1996 Ford Windstar: engine failure

Filed Jun 29, 2013 · Engine, Transmission · 58,586 miles · GA

Dear ford my mother and I have been trying to get answers from the dealer and since they gave up. Because they could not fix it right the first time. Even the second or third time. The van a 1996 windstar with 59,000 miles on it and it started the engine started stalling, when making slow turns not touching the gas pedal loses power steering. My mom almost went into a ditch to avoid a collision with another car. With little internet searching found hundreds of vans with same problems, and appears there is not one resolved. And since this has gone on for over a month. The last visit to the ford dealer in an attempt to fix the stalling. . The idle air control valve is new, and mass air flow is clean supposed to have been replaced also. I checked the air filter was clean, the fuel filter is original so I replaced it. I started looking at the throttle body, and noticed that the throttle plate screw was all gouged up. While I was sitting in drive way with engine running and unless ford engines are only good for 60,000 miles, with all the stalling and low engine idle that keeps oil pressure in the engine lubricating the crank shaft.!! So when engine stalled at very low idle there was no oil getting through the engine. This engine now has lower end knock, which I verified by pulling van onto floor ramps, test drove and confirmed the problem, is critical. Each time I slowed down to turn engine stalled every time, lost power steering and brakes. I could have been killed because ford is ignoring this problem.. And this also answers why other complaints were about engine failures and very expensive repairs. This letter will be put on all social networks, to warn others this could happen to them be aware. They said the ecu/PCM computer was updated. Could not find update on invoices, or in history I can access.

Filed Jul 13, 2006 · Engine · 80,000 miles · CA

Ford windstar 1996. I have seen that many of these models and previous years as well have had severe head gasket problems. Head gasket regularly fails at around 80,000 miles. Nasa says a head gasket should last at least 120,000. Ford does not care. Ford does not stand behind their product. I am basically screwed because now I don't have a car. I still owe on it but it doesn't run. $2,000+ to fix it and it will probably fail again. The head gasket going out caused the upper 02 sensor to go bad. It also sprayed the number 2 cylinder causing it to fail thus alerting me to a problem, which may have resulted in a blown engine. At no time while I have owned this vehicle has it ever overheated even slightly. Heat was not the cause, it was faulty from the beginning. Car auto safety has reported 429 complaints about the windstar!

Filed Jun 29, 2006 · Engine · 21,989 miles · CA

Dt*: the contact stated that the engine died at 21,000 miles. The contact expressed the engine should not have died at 21000 miles. There were no failures that lead to this incident. The problem has not been repaired.

Filed Sep 20, 2005 · Electrical, Engine · PA

Vehicle had constant engine problems along with other problems that surfaced and ended its life cycle. *la the consumer experienced coolant leaks, hard starting, electrical noises, radio noises, vibration upon acceleration along with thumping noises, erratic dash light illumination, intermittent door ajar light, bearing noise and the engine blew out prematurely. *sc *jb from a normal sitting position the consumer could not see that the check engine light was on. It wasn't until he dropped something on the floor and looked up that he saw the light on.

Filed Jul 7, 2005 · 113,200 miles · OR

Repeat of a speedometer failure. This is the third failure since I have owned this 1996 ford windstar (purchased 1999). It cost me over $400 in 1999 to replace the speedometer head and now it is failing in the same manner - the needle bounces all over the place until it just pegs out at the far right. I submitted my last complaint regarding this problem in december, 2002 - ref#786265. I have been told by dealers, private repair shops and even your agency that there are obvious problems with ford speedometers but there has yet been any assistance offered by ford. A speedometer should last the life of a vehicle and there is no way I should be on my third one at 113,000 miles (with a new engine and superb maintenance resords)! Note: it is not the airbag switch that I have issues with as it shows in the equipment section. I could not find the right options under equipment for a speedometer.

Filed May 20, 2005 · Engine · PA

1996 ford windstar experienced engine failure.*mr consumer feels this is a major failure with this engine. The consumer's ford windstar is still sitting at the dealer awaiting some sort of answer from any govering body.

Filed Mar 8, 2005 · Engine · 83,000 miles · CO

1996 ford windstar head gasket failure leading to complete engine failure. There was no prior indication. After the van sat for one week we started it and the headgasket blew allowing coolant into the engine.

Filed Feb 4, 2005 · Engine · 86,000 miles · NJ

I have a '96 ford windstar with a 3.8 liter v6 engine. This is the 2nd head gasket failure I've had with it. The first was in november of 2003. I paid about $2500 to have the head gaskets replaced then. This time I was driving to work when after a short time I noticed my car heater wasn't working, just blowing cold air. A short time later, I noticed my temperature gauge was going up, and after about 10 minutes, it was in the red zone. A few minutes after that, my engine began making terrible clunking and rattling noises and I had to pull over. As soon as I did, the engine died and wouldn't restart after about 15 minutes of cooling down. I had to be towed to my mechanic's garage which cost me $127, and my mechanic told me that I needed a new engine. The car's been at his garage for the past few days while I decide what I should do. I'm convinced that this is a manufacturing defect for which ford motor company is responsible, especially after reading the complaint log containing so many stories from people who have a car with this type engine. Ford claims they solved this problem after 1995, but the complaint log tells an entirely different story.

Filed Jun 24, 2004 · Engine · PA

Problems with ford windstar 3.8l engine.*mr the consumer has question about the engine failure he experienced.

Filed Mar 17, 2004 · Engine · 107,000 miles · GA

Blown head gasket - engine failure - 1996 ford windstar.

Filed Jan 22, 2004 · Engine · 75,000 miles · MN

Head gasket failure in 3.8 I asked the service manager at the dealership when I purchased the car if the engines were having problems. He told me no. I took him on his word and now I have a car that needs a new engine. I have a 1994 t-bird that had to have the engine replaced due to the same problem. Ford was great to work with. I wish they would stand behind this engine as well. I am very disappointed.

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Brakes, Engine · 78,000 miles · MD

My 1996 ford windstar van's engine assembly must be replaced due to persistent internal coolant loss into the engine, despite repeated trips to the dealership with complaints of classic head-gasket symptoms. Ford displayed blatant neglegence and dishonesty in its dealings with me. I took my van to dealership twice for head-gasket-like symptoms: excessive loss of coolant with no external leakage, gray smoke out of exhaust, and engine running rough. The first time the dealership said no problems could be found. Two weeks later I returned to the dealership with the same symptoms, only this time more obvious, and the check-engine light had come on. The dealership determined my engine had overheated and that coolant was lost via the timing cover gasket, which they replaced and then returned the vehicle to me. Exactly one thousand miles later I had to have my vehicle towed to the dealership, at which point they condemned my engine due to coolant entering the #1 cylindar. They offered to replace the engine for $3,650, which includes a 20% discount for the timing cover gasket work that was done for nothing. I refused the offer and managed to barely drive the vehicle home, where it now sits, undrivable. Aware of the windstar head gasket problems from the beginning, I repeatedly stressed to the dealership my concern that this was a head gasket problem, but they repeatedly explained this was not the problem. They lied by saying no known gasket problems exist on the 1996 windstar, but I researched the federal safety agency's records and found tsb 99-13-1 (titled "underdetermined loss of coolant"), which instructs dealerships to replace the gaskets in situations like mine. The tsb is very clear. I wrote the dealership a letter demanding help replacing the engine, but received no reply. I re-sent the same letter and documents to the dealership just yesterday. I can provide copies of all documents, as I have scanned them into a compressed pdf file for e-mail transmission.