1997 FORD WINDSTAR Power Train Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IMMOBILE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, SMOKE ERUPTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF AND THE VEHICLE WAS VACATED. THE HOOD WAS RAISED AND FLAMES LOOKED AS IF THEY IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HOME OF THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL #97V097000 PERTAINING TO THE POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

Mileage: 146,000

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR, 86,000 MI. PROPER MAINTENENCE HAD BEEN DONE. I SEE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS HERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NHTSA IT IS TIME TO STEP UP AND FORCE A RECALL. HOW LONG DO THE CONSUMERS HAVE TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT. WE DON'T HAVE THE $3000 THEY WANT FOR REPAIRS. WHAT HAPPENED TO COMSUMER RIGHTS? THE WAY IT STANDS NOW I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AMERCIAN CAR. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE ECONOMY. YOU HAVE TO HOLD CORPORATE AMERICA RESPONSIBLETOPUT OUT QUALITY VEHICLES. YOU HAVE THE POWER. DO WHAT YOU ARE THERE TO DO, PROTECT THE CONSUMER, NOT THE CORPORATE MONEY.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND IT ROLLED, HIT A TREE, PROCEEDED ACROSS THE STREET INTO A UTILITY POLE, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL.*AK *NLM

AT 60000 MILES SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED, AND CONSUMER COULD NO LONGER READ THE SPEED ON VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED SPEEDOMETER CABLE. *AK *TT

CONSUMER STATES THE SPEEDOMETER IS INOPERATIVE.*JB

WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY STARTED TO READ THE WRONG SPEED. CONSUMER STATED IT BOUNCED ALL OVER THE PLACE. AT TIMES CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SPEED SHE WAS TRAVELING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT SHE WAS OVERCHARGED. *YH

TRACKING SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. AND BRAKES ARE NOT OPERABLE. LIGHT ON THE INSIDE COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

SPEEDOMETER STARTED TWITCHING VERY LITTLE AT ABOUT 34,000 MILES. THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO SMALL. AFTER WARRANTY WAS OVER IT WOULD SWING WILDLY FROM 50 TO 110 MPH. ALSO MAKES A GRUMBLING SOUND. UNABLE TO DETERMINE SPEED . DEALER IS REPLACING SPEEDOMETER FOR @$600.00 AT THIS TIME. EDMUNDS AND OTHER CAR SITES HAVE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS JUST LIKE MINE. DEALER SAID THEY KNOW JUST HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM...MUST BE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. IF THIS IS HOW THEY BUILD THESE AND CHARGE ME A TON TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT, I WILL BE LLOKING FOR A HONDA OR TOYOTA NEXT. SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING...BEEN USING THE TACH FOR A LONG TIME MYSELF.*AK

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE VAN WENT OUT OF GEAR , THE ENGINE REVVED UP, AND ALL ACCELERATION STOPPED. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO GET THE VAN TO GO BACK INTO GEAR - ANY GEAR - AND IT WOULDN'T. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF A PROBLEM - NO NOISES OR LEAKAGE OF FLUID OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, ABS AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AT 78,000 MILES. CAR HAS FAILED 4 TIMES. REPEATED TRIPS TO SERVICE CENTER, TUNE-UP TWICE, NEW BATTERY, NEW FUEL PUMP. APPROX. $1500 PAID SO FAR, CAR CONTINUES TO FAIL WHILE DRIVING. FORD MOTOR CO.

WE BELIEVE THE SHEER NUMBER OF DEFECT ON THIS CAR IS UNBELIEVABLE. WE PURCHASED IT USED FROM MY PARENTS. TOTAL COST OF NON "WEAR AND TEAR" REPAIRS IS AROUND $5000. THIS IS OVER 25% OF THE VEHICLES ORIGINAL VALUE, AND OVER 50% OF THE VALUE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. WHILE NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED, WE BELIEVE FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BAD PRODUCT. *AK

A SMALL CHILD ACCIDENTALLY HIT GEAR BOX AND VEHICLE CAME OUT OF GEAR. CONSUMER FELTIT SHOULD NOT BE THIS EASY FOR VEHICLETO COME OUT OF GEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE COST $2,000 TO REPAIR.*AK

ERRATIC OPERATION OF SPEEDOMETER, COMMENCED TO JUMP BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH OR MORE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE UNLESS COST GO TO CONSUMER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

SPEEDOMETER BROKE, AND CONSUMER COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE.*AK

SPEEDOMETER SPEED INDICATOR JUMPS UP AND DOWN, UNIT BUZZES. *AK

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER (EG SPEEDOMETER MOVING TO 80 WHILE VEHICLE PARKED). *AK

WHILE TRAVELLING AT SPEED OF 55 MPH, SPEEDOMETER STARTED CHATTERING ERRATICALLY AND FLUCTUATING FROM 55-90, THEN STOPPED AND INDICATED CORRECTLY. PROBLEM HAS SINCE SHOWN UP CONSTANTLY AND WILL NOT INDICATE CORRECTLY ABOVE 40 MPH EVERY TIME. CRUISE CONTROL HOLDS AT CONSTANT SPEED (BY TACH RPM). DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF SPEEDOMETER AT COST OF $550 PARTS + LABOR -- OR -- THE SPEEDOMETER CAN BE REFURBISHED, REQUIRING THE VAN TO BE KEPT AT THE DEALER FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS AT A COST OF $260 PARTS + LABOR. *AK

SPEEDOMETER GOES FROM 15 TO 80 AND STAYS AT A HIGH SPEED. MY MECHANIC HAS STATED THIS IS A EXPENSIVE PART AND FORD IS AWARE THEY ARE HAVING A PROBLEM. HE HIMSELF HAS SENT MANY CUSTOMER BACK TO THE DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEEDOMETER REPLACED. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED, AT THE TIME OF REPAIR THEY FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS BROKEN, THE VAN WAS PURCHASED FROM THEM 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE AND THEY ACCUSED ME OF HITTING A BUMP AND MAKING THE FRAME BREAK. I PERSONALLY DO NOT REMEMBER HITTING ANYTHING IN THE VAN I DRIVE IT TO AN FROM WORK. IF A BUMP SMALL ENOUGH NOT TO RECALL WILL BREAK THE FRAME WOULD THAT MEAN THE FRAME IS DEFECTED? I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT I PURCHASED THE VAN WITH A BROKEN FRAME AND DRIVING IT FOR SIX MONTHS IN THAT CONDITION COULD OF CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYWAY OF BEING REIMBURSED OF THIS INCIDENT. I FEEL THE VAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A LEMON IF IT WAS SOLD WITH A BROKEN FRAME. IF I HIT A BUMP HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK THE FRAME SHOULDN'T THE AIRBAGS EJECT? ARE THEY DEFECTIVE TOO? I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH CHARRAP FORD AND THEY DID REDUCE THE PRICE OF THE VAN REPAIRS BUT HAVE NO EXPLANATION OF THE BROKEN FRAME OR THE TRANSMISSION. I TRADED IN AN 89 AEROSTAR WHICH DIDN'T GIVE ME HALF THE PROBLEMS THIS 97 WINDSTAR IS . I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND PLEASE CONTACT ME. THANKS! VICKI DANLEY

REPAIR PART COST IN EXCESS OF $450 (WITH LABOR). LOSS OF SPEEDOMETER DEEMED SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AS SPEED COULD NOT BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED.

INSIDE SLIDE DOOR LOCK IS BROKEN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK SPEDOMETER HEAD BROKE. *YH

WHILE DRIVING SPEEDODOMETER FLOATS AND MAKES A CLICKING SOUND, READING 30 MILES HIGHER THAN WHAT THE VEHICLE IS REALLY DOING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

VAN LOST POWER ON ACCELERATION AND STOPPED. THE FRONT DRIVE WHEELS LOCKED-UP. DEALER DETERMINED PLANETARY GEAR IN TRANSMISSION BLEW. MANUFACTURER PAID FOR THE OUT OF WARRANTY (BY 4 MONTHS) REPAIRS. NOTE FORD HAS HISTORY OF PLANETARY GEAR FAILING (MY 91 TAURUS). *AK

SPEEDOMETER BOUNCES AND BUZZES IN DASH EST. REPAIR COST $350. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. YH

THE DIFFERENTIAL IS NOISY AND COMING APART. YH

SPEEDOMETER BOUNCES AND OR REGISTERS INCORRECT SPEED, DEALER SAYS SPEEDOMETER HEAD IS DEFECTIVE, ESTIMATES REPAIRS AT $350. AFTER RESEARCHING NHTSA, I FIND OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. A VEHICLE THIS NEW SHOULD NOT EXPERIANCE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *AK

SPEEDOMETER ASSEMBLY FAILED. MJS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, NOTICED THE INDICATOR GAUGE FOR THE SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO REGISTER SPEED OF VEHICLE. THE INDICATOR NEEDLE KEPT BOUNCING UP & DOWN. WAS NOT STEADY. TAKEN VEHICLE TO MECHANIC FOR NOISE IN DASHBOARD. MJS *SLC

I NOTICED THAT MY SPEEDOMETER WAS BEHAVING ERRATICALLY AT ABOUT 41000 MILES. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $250 IF I WANTED IT FIXED. I SAID THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE THE SPEEDOMETER SHOULD FAIL AT THAT LOW MILEAGE. THE MANUFACTURER CONTACTED ME ABOUT THIS AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO (FINANCIALLY) TO HELP WITH THE REPLACEMENT. AT ABOUT 50000 MILES I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD END WAS WORN AND ADVISED IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. AGAIN, I PROTESTED BECAUSE OF THE LOW MILEAGE. I FINALLY HAD THE REPLACEMENT DONE FOR SAFETY REASONS AT MY EXPENSE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WAS OUT OF TOLERANCE AT A MILEAGE OF APPROX. 40000 MILES. NONE OF THESE DEFECTS WERE MENTIONED AT THE PRE-36000 MILE SERVICING I HAD DONE OF THE VEHICLE. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE DURABILITY OF THE VEHICLE, AND WILL PROBABABLY NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE AGAIN. FORD HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL IN HELPING WITH THE REPAIR COSTS ON THE VEHICLE AT THIS RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE.

MY VAN HAS BEEN PUTTING ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL WHEN I AM AT A STOP OR PULLING OUT OF A STOP. WHEN I HAVE WENT TO THE DEALERS IN DELEWARE (ON VACATION), PA. (ON VACATION) AND MY LOCAL DEALER, NO ONE CAN FIND A PROBLEM.NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DEALER IN ROANOKE RAPIDS ,N.C. SAID HE WOULD RREPLACE SOME TRANSMISSION PARTS BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DID. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS TO COMPLICATING. I AM MAD AND SCARED TO DRIVE MY VAN. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DID OF IF IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I TRAVEL TO PA. ALOT WITH MY 9YR OLD DAUGHTER BY OURSELVES AND NOW I AM SCARED TO DO THIS. HELP!!! NO ONE ELSE WILL!!! I CAN NOT EVEN GET IN TOUCH WITH FORD!!!

NHTSA RECALL 97V-097000 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LEAKING OVER CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND PROBLEM WITH STEERING LOSS. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFT INDICATOR IS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE MOVES UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER APPLYING GAS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

FORD HAS A TSB 98-22-1 REGARDING A FALSE NEUTRAL AFTER DRIVING. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS- VEHICLE IS STOPPED IN DRIVE. WHEN THROTTLE IS REAPPLIED THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES DOESN'T MOVE. BUT, IT SOMETIMES ABRUPTLY DROPS BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS HAS CAUSED A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED LURCHING FORWARD COMPLETE WITH TIRE SQUEALING. IT WOULD BE VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC WITH THIS DEFECT. FORD ADMITS THIS DEFECT, THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO FIX IT AFTER 3/36K WARRANTY.

2ND TRANSMISSION FAILURE: 1/26/99 @71,800 MILES. PARKED/WHEN STARTED, NO REVERSE OR FORWARD GEARS. REPAIRED: MULTIPLE PARTS: IE AX4N, AX4S, BEARING PUMP SHAFT/PLATE ETC. EXTENDED WARRENTY CLAIM DENIED/ $3,500.00 OUT OF POCKET/ TRANS, STILL DYSFUNCTIONAL & POWER STEERING DEFECTIVE AFTER LAST REPAIR. BOTH FAILURES OCCURRED OUT OF STATE/REPAIRED OUT OF STATE. TOMORROW I HAVE TO TAKE VAN TO AKRON OH (WHERE LAST REPAIRED) HOPE THE TRANSMISSION &STEERING WILL GET ME THERE IN 1 PEICE!! PLEASE HELP!! (DON'T KNOW IF TRANS PROBLEMS RELATED TO RECALLED PARTS, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PUT INTO SERVICE UNTIL 10/97 & RECALL WAS 6/97. I HAVE EXAUSTED MY RESOURCES& WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP/ADVICE/DIRECTION. THOUGHT I HAD A FORD WARRENTY, BUT I WAS SOLD SOMETHING ELSE, UNFORTUNATELY.THANK YOU, SINCERELY, LINDA

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED THAT SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING AT THAT TIME, AND HAD NOT WORKED SINCE. *AK

WHEN SHIFTING GEARS VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD NOISE. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SLIDER, IT WON'T WORK. *AK

THE PART IS THE SPEEDOMETER WHICH HAS REPLACEMENT PART F682.17255.CB SUPPLIED BY THE FIRM ELECTRA-SOUND, INC., WEST PALMA, OHIO. ESTIMATED COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART IS $54.00 DIAGNOSTIC; $166.66 FOR THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER; $65.00 FOR LABOR. PROBLEM: THE ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER BEGAN BEING "JITTERY" AT 20,000 MILES. AT 40,000 MILES, THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES WILDLY AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH AND MORE. SO, IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW SPEEDS ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 110 MPH. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING!!! MECHANICS AROUND HERE HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THIS DEFECT IS COMMON IN SPEEDOMETERS USED IN WINDSTAR AND EXPLORER MODELS. THE DEALER THAT PROVIDED MY DIAGNOSTIC WORK SAID THERE IS A TWO-WEEK BACKLOG TO GET THIS PART. THE MECHANICS ALSO SAID THE FAILURE REASON IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A PLASTIC COMPONENT IN THE SPEEDOMETER. NOTE: THE RPM GUAGE, AND COOLANT TEMPERATURE GUAGE DO NOT SEEM TO BE AFFECTED. I THINK IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL SAFETY DEFECT TO NOT KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING AT!!! PLEASE HELP...

NORM CONDITIONS 20 MPH STOP ABS ENGAGED,DELAYED STOP. NEAR ACCIDENT. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM, NOT REPEATABLE. ONE YEAR LATER PROBLEM RECURRED, AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DEALER TO REPLACE LEFT WHEEL SENSOR. SEEMS THAT IF THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER DOESN'T THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM, THE TECHNICIANS CANNOT FIND IT. SENSORS COULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED EARLIER AS A PRECAUTION. OTHER PROBLEM- DRIVING 55 ON HIGHWAY AND TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED UNCOMMANDED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED SINCE EARLIER INCIDENT WITH THE DEALER UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. SENSOR IN GEAR SELECTOR WAS BAD. HOPEFULLY, NO UNDUE WEAR AND TEAR ON TRANSMISSION RESULTED FROM THE HIGHWAY DOWNSHIFT.

CV JOINTS FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL.*AK

HALF SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL.

TRANSMISSION BUSHINGS ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL.

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE THE VEHICLE MADE A CLICKING SOUND AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING. *AK

TRACTION CONTROL FAILED. YH