1996 FORD WINDSTAR Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

ROUGH IDLING, "HICCUPPING" WHILE DRIVING, NO HEAT--WENT IN FOR A TUNE UP AND THERMOSTAT AND WAS TOLD ITS THE HEAD GASKET.*CN

PROBLEMS WITH MINIVAN STALLING, LOSS OF COOLANT IN VEHICLE.*MR THE CONSUMER HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKING A LOT OF OIL, THE ENGINE PUMP NEEDED REPLACING, WHICH RESULTED IN A WHOLE NEW ENGINE BEING INSTALLED. *CB

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO COOL AND PUT IN SOME ANTI-FREEZE. *NLM

THIS INCIDENT STARTED WHEN I HAD NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATOR FLUID ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, AND A SLIGHT SMELL OF RADIATOR FLUID WHEN I RAN THE HEATER. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AGAIN IN NOVEMBER 2002. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE APPLE VALLEY FORD DEALER AND AFTER DIAGNOSING IT, I WAS TOLD THE NUMBER 4 SPARK PLUG IS STUCK AND THE GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ON THE TIMING COVER ON THE ENGINE (THIS WAS THE SOURCE OF THE RADIATOR FLUID LEAK). THE DEALERS PROFESSIONAL OPINION WAS THE HEAD GASKET IS ALSO BAD, THE HEAD FOR THE #4 PLUG WOULD NEED REPLACING, AND COMBINED WITH THE NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING COVER GASKET, THEY RECOMMENDED A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT $4,400. I DECLINED AND TOOK THE VAN TO ANOTHER LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO UNFORTUNATELY CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSIS AND INDICATED THERE WERE KNOWN PROBLEMS AND...

HEAD GASKET FAILURE . A COMMON DEFECT IN FORD WINDSTARS, THEY WERE COVERED IN THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS, BUT NOT THE '96 MODEL. FORD, SO FAR, WILL NOT COVER THIS. ALSO SPEEDOMETER "JUMPS" AROUND ABOVE 45 MPH. THIS TOO, IS COMMON IN THIS AND PRIOR MODEL WINDSTARS. REPAIRS ARE USUALLY $500 AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY ARE TRAVELING. *NLM

ABS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANT, REPLACED O2 SENSOR, REPLACED ABS BRAKES, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK AND NOT CHANGE GEARS WHEN RUNNING OR PARKED, COOLANT LEAKING AND DOOR SENSORS ARE BAD. ALL DOCUMENT KNOWN ISSUES ON.*JB HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/MODELYEAR_FORD_WINDSTAR_1996.HTML - SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. THIS HAS GONE ON FAR TO LONG AND IS PUTTING PEOPLES LIFE AT STAKE. I HAVE CHILDREN IN MY VAN AND ALL OF THESE ARE BIG ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY.

THE HEAD GASKET ON MY 1996 FOR WINDSTAR HAS FAILED AT AROUND 93,000 MILES. I HAVE GONE TO MANY WEBSITES WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS SAME ENGINE, IN THE 1995 WINDSTAR(EVEN THOUGH FORD SAID THAT THEY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM) WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I CAN SEE THAT IF THIS WERE A RARE CASE OF GASKET FAILURE, IT WOULD NOT MATTER VERY MUCH, BUT SEEING THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BOTHERS ME. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. I DO NOT KNOW HOW A RECALL GETS STARTED, BUT WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS ONE DONE. THANK YOU

I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR. I HAVE JUST LEARNED THE HEAD GASKET ON MY VEHICLE HAS BLOWN OUT WITH JUST 70K MILES ON IT. I KNOW FORD RECALLED 1995 MODELS AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH OF MY OWN, HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE JUST AS MANY 96'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING WITH THAT MODEL YEAR.

PROBLEM WITH 1996 FORD WINDSTAR 3.8L ENGINE 45,000 MI. W/ DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. FORD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON 94-95 MODELS BUT WON'T COVER 96 MODELS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM W/ ALL THE 3.8L ENGINES AND FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MANUFACTURING AND SELLING A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE ON THIS PRODUCT. TS

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW A CLASS ACTION SUIT CAN BE MADE TO FORCE FORD TO MAKE A RECALL OF THIS ITEM.

WAS HAVING A SLOW LOSS OF COOLANT WITH NO VISIBLE LEAKAGE. NOW HAVE A DAMAGED TIMING COVER/GASKET ($1,200.00 REPAIR ESTIMATE FROM A FORD DEALER) PROBABLY DUE TO ENGINE OVERHEATING. NLM

HAD OIL CHANGED AT GRAYLING FORD ON SEPTEMBER 25. AS SOON AS I PULLED IN, TECHNICIAN REMARKED HE SMELLED ANTI-FREEZE BURNING. HE CHECKED COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK AND FOUND IT EMPTY. ONE GALLON OF COOLANT WAS ADDED AT THAT TIME. HE STATED I SHOULD HAVE MY HEAD GASKETS CHECKED BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CAUSE OF LOSS OF COOLANT IF I HADN'T NOTICED ANY LEAKAGE, WHICH I HAVEN'T. THE VAN HAS BEEN RUNNING GOOD. THERE HAS BEEN NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM, I.E. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON, NO OVERHEATING. I AM CONCERNED THAT ONCE REPAIR IS DONE ON SEPTEMBER 26, MECHANICS WILL FIND ENGINE DAMAGE LEADING TO A MORE COSTLY REPAIR. I STILL MAKE PAYMENTS AND THE ESTIMATED COST FOR JUST THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR IS OVER $1,000. ENGINE REPLACEMENT OR OTHER REPAIRS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS ESTIMATE. BECAUSE MY 96 WINDSTAR HAS THE SAME ENGINE...

VEHICLE IS LOSING COOLANT AND RUNNING ROUGH WHEN FIRST STARTED. A QUART IS ADDED EVERY 800 MILES TO VEHICLE. NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON DASHBOARD. COOLANT SMELL IS COMING THROUGH EXHAUST. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS LEAKING COOLANT. *YD

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS LEAKING COOLANT. *YD

THE CHECKE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. NOTICED A SMALL PUDDLE ON GARAGE FLOOR BENEATH VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. MECHANIC DROPPED OIL PAN. THE BEARINGS HAD TURNED TO COPPER, THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LEAK ANTIFREEZE. NLM

VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING,.DEALER NOTIFIED , AND REPLACED WATER PUMP AND THE TIMING COVER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

COOLANT LEAKED INTO ENGINE CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE BLOWING THE HEAD GASKETS AND CRACKING THE ENGINE BLOCK. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THERE WAS A COMPLETE POWER LOSS IN THE STEERING AND BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN WERE IN THE VAN AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. FORTUNATLY THEY WERE NOT ON THE INTERSTATE OR MAJOR HIGHWAY BECAUSE THERES NO TELLING WHAT THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THIS CASE. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A RECALLED PROBLEM FOR THE 94 AND 95 YEARS FOR THE SAME MODEL THAT I HAVE BUT NOT THE 96. THIS IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM WITH WINDSTAR BUT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WITH THE MUSTANGS AND LINCON TOWN CARS WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN ERROR WITH-IN THOSE YEARS IN QUESTION WITH MANY FORD MODELS. THIS WILL COST ME NEARLY $4500 TO REPAIR AS QUOTED FROM A...

ENGINE COOLANT LEAKS, MANUFACTURER HAS A TSB ON VEHICLE, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF TSB. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

HOW MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS DO YOU NEED. WE NEED HELP. ACCORDING TO YOUR DATA, THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE PUSHED ASIDE WITHOUT YOUR HELP. I AM OUT $1500 AND A CAR WHILE IT IS BEING FIXED. THANKS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING SPEEDOMETER WAS WAVING BACK FROM 20 TO 90 MPH. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTICED TRANSMISSION PAN HAD METAL IN IT WHICH CAUSED TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, NOTICED A FUME ODOR IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, AND CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER NOTICED THAT COOLANT AND TIMING COVER WERE LEAKING FLUID ONTO HEAD GASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND LOST POWER MAKING STEERING AND BRAKING DIFFICULT. THE SYMPTOMS SEEM IDENTICAL TO THE 1995 ENGINE COOLANT LOSS COVERED BY FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY ALTHOUGHT DEALER REPORTS THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED. *AK

I AM DISSATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE FROM FORD ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME THING. THE ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING AT A QUICK PACE AND FORD RAN THE PRESSURE TEST. SAID IT WAS THE WATER PUMP AND GASKET THAT NEEDED FIXED. THIS WAS 2 WEEKS AGO. THEY TOLD MY BOYFRIEND [XXX] WHOSE NAME IS ON THE TITLE OF THE VAN THAT IT WAS FIXED. HERE IT IS 1/4/2001 AND AGAIN WE HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. RAN TEST AGAIN AND SAID IT WAS THE HEAD GASKETS AND #4 CYLINDER. WE ALREADY PAID $900 AND IT WASN'T FIXED THE FIRST TIME. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE $1200 TO HAVE IT FIXED AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY MORE WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED THE FIRST TIME AROUND. ALSO FOUND OUT FORD HAS HAD...

WATER WAS LEAKING OUT FROM LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE, A MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT 72000 MILES.*AK

IN JAN 2000, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NOTICED ROUGH IDILING, TOOK IN FOR SERVICE, PROBLEM WITH EXHAUST SYSTEM REPAIRED...AGAIN IN FEB 2000, SAME PROBLEM NOTED, AGAIN TOOK IN FOR EXPENSIVE REPAIRS(BOTH OF THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE AT LOCAL FORD DEALER)...IN MAY NOTICED THAT IT WAS STARTING TO ROUGH IDLE AGAIN...TOOK TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP...COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.........SUDDENLY ON JUNE 30, 2000..AFTER STARTING THE VAN AFTER WORK TO GO HOME...NOTICED WHITE SMOKE POURING OUT FROM VAN AND INCREDIBLE ROUGH IDLE...TOOK THE VAN TO THE FORD DEALER....PROCEEDED TO BE TOLD THAT THE VAN HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, WATER PUMP, CRACKED PISTONS AND THEY THOUGHT THE ENGINE BLOCK MIGHT BE AFFECTED TOO....SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX IF EVEN POSSIBLE....TOLD THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE 96 VANS....NOT UNDER ANY RECALL OR WARRANTY....SUGGESTED WE MIGHT WANT TO BUY A NEW VAN.....FELT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPTIONS SO...

WATER PUMP FAILED. NLM

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH THERE WAS COOLANT LEAK INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO A MINOR HOLE. CONSUMER HAS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE COOLANT SO THAT ENGINE WON'T OVERHEAT. *AK

ENGINE COOLANT NEEDS FILLING EVERY 2-3 DAYS, TRANSMISSION SKIPS, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALWAYS ILLUMINATED AND INTERIOR DOOR AJAR LIGHT NEVER GOES OFF. *AK

COOLANT LEAKING EXTERNALLY FROM ENGINE FRONT COVER. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK