1996 FORD WINDSTAR Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

I OWN A 1996 FORD WINDSTAR WITH A 3.8L V-6 ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 72,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS NOW IN THE SHOP WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT WILL REQUIRE A NEW LONG-BLOCK MOTOR AND POSSIBLY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAUSE ANTIFREEZE/OIL WAS PASSING THROUGH IT DUE TO THE GASKET FAILURE. I'M CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A $5,800 BILL TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. MY QUERY TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY RESULTED IN A RESPONSE THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME...THAT THERE ARE "NO WARRANTIES, RECALLS OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAMS" ON MY VEHICLE. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE ARE A TON OF COMPLAINTS OF BLOWN HEAD GASKETS IN THE 1996 FORD WINDSTAR, BUT FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. FORD WAS HIT WITH CLASS ACTION SUITS REGARDING THE 1995 FORD WINDSTAR THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND EVENTUALLY AGREED TO EXTEND THE 1995 WINDSTAR WARRANTY...

HEAD GASKET FOR 3.8L V6 FORD ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE. FORD RECOGNIZES THIS FOR PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS (1994-1995), BUT DOES NOT FOR MY MODEL. FORD HAS TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THEIR DEALERS AND SERVICE CENTERS, AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 1996 - AND 3.8L ENGINES OF THAT TIME ACROSS THEIR PRODUCT LINE ACCORDING TO CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY, THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER NEED CHANGING. FURTHERMORE, ACCORDING TO A FORD DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, FORD AT 7 YEARS AND 78K MILES DO NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE DEFECT. THE DEALER I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM DID NOT DISCLOSE THAT THIS CAR WAS PAST ANY DEFECT RECALL AND WAS PAST TIME TO TAKE ACTION WITH FORD. (THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THEIR CLIMATE CONTROLS ON THIS MINIVAN AS WELL, AS THEY CEASED TO FUNCTION - AND THAT IS ANOTHER ITEM THAT SHOULD NOT FAIL UNLESS DEFECTIVE.) IN...

OUR 1996 FORD WINDSTAR GL, WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW, HAS 118000. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A BROKEN (BOUNCING) SPEEDOMETER, DOME LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED, ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED, AND MORE RECENTLY, LEAKING COOLANT WHICH IS LINKED TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND CHECK ENGINE WARNINGS. THE COST HAS BEEN ASTRONOMICAL. ACCORDING TO MANY OTHER CONSUMERS, ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE COMMON WITH THE 96 MODEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHETHER FORD INTENDS TO MAKE ANY RECALLS REGARDING THESE ISSUES. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE WAS SURGING . ALSO, THERE WAS AN ANTI FREEZE SMELL. CHECKED ENGINE, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, AND TECHNICIAN NOTICED A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON SINCE SEPT. 2000 WHEN VEHICLE HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES ON IT. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. NOW HAVE A PRIVATE CERTIFIED AUTO TECH WHO DOES MY REPAIRS AND CODE READ OUTS. I HAVE HAD A TUNE UP AT 95,000 MILES, AND HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE AT 121,000 MILES. HAD PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND UP A HLLL. IN SUMMER OF 2001, I HAD THE IAC VALVE CHANGED WHICH CORRECTED THE STALLING PROBLEM. HAVE REPLACED O-2 SENSORS AT LEAST TWICE. IN PAST 6 MONTHS, THE ENGING HAS BEEN RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND I HAVE A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE . 2ND TUNE-UP AND COIL REPLACED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. ENGINE NOW RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND GASOLINE ODOR IS SO STRONG THAT YOU COULD NOT LIGHT A MATCH IN...

ENGINE SPEWING WATER. DIAGNOSED AS FREEZE PLUGS BLOWING 72,000 MILES. AT 42,000 MILES TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE WORKED ON. JUMPED OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. VEHICLE HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE SINCE PURCHASED NEW. *JB

96 FORD WINDSTAR WITH 3.8 LT V6 ,HAS BLOWN HEAD GASKET,FORD SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL FOR PART WITH MY VIN# AFTER LOOKING UP PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE ON THE WEB I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE 94 AND 95 MODELS AND IT SEEMS THEY HAVE FOLLOWED OVER TO THE 96 MODELS ESPECIALLY WITH THE 3.8 ENGINES. UPON CALLING FORD AND TALKING TO A REPRESENTATIVE THEY SAID THE REPAIR COST WERE BASICALLY IM MY HANDS ,I TOLD THEM FROM WHAT I READ THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE GASKETS IN THE 96 AND FOR THEM TO GO AT 73,OOO MILES SEEMS A LITTLE PREMATURE,SHE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT WE WERE TALKING IN CIRCLES AND THAT THE 96"S HAD A EXCELLENT CUSTOMER RATING AND TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIR WOULD BE MINE. *NLM

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF 1996 FORD WINDSTAR'S WITH THE 3.8 ENGINE HAVING MULTIPLE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE IS NOW HAVING TO BE REPLACED AFTER A THIRD HEAD GASKET HAS TO BE REPLACED.

FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 3.8 L ENGINE FOR 1995 MODEL DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE GASKET SETS. HOWEVER, IS NOT DOING SO FOR LIKE FAILURE ON 1996 MODEL 3.8 L ENGINES. ENGINE SEIZED ON OUR VEHICLE WITH APPROXIMATELY 48000 MILES DESPITE MAINTENANCE AND TIMING CHAIN GASKET SET REPLACEMENT AN APPROXIMATELY $1200 REPAIR. DT

ENGINE LIGHT ON. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET RELATING TO DEFECT IN 1995-1997 WINDSTARS WITH HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PROBLEM. CONTACTING FORD, BUT GETTING RUN AROUND AND TENDS NOT TO SPEAK TO ME SINCE MILEAGE IS OVER 100,000. OBVIOUS PROBLEM, AS EVIDENCE BY THE ABILITY TO EASILY FIND OTHERS WITH SAME ISSUE. DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT $4,000 OR GASKET REPLACE AT $1,200. ANOTHER ISSUE IS ABS LIGHT ON. SEEMS TO BE ANOTHER ISSUE WHERE KNOWN PROBLEM WITH FORDS, BUT FORD NOT ABLE TO FIX. DT

THE ENGINE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE INTAKE ENGINE MANIFOLD. DT

A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NOVEMBER 3, 2002 AND WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MCCAFFERTY FORD ON NOVEMBER 7, 2002. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING COOLANT ONTO THE ENGINE AND OUT THE TAIL PIPE AND "SHORTED" THE OXYGEN SENSOR WHICH CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO APPEAR. THE ESTIMATE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM IS $1,423 (WITH TAX). THEY ALSO CHARGED ME $137.69 FOR TWO HOURS LABOR TO FIND THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OF THE SYMPTOMS. I DID SOME RESEARCH ABOUT FORD WINDSTARS AND HEAD GASKET FAILURES AND FOUND OUT THE 1994 AND 1995 WINDSTARS WERE RECALLED TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM. BUT, THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR 1996 EVEN THOUGH I FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON-LINE. I HAVE SPOKE TO MCCAFFERTY FORD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD H. MITCHELL ON NOVEMBER 8, 2002 AND HE SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO IF...

NO SUMMARY. DT

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. PLEASE ADD MORE DETAILS.

WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONSUMER STATED THREE SENSORS HAD TO BE REPLACED, A FEW WEEKS LATER THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JB

VEHICLE HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH JUST EXPIRED. FORD REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE REJECTED REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. COMPLAINT LETTER SENT TO WC FORD. $1673.38 PAID FOR REPAIR OF DEFECTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE FAILURE AT 88,000 MILES, ROUGH IDLE AT TIMES, COMPUTER REPLACED AT 75,000 MILES, HEAD GASKET BLEW, CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.*AK

ENGINE FAILURE AT 88,000 MILES, ROUGH IDLE AT TIMES, COMPUTER REPLACED AT 75,000 MILES, HEAD GASKET BLEW, CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NEED TO REPLACE SPEEDOMETER HEAD, REPLACED TIE ROD, FRONT AND REAR BRAKES, CYLINDERS, HEAD GASKET AND NOW ENGINE BLEW NEED NEW ENGINE. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT DUE TO A FACTORY DEFECT, THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS BROUGHT TO CONSUMERS ATTENTION BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD A FACTORY RECALL ON THE 1994 AND 1995 MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *YD *NM

AT 60-65 MPH, ENGINE BLEWOUT WITH NO WARNING AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK PERSONAL MECHANIC FOUND BROKEN CONNECTING ROD WHICH DAMAGED TWO CYLINDERS AND CRANKSHAFT. CONNECTING ROD EXPERIENCED METAL FATIGUE DUE TO FAULTY MANUFACTURING. ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TT

WHEN STOPPING AT A LIGHT, ENGINE SOMETIMES WILL DIE. VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD AFTER PULLING OFF FROM A STOP. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, THEY REPLACED SOMETHING, AND TWO WEEKS LATER PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *AK THE ENGINE STALLS WHENEVER MORE THAN ONE DEVICE IS TURNED ON AT THE SAME TIME. THIS PROBLEM MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN HEAD LIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON TOGETHER. THE VEHICLE ALSO SHAKES VIOLENTLY AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR FEW HOURS. *YH

AFTER DRIVING FOR 2 MINUTES THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED HEAD GASKET. *AK ENGINE OVERHEATS DUE TO HEAD GASKETS AND TIMING COVER GASKET FAILURE . CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AFTER REPAIR. *YH

THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. *YH

HAD ON NUMEROUS OCCASION TAKEN MY 1996 FORD WINDSTAR FOR ENGINE LIGHT WAS TOLD PROBLEM FIXED ONLY TO HAVE LIGHT COME BACK ON. PROCEEDED TO HAVE ALL WORK DONE DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHILE SEARCHING FOR ADITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS KNOWN FORD MOTOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. IF THIS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY AS KNOWN DEFECT WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN TO RESOLVE THIS BESIDE HAVING THE CONSUMER TO ABSORB THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF FIXING A KNOWN MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT.*AK

ENGINE HAS GONE OUT, CAUSING SMOKE TO COME OUT OF TAIL PIPE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT ENGINE FAILED, CONSUMER BELIEVES ENGINE FAILURE IS BY FACTORY RELATED DEFECTS, ALSO THE TIMING COVER GASKET FAILED AT 65,454. *YD

VEHICLE MISFIRES. CONSUMER FOUND WATER IN OIL AND EXHAUST. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE WAS MISFIRING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. *AK

AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 4 HOURS FROM ALABAMA WITH 1 OR 2 STOPS WE STOPPED AT THE SC WELCOME CENTER FOR 5 MINUTES. WHEN WE RESTARTED THE ENGINE, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A NOISE. WE DROVE ABOUT 20 MILES, THEN HAD THE VAN TOWED TO FAIRWAY FORD IN ANDERSON, SC. WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE AUTHORIZED A REPLACEMENT, BUT ASKED FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TO BE PERFORMED SO WE WOULD KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE OLD ENGINE TO FAIL. TO DATE, THAT INFORMATION HAS NEVER BEEN REVEALED TO US BY FORD. FORD CORP. HAS BEEN EXTREMELY UNCOOPERATIVE IN RETURNING PHONE CALLS, AND HAS BASICALLY TOLD US "TOUGH LUCK".*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING RIDE WAS VERY ROUGH. AFTER VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF; THEN HOURS LATER, TRIED TO RESTART ENGINE, AND THERE WAS A STUTTER/ WAS NOT TURNING ON. ALSO, THERE WAS A CLOUD OF STEAM FROM ENGINE. MECHANIC STATED THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK

APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH FORD WINDSTARS AFTER 50,000 MILES, HOWEVER FORD REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IN EXISTING VECHICLES.* NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

ON 11-10-01 NOTICED COOL AIR COMING FROM HEATER. CHECKED COOLANT LEVEL AND ADDED WAY MORE THAN JUST TOPPING IT OFF. THE NEXT MORING THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED UP. LOCAL FORD DEALER QUOTED ME 3600.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE. THERE IS WATER IN THE OIL. *AK

I BROUGHT IT WHILE I WAS LIVING IN TORONTO, ONTARIO. THE EXACT MILEAGE IS 98881KM (NOT K-MILES). I HAVE CONTACTED FORD BUT FORD REFUSED TO HELP ON SERVICING THE VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE AT 72,201 MILES. ALL MAINTENANCE WORK PEERFORMED BY DEALER

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. ROUGH IDLE. TUNE-UP PERFORMED. OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS NOW OFF. TWO DAYS LATER, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS BACK ON AND ROUGH IDLE RETURNS. REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR AND PLUG WIRES. NEXT DAY, DRIVING CAR AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE FALLS ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO COLD SIDE. HEATER BLOWING OUT JUST A LITTLE WARM. PRESSURE TESTED ENGINE. LEAKAGE IN A CYLINDER. UPON TEARDIOWN, HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED LEAKING COOLANT INTO ENGINE.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTL/SIMUTANEOUSLY COME ON AND CAUSE LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A TRANSMISSION LEAK, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ACTING ERRACTICALLY, PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKES WERE INOPERATIVE,ALSO THE POWER WINDOWS WERE INOPERATIVE.*SLC

HEAD GASKET FAILED, AND THEN SOON AFTER ENGINE STALLED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THEN DIED. IT WAS DETERMINED THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF FORD'S FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.

THEY HAVE RECALLED 94 AND 1995 VERSIONS OF THE SAME ENGINE. PROBLEM NOT FIXED.*AK

THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. *YH

OIL CONTAMINATION. FOUND OIL IN THE COOLNAT. DEALER INSPECTION CONCLUDES THAT THIS IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. AN EXACT PROBLEM CAUSED A MAJOR RECALL FOR THE SAME ENGINE FOR THE YEARS 94-95. NO RECALL YET FOR YEAR 1996. GROWING AMOUNT OF REPORTS SHOW THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON THE 1996 MODEL THAT CARRIES THE SAME ENGINE. DEALER RECOMMENDS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BLOCK AT A COST OF $4000. I AM EXPECTING FORD TO PICK UP THESE CHARGES DUE TO THE REASONS STATED ABOVE.*AK

ENGINE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY ON WARM TO HOT DAYS. CAUSES LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING AND HANDLING OF VEHICLE. ENGINE STALLS DURING NORMAL OPERATION, AT INTERSECTIONS, NEEDING TO STEER OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID COLLISIONS. ENGINE NEEDS TO COOL DOWN FOR 20 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL TURN OVER. RECENT NEWSPAPER ARTICLE REPORTED MAJOR COLLISONS LEADING IN DEATH OR SEVERE INJURY BECAUSE OF THIS ENGINE FAILURE. CASES PENDING IN CALIFORNIA. FORD NEEDS TO BE PRESSURED BY THE NHTSA TO HAVE A RECALL OF THIS TFI MODULE WHICH IS POSITIONED IMPROPERLY ON ENGINE BEFORE MORE INCIDENTS OCCUR OR THE TFI MODULE NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED TO WITHSTAND MORE HEAT SO THAT ENGINE DOES NOT SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND NEED TO HAVE ACTION TAKEN NOW BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS.*AK

TIMING COVER SEAL WAS LEAKING, UPON HAVING THIS PROBLEM FIXED, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE, ENGINE WAS REPLACED. *SLC

HAVE FOUGHT WITH FORD ABOUT LOSING POWER AND VEHICLE STALLING SINCE OWNING THE CAR. ALSO FIND THAT MANY OTHERS(ON WEB 'WINDSTAR HEAD DEFECT' SEARCH) HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO HAD TWO FORD MECHANICS UNOFFICIALY ADMIT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE 1996 WINDSTARS. FORD, AFTER BEING BADGERED, SAID THEY WOULD COVER MY ENGINE TO 100,000 MILES AND ARE RENIGING NOW THAT IT HAS COMPLETELY BLOWN. I JUST WANT A CAR THAT IS SAFE FOR MY FAMILY. HELP ME. *AK