1997 FORD WINDSTAR Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATES HAS BEEN HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SINCE 2002. ON APRIL 28, 2004 THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT PROVIDING AN ACCURATE SPEED READING. ON DECEMBER 9, 2004 THE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR SLIDE PROPERLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND DETERMINED THAT THE SLIDE WHEELS WERE DRY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH, AND NOW IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. ON FEBRUARY 5, 2005 THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 75, 172 MILES, AND ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005 THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE.*AK

DUE TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET, ANTI FREEZE LEAKED INTO THE OIL AND RUINED THE ENGINE. *PH THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLES FAULTY GASKETS FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE BUT THE DEALER STILL REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *NM *SC *JB

FAILED HEAD GASKET LED TO A PISTON ROD SHOOTING THROUGH THE OIL PAN. VERY DANGEROUS FOR THE CARS BEHIND ME AS OIL WAS SHOOTING OVER THE HIGHWAY. SLIPPERY FOR CARS FOLLOWING, AND WENT ON OTHER CARS PAINT AND WINDSHIELDS. HEAD GASKETS WERE RECALLED IN PREVIOUS 3 YEARS OF VEHICLES 1993-96 FORD WINDSTARS, 1997 WAS NOT ON A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER CORRECTLY FIXED. HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE AUTOMAKER TO NOT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL CARS IN THE RECALL EFFORT. *AK

I OWN A 1997 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVAN (VIN# [XXX]) THAT CONTAINS A 3.8 V6. AT 82,000 MILES, THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT WILL COST BETWEEN $2000 AND $4000 TO REPAIR. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE WEB, IT APPEARS THAT THE 1995 AND 1996 MODELS ALSO HAD HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS DUE TO AN ADMITTED DESIGN FLAW. FORD CLAIMS TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM-BUT THERE ARE INCREASING NUMBERS OF OWNERS OF 1997 MODELS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. REPEATED VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP-AS WELL AS NUMEROUS CALLS TO FORD-HAVE RESULTED IN DEAD ENDS. I GET RESPONSES SUCH AS: "THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED", "THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON YOUR VEHICLE AT THIS TIME", ETC. BUT SINCE THIS IS CLEARLY DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE, THEN SHOULDN'T THIS STILL BE COVERED AND CORRECTED? FORD OFFERED A BRIEF PROGRAM TO REPAIR THE EARLIER MODELS-SO...

ENGINE TIMING BELT AND CYLINDER HEAD LEAKED.*AK

THE HEAD GASKET LEAKED.*JB

I BOUGHT MY 1997 WINDSTAR USED 6 MONTHS AGO WITH 87,000 ON IT, I HAVE DRIVEN ONLY 3,000 MILES AND MY ENGINE BLEW WITH NO WARNING. THIS WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE USED CAR I HAD EVER OWNED AND WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT..WE CHECKED THE VIN REPORT ON CARFAX...WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT BY OUR OWN MECHANIC. I THOUGHT I HAD FOUND A GREAT (DREAM FOR ME)VEHICLE. BEN SATCHER FORD IN SC SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS CAR ONLY THE 95 MODEL AND THAT PROBLEM HAD BEEN SINCE FIXED. SO I'M STUCK WITH PAYING $3000 FOR A NEW ENGINE WHILE I STILL OWE $6000 ON MY VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN TRANSPORT MY 3 CHILDREN AROUND TOGETHER, OUR OTHER VEHICLE IS A PICK-UP WITH ONLY FRONT SEATS...SO WERE STRANDED.

HAVE A 97 FORD WINDSTAR ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD A TIRE BLOW COMPLETELY HERE TO FIND OUT THAT THE COIL SPRING ON DRIVERS FRONT BROKE AND WENT INTO TIRE, THEN TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL 2 YEARS AGO ON IT BUT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF IT AND ALSO A FEW WEEKS AGO, VAN ALL OF A SUDDEN KEPT GETTING REAL HOT WITH ROLLING WHITE SMOKE JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THESE WINDSTARS BUT YET STILL WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, THIS IS NOT RIGHT, I FEEL WE WERE CHEATED, NOW HAVE A VAN THAT SITS AND STILL OWE $10,000 ON BECAUSE I'M A FAMILY MAN OF SIX AND CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF THESE MAJOR REPAIRS, I'M AFRAID OF WHAT MIGHT OF HAPPENED IF THIS WOULD OF BLEW WITH ALL MY FAMILY IN IT ON A HIGHWAY, IS THIS HOW...

COOLANT LOW ENGINE RAN WARM, NO LEAKS FOUND. FEBRUARY 2003, ENGINE WAS FILLED WITH COOLANT BECAUSE OF LEAK. STARTER BLEW AND ENGINE LOCKED UP. PH

BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON 3.8 ENGINE ON 1997 FORD WINDSTAR, WITH ONLY 77,000 MILES. FORD WITH NOT OFFER ANY HELP. AFTER OWNING A FORD FOR PAST 28 YEARS, THIS IS THE LAST FORD PRODUCT THAT MY FAMILY WILL EVER OWN. EVER! TS

CONSUMER STATES ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

ABS BRAKING LIGHT SYSTEM APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. ALSO THERE IS COOLANT MIXED IN WITH OIL INSIDE OF ENGINE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AGAIN, THE STARTER MADE A FUNNY NOISE. ALSO, THE THERMOSTAT WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS OPENED AND THE ANTI-FREEZE WAS LOW-REFILLED. THE MECHANIC THOUGHT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP. THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. *SCC

VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS GOING INTO THE FRIST STAGE OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT AT 68000 MILES.*AK

CONSUMER STATES HEAD GASKET BLEW, CONSISTENT WITH HISTORICAL PROBLEM ON THIS ENGINE, DEALER INITIALLY PAID ONE HALF OF REPAIR DUE TO HISTORY. *AK *YD

WE HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 115,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THE VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY WITH CONCERNS THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN. THEY BLEW US OFF LIKE WE WERE IDIOTS!! WE HAD TO HAVE THE DOOR WINDOWS REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, THE LATCH ASSEMBLY ON THE HATCH BROKE WE TOOK IT IN AND HAD REPAIRED THEN APPROXIMATELY 1YEAR LATER IT BROKE AGAIN! OF COURSE THAT TIME IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE LATCH, INSTEAD THEY WANTED ME TO PAY $250 TO REPLACE A PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT COULD NOT BE PURCHASED SEPERATELY! THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER QUIT WORKING. WE ALSO HAVE TO PERIODICALLY SCRAPE AND CLEAN THE SENSOR FOR THE SLIDING DOOR OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT STOP DINGING. THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR CRACKED THE FIRST WINTER,...

THIS CAR HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AFTER ONLY 80000 MILES. IT IS A 3.8 L ENGINE THAT HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURES. HOW LONG CAN FORD CONTINUE SELLING THIS JUNK? IT SEEMS TO BE GOING ON FOREVER. *AK

MECHANIC STATES THAT VEHICLE HAS A HISTORY OF HEAD GASKET FAILURES IN PREVOIUS YEARS. *AK

HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 27,888 MILES, AND ALSO AFTER THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I ALSO FOUND A BEER CAN SMASHED BETWEEN MY SPARE TIRE AND THE FRAME OF MY VAN. THIS IS THAT WAY IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY. WHAT KIND OF QUALITY IS THIS. ARE PEOPLE DRINKING ALCHOHOL WHILE WORKING ON ASSEMBLING MY VAN. NOW I STUCK WITH THIS SORRY FORD PRODUCT. THEY NEED TO BUY MY VAN BACK AND REPLACE WITH A NEW ONE. *AK

VAN LOST POWER AND STALLED. TOOK TO SERVICE CENTER AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE MAIN BEARING SPUN AND CRACKED BLOCK. SINCE WARRANTY WAS OVER ON MILEAGE, NEITHER THE DEALER NOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL WARRANTY OR EVEN LOOK AT IT. WAS TOLD IT WAS "LACK OF MAINTENANCE" THAT CAUSED PROBLEM. *AK

AT 67,000 MILES THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK