Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||||
| 01156 | 08/06/2001 | 623944 | Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc | 10/31/2001 | |
| 982677 | 04/01/1998 | 603575 | Some vehicles may exhibit a high pitch whistle from the heater core housing case. *yc | 02/25/1999 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||||
| BC0605961101 | 11/01/1996 | 50788 | Buffalo, ny area only - the windstar assembly plant would like top be notified of any cracked windshields and would like to examine the cracked windshield before replacement. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| 96221 | 10/21/1996 | 50940 | Windshield and interior glass - fog/film. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||||
| BC3381972301 | 01/23/1997 | 51454 | Adapters are available to convert vehicle j hook windshield wiper arms to a conventional pin style. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| BC1022097230 | 01/23/1997 | 51582 | Adapters are available to convert windstar j hook windshield wiper arms to a conventional pin style to allow the use after market booted winter blades. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 77000 | ||
| The 1996 ford windstar continues to have defective head gaskets as in 1994 and 1995 models. this lead to engine failure at 78,000 miles! the cost to replace the engine per miller ford was 4,778.00. we paid 19,000 for this vehicle and refuse to pay for a new engine! the nasa has stated the head gasket should last at least 120,000 miles or the life of the vehicle. we have had this ford windstar with a blown engine due to head gasket failure since last december, but continue to make monthly payments on this dead ford windstar. we pay taxes, insurance, and montly payments to ford credit for the next 18 months or so. we just discontinued registration fees as the dmv told us we could do this. ford refuses to acknowledge this problem and is not standing up to it's committment of quality care to it's customers. i urge anyone who is considering buying a ford to do their research. ford is a company that does not stand behind it's promises. we will never own another ford although our family has never owned anything but until now. ford wake up! | |||
| 04/01/2002 | 1 | 02/28/2002 | |
| The right front door rattles when the window is down due to window guide failure. windshield wiper blades failed. *yh | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 03/28/2000 | 07/01/2096 | ||
| Ford extended warranty on 3.8 l engine for 1995 model due to engine failure caused by defective gasket sets. however, is not doing so for like failure on 1996 model 3.8 l engines. engine seized on our vehicle with approximately 48000 miles despite maintenance and timing chain gasket set replacement an approximately $1200 repair. dt | |||
| 01/25/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Consumer states heater stoped working intermittently. *yd | |||
| 10/19/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling on a main street and turned on heat. vents were blowing out cold air,and engine check light came on dashboard. vehicle was not leaking any fluids. thermostat was on hot. dealership was aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| The premature failure of the 3.8l engine head gasket was first noticed by myself during a routine inspection of my fluid levels and engine compartment. what i noticed was what appeared to be a coolant leak around the head gaskets. under more constant supervision my wife and i observed other symptoms which include a more constant drop in the coolant level and a loss of heat when the heating system was operating. these symptoms seemed seriuos so we decided not to drive the vehicle until it has been serviced. through friends and relatives we have discovered that this problem is occuring with many windstar owners so we have decided to further research this matter which is how we have come across your site. please contact us with any updates you may have on this matter. thank you. *ak | |||
| 01/17/1996 | |||
| The front windshield the bottom part in cold weather and windshield blade wouldn't defrost . tt | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||
| 12/12/2000 | |||
| Door to defroster has broken off. consumer feels this is very unsafe because it stops defroster from clearing windows, vision becomes impaired. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 03/09/2001 | 2 | 06/01/2000 | |
| We bought this van 07/25/00, since then it has had head gasket replacement, and two engines, 0-2 sensors, heater plug, now the pcm, we have only driven our van for @ 6 months, all repairs have been done at dealership, today is 11/24/01. and our van is at the dealership as i submit this. i have copy of all records. thank you, john | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 77000 | ||
| The 1996 ford windstar continues to have defective head gaskets as in 1994 and 1995 models. this lead to engine failure at 78,000 miles! the cost to replace the engine per miller ford was 4,778.00. we paid 19,000 for this vehicle and refuse to pay for a new engine! the nasa has stated the head gasket should last at least 120,000 miles or the life of the vehicle. we have had this ford windstar with a blown engine due to head gasket failure since last december, but continue to make monthly payments on this dead ford windstar. we pay taxes, insurance, and montly payments to ford credit for the next 18 months or so. we just discontinued registration fees as the dmv told us we could do this. ford refuses to acknowledge this problem and is not standing up to it's committment of quality care to it's customers. i urge anyone who is considering buying a ford to do their research. ford is a company that does not stand behind it's promises. we will never own another ford although our family has never owned anything but until now. ford wake up! | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 50000 | ||
| Problem: power seat wiring short circuit from engine compartment main fuse and relay panel, 60 amp fuse repeatedly blows. problem was first intermittent, then after second fuse change change, short circuit became continuous. wiring is shorted out between the main fuse panel and the power seat connector. power seat itself has no electrical problem. model has a nhtsa recall history: 1995: wiring-harness insulation can abrade on a brace between instrument panel and cowl, resulting in short-circuit and possible fire. | |||
| 04/15/2003 | 62000 | ||
| Engine: head gasket failure @ 62,218 miles. needed to replace both cylinder gasket heads and resurface same. power door: failure of power door lock on passenger side. transmission: was replaced twice under warranty. other: ignition control module needed replacement. have been advised engine has a sludge condition despite regular oil changes per ford guidelines. | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| Problem with water seeping in and soaking the driver and front passenger floor padding and carpet. | |||
| 06/06/2003 | 1 | ||
| All windows can't be put down since all four motors are not working. dealer will replace at $365.00 each motors. *ak | |||
| 03/20/2003 | 1 | 02/21/2003 | |
| I don't know if this is the right place or not. but i paid the ford dealer ship $60.00 to tell me why my power window would only work part of the time, and they said it was my motor which they wanted $353.00 for. so i told them i didn't think it was so i went home and worked on it myself and found out it was only sticking at the top. i went back on the 24th of march to try to get my money back, because to me this is complete fraud on their part. well, i talked with the service manager (mark kisch) and he was very rude, and refused to return my money. he even laughed when i told him i was going to report him. it is not my problem that he has bad people working there that don't know what their doing. *jb | |||
| 03/28/2000 | 07/01/2096 | ||
| Ford extended warranty on 3.8 l engine for 1995 model due to engine failure caused by defective gasket sets. however, is not doing so for like failure on 1996 model 3.8 l engines. engine seized on our vehicle with approximately 48000 miles despite maintenance and timing chain gasket set replacement an approximately $1200 repair. dt | |||
| 06/01/1996 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/10/1999 | 3 | 12/27/1998 | |
| Engine check light and the air bag light would intermittentl/simutaneously come on and cause loss of acceleration while traveling at highway speed. dealer notified. *ak consumer was informed that vehicle had a transmission leak, the speedometer was acting erractically, parking brake and brakes were inoperative,also the power windows were inoperative.*slc | |||
| 06/30/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling on the highway and passenger's door came open without touching electrical windows. dealership was aware of problem. also, coil spring failed during installation. vehicle had six inch suspension. dealership was aware of problems. *ak | |||
| 08/03/2000 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Nothing but problems since purchasing 1)door ajar light constantly illuminated-all doors checked none ajar 2) engine check light occasionally comes on-happened right after purchase and catalytic converter replaced obviously didn't fix problem 3)occasionally power windows/locks and a/c will go out unless adjustable fan speed turned to high 4)recently front passenger door will open at random usually during a turn-luckily no one sits in that seat 5)speedometer will occasionally flicker higher while driving at speeds greater than 65mph all of these problems have surfaced in the past 1-1.5 yrs and have continued since then. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 3 | 05/01/1996 | |
| There have been numerous failures of systems in my van. the engine must be replaced, the speedometer is out again. *ak | |||
| 01/25/2000 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Auotmatic transmission slips out of gear into a neutral after you come to a stop. you then have to put it in a low gear to get in back in drive. this can be a hazard in traffic. the power steerinng pump makes a loud grinding noise much louder than the normal sound the pump makes, the dealer has said previously that it is normal for the windstar. the passenger side power window has stopped working, unk reason has not been looked at. these problems are occurring in other windstars of the same year . | |||
| 06/29/1999 | |||
| Whenever the vehicle is turned off, all the power windows would still move up and down. will be taking to dealer to have them checked. *ak | |||
| 07/06/1999 | |||
| Rear window exploded inward. hit consumer in face next to left eye. also baby was rear facing in vehicle when incident occured. , baby did not sustain any injuries. manufacturer / dealer notified, and informed consumer that they are willing to pay 90% of replacment cost. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1996 | 1 | 12/31/1995 | |
| Remote rear vent windows failed. | |||
| 08/01/1997 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Power window failed. | |||
| VISIBILITY - REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER - LINKAGES | |||
| Rear vent window fell out onto the street. please provide any further information. ph | |||
| VISIBILITY - REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER - MOTOR | |||
| 09/30/2000 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| In the past two weeks the transmission has slipped twice. when at a complete stop and accelerating the vehicle has to be put into park and then back into drive. this is very dangerous. there is only 56000 on vehicle. battery light continually comes on this can be very nerve wracking when in heavy traffic. . speedometer fluctuates and flops around after 40mph, sometime sticks at 50mph. rear wipers work when they want. we have just returned from serving 8 years overseas, this is our only vehicle and from the research we have just been able to start this windstar is headaches with the same problems. i would like to be able to take my family to see relatives they have not seen in over 8 years but this vehicle is unsafe. *ak | |||
| 09/30/2000 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| In the past two weeks the transmission has slipped twice. when at a complete stop and accelerating the vehicle has to be put into park and then back into drive. this is very dangerous. there is only 56000 on vehicle. battery light continually comes on this can be very nerve wracking when in heavy traffic. . speedometer fluctuates and flops around after 40mph, sometime sticks at 50mph. rear wipers work when they want. we have just returned from serving 8 years overseas, this is our only vehicle and from the research we have just been able to start this windstar is headaches with the same problems. i would like to be able to take my family to see relatives they have not seen in over 8 years but this vehicle is unsafe. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 05/08/2005 | 85618 | 1 | 09/12/2001 |
| Dt: windshield on passenger's side was hit by a turkey and the turkey came in the cab of van. caller was injured. windshield shattered and glass went everywhere. the turkey came in through a big hole. caller wanted to know if windshield was made of safety glass. insurance company took the van, and caller had not yet heard from insurance company. caller has not talked to dealer or manufacturer.*ak *sb *nm | |||
| 05/25/2001 | 1 | 01/26/1999 | |
| After driving for 2 minutes the temperature gauge went to hot. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced head gasket. *ak engine overheats due to head gaskets and timing cover gasket failure . consumer stated that windshield was cracked after repair. *yh | |||
| 08/11/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Have had the minivan in several times for symptoms of the head gasket failure only to find problem after warranty expired. transmission has always clunked when shifting into drive or reverse, this is a daily problem the dealership cannot find. windshield cracked overnight in november. we don't think the windshield should have been so fragile. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Windshield failed resulting in crack. | |||
| 08/16/1997 | 1 | 03/07/1997 | |
| Front windshield failed. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 02/28/2002 | |
| The left outer tie rod was replace. *yh the fuel injector, timing cover gaskets and wiper blades were replaced. the rear brake light was replaced . the switch headlight control was replaced. the drivers door ajar switch was replaced. updated *jb | |||
| 04/01/2002 | 1 | 02/28/2002 | |
| The right front door rattles when the window is down due to window guide failure. windshield wiper blades failed. *yh | |||
| 02/07/2000 | 20 | 05/01/1998 | |
| The speedometer starts moving erratically once speeds of 25 mph are reached. also, sometimes, the windshield wipers will only work on high speed. i have contacted the dealer, and am told it will be $500.00 for the speedometer. i feel this, as well as the problems with the wipers is a serious safety issue. i've read several complaints on this site about problems with speedometers on 1996 windstars, and i think ford should be responsible for repairs, not me. *ak | |||
| 09/18/1999 | |||
| When turning on the windshield wipers the wipers don't work,upon turning on the washers they work. *ak | |||
| 12/23/1997 | 1 | 11/11/1996 | |
| Windshield wiper pivot arm nut became loose while in use. wiper fell to left off of windshield. | |||
| Owner states that his rear wiper does not clear window effectively and that washer pump does not operate, he also notes that he has a hard time of seeing out rear window. *ak | |||
| 01/15/1995 | |||
| Windshield wipers do not work when there is a little snow or rain. visibility is very poo/blades ice up and become coated with snow and will not functrion properly.windshield wiper and defroster don't seem to work. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - SWITCH/WIRING | |||
| 11/18/1999 | |||
| Eletrical system shorted out. windshield wipers worked only when washers were being used, dome light stayed on when door was closed and won't go off.*ak | |||