1996 Ford Windstar: sudden loss of power

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 Oct 18, 2009 · Acceleration · 140,500 miles · MO · fire

I have a 1996 ford windstar van that caught fire while I was driving. The cruise control was on. The vehicle lost power, then a boom and there were flames around the firewall. The master cylinder, wiring harness, hoses etc. Were destroyed. The fire was located more on the driver's side of the vehicle. This vehicle has been more than properly maintained, and my mechanic can attest to this. This vehicle has not yet been repaired. I was not injured. This occurred prior to the current recall.

Filed Jun 20, 2003 · Engine · 84,452 miles · SD

Problems with head gaskets / if compression check had been done bending of piston rods may not have occurred. *mr the consumer experienced, rough idle along with the smell of anti freeze(indicated a head gasket problem), the engine light had come on as a result of a misfire code(the radiator was flushed), there were noises that had come from the engine(lost power/slowed to a crawl), and the consumer was told that something had come loose in the engine. (there was an intermittent miss in cylinder #1) the rough idle and the smell of antifreeze was repaired, the service dealer recommended the consumer replace the engine. *scc

Filed Jun 12, 2002 · Engine · NY

In the 20 months that I've owned this vehicle the engine block has over - expanded twice - causing the head gasket to fail. Both times I was traveling on interstate highways. Thier was no warning prior to failure(complete loss of power due to heat fatigue). Fortunatly I was able to manuever the vehicle off to the shoulder without causing an accident. This is definately a safety concern for other owners of this vehicle.

Filed Apr 26, 2002 · Acceleration, Fuel system · PA · 1 injury

While driving in the country where I live with three children at the base of the mountain to head 20 miles to my home I pressed on the accelerator and the vehicle lost power and went nowhere. Could not drive over 35 MPH. Was seen by a body shop and they replaced fuel filter and returned vehicle to me. Second occasion driving down the mountain at 55mph a strong jerk whiplashed myself and has caused injury in my back took to body shop and needs new transmission and must be towed. Van still sitting at body shop now for 2 weeks as I have 3 children and now no transportation...thanks ford.

Filed Oct 29, 2001 · Engine · MO

While driving motor blew a head gasket which resulted in loss of power. Contacted dealer, and vehicle was being repaired.

Filed Aug 2, 2001 · Engine · IN

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.

Filed Jul 16, 2001 · Engine · VA

Coolant leaked into engine causing complete engine failure blowing the head gaskets and cracking the engine block. When this happened there was a complete power loss in the steering and braking of the vehicle. My wife and two children were in the van at the time of the failure. Fortunatly they were not on the interstate or major highway because theres no telling what the result would have been in this case. I have found out that this is a recalled problem for the 94 and 95 years for the same model that I have but not the 96. This is not just a problem with windstar but has also happened with the mustangs and lincon town cars which leads me to believe that this is a design error with-in those years in question with many ford models. This will cost me nearly $4500 to repair as quoted from a ford dealership and it cost me $80 just to tell me something I already paid for at goodyear, I need a new engine. Seeing that there has been a recall for previous years for this model I would apprieciate it if you could tell ford to consider recalling the other affected models with this same problem that they know about but refuse to admit.

Filed Apr 23, 2001 · Engine · NY

The head gasket was replaced by the dealer on 3-16-01, due to a crack and leaking coolant. The car had never overheated or shown obvious signs of this, although the engine check light came on after long trips and the dealer said this was o2 sensors. 3 weeks after the headgasket replacement, the whole engine blew while on I-81 at 65mph. We lost all power and had to coast to a narrow shoulder. This sounds exactly like the 1995 windstar head gasket problem, but they have not acknowledged the 96 as a manufacturing defect and did not recall the 95 either.

Filed Mar 27, 2001 · Transmission · IN

While driving transmission won't shift gears, and sometimes will stay in neutral where transmission will lose power while not shifting. A cause could not be found.

Filed Dec 27, 2000 · Engine · CT

Vehicle overheated and lost power making steering and braking difficult. The symptoms seem identical to the 1995 engine coolant loss covered by ford extended warranty althought dealer reports this vehicle is not affected.

Filed Nov 27, 2000 · Acceleration, Electrical · MD

Ford windstar (1996): a local mechanic said that our rough idle, engine light, and smell of antifreeze indicated a head-gasket problem. Hill and sanders ford service station checked for pressure leaks, but could only suggest that it was bad plugs causing the "misfire code" in the computer. After $318, we got new spark plugs and a reset warning light. Within a week, the check engine light came on, and the rough idle and smell of antifreeze reappeared. We returned it to h&s and mentioned that it was a continuation of the previous, with a new symptom of discolored antifreeze in the overflow container (oil color). H&s said the engine light was a result of a "misfire code" but didn't know why. The only thing h&s did was flush the radiator for $100, and admitted they don't know what else it could be. A few days later the engine light came on. On nov. 20, 2000 the van started making mechanical noises from the engine, lost power, and slowed to a crawl. My wife got it to a safe location where she and the kids could wait to have it towed to h&s. A note referenced the previous 2 h&s visits for related problems. H&s's told me that "something inside the engine came loose" and that he recommends we replace the engine for $5050! He didn't know what was wrong. We called h&s ([xxx] ) the next day and told him that we felt that h&s should be responsible for the damages due to their inability to detect and fix the problem, and sending us away with a feeling that the problem was fixed or inconsequential. H&s felt that they were not responsible. Our original mechanic was amazed that h&s didn't suspect something was wrong when oil was found in the antifreeze, and that they only flushed the system! We feel helpless and taken advantage of. Anything we can do to recover our loss? [xxx] VIN [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).