This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 1996 Ford Windstar. While at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 mph. The service brake warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
This is a second call for help Ford corporate will not email me back. Will not verify if PCM has been updated. The van only has under 59,000 miles on it. It should not break this bad this soon makes me tell anyone on social media and our local news media and clark howards team. I do not want to call Ford unless it is agreed the phone will be recorded for court purposes. I even asked is the would let me use the updater. I sure do not want don rich Ford in villa rica ever again. They stripped the screw. That set min clearance on throttle plate. No shifts funny and sputters and terrible noise in oil pan area. Rod S knocking. Internet has tons of complaints of pistons exiting engine oil pan.
Dear Ford my mother and I have been trying to get answers from the dealer and since they gave up. Because they could not fix it right the first time. Even the second or third time. The van a 1996 Windstar with 59,000 miles on it and it started the engine started stalling, when making slow turns not touching the gas pedal loses power steering. My mom almost went into a ditch to avoid a collision with another car. With little internet searching found hundreds of vans with same problems, and appears there is not one resolved. And since this has gone on for over a month. The last visit to the Ford dealer in an attempt to fix the stalling.. the idle air control valve is new, and mass air flow is clean supposed to have been replaced also. I checked the air filter was clean, the fuel filter is original so I replaced it. I started looking at the throttle body, and noticed that the throttle plate screw was all gouged up. While I was sitting in drive way with engine running and unless Ford engines are only good for 60,000 miles, with all the stalling and low engine idle that keeps oil pressure in the engine lubricating the crank shaft.!! so when engine stalled at very low idle there was no oil getting through the engine. This engine now has lower end knock, which I verified by pulling van onto floor ramps, test drove and confirmed the problem, is critical. Each time I slowed down to turn engine stalled every time, lost power steering and brakes. I could have been killed because Ford is ignoring this problem.. and this also answers why other complaints were about engine failures and very expensive repairs. This letter will be put on all social networks, to warn others this could happen to them be aware. They said the ECU/PCM computer was updated. Could not find update on invoices, or in history I can access.
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.
My 1996 Ford Windstar van's engine assembly must be replaced due to persistent internal coolant loss into the engine, despite repeated trips to the dealership with complaints of classic head-gasket symptoms. Ford displayed blatant neglegence and dishonesty in its dealings with me. I took my van to dealership twice for head-gasket-like symptoms: Excessive loss of coolant with no external leakage, gray smoke out of exhaust, and engine running rough. The first time the dealership said no problems could be found. Two weeks later I returned to the dealership with the same symptoms, only this time more obvious, and the check-engine light had come on. The dealership determined my engine had overheated and that coolant was lost via the timing cover gasket, which they replaced and then returned the vehicle to me. Exactly one thousand miles later I had to have my vehicle towed to the dealership, at which point they condemned my engine due to coolant entering the #1 cylindar. They offered to replace the engine for $3,650, which includes a 20% discount for the timing cover gasket work that was done for nothing. I refused the offer and managed to barely drive the vehicle home, where it now sits, undrivable. Aware of the Windstar head gasket problems from the beginning, I repeatedly stressed to the dealership my concern that this was a head gasket problem, but they repeatedly explained this was not the problem. They lied by saying no known gasket problems exist on the 1996 Windstar, but I researched the NHTSA's records and found tsb 99-13-1 (titled "underdetermined loss of coolant"), which instructs dealerships to replace the gaskets in situations like mine. The tsb is very clear. I wrote the dealership a letter demanding help replacing the engine, but received no reply. I re-sent the same letter and documents to the dealership just yesterday. I can provide copies of all documents, as I have scanned them into a compressed pdf file for E-mail transmission.
- Eldersburg, MD, USA
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Check engine light on, white smoke emitting from tailpipe, missing, wildly erratic speedometer at 35-40, rear air blows hot. Replacements: Had gaskets, lower intake gaskets, upper intake gaskets, spark plugs, wires, thermostat, gasket, ? belt, timing cover, timing cover gasket, water pump. Speedometer and A/C problem not yet fixed.
12-15-97 at 21,145 miles I reported noticing the coolant level always being low. No leak was found and I was told there must be a leak somewhere in the radiator. 12-27-99 at 56,526 miles I began having a "cold start" problem. It acted like it was not getting fuel. 12-1200 at 74,306 miles I had the same "cold start" problem and the fuel filter was repaced. 12-22-00 at 74,930 a new thermostat & gasket. 12-29-00 at 75,113 a fuel pressure regulator. 03-02-01 at 77,569 miles a new fuel pump relay(ccrm), fuel pump and pvc valve. 09-11-01 at 87,907 miles a mult-function switch. 01-31-02 at 95,069 miles a second ccrm relay. 03-06-02 at 99,348 miles on an 80 degree day "no start" same symptoms as "cold start" problem. Instead of not getting fuel it is suspected it is flooding. 4-23-02 at 99,348 miles cold start problem, fuel injectors cleaned. 05-30-02 at 101,330 miles wouldn't start, no fuel pressure-intermittent. Had to have it towed. 6-7-02 at 101,388 miles "no start" problem. New fuel filter, fuel pump and sender O-ring. 12-01-2-01 109,530 miles van started steaming - appeared to be a coolant leak or broken hose. Added coolant direct in radiator. I have carried own coolant and added frequenlty since 1997, when I was told there must be a leak in the radiator. I could not find any trace of such a leak by putting cardboard under van. Suspected the plastic coolant container had a leak. No coolant leaks where ever found during routine oil changes. 12-04-02 109,568 M, iles found leaking front timing cover gasket. Replaced headgasket and all else that goes with it. Cost of repair $1,915.21. I believe the headgasket defect has been the problem all a long, costing me a small fortune.
The consumer requested an investigation of Ford Motor Company and their lack of recalls on some serious defects.. the vehicle experienced a clunking sound, however the dealer stated the clunking sound was normal and then the transmission failed, the transmission was replaced with another Ford transmission, which failed on a test drive and one other occasion. Coolant leaked into the engine through the intake gasket, which was recalled for the 95 models. The timing chain leaked. There was a recall on the coils in the suspension, which Ford would only replace when they failed. The brake rotors failed at 30000 miles. Scc
Consumer states that speedometer does not function properly. The needle moves erratically and makes a ticking noise. Consumer is unable to ascertain correct speed while driving. Dealer has unsuccessfully attempted to repair 2 times by replacing speedometer cable.
At speeds of 35mph or higher the speedometer needle wavers severely making it impossible to determine the correct speed. This defect has been reported to the NHTSA more than 100 times. I reported this to the local Ford dealership and was told I had to pay for repairs. At 49000 miles this should not be happening. As a law enforcement officer I have driven numerous Ford vehicles well over 100000 miles and none of them have had this problem. This should be considered a manufacturers flaw and be replaced by them. This is definatley a safety issue! if a vehicle operator cannot determine how fast they are going this cvould result in a serious injury. This is even more evident during reduced visiblity and/or at night when it is even more difficult to determine speeds. I appreciate any assistance in this matter if possible.
For the second time in three years the speedometer needle is jumping all over the place. After talking with two dealers, a speedometer repair specialist with 30 + years experience, and reviewing the 135 + other driver complaints of the same problem, I can only come to these conclusions: This is a faulty piece of equipment; Ford is aware of this defect and refuses to recognize and take responsibility for it; and this is most certainly a candidate for a recall. What else does it take to come to the same conclusion?
The speedometer no longer gives accurate readings. It bounces up and down after 30 mph. Ford tells me there is no "known problem" with this, however, any internet complaint site certainly does "know" about this. The '95 Windstar has already had a recall for the same problem, why isn't the '96 being taken care of also?
Speedometer failure was gradual but is troubling because the speedometer needle still moves (very erratically) but does not indicate the right speed. The needle bounces around and the higher the speed the more it bounces. This faulty speedometer is a safety issue in that someone could glance at the speedometer and get an inaccurate reading, then increase speed which may contribute to a severe accident. Our private (non-manufacturer) mechanic indicated that this speedometer failure is common for this vehicle. We strongly believe Ford should recall or fix these speedometers as they fail. Thanks for your help!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA