1996 FORD WINDSTAR Steering Problems

VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOOSING COOLANT FOR MANY YEARS. *LA THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE BUT ENDED UP HAVING MAJOR REPAIRS. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY TWO DEALERS THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A SHORT BLOCK INSTALLED. THERE WAS ALSO NOISE IN THE STEERING AND A COOLANT LEAK. THE INTAKE UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLD GASKETS WERE ALSO REPLACED. *SC *JB

12-15-97 AT 21,145 MILES I REPORTED NOTICING THE COOLANT LEVEL ALWAYS BEING LOW. NO LEAK WAS FOUND AND I WAS TOLD THERE MUST BE A LEAK SOMEWHERE IN THE RADIATOR. 12-27-99 AT 56,526 MILES I BEGAN HAVING A "COLD START" PROBLEM. IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS NOT GETTING FUEL. 12-1200 AT 74,306 MILES I HAD THE SAME "COLD START" PROBLEM AND THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPACED. 12-22-00 AT 74,930 A NEW THERMOSTAT & GASKET. 12-29-00 AT 75,113 A FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. 03-02-01 AT 77,569 MILES A NEW FUEL PUMP RELAY(CCRM), FUEL PUMP AND PVC VALVE. 09-11-01 AT 87,907 MILES A MULT-FUNCTION SWITCH. 01-31-02 AT 95,069 MILES A SECOND CCRM RELAY. 03-06-02 AT 99,348 MILES ON AN 80 DEGREE DAY "NO START" SAME SYMPTOMS AS "COLD START" PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF NOT GETTING FUEL IT IS SUSPECTED IT IS FLOODING. 4-23-02 AT 99,348 MILES COLD START PROBLEM, FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED. 05-30-02 AT...

WHEN THE KEY WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE DID NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED A PIN CAME OUT OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. *JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLES NEEDLE STARTED TO HUM. THEN NEXT, THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTED TO FLY BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 40-110MPH. I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT ABOUT 20 OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM WERE HAVING TO REPLACE THIS COMPONENT WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES USAGE BETWEEN REPLACEMENTS. UP TO TWO OR THREE WERE BEING REPLACED WITHIN THE VEHICLES. NOW IF THERE WERE 20 REPORTS ON ONE WEBSITE ABOUT THIS CONCERN THEN THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS MORE NOT BEING REPORTED. AN INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR ALL DRIVERS ON THE ROADS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *AK

IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS THE TRANSMISSION HAS SLIPPED TWICE. WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP AND ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE PUT INTO PARK AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS ONLY 56000 ON VEHICLE. BATTERY LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON THIS CAN BE VERY NERVE WRACKING WHEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. . SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES AND FLOPS AROUND AFTER 40MPH, SOMETIME STICKS AT 50MPH. REAR WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT. WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM SERVING 8 YEARS OVERSEAS, THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND FROM THE RESEARCH WE HAVE JUST BEEN ABLE TO START THIS WINDSTAR IS HEADACHES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE MY FAMILY TO SEE RELATIVES THEY HAVE NOT SEEN IN OVER 8 YEARS BUT THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE.

IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS THE TRANSMISSION HAS SLIPPED TWICE. WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP AND ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE PUT INTO PARK AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS ONLY 56000 ON VEHICLE. BATTERY LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON THIS CAN BE VERY NERVE WRACKING WHEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. . SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES AND FLOPS AROUND AFTER 40MPH, SOMETIME STICKS AT 50MPH. REAR WIPERS WORK WHEN THEY WANT. WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM SERVING 8 YEARS OVERSEAS, THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND FROM THE RESEARCH WE HAVE JUST BEEN ABLE TO START THIS WINDSTAR IS HEADACHES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE MY FAMILY TO SEE RELATIVES THEY HAVE NOT SEEN IN OVER 8 YEARS BUT THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. *AK

THE SPEEDOMETER STARTS MOVING ERRATICALLY ONCE SPEEDS OF 25 MPH ARE REACHED. ALSO, SOMETIMES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL ONLY WORK ON HIGH SPEED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND AM TOLD IT WILL BE $500.00 FOR THE SPEEDOMETER. I FEEL THIS, AS WELL AS THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WIPERS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH SPEEDOMETERS ON 1996 WINDSTARS, AND I THINK FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS, NOT ME. *AK

SPEEDOMETER JUMPS ERRATICALLY AFTER 40 MPH; ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON OFTEN, WITH VARIOUS DIAGNOSES THAT SEEM TO ONLY FIX THE PROBLEM FOR AWHILE; WE HAVE PAID ALMOST $1000 IN REPAIRS SO FAR, NONE OF IT UNDER WARRANTY, PER THE DEALER. *AK

SPEEDOMETER FAILED AT 35000 MILES, THE NEEDLE JUMPS ALL OVER HAVE NO ACCURATE SPEED READING. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRINTY BY MANUFACTURER. THE SPEEDOMETER BROKE AGAIN AT APP. 75000 MILES, THE SAME PROBLEM, THIS TIME THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT IS A REOCCURRING PROBLEM.*AK

SPEEDOMETER BEGAN JUMPING AROUND ABOVE 40 MPH. FORD DEALER STATED IT WAS A SPEEDOMETER GEAR REPLACEMENT. COST >$400. FORD HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME ITEM FOR THE 95 WINDSTAR (TSB 94B47) AND A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPAIR (TSB 99-7-9). NHTSA HAS MORE THAN 30 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME FAILURE. IT APPEARS FORD RECOGNIZED THE SAFETY HAZARD ON THE 1995 WINDSTAR, BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM ON THE 1996. *AK

THE RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR QUIT WORKING AND WAS DETERMINED AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT BY JOE MAHAN FORD IN PARIS, TN. THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY $100, BUT I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE WITHOUT IT WORKING, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER IS BROKEN. WHILE DRIVING OVER 30MPH, THE NEEDLE JUMPS AROUND TO 80 OR MORE AND THE CORRECT SPEED CANNOT BE DETERMINED. AGAIN, THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE SPEED SHOULD BE KNOWN AT ALL TIMES. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD BE OF NO ASSISTANCE. I REALLY NEED THESE ITEMS FIXED, BUT THE COMBINED COST IS GREATER THAN $400 AND I FEEL FORD SHOULD AT LEAST SHARE IN THE COST. *AK

TH SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT ACCURATELY SHOW THE SPEED. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS, ESPCIALLY WITH MY TEENAGE DRIVER. JOHNSON FORD IS CHARGING $333.00 FOR THE PART ALONE WHICH INCIDENTLY CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AT FORD DEALERS. I FEEL THAT A SPEEDOMETER SHOULD WORK. *AK

SPEEDOMETER READOUT NOT RELIABLE. NEEDLE SOMETIMES STICKS ON CERTAIN SPEED WHEN OBVIOUSLY ACCELERATING. NEEDLE OFTEN SWINGS SUDDENLY UP AND DOWN WHEN CRUISING AT STEADY SPEED. NEEDLE HAS CREPT UPWARD SEVERAL MPH WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. FIRST OCCURRED JUST UNDER 27,000 MI, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IS NOW REOCCURRING, AND DEALER WANTS $400 TO REPLACE AGAIN 18 MO LATER. DEALER SERVICE SHOPS IN ARKANSAS AND NORTH DAKOTA BOT SAID THEY'VE SEEN A LOT OF THIS - THE PLASTIC PARTS (GEARS?) IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL JUST WEAR OUT. *AK

STEERING MAKES NOISE.

STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY FAILED.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOST STEERING CONTROL WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK