dealer where i was when the motor blew and by the springfield, mo ford dealer where i live). ford refuses to fix the problem and i can give you addresses of hundreds of other people who are having this problem, and this is just a group of people on the web, how many thousands of people don't know anything about this problem? ford claims to have sent out recalls, but i have never received one nor have any others that i have talked with except for one guy i work with. he bought his van used and received this recall. i have gotten a recall on my van hood so they know where i live. thanks, db.
11/05/1999107/01/1994
 The head gasket blew and we received a recall notice that ford would cover up to 5 yrs. or 60,000 miles, if they know they have a defective product, how can they put a cap on this. this has happened to many vans from 95 we were lucky we were not on the hi
10/01/1999105/01/1998
 Will it take a fatality before ford is made to recall this transmission? you say you do not need a specific number of complaints to force a manufacter recall . why isnt something being done? customer service reps at ford dont even understand, i was told by a customer service rep named nick that ford must have its own reasons why they have not recalled the transmission well of course money!! i have had several close calls in my van. it decides to not go into reverse or drive and will slip out of gear. i have to have another transmission installed at around 2grand. why has nothing been done? this is a reoccuring problem! when someone is killed it will be to late!! please investigate this problem. i wear my seatbelt, i dont drink and drive but im in danger everytime i drive this van. i just pray i dont kill myself or someone else. the amount of these vehicles on the road is staggering. anyone one of them could have transmission failure at any time. so next time you see one keep your distance! one more question , would you let your family ride around in a death trap? i think not. please make ford do what is right. they saved a few bucks by installing an aluminum piston, but they put a lot of lives in danger.
10/28/1999109/01/1994
 We have just experienced the same problems that many owners of 95 windstars complain about - blown head gaskets and transmission problems. we currently have our van in the shop and will be paying about $5,000 in repairs for both problems. ford brushed us off since our car is over the 60,000 mile point.
09/23/1999107/01/1998
 Transmission failed, burnt fluid, shuddering at highway speed, harsh engagement when starting out - required a transmission rebuild - ford contacted but provided no compensation
05/02/1998205/01/1996
 We have replaced the transmission twice. the first time at 72,000 miles and then again at 94,000 miles. the brake pads, rotors, tie rods, rear whell cylinders, front drive axle have also been replaced. the pads 4 times and the rotors twice, ground down in between. now the head gasket has blown and possible caused enough damage to warrant replacing the whole engine.
08/25/1998207/01/1996
 I have had numerous small problems with my windstar. large problems begin with the transmission going out in august of 1998. november 2, 1999 while driving at a speed of 35 mph my temperature guage read hot. i stopped immediately to allow the engine to cool down. when the guage showed within the normal range, i turned the car on and it shook and white billowing smoke rolled from the vehicle. i have also had problems with water being retained in the passenger side headlight, the doorlock motor, the driver window sticking and numerous additional small problems.
02/17/19992
 Transmission replaced however continues to experience problems with surging. mjs
06/15/1998
 While driving on highway about 30-40mph on vacation vehicle failed to shift into gear, ande was engulfed with smoke. pulled over and had vehicle towed to a transmission shop. contacted dealer, and had the transmission replaced but it was not under warranty. *ak
03/15/19981
 While driving transmission would come out of gear and cause vehicle to stop operating until gear kicked back in. this condition could lead to a vehicle collision. transmission was inspected and rebuilt by a independent repairs shop. *ak *ml
08/15/1999104/01/1998
 We have had the same defects/repairs that most of the other windstar owners have had. ford motor company will not assist in helping to pay for these repairs. we feel that ford motor company knows that these problems are because of their design flaws, but they are not standing behind their product. our most expensive repair has been the engine which needed to be rebuilt. per the ford dealers, and other sources, this is due to engine coolant leaking into the engines, and has been occurring approx. 10,000- 20,000 miles after the head gaskets have been replaced.
10/18/1999111/01/1998
 Virtually no first gear. at a complete stop it would hesitate until approximately 2.5 rpm and then take off. transmission was replaced, but one week later engine head gasket blew. *ak
05/19/1999109/01/1994
 No summary
10/09/1999110/01/1994
 Recall for engine head gasket, wiring, also had cracked wheel and transmission problems. *ak
10/14/1999106/01/1996
 For the past week the vehicel randomly would hesitate during accelleration. today the transmission would not go in reverse. called the dealer , they said 36,000 miles was the warrenty limit. i asked if windstar's were having transmission problems. they claimed no. called several shops and they said they had seen many ford winstar transmission failures and the repair cost could be between $700 to $3000. i checked your site and i see hundres of windsatr transmission failures. i want you to add me to your list and help me to get ford to take care of their poor design and manufacturing. repairing my vehichle and all others in my situation at no cost is the only right thing to do. i will contact ford consumer affairs in the morning and see what they say.
09/01/199907/01/1996
 Forward piston axod-e made of aluminum and fails replacement is now steel. this faul causes transmission to fail requiring complete overhaul or replacement
11/30/1998111/01/1998
 Vehicle is one of many 1995 windstars to blow a head gasket without owner neglect and have its transmission fail without owner neglect or overuse.
10/01/1999104/01/1994
 The automatic transmission on the vehicle needs to be rebuilt. at 80,000 miles. i do not tow with the vehicle nor did i abuse it. i am the original owner and the cars has been well maintained.
07/01/1997106/01/1994
 No summary
10/09/1999111/01/1994
 In the past four months, this vehicle has had the following repairs: 6/17/99: coolant leak, resulting in replacing head gasket and water pump, rear wheel brakes seized, scheduled tune-up.total cost $1688.21. cost of tune-up was $272.92. 7/22/99: remove engine and install re-manufactured engine. total cost $4,087.88. 8/23/99: oil leak. main engine seal leaking: total cost: no charge. prior to this we have had a temperature gauge malfunction, new starter motor, abs brake malfunction, sliding door recall and rear courtesy light would not go off. now the automatic transmision has failed.
05/20/1999111/01/1996
 In march 1999 the head gasket failed on my 1995 ford windstar.the failure occurred at 75000 miles which was beyond ford's extended warrenty for this defect by 15000 miles as well as being beyond the dec.1998 cutoff date.when we contacted ford's customer relations department we were told this was normal wear and tear so we had to eat the $1000 repair bill.in may 1999,on the way home from work after midnight the low oil pressure warning indicator came on.the upsot of this was a complete engine rebuild again at my expense;$2800.00.last monday,october 4,1999 on the way back to louisville,ky.from waymart,pa. in maryland the transaxle gave out 600 miles from home.repair bill for this,$1800.00.the safety issue in all of this?anytime you are stranded along the side of the interstate away from home after dark your safety is in jeapordy.
06/17/1999104/01/1995
 Internal transmission breakdown occurred caused by defective product and ford company refuses to accept responsiblity for repair.
09/27/1999104/01/1996
 I have found a plethera of information on the web about this defective foward clutch piston. it amazes me that ford has not recalled such an engineering failure! please help. if you need me to send you the web site, please let me know.
06/09/1999104/01/1995
 No summary.
09/24/1999111/01/1996
 Took the car in to the dealer 31000 miles to have transmission checked out becuase it was shifting hard. they said it was fine. 20000 mile later it goes out.
09/23/1999
 Transmission will not engage at times and at others disengages ..... bringing to dealer this week
09/01/1998205/01/1997
 In researching defect found in the ford winstar, i have found numerous complaints by other owners about transmission failure. i have spoken with my local ford dealer about this problem and he has acknowledged numerous (more than normal) failures in this model. transmission failure is a safety related issue as the vehicle failed during driving on a busy interstate and had to be quickly driven off the freeway under limited power across several lanes of traffic.
07/12/1999110/01/1994
 Transmission seized due to broken impeller while at dealer (family ford - carlisle, pa). could have caused accident had it happened while driving.
09/23/1999112/01/1994
 This transmission is intermittantly not going into gear and when it is in gear and you are reversing direction (reverse to drive), it intermittantly lunges forward requiring you to have the brake on very firmly to avoid hitting the car ahead. transmision doesn't always engage firmly when going between gears.
09/22/1999103/01/1995
 Transmission - cracked aluminum piston, no 1st or reverse, had to shift to second,brake, and increase rpms to engage in 2nd. flywheel cracked resulting in immediate loss of power on residential street. head gasket blew on residential street while stopped. anti freeze leaking out of muffler, engine overheat.
01/01/1999
 Transmission slips starting from a start position.slips on upshift.consumer has contacted dealer and manufacturer. this is the third transmission. *ak
06/25/1999106/01/1995
 Sudden and complete failure of transmition. replacement needed
07/15/1999
 Transmission won't shift into gear.the aluminum piston is cracked. it does not allow the fluid to build up sufficiently. contacted dealer and manufacturer. *ak
01/11/199907/01/1998
 I have been extremely dissatisfied with the quality of my ford windstar. with the transmission repair i will have invested close to $4000 in the van. i have surprised and outraged by what i have found. i have searched the web and found hundreds of people that have had exactly the same problems. the ones that have called have gotten the same answer i have sorry, we can't help that is not under warranty. i have found that i am not alone and i am hoping the government will step and make ford stand behind their product. quality is job 1 what a crock!
05/01/199706/01/1994
 No summary
08/22/1999110/01/1994
 Transmission failed to engage at times. vehicle surged once transmission was engaged. caused dangerous situation in congested traffic
07/17/19992
 Transmission would not shift properly. would make clunking noises. will be taking vehicle to dealer to have mechanic check it. *ak transmission overhauled due to severe slipping. *mjs
06/20/199905/01/1995
 Transmission failure causes inadvertent lunging acceleration. 6 windstars at the transmission shop at one time for same failure.
03/15/1999101/01/1995
 No summary
09/16/1999106/01/1997
 The failure is a planetary gear. this problem from what i have uncovered is due to aluminum piston valves and insuficient hose/orfice for the transmission fluid. have found out through the internet that this is a very common problem due to design flaws. what is ford doing for those of us who own 1995 windstars?
09/14/1999107/01/1996
 We just had the transmission replace in our windstar. our repair man told us that due to a aluminum part that fails under normal use is the reason for this . i have been checking this out and found many windstar owners have had the same problem. this has got to stop. ford can not get away with selling such crap!! and now two days after we spet 1,500 dollars on the transmission we find that our head gasket is shot. two major repairs in a matter of a week is insane.
04/23/1999104/01/1995
 I would appreciate your looking into all of the defects concerning the 95 windstar. ford is taking no responsibility and this seems to be a huge problem considering all of the people that i am finding out are having the same problem. even though there was no accident involved, breaking down in the middle of traffic, or having your engine die while on the interstate is a serious safety issue! i would really appreciate any help that you could give to me and all ford windstar owners! thank you!
 Would not catch a gear when starting from a standstill. anti-freeze found in the oil.
08/28/1999108/01/1995
 Transmission self-destructed exactly 4 years after purchase date. eight months earlier, an independent mechanic detected chunks of metal intransmission fluid; i reported this to the dealer and was told not to worry and that no service was being offered or recommended. dealer has offered to replace transmission and extend warranty to 6 years from date of orig. purchase or 709,000 mi. (whichever comes 1st) for $495.
 Foward clutch piston within transmission failed, causing vehicle to hesitate and will not engage into first gear right away. *ak
10/16/1998108/01/1995
 Headgasket on engine failed; this failure prompted engine damage that was irreparable. had to replace engine. now transmission is failing and it will not easily engage after a stop. needs to be replaced, according to mechanic *ak
08/28/1999107/01/1999
 Transmission slipping out of gear and not engaging correctly
06/23/1999106/01/1998
 No summary
08/20/199906/01/1996
 Transmission failed pulling into traffic from a side street. we were nearly hit broadside.
06/15/1999101/01/1995
 Transmission disengages when you come to stop. you hear nothing. if you try to accelerate nothing happens but rpm's go up. transmision then engages, tires spin and vehicle takes off like at a drag strip. any car or person in front of you is in immediate danger of being hit. problem is intermitent and you have no idea when it will happen. all you can do is leave as much room in front of you as possible and pray. i thought i was alone until i realized via the internet and from miller ford rep that this is common problem affecting this vehicle. i am afraid to drive the vehicle and can't afford to pay for another transmission, especially one that will have the same design flaw, whatever that may be. i am providing you with this information as i have had many close calls but have avoided accidents/injuries by narrow margins. please address this problem before someone gets seriously injured or killed assuming nobody already has.
07/03/1999212/01/1994
 Engine and transmission failures seem very high for 95 windstar vans. internet sites are filled with stories similar to mine. both the transmission and engine failures are safety issues since they may occur at speed on busy streets or the interstate. i believe that the number of failures indicates some design flaw in these components.
05/14/1999102/01/1995
 This ford vehicle has had an extreme number of failures. starting with the head gasket that the dealer wanted us to pay for after they made the mistake of saying it was under warranty. at a previous repair the dealer had replced the dash because of the speedometer cable and the dealer service person had forgot to add in the previous mileage. later ford recalled the head gaskets. the transmission has not been replaced yet but continues to shift poorly. i do not want to put any more money into this vehicle. i believe ford should have some responsibility for the amounts spent on poor quality parts separate than normal maintenance. so far all that ford has offered is $1000.00 cash. this is not a responsible offer. we have spent almost $8000.00. it is fortunate no one was hurt when these parts failed. these six defects were not the only problems but are probably the most expensive defects.
08/15/19991
 Appears that every person that i know with a 1995 windstar has had engine failure and now the forward piston in the transmission fail. this repair is due to aluminum piston. ford replacement part is stainless steel piston. local aamco shop says that he has 55 gallon drun of aluminum forward pistons from ford transmissons.
2
 Transmission serviced twice. *yc
08/04/1999104/01/1995
 On august 4, 1999 my wife returned home from an errand, parked the vehicle on the flat section of our driveway, put the car in park turned off the ignition and removed the keys from the ignition. she then went to the back liftgate, opened it to remove some items and closed the liftgate, which requires a fair amount of force. she then went into the house to put away the items and get ready to leave again. during this time 2 of our children, plus a friend of one of my children, got into the back seats of the vehicle to get ready to leave with my wife. the vehicle suddenly began to roll forward off the flat driveway, beyond which is a downward sloping side yard. the car rolled downhill approx 80 feet and hit a tree. both airbags deployed and the front end sustained major damage. the exact cost of the repairs is still not determined - the car may be totalled. i have heard antecdotal stories of ford transmissions jumping into gear, but i am very concerned if my vehicle is not totalled that i will have to take back a defective vehicle. my insurance company informs me they are concerned only with collision damage, not with a potentially defective transmission. how should i proceed after submitting this notice?
05/23/1998107/01/1994
 I'd like to be reimbursed; this shouldn't have happened.
08/03/1999105/01/1994
 Transmission hangs in neutral after stop-dealer says front piston failure $2,000 repair.
11/20/199807/01/1994
 Was advised to wait for service while still under warranty as it was only a maintenance item, but now told to rebuild transmission as ford has a design defect in the transmission which has not been recalled, namely the front piston in the transmission is aluminum which splits and breaks the seal to the front thruster piston causing intermitent neutral in forward and reverse. although ford issued a service bulletin to replace it with a steel piston, no recall has been issued by ford.
08/04/1999507/01/1994
 Transmission was serviced every 20k miles - just quit
08/21/1997107/01/1994
 No summary
 At 56,000 miles the transmission is prematurley wearing out, it will not shift gears. dealer has not diagnosed the fault. please give any further details. *ak
05/28/1999
 Transmission: the aluminum piston was installed instead of the steel ones. this caused the piston to crack. the gears would not shift properly. will be taking vehicle to dealer to have them checked or changed.
06/01/1999104/01/1994
 After the vehicle warmed up, first gear would not engage until about 2000 rpm, at which time, the transmission would slam into first gear. we brought it to an aamco transmission center. aamco determined that it had to be rebuilt. since the van only had 48,143 miles, i checked with our ford dealer to see if it was covered or if ford had any generic transmission quality problems with it. the serviceman told me that it was not covered since it had more than 36,000 miles and ford was not extending the warranty for any quality problems. aamco explained that one part, an aluminum ring of about 5 inches in diameter, had cracks in it. due to these cracks, the proper transmission fluid pressure could not be achieved so the transmission malfunctioned. the replacement ring is made of steel!! aamco said the cracked ring was a common problem with this transmission.ford has apparently decided to walk away from an apparent generic defect that resulted from an error in design. if this is not an error in design, why is the replacement part made of steel? it certainly seems to me that this is also a safety problem in that the trans can fail at higher speeds and cause an accident.
12/01/1998
 Transmission slippage after deceleration and stopping, as well as intermittent failure. dealer replaced cracked forward piston. personnel at dealership remarked that this is a common problem among '95 windstars and is obviously a design flaw. also commented that this should not occur on a vehicle with only 53k miles. *ak
08/10/1996310/01/1994
 Problems began with engine check light at 32,000. manuf. said don't worry. head gaskets/block at 51,000. new engine one year later. second engine three months after that. within eight months, dealer wants to install what amounts to fourth engine. transmission appears to be going, too, mechanic thinks due to multiple overheating/s of engine.
04/01/199907/01/1997
 The aluminum piston in the transmission cracked resulting in sporadic shifting problems. the transmission was rebuilt prior to commplete failure of the part.
09/24/1997307/01/1995
 There is a problem with: 1. the engine gaskets and, 2. the transmissions of many of the 1995 ford windstars and ford taurus's. they are routinely failing. given this observation, i was compelled to purchase a $1000 extended warranty to pay for the repairs. the manufacturer should recall the affected powertrains and replace/repair the defects without charging the owners. owners should be reimbursed for the costs of repairs or purchase of an extended warranty. the lemon law may apply because there are repetitive repairs.
07/02/1999102/01/1997
 Transmission: sudden downshifting with dramatic loss of speed; followed by upshifting and speed surge. engine: complete engine failure after dealer head gasket replacement, resulting in sudden loss of speed and maneuverability. similar experiences frequently reported in various public forums by many owners of the same engine and transmission models.
04/01/1996
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
07/01/1999210/01/1994
 Blown head gasket and front engine timing cover leak. minimum estimate from dealer is $1900. we contacted ford motor who offered no relief. we also had to replace the transmision at 40,000 miles. we found a posting in the edmunds web site devoted exclusively to this problem and lack of compensation from ford motor. *ak
06/26/1999101/01/1995
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
06/26/1999211/01/1994
 The original transmission was replaced in 1995 after failing at approximately 9000 miles. the second transmission had a speed sensor failure at 31,500 miles and now appears to be failing the same way the original failed. ford claims there is nothing they will do. after doing some research, there are numerous complaints against this transmission coupled with the 3.8l engine. after writing to your organization about my head gasket problem, i was very pleased that somehow ford was persuaded to extend the warranty coverage on that component as it was a factory defect that led to the problem. from what i am reading, the transmission is a similar factory defect (poorly designed part: forward clutch piston). any help in this area would be greatly appreciated. *ak
06/24/1999110/01/1994
 There are thousands of reports of failed transmissions and head gaskets in the 1995 windstar. why has there not been a recall on these vehicles? *ak
01/11/1999203/01/1995
 Oil pan leak noted @ 60k. dealer recommended fix @next service. at 73224 died when put into reverse, oil warning light flickering. dealer identified leaking timing cover gasket caused coolant to enter oil system. major lower engine overhaul replacement of all moving parts required. repair was covered by extended warranty which expired @ 75k. dealer requested replacement of known head gasket problem at that time declined by ford as no current problem apparent. at 83k vehicle difficult to start, exhaust blowing white smoke when it finally started. dealer has had car over a week & has identified head gasket failure which has also caused the rebuilt lower engine to fail again. dealer recommends full engine replacement. ford is refusing to acknowledge any responsibility even though an apparent recall had been issued against premature headgasket failure. in common with other notifications you have received and we have noticed on the internet. what recourse do we have with a manufacturer who is aware of a major design flaw and refuses to service its custormers? our vehicle has been maintained and serviced for its entire life soley by the ford dealership from whom we purchased this dead vehicle. estimated cost of repair--$5,000. *ak
06/18/1999102/01/1997
 This report concerns a transmission failure that could very well be a safety concern. a design defect in the forward clutch piston of the transaxle fails and causes forward/reverse engagement problems. ford is well aware of this problem, and has even issued a technical service bulletin to alert dealers about the problem. in fact, the bulletin recommends replacing the aluminum part that is failing with a steel part that will survive. this problem should be corrected by ford before someone is injured in a transmission related failure. the vehicle should be recalled and repaired at their expense. *ak
06/14/1999106/01/1999
 Transmission slips going into 2nd gear ( almost rearended from car behind). have been looking into this problem, and find i am not the only one having this problem. i bought the van used and at the time of the test drive, no problem. but 1week after the slip started and is geeting worse..now at each stop light or corner i no longer know if it will slip, fail or work right ????? help !!!!!!!!! i belive the dealer knew of this problem when i bought the van as is .....no warrt. sucker me........ *ak
07/09/1998205/01/1997
 Currently our vehicle is awaiting a new engine after having the head gasket replaced on a recall notice from ford last october. while we have an extended warranty on this vehicle, we feel it is not fair they should have to provide replacement in light of other similar complaints about the same problem on other ford windstars. this vehicle only has 34,489 miles on it. we have had transmission concerns about this van as well, however the dealer has never been able to duplicate the problems experienced. we are very concerned that this van is infact a lemon, and we have contacted the ford customer service line, which advised us that no assistance would be provided because the vehicle was out of manufacturers warranty by time, not by miles. *ak
05/27/1998211/01/1997
 Transmission would downshift erratically , when decelerating then accelerating again transmission would just rev up, and steadily lose speed.then all at once it would jump foward like a race car leaving starting line. *ak
05/25/1999112/01/1994
 About $1300 to rebuild transmission. *ak
05/01/1999108/01/1995
 This vehicle has had two major component failures (engine timing gasket and transmission) with less than 35000 miles. additionally it has also had one major recall to replace head gasket. all of three of these problems required extensive work to repair. the transimission problem was the most serious from a safety standpoint, because its failure could have caused a serious accident because it intermitently prevented the vehicle from accelerating, until it finally failed completely and the vehicle could not shift at all. *ak
08/19/19966
 Electrical system: chimes for door ajar, rings when doors are closed. had been to 10 different shops for either fuse replacement or sliding door panel replacement. also, wiring to windows goes up or down without being switched either way and dome light comes on by itself. in addition, transmissio: worn out due to leakage (oil) from theengine head gaskets. needed to be replaced. *ak
 While driving the transmission jumps out of gear without warning. also, when proceeding from a stop sign or traffic light the vehicle hesitates or jerks. this problem ocurrs due to a forward aluminum clutch. *ak
05/29/1999106/01/1998
 The head gasket on my windstar is defective. i called ford to find out if a recall was issued. i was told that a letter was sent out to dealers and owners for the head gasket problem. they told me that because my car's mileage was over 65000 and that the recall ended in december of 1998, that they would not pay for the replacement of the head gasket. i think ford should pay for the replacement when they knew that they had used faulty material. i also understand that ford has a problem with the transmission in the '95 windstars. when i asked about this i was told that no problem exists and no recall was in place for the transmission. ford should be held accountable for using faulty equipment. the bad part is that the windstar has a 5 star rating for safety and yet ford uses faulty materials for its production and does not take responsibility for its product. *ak
03/01/1999101/01/1996
 Is there a possibility that the issue of payment for these items can be settled in a small claims court? no safety defect mentione din summary. *ak
05/18/1999111/01/1994
 Ford will not cover repair costs of both failed systems. no safety defects mentioned in summary. *ak
05/06/1998109/01/1995
 At35,000 miles, first transmission went out. at 38,000 miles i heard a knocking noise coming from underneath the vehicle . ford said i had a main bearing knock . they took engine apart and said rods marked 1-6, but not in order?top of rod at wrist pins are blue( hot overheat condition). head gaskets show signs, rusty at block &head areas. main brgs scored thur beds & #5 in copper bed. mainbolt black smells like burned oil.. now at 56,200 ford says i need another transmission the one replaced is bad now!!! one thing to add i purchased the vehicle with 2,000 miles on it. the dearler had told me it was an unwind no problems with , someone did'nt qualify for the credit so they had them return it. they can't sell it as new anymore!!!!!! 56,200 miles 3transmissions & 2 engines!!!!!!! when i inquired about how the engine was totally defective , i basically got the run around. *ak
11/01/1994
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
12/12/199811/01/1998
 The 1995 windstar is a threat to the safety of their owners and their families. the transmissions may fail at any time and the head gasket will lead to blown engines . this car is a known lemon and ntsa must act to protect the families of america before any more people get hurt phyically or financially. *ak
11/01/1997105/01/1994
 A circular aluminum ring in the transmission failed/bent. ford changed to steel the following year. due to hearsay multiple failures
05/12/1999
 Transmission slips in and out of 1st and 2nd gear, making it difficult to pick up speed. the manufacturer has been notified. *ak
05/08/1999
 While driving at 45 mph and without prior indication transmission went out, and the vehicle jerked/ vibrated and stalled. also when consumer drives forward vehicle stalls. *ak
03/17/1999309/01/1994
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
10/01/1998
 Automatic transmission malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to roll back at a stop and the vehicle revs up, which may cause a crash. please provide further information. *ak
08/01/1994
 Have questioned these items with dealer always with no cause for concern. talked about whether i needed an extended warranty at the time of warranty renewal and was not told of engine, transmission, or any of the problems with the engine by ford. *ak
06/01/1994
 Blown head gaskets around july, 1998 which ford paid for. they charged me around $900 to fix a leak to the timing cover that i think was caused by the head gaskets. while it was in the shop, i complained about the transmission slipping while rounding corners and it jerks into gear after stopping at lights/signs. the check engine light comes on intermitently and remains on and diagnostics are not conclusive, the owners manual says drive train problem. i've also complained about the brakes squeaking and been told it's brake dust but i'm not convinced.
12/01/1998309/01/1995
 Engine - both head gaskets were replaced by dealer, then engine replaced, tranmission showed burnt fluid and was replaced 3 months following engine replacement, air conditioner failed to work 3 days after transmission replacement.
04/01/199811/21/1997
 Consumer states all sliding doors when starting vehicle lights illuminate, noise sounds, defective switches were installed. dealer contacted and cannot remedy the problem. problem still exist, after contacting four agencies, no response. also, transmission failure. *ak
04/03/1999107/01/1997
 This transmission malfunctioned at less than 60,000. we have driven this van very little and the transmission had to be replaced. i am not sure this is considered a safety issue but it is an injustice. the company knows the transmission is no good, but they continue to manufacture them with the same problems. they don't cover them under the warranty either. *ak
02/26/19995
 Transmission can shift into reverse, but will not back up. the engine head gaskets blew. the interior lights would go on/off on their own, day or night. the key shift interlock will not release out of park position. the front disc brakes had crumbled inside. heard grinding/rambling noises when the brakes were applied. been to dealer 3 different times for brakes. *ak
09/05/1994508/01/1994
 1. front end looseness from the very beginning to the present tie bars ctc. replaced without any noticeable improvement. 2 speedometer failure at 45k 3. power window motor (left front) quit. 3. transmission failed/ replacement (with only 17k failed.4. head gasket blew. i find in researching the defects that my experience is quite common but that ford has not take responsibility in some of these areas -especially the failed transmissions,. it is my hope that your org. can verify these fefects as being worthy of ford compensating the owners who have had to pay for these mfailures of manufacture. please advise me of the status of your work . thank you, geary leason. *ak
04/11/199906/01/1996
 The vehicle had just returned from florida to michigan. driving around town afterwards the engine head blew and was towed to the dealership. extensive damage was reported to the cost of approximately $3600. also transmission failure. *ak
07/09/1998104/01/1994
 No summary mentione dfor this vehicle. *ak
02/01/1999303/01/1995
 Several problems with transmission gears sticking/jamming due to failure of the forward clutch piston. there is currently a technical service bulletin out on this problem(94-24-7).
01/08/1999
 Engine head gasket blew out after eight days warranty ran out. consumer believed this was a manufacturer's defect which should be honored by dealer. also transmission failure. *ak
04/01/199912/01/1994
 There are evidently severe problems with the 1995 windstar head gasket and transmission. when will the government respond to our complaints and force ford to take responsibility for their mistake? *ak
02/15/1999108/01/1997
 Upon accelerating acellerating from stop, transmission spins up then bangs into gear. *ak
03/18/1999109/01/1994
 I wrote earlier today. i just noticed that the ford dealer added 10000 miles to my odometer figure. my van has only 47527 miles, not 57527. i will have them correct my service paperwork. also i wrote a letter to ford today. thank you for your help. *ak
03/15/1999202/01/1998
 Hard shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, also hesitation while driving in freeway. can feel shaking while on freeway. and can smell transmission fluid. *ak
03/18/1999109/01/1994
 Just before coming to a stop vehicle would jerk violently. after stopping, when stepping on the gas pedal, there was no response at first. then vehicle would suddenly jerk forward. transmission had to be replaced for over $2100. we have carried no heavy loads, and we live in a level area with no mountains. transmission had routine 36,000 mile maintenance with change of filter and fluid as recommended by manufacturer. we think this is a premature failure and a serious safety problem. we have read on the internet of many similar failures of this make, year and model transmission. *ak
02/15/1999108/01/1997
 In low speed, transmission goes into neutral and suddently back in to gear. *ak
03/26/199906/01/1994
 Speedometer replaced at my cost of about$400 for part and labor at dealer. at the same time we requested the transmission be checked because, after being warmed up, at stops the van would not go when gas was applied, then would lurch forward after a second or two. the transmission guy was out, and we were told there might be an internal transmission problem. someone advised us to change the transmission fluid and filter, as this can sometimes do the trick in what appears to be a serious problem, we did. the problem got worse while we waited for the dealer's tranmission man to return. we sought a private transmission repairman. this very reputable repair company told us there were quite a few problems with this model van and transmissions and that it was a cracked aluminium front clutch piston. we were given a repair estimate of $1200 to $1400. we began investigating and found hundreds of similar complaints on the internet. we returned to our dealer, information in hand. at this time the van is at the dealer, being repaired because ford has agreed to pay half the cost of parts and labor to repair the transmission, and will waranty the repair for 1 year, 12000 miles. i am unable to send my vin because the van isn't here. *ak
03/21/1999102/01/1994
 Automatic transmission failed prematurely. manufacturer and dealer contacted and denied any responsibility. new transmission installed with incorrect speedometer gear. stopped by state police and issued a citation for speeding at 74mph in a 65mph zone. my speedometer was reading 65mph! i believe a incorrect speedometer gear is responsible for the original transmission failing since it seems the speeds seem the same now as when i had the original transmission. i'm used to the same speed yet the speedometer is low by about 10mph! *ak
08/01/199808/01/1995
 This vehicle has been in for service since we bought it new for engine check lights and poor runability. compression tests ran in november because engine ran poorly. dealer replaced oxygen sensors ,and then a month and a half later, the head gasket failed. ford would not honor the recall since it expired on dec. 31,1999. i think the dealer missed the diagnosis all along, the gasket was failing. the failures of the gasket and transmission along with the numerous sensor replacements has cost me about $5800. these problems are too numerous in numbers, many 95 ford windstar owners are having the same or worst problems. these problems are well known to ford and they refuse to take responsibility. you must make these recall issues to force them to improve their quality. *ak
02/17/1999106/01/1997
 Transmission would not go into reverse. transmission had to be rebuilt. potential cause was piston assembly in transmission.
12/01/1998107/15/1997
 Transmission hesitates when shifting out of 1st gear. yh
05/17/1998
 Transmission felt like it was dragging. dealer contacted and stated there was a major problem. repair work done but problem still exists. *ak
1
 Transmission problems.
03/22/1999109/01/1998
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
12/05/1998109/01/1995
 Ford covered the cost for the head gasket at 117000kms. but as yet have not reported to them about the transmission untill i get the final bill (tues. march 23/99) i have now 126000kms on vehicle. i am a resident of canada, and would like to submit complaint to an authority here if you could advise me of one. thanks. *ak
03/01/1999112/01/1995
 Transmission needed overhaul. dealer recommended replacing the transmission pistons due to a new material being used. *ak
10/01/199820007/01/1998
 None
 On march 4th while driving on an interstate, my 95 windstar van lost all power and i was forced to pull over to the side of the road in very heavy traffic. the defect, that of a head gaskket, was under a recall but i was nver notified by ford nor by the dealership who is also supposed to provide customers with this information. ford will not fix my vehicle and has no desire to maintain safety ont he roads because there are many many stories of windstar owners having the same problems or worse. please do something about it! thank you
02/13/199904/01/1998
 I blew the head gasket on the engine 2 weeks ago,and now the transmission is ready to go as well..after all the people with this transmission problem,im surprised ford hasnt had a recall on this as yet.i know i live in canada but i hope you can help me in some way..tks very much...
03/01/19992011/01/1998
 No summary
07/15/199804/01/1994
 Transmission had to be rebuilt.
11/01/1994110/01/1994
 Leaking oil from seals of steering rack,oversized cylinder bore,dealer replaced . noise in front end when turning and hitting bumps, dealer never has fixed it , its been in shop 4 times before 2 years they told me if they could fix one they could fix them all. the sound is still there, it never was fixed. now the transmission wont go into 1st or reverse, leaving you maby out to far into the traffic lane with no way to back up and get out of harms way.ford has known of this defect in mid 1994 , but sold defective transmissions till mid 96. then they replaced the alum. piston that fails, with a steel piston. i feel ford is responsible for repairs knowing beforehand they would fail prematurely under 70000 miles in most cases.
07/11/1998103/01/1995
 Manufactor's defect in transmission.
01/01/1998
 Transmissison cracked, resulting in leakage of fluid onto the exhaust system causing smoke.
03/07/19982003/01/1995
 Engine head gaskets blown causing cracked heads. ford extended warranty to 60,000 miles but failed to notify owners. also, replaced entire brake assembly at 50,000 miles, abs never worked, and plastic door panel on sliding door fell off. transmission slips, downshifts, overdrive light flashes, check engine light goes on and off, and vehicle accelerates sluggishly.
07/01/1994
 Transmissions has been always a problem. when the vehicle was new it was taken several times to the dealer that after it is placed on park, thethere is a play of about 3 -4 inches and the vehicle moves forward by 3 - 4 inches. was told that is the design of this type of transmission from ford. was not satisfied at all. all along problems with this transmission. finally it gave way at 49, 000 miles. had a rebuilt installed and that too gave way at 61k. now a blown head gasket at 65k. other numerous electrical problems to list. ford is ripping off consumers.
09/01/1995406/01/1994
 Transmission has been replaced four times.
12/08/1998106/01/1994
 Transmission failure at high speed causes driver to loose control of the vehicle
02/25/199908/01/1995
 The transmission was failing to shift and would hesitate. we also heard a clunking noise. fearing that the transmission's hesitation could cause us to be in an accident, we took the windstar into the dealer's service department. the service department said that the noise was coming from the engine and that both the transmission and the engine would need to be rebuilt or replaced at an estimated cost of $4000 -$5000.
10/20/199805/01/1995
 I have spent a total of $5,000.00 in repairs for our 1995 ford windstar van - a 3.8 engine, 6 cyclinders. ford sent out a notice in june of 1998 advising the drivers of 1995 ford windstars that they would possibly experience head gasket problems. ford s
03/02/1999106/01/1997
 On 2/27/99 as my wife was driving this vehicle it began to shift irregularly, the engine revved to a high rpm and then the vehicle clunked into gear jerking forward and accelerating. luckily she was a short distance from home and managed to get home safely. on 3/2/99 i brought the vehicle to a mechanic, who informed me that the transmission needed to be replaced. it seems to me that there are many owners of 1995 ford windstars who have had similar problems. to shell out over $2,000.00 for a new transmission on vehicle with just over 50,000 miles is a bitter pill to swallow. why isn't someone forcing ford to own up to these manufacturing/design flaws?
02/05/1999106/01/1994
 Transmission failed at 52552 miles. although in drive position, vehicle acts as though in neutral from either a stopped or moving position. further research indicates large number of 1995 windstars have had similar failures. safety concern for owners pulling onto or maneuvering on busy roadways.
01/01/1999
 Automatic transmission malfunctioned, causing the system to slip while driving, which may cause loss of control. please provide further information and vin#. *ak
02/16/199904/01/1995
 Stoped at a stop sign after driving approx. 8 miles. tried to pull a way from corner vehicle would not mover pushed on accelerator pedal harder then it went. each time i stopped it would do this it would make a jerk when it went into gear it got worse as i was driving stopped for gas. went to go wouldnot go had to put into reverse back up stop the forward to go.
07/30/199803/01/1994
 This transmission has gradually failed to move from a standstill into drive or reverse...now it lunges into gear after an indefinite length of time. tonight (on our way to the dealer) the car would n ot go into reverse..and when i walked back to help my wife with it, it lunged into gear almost striking me. my wife is terrified of this car...it's left her i n a vulnerable position in traffic and on hills. this is a serious safety defect and should be the subject of a recall.
07/10/1998105/01/1994
 We are aware of other 1995 windstars having transmission troubles and would like to find out the status of for's s
5
 #1. the transmission-has been replaced 3 time and is for it again m aking it 4 times.the dealer is replacing the o riginal transmission with defective rebuilt transmissions. when the van was less tha n three months old i took it in because the transmission was rough going into 2nd.i w a s told that that is normal it shifts hard.y et before the last 3 transmission went out the shifts were smooth ,explain that. #2.the brakes.have been in 5 times for the same thing the peddle goes to the floor and the the brakes are really loose,after taking the vanin for service on the brakes they seem to work fine for about the time it takes to pull into our driveway and then they go back to the peddleon the floor .i was advised to use the emergency brake that that reset the brakes(duh).i have let it go but(i have a fractured neck and am deathly afarid that the brakes will fail and have instructed my family to contact lawyers/&ford in case i die due to brake failure ) i know the brakes are still not accepltable,but what can i do ?oh yeah after one time i took the van in for the brakes i almost crashed into the car in front of me because i stepped on the brakes and they didn't engage right away.. .f=fix ,o=or ,r=repair,d=daily this is what ford stands for to me.
08/01/1994
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak
08/01/199804/29/1996
 Consumer was driving vehicle, without warning, transmission failed to operate. dealer/manufacturer notified and informed consumer record would be kept, but nothing would be done for repairs unless cost goes to consumer. *ak
06/30/1998
 Intermittently the vehiicle will not go from neutral to reverse or from neutral to drive. dealer notified. *ak
07/08/19984505/14/1994
 Transmission shifts to neutral when vehicle attempts to stop. engine must be highly idled for transmission to return to first gear.
08/03/199810/19/1995
 Transmission slipping.
06/25/199808/10/1995
 Transmission leaked fluid from a seal causing the transmission to catch fire and burn.
08/31/199803/01/1998
 Driver pulls out onto a normally busy road from a side road and the transmission stalled.
06/01/199811/25/1996
 Transmission aluminum piston cracked/collapsed.
08/11/1998105/01/1995
 While driving 70 mph the windstar felt as though it was completely downshifting. driver was able to continue to drive at a high speed. once the van was turned off it would not move. a mechanic stated that the planetary assembly in the transmission exploded. the assembly was replaced. *ak
07/01/1998
 When vehicle is at stand still it will roll backwards, and when gas pedal is depressed vehicle races forward. dealer noted problem was forward piston clutch. *ak
 Vehicle has a cracked piston. the dealer installed a transmission in june of 96. dealer has been notified, reoccurring problem. *ak
01/01/1999
 While driving transmission goes from drive to neutral without warning. possibly due to the use of aluminum pistons. contacted manufacturer, they are not accepting responsibility for failure. *ak *ml
02/15/1997109/01/1995
 On the cylinder head gasket issue, i received a letter from ford last may 1998 and took the vehicle to the dealer to have it inspected. i was told that they check the vehicle and there was no problem with the gasket. now i am face with major repairs on the engine. the fuel tank is extremely slow filling. i fear a potential fire or explosion related to the fuel filler issue. the transmission groans mostly in the morning and at times does not engage in drive or reverse. also the form wheel bearings failed early in the vehicles life , another expensive repair was necessary. there is no temperature control to modify the rear heater temperature.
02/01/1999103/01/1994
 Transmission consistently disengages out of gear. when it engages after a couple of seconds there is a clunk into gear and the vehicle surges forward. also when first starting van transmission clunks into gear when shifted.
02/06/1999202/01/1996
 I am an angry owner of a 1995 ford windstar that has had 2 failed transmissions. the first one failed at 38,000 miles when it was 1 year old. the second failed 28,000 miles later. total mileage is now 68,000. ford motors and the dealer won't do anything to be helpful on this defective transmission. please recall them so that we are covrered from these problems in the future. *ak
11/12/199810007/01/1998
 There is an ongoing accerlation failure and reverse failure. when put into drive the vehicle doesnot always proceed forward, but acts as if it is in neutral. this occurs about 20% of the time. when put into reverse about 70% of the time it acts as if it is in neutral and will not reverse. 100% of the time the transmission clunks into gear if it will go into gear at all. *ak
04/12/199811/01/1996
 Replacement cost $1200. currently experiencing electical problems with replacement tranny (new ford oem tranny). plan on trading shortly. *ak
 At 45,000 miles transmission has malfunctioned, causing the vehicle not to operate in 1st gear or reverse. cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak
01/11/1999104/01/1998
 Transmission repaired on 11/29 /98 . only 7 months of ownership, 6 weeks later engine went was told it was a possible head gasket. was told ford had a notification. the ford dealer told us that the work ended on this on 12/31 98. there now sits 4 windstars at crossroad ford in cary nc. *ak
06/10/19981
 While traveling on the highway at 70mph the transmission died out after making clunking noises. had the vehicle towed to aamco. was informed by the mechanic that the transmission had a meltdown. *ak
3
 No summmary listed on this vehicle. *ak
05/17/1998305/15/1998
 Transmission continually experiencing problems.
01/03/1999103/01/1998
 The transmission does not properly shift between third gear and overdrive. it feels like it is slipping at times. on our way home from florida the engine check light came on. the service technician said that he had another windstar 95 a month ago with transmission problems. is this to be expected with a vehiche which has only 50,000 miles? *ak
10/10/199807/01/1994
 Upon coming to a stop transmission does not downshift into 1st gear. then, upon acceleration transmission slips and vehicle does not move. when transmission does grab vehicle jerks due to increased engine rpms. problem is encountered by many windstar owners but ford fails to acknnowledge problems are wide spread. mechanics seem to know the problem is a cracked forward clutch piston. this is a very scary position to be in when making a left hand turn thru traffic or when having traffic approaching from the rear. ford has and is willing to replace many transmissions due to this problem but does not feel it is a saftey issue requiring a recall. thanks and i hope you can help. *ak
12/01/199850007/01/1998
 There are hundreds of entries to these problems on the internet. i have tried ford motor co. and lamarque ford with poor to no results in reguard to solving my problems at no cost. this is not a consumer generated problem. it is a ford problem. your assistance is appreciated. *ak
1
 Transmission slips out of gear.
06/04/199709/18/1995
 Automatic transmission failure. *ak
10/26/1998307/01/1995
 When i am driving the van, it will down shift into 2nd gear and i will not be able to take it out of this gear. the car will need to sit for approx. 2 hours before i can drive it again. this happened to me and my family on a highway going approx. 40mph on a lightly snowed mass turnpike which almost caused me to lose control secondary to the sudden decrease in wheel speed. this is when i became affraid of this problem. the transmission also neutralizes during acceleration which has almost caused a rear end collision into me. the dealer said they do not know what the problem is so i am left with this potential hazard to my family and others. i know others with the exact same problem although they where dissabled on the road and the transmission was replaced. all of these examples happened with miles under 50,000. some days i can drive the van on 100 mile trips and others i will be driving for about 10 minutes and the gear will get stuck in 2nd. i take good care of this van and have non aggressive driving habits with this car. please help. this transmission is defective on my 95 windstar.
12/12/1995105/01/1994
 Trying to accelerate from a stoplight, transmission failed catastrophically with no prior warning. transmission slipped then jerked very hard. i was nearly rear-ended twice trying to drive the car off the highway. it was not safe to drive, so i had the car towed to a ford dealer.
11/24/1998109/01/1994
 Just 7000 miles out of warranty.
11/01/1998106/01/1994
 The timing chamber gasket has failed causing coolant to leak into engine. replacement requires 9-10 hours of labor since engine needs to be lifted. as for the transmission, after car warms up, from standstill, engine revs then kicks into gear.
01/04/199908/01/1995
 Transmission failure between 1st and 2nd gear. lurching at traffic lights and stop signs. transmission slips out of gear when slowing to go around a corner. this problem has potential for unpreventable accidents due to the slipping and lurching of the car.
01/07/1999106/01/1995
 Ford had initiated an owners notification program because of faulty head gaskets in the 1995 windstar. basically, if your head gasket blew prior to december 31, 1998, ford would cover the cost. this was not a recall, therefore, they were able to place a deadline date on it. unfortunately, the head gasket blew in my van on january 7, 1999 - seven days after the deadline. at the time of failure, i was on my way to work with my two little daughters in the car (one and three years old). my commute is 40 minutes in primarily farm country. i was halfway into my commute when the heater no longer blew hot air (the outside wind chill was about minus 20), and i noticed the heat gauge at the h. thank goodness for cellular phones. i got on the phone immediately with the dealer and he knew over the phone it was the head gasket. i was able to make it to a small town just when the check engine light went on and it died on me. my service person at the dealership told me later that my engine was at 225 degrees when the check engine light went on. the dealer and i have tried to get ford to cover the $900 repair, however, ford will not move on its deadline date. they know there is a problem, yet will not issue the recall. they basically got around it with this owner notification program. i can only be thankful that i made it with my two girls to a small town in that subzero weather, and that my engine didn't blow up. the 1995 windstars also have major transmission problems. mine had to be replaced at about 50,000 miles. ford did cover some of the cost. please look on the internet regarding the 1995 windstar. there are many, many more stories like mine (a good website is www.fordwindstar.com). there are defects with this vehicle and ford needs to step up to the plate and deal with them appropriately. thank you.
01/13/1999201/01/1996
 Transmission will not engage into gear.
05/05/1998
 While driving at 30 mph ring and pinion gear broke, causing the transmission to fail without prior warning. *ak
12/12/1998310/01/1994
 Transmission downshifts without warning and upshifts erratically. has done this over since van had 40,000 miles and continues til now at 72,000 miles.
10/01/1997201/01/1996
 Transmission failed 2nd time jan 6,1999
09/09/1998207/01/1994
 Transmission would shift by itself from drive to neutral while driving. when at a full stop having the vehicle in drive, i would step on the gas and it would go into reverse. . after 2 repairs, it was determined the forward clutch piston had cracked, requiring a new transmission.
07/01/1997211/01/1995
 Transmission has been rebuilt twice and head gasket replaced twice. when transmission goes bad slips stalling time to pull out. this is dangerous as delay could cause axident
02/13/1995306/21/1994
 Transmission vibration continually, unable to fix.
07/25/1997106/01/1994
 In addition to the transmission failure, there have been numerous electrical problems with the heating/ ac, door locks, wipers and door sensors. my windstar also had the defective head gasket which was part of a voluntary recall by ford. the transmission failure of this model is well known. additional anecdotal info can be obtained through the car trackers website on internet. the transmission failure on the 95 windstar is a known problem at ford, however no recall has ever been issued.
11/27/1998101/01/1997
 Transmission failure at such low milage is due to a factory defect in the aluminum clutch piston.
12/28/1998111/01/1994
 There are many other problems with these vans in addition to this!
01/02/1999
 Transmission failure.
1
 Transmission failed due to design material (aluminum).
10/15/199803/01/1995
 The transmission slipes out of gear while driving and will not shift into reverse after the engine gets warmed up.
10/01/1994
 Ford paid a portion of the head gasket replacement prior to the recall. dealership claimed there was no problem with transmission when i initially detected it at 32k miles. in late november the vehicle was shifting from first gear into neutral on city streets, making the vehicle very unsafe to drive. ford will not accept responsibility although they have paid the majority of the bill, leaving me with a balance of $500.00. four days after the transmission replacement the check engine light came on again. this vehicle was not safe for me or my children.
12/19/1998607/01/1994
 The forward clutch piston is failing due to a manufacturing defect. the transmission will engage and disengage while driving at slow or high speed making this a very dangerous situation in which to operate this vehicle. if this transmission contiues to operate in this manner on poor road conditions, loss of control can and will result because of the defective clutch piston. a recall should be issued by the ford motor co. and the defective piston should be replaced with a steel rather then the original light weight aluminum component.
11/24/1998
 Dp 98004 automatic transmission failure: the automatic transmission failed without warning. the transmission locked up in second gear without warning. driver was able to get off the road safely. the dealer is aware of the problem. the transmission has not been replaced. *ak
11/22/1998108/01/1995
 Consumer didn't enter summary.
10/12/19971
 When driving at 40 mph and without prior warning the vehicle overheated, lost power, and shut down,causing the consumer to pull over to the side of the road and wait to start the vehicle back up. when starting the vehicle i back up, the vehicle overheated again and cut back off. consumer is also having problems with the windshield wipers, the transmission was replaced at 40,000 miles,the new transmission began to slip because of a blown head gasket and the dealer can not determined the problem's. *ak *jg
12/14/19981002/01/1995
 Ford is aware of defective trasmissions in '95 windstar. car lurches forward after not accelerating from a stop position, could cause accident if another car were in front, slipping transmission at 50,000 is unconscionable. dealer checked and said i would have to have a new transmission installed at $2,400. check online under ford windstar automatic transmission problems there are thousands of cusotmers with transmissions and head gaskets blowing at very low milage. is there a class action suit regarding this defect? apparently, ford is aware of the problem but won't do a recall because it's too expensive. i am single mom with 3 children whom i must drive to and from school every day and i am very concerned about our safety. please help me! according to other owners, after their transmissions began to slip, it was only weeks before the whole thing blew. i do not have the money to buy a new transmission. ford should do something. *ak strater faile at 55,955 miles. the vehicle would not start numerous times. abs light stays on due to master cylinder failure. loud noise in front suspension due to struts failure. brakes make grinding noise. serpentine belt failed. temprature guage running hot because of temprature sensor failure. the consumer states that the vehicle is a lemon and should be recalled. *yh
06/01/1998
 Transmission began slipping between first and second gears, was told by dealership & transmission shop that this was quite common on the windstar transmission and that it needed to be rebuilt. they stated among other problems with these transmissions that there is an aluminium cylinder that always goes bad and that they are replaced with steel now. i also have two friends with windstars having the same trouble. (plus i see many others on the web with the exact same problems!)
03/04/19986
 Transmission would stick. could not shift into another gear. happens frequently. took to dealer to have it checked. *ak
06/16/19981
 Power transmission failed. yh
02/19/1997104/01/1995
 The part failure rate is becoming alarming
12/04/1998105/08/1995
 Ie98080, while driving the vehicle experienced smoke coming inside the vehicle and overheating due to the oil coming out of the exhaust system, due to blown head gasket. also known problems with aluminum forward clutch piston causing transmission to slip into high gear at high rpms, which may cause an accident. *ak
11/27/1998108/01/1997
 Consumer experiencing erratic operation of vehicle transmssion while driving; vehicle would slip out gear. *ak *nlm
109/01/1995
 No summary provided by consumer
11/27/1998101/01/1997
 Transmission failure at such a low original milage. has happened to others
11/28/1998112/01/1994
 We experienced problems with transmission in july on a trip from tx to ct wrote letter to ford to which they did not respond. prior to transmission failure wrote a second followup letter advising them of their lack of response or interest to my first letter. when this transmisson blew, the hgwy where my family was parked on the shoulder of the road pressed up against a guard rail - only by the grace of god were we uninjured. the average speed of traffice going by us ws 70mph
09/17/1998107/01/1994
 Took van to dealer 9/17/98 because after stopping, vehicle hesitated before it kicked into gear. dealer found nothing, charged $98 for transmission fluid change. still didn't work right. on nov. 18, driving it and lost use of reverse completely. dropped it off at dealer. said transmission needs $1,325 repair. ford agreed to pay $900. not happy, but no alternative. still waiting for car to be fixed two and a half weeks later. no loaner car given either.
11/20/1998108/01/1995
 Problem is with the transmission slipping when starting from a stop. vehicle begins moving in first gear and then revs up to a point higher than when it should slip into second gear. then, suddenly, the gear will catch and the vehicle will lurch forward. i noticed the problem and took it to the shop where they say the transmission is in bad shape and needs to be replaced. a scan of the www shows several people who own this same minivan having similar problems. one can imagine a potential problem where you go to accelerate quickly across a high speed divided highway but only make it half-way when the transmission slips and you stop, or it catches and shoots you out into traffic. there seems to be a growing number of owners experiencing problems with this transmission, perhaps it needs to be dealt with before a tragedy occurs. thank you.
10/20/1998105/01/1997
 We currently are having problems with the transmission,when driving the overdrive light comes on and it shifts hard going at all speeds including about 30 mph. it feels at times the whole transmission is going to fall out.
09/01/1998112/16/1997
 Transmission piston failure causing intermittent stalling.
02/25/1998105/01/1994
 Transmission piston failed causing hesitation and stalling.
01/30/1998108/01/1994
 This vehicle has also had numerous brake rotars/pads/drums replacement. the head gasket blew at 72-74000 miles. ford covered the repair for this at no cost to us. i feel they should also cover the repairs for the transmission. they knew there was a problem with transmissions in november 1994 right after the vehicle was released for sale.
04/04/1998
 Transmission failed to operate at 53000 miles of wear. consumer learned of other consumers having this same condition, and believed this is a condition concerning a manufacturer's defect. *ak
11/13/19980
 When stopping for a stop sign, then when consumer tried to accelerate, the vehicle did not accelerate. consumer said that transmission jumped out of gear, then back in gear without a reason. dealer is working on vehicle right now. *ak
11/12/1998108/01/1994
 The aluminum piston in the transmission in my 1995 ford windstar cracked, causing very unsafe driving conditions. when the gas is applied after a stop, there is a 1-2 second delay, then the van lurches forward suddenly. the aluminum piston appears to be a design defect; apparently ford started putting steel pistons in the transmissions during the 1996 model year.
11/03/1998203/01/1995
 There is a growing list of '95-'98 windstar owners experiencing transmission failure. this manifests itself anywhere from transmission slippage to complete failure. ford continually denies a common defect that would warrant a recall. in addition, these failures are expensive, ranging in repair bills from $1500 - $2000.
05/04/1998
 Ongoing problem with transmission failure within 53000 miless. consumer had to relace transmission twice. dealer notified. *ak
10/30/1998104/01/1995
 This is an issue related to the past, is current for me and may be important in the future. i brought my van to apple ford because the transmission was shifting erratically and banging into gear. they 'reprogrammed' it, i was told. it was ok for a week or two and then it started to 'buck or bump' when i came to a stop. i brought it then to miller ford to have it looked at as my previous experience at apple was not a good one. miller told me they could not replicate the symptom. i take it back. my wife, the primary driver of the vehicle tells me that its doing it again and worse. she reported to me that it actually 'chirped the tires, upon stopping and she had to hold the brake. i called miller again and i am currently waiting for an appointment. i drove the car myself a few times and what i have determined is that the transmission is hanging up in second gear and jumps into first on a quick stop. the last time i checked it, it jumped into first gear so hard the it pushed the van forward. if i had not held the brake, i would have hit the person in front of me. it actually felt like the car accelerated. perhaps it fooled the computer? i am ase certified and i know cars quite well. perhaps this is what created the audi problem and not the acceleration of the engine? what happens is this-you come to a quick stop and the vehicle comes to rest, about 3-4 seconds after the stop the trans downshifts and lunges forward. at a stop, your foot is on the brake. if you stop then relese the brake and this shift occurs it pushes the vehicle forward. i am still waiting for an appointment at miller.
10/10/199804/01/1998
 Ford is aware that they have a problem with this $15.00 part and they choose to soak their customers for $1,700.00 for their defective part. the aluminum piston is cracking or shearing off cousing the transmission to fail. this is their part & their problem to fix not the customers!
10/12/1998
 While driving automatic transmission malfunctioned, causing the gears to burn out. cause unknown. please provide further informaiton. *ak
10/09/1998
 While trying to pull off from a parking space the transmission won't go into gear or it just slips out of gear altogether. dealer has been contacted. *ak
05/04/1998109/01/1994
 Transmission was not downshifting completely when vehicle came to a stop. then when the car accelerated, it would suddenly shift into gear, lurching forward. this had high potential for causing an accident, especially if the driver accelerated too quickly.
09/01/1998108/01/1995
 Transmission was slipping badly. dealer claims it was a sensor. just heard on the news ford windstars have major problems with 95 trannys. government should issue a recall for all 95 windstars and have the transmissions checked.
07/01/1998
 Transmission failure, began to slip.
02/01/199801/01/1997
 Transmission was making noise and shifting gears. dealer contacted and component was defective. replaced the transmission at owners expense, no warranty. *ak
08/18/1997
 Consumer was having problems with the transmission. it had no pressure, causing the automatic transmission to slam into gear, making a loud clocking noise. also, the car jerked due to bad engine gaskets. dealer has been contacted. *ak
08/18/1997
 . cosumer is having an automatic transmission problem the rpm gets up to about 5 before the gear would change, and when it finaly changes there is a hard jerk in the vehicle. dealer has not been contacted. *ak
05/01/1998105/01/1997
 When taking off from a stop the transmission would not accelerate. the transmission was rebuilt by the dealership around the second week of may, 1998. transmission has since been replaced, owner is looking for admission of the problem by ford and reimbursement of costs. *ak *ml
07/12/1998
 Transmission went out, and the gears are hard to shift when driving, and the gear would go into neutral. vehicle has been in the shop for repairs, and they don't know what the problem. *ak
04/04/1998108/01/1994
 Transmission failures occured over a period of time. the transmission began slipping between 40 and 50,0000 miles, primarily wehn accelerating from a stop or slow rolling condition to driving speeds. driving habits were altered to insure the slipping condition would not create a hazardous situation, where possible (ie avoiding pulling out onto the travel lanes without having a considerable amount of space)
08/22/19981
 Design of the transmission piston (aluminum) faulty, resulting in cracking.
10/01/1998
 The defective automatic transmission malfunctioned due to the aluminum piston which broke and caused the vehicle to surge forward or not accelerate properly, may cause an accident. ford has a new steel design on the piston. please provide further details. *ak
10/01/19981
 Transmission failed.
06/01/19981
 Poor materials caused the aluminum pistons to crack causing them to fail prematurly.
10/28/1998110/01/1997
 When warm and driving, the transmission will shift down into 2nd gear, or even 1st gear no matter the speed, and stay there.
502/01/1994
 Transmission clutch piston has hairline crack. causes transmission to jump into first gear from a stopped position. rear brakes continually squeal. right front brake intermittently locks up. engine head gasket needs replacement. front shoulder belts get tangled and twisted at the point where they feed through a metal d-shaped clip on the vehicle interior. belt can't fully retrack.
12/01/199606/10/1995
 Transmission stopped working. also multi-function switch failed, and stress fractures on steel wheels.
10/15/199802/28/1995
 Transmission failure,forward clutch piston malfunctioned.
08/24/1998108/01/1994
 Automatic transmissions goes into neutral when stopped at light or in heavy traffic stops such as on interstate and then will lurch forward when gas is given or fail to move until driver manually shifts selector to low gear. ford dealer says this condition is called neutralizing and would require the transmission to be rebuilt or replaced at approximately $1900. another ford dealer said he is aware of this but as yet ford has not been willing to fix this defect. jasper transmissions says not enough fluid gets to hubs and was a defective design. ford supposedly remedied this on later models but consumers who purchased 1st year are left hanging. the internet is full of complaints re transmission problems.
09/01/199806/01/1994
 Automatic transmission would slip in/out at stops.
1
 Transmission failed, resulting in jumping out of gears and loss of control.
2
 Head gasket and transmission failed.
04/25/19984
 Vehicle accelerated then engine would rev fast & then take off. vehicle bucks & then slams into gear. problem intermittent. also, acts as if in neutral before shifting into gear hard. *ak
10/01/199810/08/1996
 Engine head gasket/transmission/abs/brake light switch/tie rod and power steering hose failed. *ak
07/01/199811/15/1995
 Transmission malfunctioned.
10/06/1998101/01/1995
 Transmission is slipping while driving. dealer informed comsumer that the forward clutch piston may need to be replaced. vehicle only has 46,000 miles of wear. *ak
09/28/1998
 While driving the vehicle began to jerk forward. stepped on the gas and the vehicle did not switch gears. also the vehicle just shut off after attempting to accelerate. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak
1
 Transmission failed due to design flaw of the aluminum pistons.
105/01/1994
 Transmission failed.
1
 Clutch piston failed.
1
 Transmission failed.
10/09/1998
 Transmission/engine head gasket, and timing chain failed.
07/29/199706/28/1996
 Transmission not engaging properly causing the vehicle to hesitate and lunge.
09/10/199803/10/1995
 Transmission failure.
08/07/1995
 Transmission failed. vehicle rolled back while in drive upon lifting foot off brake.
09/13/199807/03/1994
 Transmission slips and down shifts at highway speeds.
07/20/199807/02/1994
 After coming to a stop, transmission disengages as if it was in neutral. vehicle eventually goes into gear which causes a sudden jerk.
06/30/1994
 Transmission slips out of drive when vehicle is slowing down. 1st gear has failed. reverse gear has begun to slip out. cannot shift from park or drive into reverse. when engine is cold transmission will engage into reverse.
07/01/199807/09/1994
 Transmission malfunction. when vehicle comes to a stop and drive disengages into what feels like neutral. i must accelerate to engage drive again (with a jolt). experienced same problems with reverse for a while, now only when engine is cool. after vehicle has been driven a while it will not engage into reverse.
06/25/199806/01/1997
 Transmission and abs brakes failed to operate properly.
 Transmission/abs brakes/electric windows, and rear windshield wiper failed. also, sliding door comes off.
09/11/199809/18/1994
 Transmission failed.
02/01/1997207/01/1994
 Transmission failed while accelerating into traffic. possibly due to slipping.
07/10/1998
 Transmission failed within 67000 mile of wear. believes this is not considered normal. dealer notified. *ak
09/01/199811/23/1996
 Transmission failure.
08/03/1998
 Vehicle when moved to reverse does not go backward. when stopped, it will not go into gear. dealer and manufacturer notified. *ak
06/06/1998109/18/1995
 Vehicle will not move in reverse. when reverse is selected the motor races as accelerator is depressed but no rear motion results. also while in drive the transmission may slip from its engaged state leaving you with no drive power.
109/09/1997
 Transmission failed.
07/02/1998107/22/1994
 Automatic transmission at times, will not go into gear, several close accidents due to this problem. (qcaw)
08/20/1998
 While driving vehicle would not shift into gear or accelerate. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak
05/01/1998105/24/1994
 Transmission slips causing loss of acceleration. repair shop reported faulty component in transmission forward piston.
08/04/1998108/10/1998
 The transmission would not shift to higher gear causing engine to rev highly, as driver attempted to merge into traffic.
 Consumer experiences transmission problems.
07/13/1998
 While braking at a stop light and then accelerating the vehicle wanted to go from drive to neutral. please provide further information. *ak
11/27/1996
 Transmission blew out, causing the vehicle to stall, almost resulting in an accident. dealer did a transaxle repair, problem is reoccurring. dealer cannot determine problem. also problems with the heater blower motor/ head gaskets/ intake manifold/ abs system, and rear wiper switch motor. *ak
07/01/1998108/09/1994
 Automatic transmission would not engage when i came to a complete stop, finally transmission failed.
03/01/1998103/08/1997
 When vehicle was put into gear, it would lag before engaging into drive. dealer claims the forward thrust piston in the transmission had cracked.
07/15/1998
 Transmission makes a terrible sound while driving. the dealer states transmission is defective, vehicle is repaired after transmission was rebuilt, resulting in a $2100.00 repair bill. *ak
07/10/1998206/26/1994
 Inside of transmission casing cracked.
05/01/1998
 Transmission/clutch piston failed due to poor design.
08/21/1995409/14/1994
 Transmission is noisy and leaks fluid, unable to correct noise problem.
05/01/19981
 Transmission failed.
09/01/1995406/01/1994
 Transmission failed several times.
06/05/1998110/30/1996
 Sensor on transmission failed while driving, causing transmission to shift into second gear. dealers have corrected problem at the consumers expense. *ak *slc
03/09/1998103/01/1995
 Transmission not engaging properly causing vehicle to hesitate and lunge.
04/06/199805/01/1996
 Two new transmission have failed within a 3 week period. at intersection vehicle would not accelerate, transmission would slip in and out of gear forcing vehicle into middle of intersection.
12/02/199705/15/1997
 Transmission failure.
05/01/1998107/31/1994
 Automatic transmission malfunction. transmission jumps from neutral into gear and jerks forward. my research reveals that the problem appears to be the split forward clutch piston.
07/07/1994
 Transmission failure.
06/15/1997
 When stopping the vehicle and trying to go again the transmission does not go into gear. when first pressing on the gas, it hesitates about 5 seconds and then jumps into gear anytime vehicle stop., there are no problems while driving vehicl. , dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak
07/01/199701/15/1996
 Transmission failed. *mjs
01/01/1995501/30/1995
 Transmission failed.
01/01/1998601/30/1995
 Engine head gasket/transmission failed.
02/01/1998107/01/1994
 Transmission failed.
05/04/1998209/15/1995
 Transmission failure.
11/01/1997106/14/1994
 Automatic transmission failed.
05/11/1995
 Vehicle experiencing following problems: faulty computer chip/transmission missing from 1st to 2nd gear/inside door paneling came loose, and faulty air conditioner.
04/29/1998101/04/1995
 Automatic transmission locked up/failed.
04/25/1998105/31/1994
 Transmission slips when accelerating from a stop.
04/29/1998206/20/1994
 Transmission failed.
 When pressing on the gas pedal the vehicle will not move,then seconds later, it will jump into gear and take off, after the car gets hot. *ak
04/04/1998203/13/1997
 Engine head gasket blew out at low mileage. also transmission failure.
04/06/1998306/07/1994
 Automatic transmission failure.
04/02/1998103/13/1997
 Engine head gasket/transmission failed.
08/01/1997106/16/1994
 Transmission failed. failure occurred when, at point of acceleration vehicle would hesistate/jolt and then begin to accelerate.
10/01/1997207/30/1994
 Automatic transmission failed while driving.
04/01/199803/14/1997
 Blown engine cylinder head. in addition, replaced faulty transmission/air bag sensor and temperature sensor.
1
 Transmission failure while driving
11/01/1997110/25/1994
 Transmission failed causing leakage.
03/18/1998
 While driving the windstar, the engine check light comes on, smoke comes from the tail pipe and windstar slows down and hardly accelerates. dealer states that there is a head gasket and transmission problem. *ak
01/10/1996101/02/1995
 Transmission failed, causing hesitation/stumble.
12/01/19971
 Transmission failed.
05/01/1997
 Transmission would not engage, then suddenly it would jerk forward. *ak
07/20/1997006/01/1995
 Transmission failed when going 45mph. whenever gas is given engine would race & then slam into gear (3rd gear) after stopping & then taking off. took to dealer & was informed aluminum engine cylinder was cracked. *ak
106/01/1996
 Transmission failed.
07/29/1997103/29/1994
 The transmission clutch pistons failed, causing vehicle to jump into neutral gear.
11/18/1997104/27/1996
 Design of the clutch piston caused it to crack, part is made out of aluminum and needs to be changed to steel.
107/31/1996
 Transmission failure resulted in total loss of power.
01/29/199808/01/1997
 Transmission failure.
01/01/199802/11/1996
 Transmission and rear windshield wiper motor failure.
11/21/19972
 When coming to a stop the transmission disengaged because the piston in the transmission had a crack in it. when the temperature warms up the crack expands, causing the transmission to slip. the windstar was repaired at the dealership on dec. 1, 1997. *ak
09/01/1995106/09/1994
 When putting vehicle from a standing position into park vehicle has a jolting action.
09/15/199706/23/1994
 Transaxle malfunctioned, resulting in loss of control. in addition, transmission disengaged upon brake release, causing vehicle to roll backward into traffic. *ak
11/17/19971
 Transmission failed to work after 33,000 miles. was not able to shift lever into reverse or into drive. was able to take to dealer & had transmission replaced. *ak
09/01/199711/03/1997
 Transmission failed.
11/03/1995309/08/1994
 Transmission failed on three occasions.
09/21/1997107/01/1994
 Vehicle goes into neutral without warning, problem is most noticed when vehicle is at stop sign, vehicle also shifts into drive without notice, dealers have not found cause of problem. *ak consumer stated the problem was finally determined as an aluminum split piston failure.*jb
06/15/1997111/01/1994
 A 3-year old child got in van and pulled on the gear shift, the van slipped out of gear and rolled down the hill and hit a tree. van has been in shop for 3 months, and the dealer still has not corrected the problem. *ak the dealer states the vehicle was just normal. *yh
03/24/1995
 Transmission does not shift properly. *ak
 The first and reverse gears do not function properly. when put into gear the gas has to be pressed for that gear to be kicked in. dealer said transmissin has to be replaced. *ak
05/15/199760
 Transmission sticks in drive/ will not go into reverse after engine has warmed up, could cause crash. according to dealer, transmission needs replacing. *ak
02/01/1996207/01/1995
 Transmission failed.
05/15/199712
 When slowing down for stopping transmission will slip out of gear, vehicle will not move forward/backward, according to dealer, forward piston cracked, entire transmission needs to be rebuilt.*ak *jb
06/09/1997
 Consumer was on a slight incline when she put the vehicle into drive the van rolled over in reverse, running over ice chest and two bags of groceries. *ak
 Vehicle's transmission pistons cracked due to use of aluminum parts in poorly designedtransmission. please describe. *ak
05/03/19970
 Started the vehicle and put it in drive and the vehicle would not go into gear. please describe details. *ak
04/01/1997
 While vehicle is at a stop. it appears to go into neutral. upon acceleration, vehicle kicks realy hard into gear, cause unknown. *ak
01/19/1997
 Transmission would not go into reverse and would not smoothly shift from firs tto second gear due to transmission crack in forward gear and reverse drum is burned. *ak
01/10/1997109/01/1994
 Transmission slipping/intermittently 2nd and 3rd gears inoperative.
03/21/19971
 Car transmission jumping in and out of gear. *ak
 At times when in drive transmission slips into neutral due to a cracke dpiston in the automatic transmission. *ak
10/18/1996104/28/1995
 Transmission replaced.
11/25/1996509/03/1996
 Transmission failure. *ak
 When shifted truck into park, it jumped out of park and when at a stop light the truck accelerated. please describe .*ak
06/19/1996106/13/1995
 Transmission failed.
03/01/1996
 When in park position the transmission jumped out of gear into reverse which resulted in an accident. please describe in detail. *ak
103/01/1995
 When driving and making a turn, the transmission accelerates . *ak
09/01/1996512/21/1994
 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
08/27/1996
 Truck was on in the driveway for one minute and the truck started to roll down drive way , the first time truck was in park and on the truck rolled again down in driveway and hit another with child in the truck . please describe .*ak
 While parked on slant in parking lot, vehicle rolled down enbankment due to transmission gear slipping. please describe details.*ak
06/02/19942
 Transmission failed. *dh
04/01/19941
 Transmission failed four times. *dh
06/04/1996
 Failure of the automatic transmission, when driving the vehicle will stop in traffic and will not go into gear. *ak
07/17/19957
 Transmission failed. *sd
 Transmission shifts into neutral. please describe . *ak
07/02/19952
 Transmission failed. *dsh
02/28/1996
 While in driveway an flat leve, vehicle shifted itself from park to reverse.please describe. *ak
02/20/19951
 Vehicles transmission when in park on any type incline or decline gear jams up and is very difficult to shift.mfr is aware of this due to poor design. tt
05/15/19955
 Transmission seal/gasket failure. *ak
05/15/19955
 Transmission failed to shift from park to reverse due to failure of the 'pigtail' switch. *aw
01/01/1995
 Problem with automatic transmission vehicle not stopping as it should ( please explain in more detail). tt
04/13/19953
 Transmission failed, causing vehicle to become stuck in park position. *skd
06/27/1995
 The truck would not go into park and will not start. please describe. *ak
03/15/19951
 Transmission slips. *ak
 Vehicles abs braking system light keeps coming on and transmission keeps slipping. tt
04/11/19951
 Transmission locks up in park position.
01/01/19951
 Transmission slipped from neutral to drive and from park into reverse, causing loss of control/accident. *skd
04/11/1995
 Slowing down applied brakes vehicle jerks shifted into neutral and transmission caused vehicle to stall. tt
01/10/1995
 Overdrive transmission failure, vehicle stalls when accelerating. tt
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
01/26/2004308/25/2003
 My 1995 ford windstar died out one day while parking at a store. it started up again and i ignored it. a month later it made a strange noise so i had it looked at. i was told a piston went out in my engine and i needed a new engine. i replaced it and now it costantlly dies out. i had replaced many parts such as the idle air control motor, idle speed control sensor,mass air flow sensor, and now i am in the process of replacing the powertrain computer module. *ak
08/28/200310203/11/1998
 It's us again!!! on our vacation to ga, about 250 miles or less, our engine check light came on. we went to the nearest ford dealer in lumbngton, nc and had an engine diagnostic done. the ford dealer was said they fixed the problem. codes p1150, p1151, and another code. however the engine check light came on again while in ga and then went off. i called the ford dealership back in nc and he stated that we should be okay and should make it back home safely. on our way back home the check engine came on again aroound nc-va and s no warning lights came on, nor did the engine overheat and it was driving okay. we decided to pull over at a rest stop and thats when the car hesitated to move and then smoke came out from the tailpipe and underneath the hood and leaked out all the transmission fluid including all over the back door and windows was greasy from the leak. . this is the second time something like this has happened to us while driving long distance. thee vans are very unsafe to drive and ford needs to do a recall on these vans. we have put more money into this van then i can imagine in a lifetime. these incidents has also cause us unneccesary strain. in addition, our door ajar lights comes on, cruise control don't work, our gears do not shift correctly and gets stuck between gears, overdrive light starts blinking when we try to use it, the air conditioner makes strange noises when using it and driving,etc. it just does not work. i am very unsatisfied with this van and would appreciate a remedy and prompt solution. this is our only means of transportation and we still owe more than what the vehicle is worht. please help us and contact me when you have receive this. thanks and i look forward to something being done to take care of us ford windstars owners. we would also like reimbursement for our emergency expenses,tow charges to freedom ford from emporia, virginia. we also had our oil changed by freedom ford before we left and a 15 point multi inspection done. *ak
09/27/19963
 Transmission was repaired 3 times, faulty processor replaced on two of those occasions. *slc
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
07/14/20031
 Consumer states that after spending a lot of money on her vehicle, to have it repaired, because ford would not honor recall notices because the vehicle was over the mileage. her automobile caught on fire and was completely demolished. she stated that wiires were completely melted. after the fire was put out the fire chief stated that he thought the fire started because of leaking transmission fluid. consumer stated she was stranded in jerome, idaho, and ford will not assist her in getting to her destination after not honoring recall. *ak
06/01/20011
 Torque converter was leaking transmission fluid ,and slipping between first and second gears. dealership replaced transmission at consumer's expense. consumer stated that there were multiple tsb's for this problem. engine was replaced a year ago under a service program by the dealer/manufacturer. *ak
 Every gasket on this vehicle is leaking, including engine head gasket/transmission gasket/the intake manifold gasket, and the value cover gasket. dealer has been contacted.
12/16/19978
 When downshifting vehicle to come to a stop, the gear would jump from 1st gear to neutral. took to transmission shop & mechanic said that fluid was leaking out instead of lubricating gears. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
04/17/2002
 Consumer stated that vehicle was disengaged with key removed from ignition. the automatic transmission gear shift lever was moved by a child causing the van to roll backwards with three children inside. ts
03/08/1999112/02/1997
 Shift lever fell off vehicle. mjs
06/25/1998109/01/1997
 When the vehicle was parked on a slight incline, it rolled backward causing a significant amount of stress on the transmission gear cable which broke when the vehicle was put into gear.
07/01/199808/01/1994
 Transmission was shifting hard, it coded for incorrect gear nd torque converter. transmission had to be replaced at 52000 miles.
09/01/1998401/01/1996
 Passenger's side sliding door is unable to be opened on either side of vehicle, and the inside handle came off. door handle mechanism replaced 3 times by dealer. also had to have driving gear replaced. *ak *ml
07/29/1998
 Intermittently when accelerating the gear will not engage, causing the vehicle to hesitate. the manufacturer and dealer has been notified. *ak
06/15/1998108/11/1997
 Transmission jumps out of gear when vehicle comes to a stop and will abruptly jump into gear when acceleration begins.
10/01/1997207/30/1994
 While driving automatic transmission won't shift into any forward gear from a standstill. after stopping at a light and when light turned green, would take foot off brake and deptress the accelerator. in stead of moving forward engine raced in neutral. this was caused by two cracked external pins. *ak
08/08/19972
 While waiting at stop sign, vehicle jumped out of gear & rolled down a hill. when driving vehicle on hwy, seems like its in neutral & stops. had pulled to side of road & forcibly shifted gear. took to transmission shop & told transmission pressure was causing it to jumpout of gear. *ak
07/16/19970
 Had parked vehicle & left running in garage & shut door; returned & vehicle would not shift. put foot on brakes & did not release; finally shift lever broke; took to dealer & informed safety transmission switch jammed. had it replaced.
12/02/1996102/23/1995
 Pre mature wea rof rear brake pads; seat belts fail to latch properly/ fuel injector failure and gears to not shift easily. *ak
07/19/1995204/06/1995
 Total abs failure, the pedal when applied has gone to the floor on two occasions. *ak consumer states brakes never operated correctly the entire time consumer owned vehicle, consumer traded vehicle back in. seat clicks and skips when moving back and forth, dealer replaced the seat track. wiper blades replaced. gear selector lever replaced. brake shoes, pads,h and rotors have been replaced several times, drums were machined many times. *slc
09/15/1995209/01/1995
 Automatic transmission park/lock failure, does not stay locked in park position, vehicle rolled backwards out of garage. *ak
08/20/19950
 Gear shift lever failed.
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT
02/01/1996102/01/1996
 Transmission shifter will not shift at times unless consumer slaps the steering wheel. mjs
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT
02/04/200478000502/03/2004
 I asked the seller at ford to completely service the van before i would buy it. he said his mechanic would. i checked the van out two weeks later, low on oil, no brake fluid, trans fluid very low, no water hardly at all in receiver, then the starter went out, replaced it no good, replaced switch, no good, brakes gone out, can't keep fluid in systems, engine light came on, emission problems, mechanic stalls for the hour amount, and still can't fix/test ii code. inside lights dim when extra. lights come on. it's a damn piece of junk and they sold us a lemon. i paid over $4,000.00 cash for it, and all they wanted to so was sell it for money. what can i do? it has 72,000 etc mile and now has 82,000. we are both disabled with two kids. we have been screwed. i can get the ford info on the ford windstar 95 3.8 it rattles, water runs out of the exhaust pipe and the converter. i want to sue them, i calld them and they said the hell with you, you bought it as it was. ford products are the worst auto's on the market. we want revenge and all our money back now. avery herring res8cvfs@verizon.net 8284977787. what is next a head gasket? i heard that cost over $1,600.00 to fix. and there are alot of them going out. ford needs to stand behind it's products or get out of the bussiness. i have had my kids tossed to the dash when i step on the brakes before we even get out of our drive way. we wear seatbelts, i wouldn't dare ride in it. it is a death trap tp me.*ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH
08/09/2002109/01/1999
 Key can be removed from ignition without completely shutting off ignition. consumer was told lock cylinder was a wearable part. a small child was able to move shift mechanism out of park, allowing vehicle to roll. another child was stuck in the process. owner was aware of other van with same problem. *ak
106/01/2094
 If ignition switch is turned only slightly towards on postion(not at acc position), steering wheel unlocks and gearshift is unlocked, defeating the electric inter-lock feature on brake pedal/gearshift. our three year old entered our car (keys in ignition) and did just that. i tested six other ford products with autotrans. and they did the same thing. this is serious problem which took a three year old crashing our van to find ! thank god he is safe.*ak
05/26/199902/01/1999
 Vehicle was parked with key removed. a 3 yrs old child was able to remove the gear from park, causing vehicle to roll into garage door. manufacturer notified. *ak
02/26/19995
 Transmission can shift into reverse, but will not back up. the engine head gaskets blew. the interior lights would go on/off on their own, day or night. the key shift interlock will not release out of park position. the front disc brakes had crumbled inside. heard grinding/rambling noises when the brakes were applied. been to dealer 3 different times for brakes. *ak
09/29/1998107/25/1995
 The van was in park inside of the driveway. one of consumer's boys climbed into the front seat on the driver side, and the van rolled down a hill and hit two houses, damaging some trees and grass was destroyed. *ak
 Consumer placed the vehicle in park. as exiting the vehicle it jumped into gear, crushing consumer in between a parked vehicle. dealer has not been contacted. *ak
05/13/199706/10/1996
 Four-year old son took keys put them in the ignition, and turned the ignition from the locked position to off position. without starting engine or touching brakes, shifted gear into reverse, causing vehicle to roll out of garage into street and next door neighbor's driveway, missed hitting a tree/mailbox/car, and then rolled forward into a nother driveway. there were no injuries. *ak
04/02/19971
 Parked vehicle in garage, shifted to park, got out of vehicle, moments later vehicle rolled out of garage, according to indicator, still in park position, vehicle with dealer to determine cause and repairs needed, if any; no collision. *ak
10/10/1996104/01/1996
 Transmission interlock system failed, allowing four year old to accidentally knock gear shift out of park gear, causing accident.
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER
01/19/200082000201/06/2000
 I have owned my van since january 2000. shortly after purchasing, my van had a blown head gasket, which was fixed under the ford recall. still within the recall, a head gasket blew again. ford told me the recall only allows for a one time repair. since then, my van is on its third engine and third transmission. most recently we have had to replace the main computer as well. we have spent more money fixing the van than what we paid for it. *ak
09/10/2000431457
 The automatic transmission hesitated to shift gears, and when it did shift gear, it shifted hard. the transmission was replaced 3 times and the torque converter was replaced 4 times. *jb
06/27/2002
 Torque converter assembly has a grove in it that causes seal to fail, resulting in loss of transmission fuel. transmission overheated, almost causing a fire.*ak
06/01/20011
 Torque converter was leaking transmission fluid ,and slipping between first and second gears. dealership replaced transmission at consumer's expense. consumer stated that there were multiple tsb's for this problem. engine was replaced a year ago under a service program by the dealer/manufacturer. *ak
12/17/19991
 Transmission and torque converter failed. yh
08/30/2000408/01/1995
 Torque converter(fmc* f48z) has been repaired four times in 12 months. *ak
08/17/2000301/01/2000
 Vehicle purchased used on 1/31/00 from neil honda with 40771 miles. called 2/01/00 to report a problem of inability to accelerate in drive or reverse. occurring sporadically resulting in car losing acceleration while crossing intersections . car serviced 2/14/00 with dealer unable to indentify a problem. the problem persisted and worsened and returned for servicing on 3/06/00 at 42126 mileage. diganosis and repair of a fowrward drum failure, overhaul transmission-replace torque converter, sublet universal calim number 562398304322. while on vacaction, crossing a bridge the car died spewing coolant all over the engine on 8/17/00. was towed by aaa to ford dealership in gansevoort, ny. dealing with a wayne rizzo at 518-798-8834. the car was left on that thursday and we did not find out until monday 8/21 that it may be a recall on the head gasket. the following monday or tuesday 8/28 or29 called to find out when the car would be ready and was told the head gasket blew out the entire engine and they would have it at least 6 more weeks. we purchased the vehicle because we cannot be without a vehicle. when requesting a rental for the time the van is being repaired they do not return the phone call. the car is a 4 hour drive away and we can only rely on the phone conversations we have. i want to know what our rights are. do we have a right to a refund by neil honda for selling a vehicle they knew had a recall or shall i say when they gave us a print out of the vans repair history all that was on it was oil and filter changes and nys inspections. nothing was mentioned when asked about any recall when purchasing the vehicle. unfortunately for us we only found out in a local paper on april 9,2000. in that article ford states they would offer money towards purchase of a new vehicle insteasd of repair of the old. where do i stand? who should i be dealing with? ford? neal honda? the person who has the van? thank you in advance for your time with regards to this matter.
08/30/2000408/01/1995
 Torque converter(fmc* f48z) has been repaired four times in 12 months. *ak
08/17/2000301/01/2000
 Vehicle purchased used on 1/31/00 from neil honda with 40771 miles. called 2/01/00 to report a problem of inability to accelerate in drive or reverse. occurring sporadically resulting in car losing acceleration while crossing intersections . car serviced 2/14/00 with dealer unable to indentify a problem. the problem persisted and worsened and returned for servicing on 3/06/00 at 42126 mileage. diganosis and repair of a fowrward drum failure, overhaul transmission-replace torque converter, sublet universal calim number 562398304322. while on vacaction, crossing a bridge the car died spewing coolant all over the engine on 8/17/00. was towed by aaa to ford dealership in gansevoort, ny. dealing with a wayne rizzo at 518-798-8834. the car was left on that thursday and we did not find out until monday 8/21 that it may be a recall on the head gasket. the following monday or tuesday 8/28 or29 called to find out when the car would be ready and was told the head gasket blew out the entire engine and they would have it at least 6 more weeks. we purchased the vehicle because we cannot be without a vehicle. when requesting a rental for the time the van is being repaired they do not return the phone call. the car is a 4 hour drive away and we can only rely on the phone conversations we have. i want to know what our rights are. do we have a right to a refund by neil honda for selling a vehicle they knew had a recall or shall i say when they gave us a print out of the vans repair history all that was on it was oil and filter changes and nys inspections. nothing was mentioned when asked about any recall when purchasing the vehicle. unfortunately for us we only found out in a local paper on april 9,2000. in that article ford states they would offer money towards purchase of a new vehicle insteasd of repair of the old. where do i stand? who should i be dealing with? ford? neal honda? the person who has the van? thank you in advance for your time with regards to this matter.
08/27/1999106/01/1995
 Transmission would not shift up from second to third, like the transmission was thrown into neutral. coasted at 35 mph for about 1/2 mile. transmission finally shifted to third. about 1 mile later and at 50 mph, transmission shifted down into second. service tech blamed the transmission failure on old transmission fluid and torque converter clutch failure. total installation of re-manufactured transmission cost $2,150. service rep has no intention of offsetting some of the cost. will be talking to next level of managment at dealership.*ak
01/31/1999209/01/1994
 Original complaint - car would not shift into reverse after parking, car engine replaced at transmission shop at 51770 miles, bonnell motors was not helpful so we took it to a referred transmission shop who said mfr's rebuilt part was krappy and the problem was torque converter blew while driving causing engine failure 2nd time. engine was under 12k miles/ 1 yr warranty however, have been having same problems with jerky starts and engine straining to make uphill drives before the 1st failure, so i am anticipating a 3rd failure with this engine.
08/12/1999106/25/1997
 Transmission oil leak from the torque converter, required complete overhaul of transmission due to leakage. mjs
09/22/199907/01/1998
 The check engine light was coming on anytime i drove on an trip over 60 miles. after having it checked out and checked out, i could never get an answer about the problem. found out later that it was due to the head gasket being bad and dumping engine coolant throug the exhaust which in turn destroyed the catatlytic converter and sensor. however the computer would never give the codes that this was the problem. while checking this problem out, i had it in a transmission shop that knew of ford's transmission problems, and stated that this windstar had all the signs of a leaking aluminum pump in the transmi. cost was just under $1000. still the problem was not fixed. a guy said to check the exhaust, so i had the exhaust checked and found the catalytic convertor had melted down. had them replaced, still the problem was not fixed. my mechanic happened to be talking to the parts dept at a ford dealer and they mentioned the secret recall on the motor. so i checked on it and they said the mileage was too high (keep in mind that the van was doing this when i purchased it at 82,000). my mechanic pulled the head off and replaced the front head gasket where the #4 cylinder had blown the gasket. he replaced all fluids. several hundred miles later the motors main bearings went out due to having had engine coolant mixed with it for so long (told to me by the springfield, il ford dealer where i was when the motor blew and by the springfield, mo ford dealer where i live). ford refuses to fix the problem and i can give you addresses of hundreds of other people who are having this problem, and this is just a group of people on the web, how many thousands of people don't know anything about this problem? ford claims to have sent out recalls, but i have never received one nor have any others that i have talked with except for one guy i work with. he bought his van used and received this recall. i have gotten a recall on my van hood so they know where i live. thanks, db.
09/29/19990
 Engine check light came on. consumer heard a rattle sound. took car to dealer. dealer said that it was the catalytic converter. *ak
06/08/1999
 Due to defective torque converter vehicle will acclerate which reduces the braking performance, also, has no start condition. please provide further information. *ak
06/21/1998
 Torque converter cracked, causing the front seal to leak. when driving it pumps out fluid at a fast rate. the speed driven is between 55-65 mph, there is a technical service bulletin out in reference to this defect. the dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak
05/27/1998106/15/1994
 Transmission began to slip and fail to engage. vehicle would either surge or fail to go. eventually reverse gear inoperable.
02/11/19961
 Transmission lashes, causing abnormal torque situations/loss of control. *sd
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
07/29/2003104/01/2001
 While driving and with no warning, the left rear axle snapped. the dealer was notified. *ak *scc the consumer also stated the vehicle had engine problems in the past. *jb
07/06/2002203/01/2002
 Transaxle was replaced at 105,000 before purchasing from dealer then 4 months later transaxle goes out(111.000 miles) while driving down interstate dealer where purchased is refusing to fix it. *ak
1
 The front axle and sway bar failed causing the vehicle to lean to the right and over steer, there is also a banging noise in the front wheel. nlm
05/05/2000212/01/1994
 Just before vehicle went out of warranty (approx. 31,000) transaxle went out. ford replaced the entire transaxle. last may, at 141,000 mi. the replacement went out. though the vehicle has high mileage, the miles have been easy primarily highway miles. as evidence of this, the vehicle still has the original muffler system, and has only had two sets of brakes in 150,000 plus miles of use. i feel it is unreasonable, in the 1990's-2000's for a transaxle to fail once, but certainly twice is out of line. the rebuild of the tranny cost me $2,100 plus.*ak
05/20/2000
 While driving on highway at the normal speed limit left rear dropped like in a blowout. vehicle started to fishtail. pulled over, and noticed that left rear was down, and the shocks were blownout. had vehicle towed to dealer. consumer was told that left rear control arm snapped, causing it to disconnect the rear axle from frame. *ak
06/05/2000
 Defective rear axle sheared off, causing rear to drop which may have caused loss of vehicle control and a crash. please provide further information. *ak
03/07/2000
 Engine head gaskets needed to be replaced. consumer spoke with customer service concerning extension of warranty. request was denied. also, rear axle/ windshield wipers/ cassette, & oil pump were broken. manufacturer wasn't responding. dealer was out of business. *ak
02/10/199902/15/1997
 Rear axle broke, and engine head gaskets blew out.
11/27/1996
 Transmission blew out, causing the vehicle to stall, almost resulting in an accident. dealer did a transaxle repair, problem is reoccurring. dealer cannot determine problem. also problems with the heater blower motor/ head gaskets/ intake manifold/ abs system, and rear wiper switch motor. *ak
 While pulling out of parking lot rear axle broke. dealer noted rear axle housing broke. cause unknown. *ak
09/01/1997106/01/1994
 Transaxle piston failed.
09/15/199706/23/1994
 Transaxle malfunctioned, resulting in loss of control. in addition, transmission disengaged upon brake release, causing vehicle to roll backward into traffic. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT
 Transmission fails to make a smooth transition from one gear to next. vehicle would jump when shifting. problem is getting worse. rod bearings was going, would make a rattling noise. *ak
04/21/19951
 No grease in the inner race of the wheel bearing, resulting in lockup, replace spindle and bearings. tt
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL
06/16/1998305/28/1995
 Several transmission leaks due to faulty axle seals.
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
02/21/2002209/01/1995
 The van would not go into reverse a cracked clutch piston was the cause . the tranmission was rebuilt & ford would not reimburse me for the cost. the engine head cracked in 2000 & was repaired by heintzelmans truck center.i asked that the engine be replaced & they stated ford would not pay for that. they could not guarantee that damage was not done to the motor itself. in feb of 2002 i took the van to rolling hills ford for a coolant leak & was advised that i needed a new engine because of the damage done from the motor overheating. the motor had less then 20,000 miles since the head was reapired. they refused to contact the zone rep. & ford refused to pay any costs after being contacted.*ak
 Forward clutch piston was cracked. this caused transmission to slip in & out of gear. part was made of aluminum. manufacturer replaced metal part with aluminum.*ak
06/28/19991
 Forward clutch piston failed leading to dangerous driving conditions. original part defective according to ford's own tsb.
07/15/1999110/01/1995
 Forward clutch piston failed and repaired. actual mileage and date of failure unknown since transmission slowly self distructs after piston fails.
08/22/1998107/01/1994
 While at a stop the vehicle seemed as if in neutral than all of a sudden lurched forward, had there been someone in front of the van it would have caused an accident, ford has been well aware of the pistons in the clutch cracking for many years and has done nothing to fix the problem in the 1995 vans, this part was updated in the 1996 model , all customers with 1995 vans must pay for the repairs themselves
06/01/1998104/01/1994
 Upon stopping car jerks as if struck from rear, upon attempting to accelerate vehicle will not move, second acceleration attempt results in vehicle jolting into gear with no control of vehicle. (qcaw)
05/04/1997106/22/1994
 Vehicle slips out of gear while moving, causing loss of control.
04/28/1997
 Front clutch assembly failure. *ak
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE
07/15/2002210/01/2098
 Forward cluth piston - transmission problems in first geat and reverse. *ak
109/01/1994
 The transmission failed because of the failure of the forward clutch piston.consumer is asking for rembursement because the complain, clunking when shifting the car from park to another gear and clunking in front end when going over bumps.
12/11/1998108/01/1995
 I was stopped at a traffic light. the light changed for me to go and i pressed on the gas. the rmp's on my dial went to 2000 but my car did not move. while this was going on i almost got rear ended by the guy behind me. he thought i was moving since the break lights had gone out when i hit the gas. i also noticed that same day the the car would not go into reverse right away. it would take about 10 seconds before engaging. i took the car to john lance ford dealer ship located at 23775 center ridge road, westlake, oh 44145, 1-800-642-6463. i found out it was the forward clutch piston that had broke. i had the mechanic give me the part, there is a crack that runs around 45% of the part. the mechanic also informed me that he has seen this problem happen on quit a few 95 windstars. i asked his what type of part he replaced it with. he told me that the old part was made out of aluminum and the new part he replaced it with was made of steel. he told me that ford was changing the part because the steel part was stronger. from looking at the repair bill it appears the new part number of the replaced broken item is f4dz*7a262*a (piston-tran forward clutch).
08/14/1999106/29/1994
 Forward clutch piston cracked ,causing vehicle to behave like it was in neutral. also, when transmission would finally kick in, vehicle would serge forward. clutch piston was replaced by a private mechanic. the manuafcturer has been notified. *ak
08/08/1998
 Van does not accelerate or take off after coming to a complete stop. dealer diagnosed a defective forward clutch piston as cause of the problem. vehicle being repaired by dealership. *ak
1
 Forward clutch piston cracked resulting in clutch leakage and engagement problems.
10/20/1998109/01/1994
 Transmission slippage - defect was aluminum forward clutch piston cracked.
08/12/1998
 The forward clutch piston is cracked because its made of aluminum, ford is aware of the problem, dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak
01/01/199802/11/1996
 Fort clutch piston motor failed.
08/26/1997
 Foward clutch piston was built in aluminum instead of steel, piston then split, causing the foward and reverse to be inopertive , and leaving the consumer stranded. dealer said there is a bulletin, but consumer is out of warranty. *ak
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE
06/23/2002201/01/2099
 Catastrophic failure of main drive line component, following replacement of same compontne three years prior. *ak
08/08/1997
 The consumer has been experiencing problems with their reverse and drive gears. when they putting vehicle in drive or reverse, vehicle fails to move. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
12/11/2001700001002/10/1999
 Abs locks and vehicle does not stop. have spent over $2000 trying to fix braking issue. tone rings, struts, suspension, front brakes, rear brakes, bearings, cv joints, master cylinder, among other replacements. over bumps, small hills, straight roads, anytime coming to a stop, vehicle intermittently fails to stop completely. have pumped brakes and found that brake pedal gets hard and loud, still does not help to stop vehicle. steering wheel feels loose at when this happens. brake pedal also kicks back, sometimes with excessive force, makes a load grinding noise. controlling the car becomes difficult as loss of brake pressure and steering wheel rocking (on decent of small hill) combined make for a deadly combination. i am being forced to purchase a better vehicle, not ever ford again. *jb
01/01/199904/24/1995
 While driving owner could hear a clicking noise coming from the cv joints. dealer said inner cv joint assembly needed replacement. *ak
06/01/1999
 The abs light comes on. due to a broken relector ring on the cv joint, speed sensor activates when it should not. also the brake master cylinder malfunctioned, resulting in no braking ability. this may have caused a crash. please provide further information. *ak
02/01/1995
 At 55mph the truck vibrate it the cv joint dealer say that the joint is bad. tt
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
10/24/2000104/01/1998
 The planetary gears failed resulting in minor other damage. several of the repair shops i contacted to get a quote stated that the planetary gears would be what failed because that is a problem that plaques this transmission type in windstars and taurus/sables. one repair shop even stated if you had a windstar/taurus/sable and you did not ever have a transmission problem you should consider yourself lucky. my wife and children were fortunate that the transmission failed pulling into the driveway rather than on the busy street that had just exited. i realize that the nhtsa is more concerned with safety related items, but i hope because of the failure rate of these transmissions and the potential safety hazard present when they do fail that the nhtsa can persuade ford motor company to do the right thing. however, i not real sure what can be done to these poorly engineered transmissions. i realize most people are probably only concerned with recouping any money they spent on repairs, because yes i would like ford to reinburse me the $1167 repair cost, but more importantly, i feel something has to be done from a design standpoint to help eliminate the potential for the failures. even after having had my transmission repair i am skeptical about how long the repair will last, not because who/how it was repaired, but because of the poor ford engineering/design. i guess that ford would have to had changed something to improve the later model windstars and i hope that that technology could be applied to the early models having problems. i do not believe that it would be right for the windstar owners to have to pay for this though since ford is responsible for the poor design. i realize that would be asking alot of ford, but i think that fords positive longterm public opinion might be in jeopardy. i have already decided that this will be the first and last ford i ever own. i hate that too, because i try to buy american and that limits my choices somewhat. thanks for this site
05/05/1998
 While driving at 30 mph ring and pinion gear broke, causing the transmission to fail without prior warning. *ak
10/29/19981
 While driving and coming to a stop and appying the gas pedal, the vehicle jerked and took off. the aluminum piston went bad, and the kennedy transmission it with a steel pistion, and the shifting wasn't acting properly. *ak
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT
108/01/1994
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
06/01/1998104/01/1994
 Upon stopping car jerks as if struck from rear, upon attempting to accelerate vehicle will not move, second acceleration attempt results in vehicle jolting into gear with no control of vehicle. (qcaw)
05/04/1997106/22/1994
 Transmissions fails to engage correct gear, causing vehicle to lunge after stopping.
POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - UNIVERSAL JOINT
08/02/1996105/01/1994
 Transaxle failed. *dh
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
07/15/2002210/01/2098
 Forward cluth piston - transmission problems in first geat and reverse. *ak
07/01/2001108/05/1994
 The transmission fails to engage 1st gear after coming to a stop or when selecting drive(first gear piston cracked).*jb
07/06/1999110/01/1994
 Consumer stated ransmission is hard to shift into gear. *jg
105/21/2001
 Consumer states the transmission slips.*yd
07/06/1999110/01/1994
 Consumer stated ransmission is hard to shift into gear. *jg
105/21/2001
 Consumer states the transmission slips.*yd
06/01/20011
 The transmission failed to engage 1st gear after the vehicle had stopped, or when selecting drive. *yh
1
 Transmission failed one month after consumer's extended warranty. vehicle is experiencing engine and engine cooling problems, head gasket blew causing timing cover gasket to fail, after repair of head gasket, engine started to rattle, now there is a bearing problem which is due to vehicle overheating, dealer stated vehicle needs a new engine. *slc the transmission failed the head gasket blew the timing cover gasket failed. the consumer wants reimbursment from the manufacturer for the above failed parts that had been replaced.
09/27/19963
 Transmission was repaired 3 times, faulty processor replaced on two of those occasions. *slc
01/12/20001
 The transmission pump was replaced and the vehicle would not go into reverse. *slc
11/01/19963
 Transmission failed 3 times, the original transmission was replaced at 13,000 miles, the second at 42,000 and the third at 45,500. *et
1
 Transmission failed. nlm
12/29/19991
 Transmission reverse gear failed. nlm
2
 The rebuilt transmission is acting up with only 32000 miles on it. nlm
2
 The transmission was rebuilt and is acting up again with only 32000 mile on it. nlm
12/17/19991
 The piston clutch failed causing sudden gear engagement which violently projected the vehicle forward or backward, consumer had the entire transmission rebuilt. nlm
12/01/19991
 Speedometer pinion gear failed. yh
304/01/1996
 Transmission failed. nlm
04/03/199706/01/1995
 I am exasperated at my losses and frustrated trying to recoup my money. i wish to achieve an amicable resolution with ford. please assist. thank you, sincerely, nicola zanghi. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak
1
 Transmission failed. nlm
1
 Transmission had to be rebuilt. nlm
110/01/1996
 Transmission failed causing vehicle to stall when making turns. nlm
08/07/1999109/01/1995
 On 12/21/98 (50,795 miles), our windstar had been bucking and began overheating. we had the transmission serviced, the thermostat replaced, and the coolant flushed. on 12/27/98 we began to emit white smoke from the exhaust. the following day it was towed to ford which replaced a blown head gasket under recall. however, we had to replace with a re-built transmission at a cost of $1,993 since we were over 50,000 miles. a transmission leak repaired on 5/17-18/99 (56,866 miles) under warranty. on 8/7/99 we had our gas tank replaced at a cost of $445 due to what the technician called a stress fracture - an inherent defect.
04/27/199905/01/1994
 After researching the internet, i learned that many customers have had to replace transmissions in the windstar before reaching 50,000 miles and replace head gaskets around 70,000 miles. the cost of both repairs is expensive and ford does not cover these expenses if you did not respond to a letter they say they sent everyone. i feel that ford should pay to correct the problem which they know exists.
04/01/1999
 The windstar is very unsafe. the transmission has failed three times, always while vehicle is in traffic, sometimes at high speeds. the head gasket failure causes serious other engine compnonets to fail, eventually causing complete engine failure, which can also occur suddenly while in traffic.
06/01/1994
 Called the dealer about the troubled head gasket. dealer commented that there is a recall, but the millage can't exceed 60k. i told the dealer that there was another recall on the passenger air bag eye burning gases when deployed the dealer commented the recall, but again the millege of the vehicle couldn't exceed 50,000. at no time did i receive a recall notice. also, i'm now have problems with the transmission park selection. it won't release or dis-engage.
03/19/1997310/01/1994
 Third transmission failure.
06/25/199803/31/1995
 Vehicle suddenly loss power for several seconds, the rpm's would go from approximately 2,000 to 5,000, there would be a surge, power would return and the rpm's would return to 2,000.
08/20/1998
 Judging from the number of complaints with regard to early windstar transmission failures on the net, it would appear that i am not the only one wha has had some difficulty with this model...
12/01/1997
 Bob keim replace control arm / spindle assembly first week of jan. 1998. this was covered under ford 3 year 36 month warranty. bob keim would not replace transmission as 36 month warranty expired april 3rd which was the date that vehicle was originally put into service. amco completely rebuild transmission for me 5/15/98 at a cost of $1,958.99
1
 Design of vehicle caused the transmission to fail.
11/11/1994204/16/1995
 The transmission has been replaced twice. the current transmission is slipping and banging as the last to did prior to failure.
 Transmission had to be replaced twice and there are constant brake problems that seem to be unrepairable.
06/24/1994
 Transmission gone bad, possible due to aluminum piston versus the new steel one used on the newer models
08/26/199804/01/1995
 Transmission failure 5 months after warranty.
08/21/1998107/29/1994
 While at stop car appears to be in neutral then suddenly lurches forward.
10/29/1997702/12/1996
 Transmission leaks.
07/30/1998107/21/1998
 Transmission failure, causing sudden lurching and unpredictible an drivetrain.
07/21/1998106/15/1997
 Transmission failure causes the vehicle to hesitate several for seconds.
07/08/199810/08/1994
 Transmission fails to engage from stop. upon depressing accelerator, vehicle jerks into gear.
06/01/1998106/20/1994
 The transmission forward clutch piston failed. the original piston was of aluminum construction, and the replacement is of steel construction.
06/19/1998101/25/1995
 We are having to pay about $2100 to have the transmission replaced. there is a recognized problem with the 1995 windstar transmission. (just review the websites devoted to the problem). the transmission should last for the life of the car. i believe a recall should be considered.
05/15/199808/20/1996
 When stopped at a traffic light, the car would bolt forward when foot is removed from the brakes. it would also roll backward (no drift) when on a hill.
09/01/1995
 Transmission has been replaced four times.
 Experiencing transmission problem.
02/01/1998
 Transmission failure.
12/28/1997106/10/1996
 Transmission fails to engage after stop.
07/01/199702/01/1997
 Vehicle goes into neutral when coming to a stop. it will eventually kick into gear after trying to accelerate, with a hard jerk.
06/12/1997106/20/1996
 Fowared clutch piston failure allows vehicle to roll backwards until transmission engages.
11/01/19941
 Transmission shifts harshly. *dsh
12/28/1994
 Truck drives sluggish and slow. please explain. tt

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