Due to head gasket which had a crack and caused the oil and the anti freeze to leak and mix together. Dealer had to weld the head to fix the problem. Please provide further information.
1996 Ford Windstar engine complaints
Page 14 of 17: complaints 371 to 400 of 472, newest first, as owners wrote them.
3.8l v-6 blown head gasket 1996 ford windstar known problem.
I have had the windstar in again, with same symptoms as before. Have an appointment tonight to see exactly whats wrong. Van runs terrible again. No safety defect listed.
Head gasket has blown on 3.8 liter engine which could have caused other damage to vehicle parts.
Please,we are parents whit 3 kids,is very hard for us to pay this extra money for this defect vehicle , to this moment we changed:transmission -twice 02sensor (transmission)-catylitic converter left/raight-coil ignition system ,we get this car whit 48.000mi. On 1998 .for my all family and the good name of the ford deller tanks for yuo help.
Head gasket failure.
No summary
White smoke was coming out of tailpipe & engine check light came on. Dealer hasn't been able to do anything about the problem. Manufacturer told consumer that it was not a safety problem.
Headgasket replacement.same problems w/ other windstars-ford won't fix.
The vehicle experienced premature tie rod failure.
Vehicle shut off while going through the intersection, no prior warning. Consumer took vehicle to dealership. Mechanic told him that warranty has expired.
No summary
Head gasket leaking, master cylinder froze up and caused smoke and damage to brake system on 3 wheels, ABS light kept coming on, in for repairs on several occasions and light was disconnected by dealer, engine light on: o2 sensor replaced, speedometer failed to register speeds, driverside window goes down while driving, replaced by dealer, door open light turns on randomly, sliding door fails to lock with electric locks. What is going to be next?
Have had the minivan in several times for symptoms of the head gasket failure only to find problem after warranty expired. Transmission has always "clunked" when shifting into drive or reverse, this is a daily problem the dealership cannot "find". Windshield cracked overnight in november. We don't think the windshield should have been so fragile.
In jan 2000, check engine light came on, noticed rough idiling, took in for service, problem with exhaust system repaired...again in feb 2000, same problem noted, again took in for expensive repairs(both of these repairs were done at local ford dealer)...in may noticed that it was starting to rough idle again...took to local repair shop...could not find anything wrong.........suddenly on june 30, 2000..after starting the van after work to go home...noticed white smoke pouring out from van and incredible rough idle...took the van to the ford dealer....proceeded to be told that the van had a blown head gasket, water pump, cracked pistons and they thought the engine block might be affected too....suggested that it was too expensive to fix if even possible....told this was not a problem with the 96 vans....not under any recall or warranty....suggested we might want to buy a new van.....felt we didn't have any options so bought a new 2000 windstar....now after some research I see this is problem with 96 windstars.....not very happy.... Have written numerous letters to ford and spoken to their complaint department.....no resolution yet.....thank you
Nothing but problems since purchasing 1)door ajar light constantly illuminated-all doors checked none ajar 2) engine check light occasionally comes on-happened right after purchase and catalytic converter replaced obviously didn't fix problem 3)occasionally power windows/locks and A/C will go out unless adjustable fan speed turned to high 4)recently front passenger door will open at random usually during a turn-luckily no one sits in that seat 5)speedometer will occasionally flicker higher while driving at speeds greater than 65mph all of these problems have surfaced in the past 1-1.5 yrs and have continued since then.
Vehicle was taken in for regular service. Consumer asked mechanic why car was starting so roughly, and mechanic said it needed a head gasket. Consumer was having the same problem as mentioned in recall on head gaskets on the ford windstar 1994/ 1995.
While traveling on a busy interstate, engine light went on. Van lost speed and started overheating. I was able to make it off highway. Van died had to be towed. Told it was cracked head due to coolant leakage. Warranty company refuses to pay claim.. Speedometer flips around, estimate repair cost is $475. Warranty company refusee to pay.
Speedometer fluctuated all over dial when car went over 30 MPH; transmission just failed while car was being operated, it failed to shift and did not move while in traffic; brakes fade when coming to a stop all the time (I have requested repairs repeatedly, told no problem detected); car continues to roll 6-8 inches when parked on an incline; rear suspension creaks when getting in and out of car; several leaks in engine had to be repaired (gasket??).
The head gasket failed in my 1996 ford windstar due to a recall that I was not notified of because ford is only concerned with the 1995 model. I was told by the ford dealer that my engine failed due to the same defect. Ford is replacing the engine, they have had my car for 6 weeks already and no end in sight. They are saying that they will give me a 2 year warranty on the engine but it appears from the 1995 recall that it should be a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty.
Engine light comes on, stays on engine runs rough. This continued form january to july with vehical going in to shop as much as 5 times in one day . Sayville ford on last arrival said head gasket falure as in all windstars from 1995 and 96. They said this in january and every vist after that until the last one when white smoke came out of exhaust. Then they said replace head gaskets. At this time they found the number 1 cylinder rod bent and I would need a new engine. They still have the vehical and want me to pay for damages I will not seeing they should have fixed it in the begining. I called ford motor company and they would not step in saying the delership and the car is my problem. I even asked for the factory rep to look into this problem and was told the delership would have to request him. They will not call him where do people turn for a fair shake? Please call me ?!!
Engine check light kept coming on. Vehicle taken to the dealer, and informed consumer that engine needs replacement due to a blown head gasket. Please feel free to provide further details.
Timing chain cover cracked, causing coolant leakage. Dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recall. Feel free to provide further details.
Engine checks light kept coming on. Vehicle taken to dealer on three occasions, and informed consumer of a possible blown head gasket. However, vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recall due to VIN.
Dealer has told us entire engine must be replaced.
The engine failed due to defect in manufacturing. Yh
Engine light on & running hot. Head gasket & manifold gasket replaced. Mechanic later said recall would reimburse for cost to repair. Ford said our VIN was not covered due to place & date of manufacture. This is an admitted manufacturer design problem which needs to be rectified. The ford mechanics even state that this is the same engine as those in the recall. People who find out that I have a 1996 ford windstar ask if I've had my head gasket replaced yet. How would they know about this problem if it is not widespread, not to mention a severe deficiency in design. How can ford get away with this nonsense? Why should we buy american? Please help.
Head gasket failed. Yh
Vehicle shut off when making turns or if stopping on a hill. No warning. Lights came on.
Engine made loud noise, then cut out. No warning lights came on at all. Had to put newer engine in.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Ford Windstar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history