Marilyn of N. Falmouth, MA:

The engine failed on my 1995 Windstar due to an overheating problem because of a faulty head gasket. This is a major problem that THOUSANDS of Windstar owners are having. The vehicle needs a new engine but Ford will not pay for!

We purchased this van because we were told is was top rated but now it's just a piece of junk which cannot be driven. Please help!

Head gaskets and engines on these vehicles are failing every day!!!

Bill of Summerville, SC, has a '95 Windstar too:

We had the head gasket go on ours in April of this year (of course it was 4 months beyond the end date of the program).

Fortunately we had an extended warranty that was about to expire (the car had 70,400 miles, the warranty was good until 72,000).  We still had to pay for the deductible though and some other items not covered. 

The warranty was another issue, we bought it through a Ford dealer and were told it would be accepted at all Ford dealerships. This was not the case, the closest dealer to our house would not honor it. 

Two towings later it was back to the bealer where we bought the warranty.

Keith of Yelm, WA:

In July of 99 my Windstar head gasket blew with 73K miles.  Prior to this, in 98 I had experienced a problem with the heater and discovered it was caused by coolant lose.  I refilled the radiator and the vehicle worked fine.  

After taking the vehicle to be repaired I did some checking on Windstars and found this is a common problem.  Ford has been very inconsistant when talking to them on this issue.  The dealership and Ford area rep where I took it to be repaired offered to pay 50% of the cost of a remanufactured engine.  The area rep of the dealership I purchased the vehicle from told me Ford would not pay for the repair (this was after the other Ford rep offered 50%).  

I have also found a dealership in Montana where Ford has paid 100% of the repair on a vehicle with 80K miles (this occurred in march of 99).  I have talked to Ford customer assistance center several times and have now been told they can document the problem but cannot help and they will not let me speak to a supervisor.  Ford has a design problem with these vehicles and should issue a recall and compensate the victims.

Gina of New Plymouth, ID:

In August 1998 we went to Utah. Our engine light came on and the temp started to rise. We took the van to the nearest dealer in Logan and they blew us off and said that nothing was wrong. When we got home we took it to our dealer, they said nothing was wrong. We went to Utah again in March of 99 and the light came on again. We took it to our dealer when we got home and they said that nothing was wrong. 

We showed them the letter that we got about the bad head gaskets and they said they would be happy to replace the part when it goes bad.  Just last week 9/12/99 our engine light went on again and we took it in on Friday and gave them the letter.  The man looked at the letter and said we were past the cutoff of Dec. 1998. He then went on to say that our van is over 5 years old. Then he said we were past the mileage. 

I looked up on some websites and found over a hundred people who are having the same exact problem as we are. The mileage is all within 5,000 miles.  We are now facing at least $1500 in repairs. 

Ralph of Wadding River, NY:

My 1995 Ford Windstar was provided with an extended warranty for premature failure of the head gaskets on their 3.8L FWD Engine.

The warranty was extended for 5years or 60,000 miles from the original warranty start date. The vehicles covered under this program are the 1994 and 1995 Taurus, Sable and Windstar. The warranty did not allow for service to check the head gaskets conditions nor was it a recall of these defective head gaskets.

My Ford Windstar has 64,000 miles on it which exceeds the extended warranty by 4,000 miles. On Friday 8/13/99 my 95 Ford Windstar broke down because of the failure of the head gaskets.

This caused anti-freeze to enter the exhaust system, spark plug chambers and oil compartments of the engine causing severe engine breakdown. The vehicle was towed to Ramp Ford in Port Jjeffereson, Long  Island N.Y

At the dealership I was informed that Ford will not cover the repair cost because I was beyond the extended warranty. This is extremely unfair because Ford knew of a severe defect within their vehicles and chose to hide it instead of fixing it.

Jeff of Holland, MI:

I own a 95 Ford Windstar van.  At 68,000 miles the head gasket blew.  All towings, repair costs and rental fees exceeded $3,600.  Ford has refused responsibility because the vehicle exceeds 60,000.  RE Barber Ford, the dealership that sold me the vehicle has refused to back their product.  They keep sending me back to Ford customer service.  Ford customer service keeps sending me back to the dealership.

Not only has this been an expensive inconvenience but a significant safety hazard as my family with two children under the age of three was stranded standing out on the highway on two separate occasions as rush hour traffic zipped by at 75 mph and the tow truck loaded the heap for the trip back to the garage.  

Ford customer service is anything but helpful.  Their strategy is not to listen to your concerns, but to outlast  you on the phone.  Regardless of who you talk to, the response is "sorry for your trouble, but we cannot help you".  Why would I buy a Ford again?

This weekend I noticed the dealership's used car lot is selling 95 Windstars.  I wonder if they have replaced the head gaskets on these vehicles?  Ford and the dealers that represent them must be held responsible for knowingly designing, manufacturing and marketing a defective product.

Thomas of Ellicott City, MD:

I have had my 1995 Ford Windstar since June of 1994 and it was in the Crystal Ford maintenance shop for 10% of the first year of ownership.  I have had it in three times alone for the transmission with the third time being the replacement of the the transmission.  

It has been in for premature failure of the suspension system, electronic window problems, windshield wiper malfunctions, door alarm problems, two tire tread failures within 15,000 miles, and last and most depressing, the head gasket failure at 64,995 miles back in Feb. of 1999.  As everyone has read way too many times, I did not meet the criteria of the "program."  I had 4,995 miles over the "program" maximum miles limit and it was two months over the "program" time frame limit. 

Seems to be a common thread here, wouldn't you say?   Contact us if this has happened to you.

Able to stand a few more? 

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