Problems began with engine check light at 32,000. Manuf. Said "don't worry." head gaskets/block at 51,000. New engine one year later. Second engine three months after that. Within eight months, dealer wants to install what amounts to fourth engine. Transmission appears to be going, too, mechanic thinks due to multiple overheating/s of engine.
1995 Ford Windstar engine complaints
Page 41 of 55: complaints 1,181 to 1,210 of 1,613, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Car first ran hot on 2/4/99. Ford would not pay since it was out of warranty. Had an independent to replace the head gaskets. Picked up car - car ran bad. Returned car to garage was told that crankshaft and crankshaft bearings were bad. Elected to replace the engine in lieu of repairing. Car ok for 3 months. Ran hot again. Replaced thermostat. Continued to run hot. Took it to hillard ford in arlington tx. Hillard checked it out for a week. Could not get it to overheat but replaced spark plugs and an ignition module. Have had car for 3 days. Car overheated, again. Haven't had a chance to identify the problem, but is a continual problem with the windstar.
There is a problem with: 1. The engine gaskets and, 2. The transmissions of many of the 1995 ford windstars and ford taurus's. They are routinely failing. Given this observation, I was compelled to purchase a $1000 extended warranty to pay for the repairs. The manufacturer should recall the affected powertrains and replace/repair the defects without charging the owners. Owners should be reimbursed for the costs of repairs or purchase of an extended warranty. The "lemon law" may apply because there are repetitive repairs.
Ford admits head gaskets are defective, but will only replace them if they blow before 60000 miles.
Engine head-gasket failure, at the no. 4 cylinder, on a well-maintained vehicle. Windstar head gasket failure (particularly at the no. 4 cylinder) is a known and wide-spread problem which ford management has acknowledged, obliquely, through ford's "m01" program. However, since my vehicle was beyond the 60,000 mile drive-train warranty (63,705 mileage at the time of the head gasket failure), warranty service was denied and I was held responsible for the full repair charge of this *known problem*. The resulting $1,961.00 repair bill has put a severe burden on our family finances.
Had 2 head gasket failures - now the crankshaft bearings gone, requiring a short block. Believe bearings are a result of the head gasket problems.
Transmission: sudden downshifting with dramatic loss of speed; followed by upshifting and speed surge. Engine: complete engine failure after dealer head gasket replacement, resulting in sudden loss of speed and maneuverability. Similar experiences frequently reported in various public forums by many owners of the same engine and transmission models.
Blown head gasket and front engine timing cover leak. Minimum estimate from dealer is $1900. We contacted ford motor who offered no relief. We also had to replace the transmision at 40,000 miles. We found a posting in the edmunds web site devoted exclusively to this problem and lack of compensation from ford motor.
No summary listed for this vehicle.
Have found the same defect has occurred in most 1995 windstars. No safety defect listed.
Head gaskets failed at 61,000 miles. After repairs made, dealer noted that rack and pinion assembly was worn out. This is a critical component that should not fail after 65,000 miles.
Engine dead due to headgasket failure.
No summary listed for this vehicle.
The original transmission was replaced in 1995 after failing at approximately 9000 miles. The second transmission had a speed sensor failure at 31,500 miles and now appears to be failing the same way the original failed. Ford claims there is nothing they will do. After doing some research, there are numerous complaints against this transmission coupled with the 3.8l engine. After writing to your organization about my head gasket problem, I was very pleased that somehow ford was persuaded to extend the warranty coverage on that component as it was a factory defect that LED to the problem. From what I am reading, the transmission is a similar factory defect (poorly designed part: forward clutch piston). Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
While driving at 60 MPH and without prior warning, timing chain and engine head gasket blew out, causing the consumer not to have any power within the vehicle. Consumer had to coast to the side of the road. Currently, vehicle is in the repair shop. Problem most likely due to a defective gasket. *ak
I just paid a $2200 repair bill for a very well maintained windstar. My "mass sensor" or check engine light came on and I took the car to a ford dealer. Evidently, my cylinder head gasket was gone. It was a major job to get it replaced.
While driving engine head gasket blew out. The problem was reported to dealership, and problem has not been corrected.
I began experiencing all the classic signs of a head gasket failure. I brought the vehicle into kings crown ford and they told me it was only a thermastat. I paid them almost $200 and was on my way. A short time (3 days) later the car again began running hot and smelling of anti-freeze. I brought it to richborg automotive in saint augustine, fl and they confirmed "head gasket." ford needs to accept responsibility for the head gasket defect beyond the 60,000 mile warranty earlier announced. Please help us. We have spent over $1,100 getting the gasket replaced and engine fixed. Ford shold be ashamed of itself.
There are thousands of reports of failed transmissions and head gaskets in the 1995 windstar. Why has there not been a recall on these vehicles?
Oil pan leak noted @ 60k. Dealer recommended fix @next service. At 73224 died when put into reverse, oil warning light flickering. Dealer identified leaking timing cover gasket caused coolant to enter oil system. Major lower engine overhaul replacement of all moving parts required. Repair was covered by extended warranty which expired @ 75k. Dealer requested replacement of known head gasket problem at that time declined by ford as no current problem apparent. At 83k vehicle difficult to start, exhaust blowing white smoke when it finally started. Dealer has had car over a week & has identified head gasket failure which has also caused the rebuilt lower engine to fail again. Dealer recommends full engine replacement. Ford is refusing to acknowledge any responsibility even though an apparent recall had been issued against premature headgasket failure. In common with other notifications you have received and we have noticed on the internet. What recourse do we have with a manufacturer who is aware of a major design flaw and refuses to service its custormers? Our vehicle has been maintained and serviced for its entire life soley by the ford dealership from whom we purchased this "dead" vehicle. Estimated cost of repair--$5,000.
Ford acknowleges problem but cuts off repairs at 60,000 miles.
Ford had extended warranty coverage to 12/98- they knew they sold faulty product (again like pinto) now will not fix it.
The engine's head gaskets leaking oil. Had it repaired once before & now problem has returned.
Consumer has experienced engine gasket failure a third time. The first time in april 97,repaired and reinbursted, second time, in august 98, and the third time in december 98. All three times the temperature gauge would fluctuate and consumer noticed all the coolant was gone from the engine. The problem this time involves the timing cover gasket going bad. Noticed that whenever driving on incline the temperature gauge fluctuates.
Manufacturing defect in the head gasket (common problem on 95 ford windstar). Ford has repaired several vehicles in excess of the extended warranty, but only on a case by case basis and very few (ford will not admit to this and I have the VIN numbers that were warrantied). Ford will not discuss the defect with owners.
Currently our vehicle is awaiting a new engine after having the head gasket replaced on a recall notice from ford last october. While we have an extended warranty on this vehicle, we feel it is not fair they should have to provide replacement in light of other similar complaints about the same problem on other ford windstars. This vehicle only has 34,489 miles on it. We have had transmission concerns about this van as well, however the dealer has never been able to duplicate the problems experienced. We are very concerned that this van is infact a lemon, and we have contacted the ford customer service line, which advised us that no assistance would be provided because the vehicle was out of manufacturers warranty by time, not by miles.
Ford did pay for the head gasket per recall, however the dealer recommended an engine flush because of the head gasket. Had to pay 100 for that. Then the dealer (apple ford) said the the timing cover gasket needed replacement and charged 598 labor. I have heard of this problem a lot with the windstars. I also believe I was charged labor for the head gasket, but the dealer got away with it because of the timing cover. Also now the dealer is saying tie rod problem too! These 95 winstars are lemons!
Head gasket overheated, causing engine to blow.
Ford van recalled for head gaskets 8/98 (mileage 58000). Brought to dealer and was told to bring it back when the engine light came on, as it was a nine to ten hour job unless the consumer was experiencing difficulty. Engine light came on sunday march 7th and the car was parked and later towed to metro ford, state st. Schenectady ny. After several days, the consumer was told that the head gaskets had leaked into the engine and ruined it. Replacement would be $3500+ depending on whether or not the block was cracked. Additionally consumer was charged a $30 fee for the dealership to look at it, and if the van was not out of there quickly, they were charging storage fees. Consumer appealed to ford motor company and was told that the "loophole" in the law was that the recall expired and the consumer was entitled to no further reimbursement. The consumer has been unable to drive the van and this is in litigation with the nys attorney general's office. So far, there has been no satisfaction on this case.
A local ford dealer has informed me that this vehicle needs a head gasket replacement. I find it unacceptable that a head gasket failure should be expected at any time, especially in a vehicle that has not seen severe driving conditions. In the two years that I have owned this vehicle, various dealers have been unable to correct some issues that were merely annoying (speedometer wavering and jumping; whistling sound coming from engine compartment; rear wiper arm boot failure; buildup of snow/ice on front wipers during snow). With this recent failure (head gaskets), I am convinced that I have purchased a lemon.
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