NHTSA Complaint #716450 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

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