Transmission will not go into drive or reverse, it slips into other gear thatis not specified, dealership is aware of problem. Vehicle was in shop more than five times.
1996 Ford Windstar: stuck in gear or won't shift
9 of the 1,386 complaints about the 1996 Ford Windstar describe stuck in gear or won't shift.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 40 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year
What owners say
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.
Vehicle will not shift into gear when on an incline. A recall has been issued on the vehicle's make and model. However this vehicle was not included due to VIN. Dealer has inspected vehicle.
When attempting to put vehicle into gear it doesn't shifting properly. Also, ABS light is on, and there are no ABS brakes. Vehicle has been into repair shop three times for repair service, and the dealer can't determie the cause.
Automatic transmission malfunctioned, causing slippage in gears and the RPM to go high. Sometimes wont go into gears. Dlr is replacing the transmission. Please provide further information.
Consumer has gotten brakes repaired over 15 times. Each time brakes only lasted one month. Also ruining rotors and pads. Also, vehicle pulls to one side, shakes and acts like it is stuck in neutral. Door sliding locks and unlocks on its own, no exit at times.
Was coming to a red light after driving 35-40mph & had stopped. Started to pull out, but vehicle failed to move. The gears did not shift. Vehicle did not shut down. Applied accelerator & nothing happened. It was still running even though it stalled. Took to dealer & had it checked. Mechanic found nothing wrong.
When we were leaving the city we noticed the motor was reving too high. We stopped the van and noticed when we started that it would not shift out of 1st gear (it is an automatic). Later, after letting it sit I drove it again and accelerated it up to 65 MPH, it shifted ok. Suddenly it downshifted into 1st gear. Took it to dealer the next day and they could not find anything wrong. It is working alright at the moment but in looking over the internet I have found numerous complaints dealing with similar problems.
Consumer says the transmission will not go into reverse when stopping, it shifts down with a loud thump, also when putting vehicle in gear there's a loud thump. When driving vehicle transmission slips, engine continues racing and the vehicle's not moving.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park with the vehicle parked on an incline
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
- Torque converter clutch not engaging when commanded and/or diagnostic trouble codes P0741 or P1744 stored...
- Some vehicles may exhibit a groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park
- Some vehicles may exhibit a park pullout clunk noise when shifting from park to another gear position
- Brake shift interlock
- Transaxle - AX4S - replacement application chart - windstar vehicles only
- Information on indexing orange dot on torque converter to flexplate
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
- Risk
- Unintended and unexpected vehicle movement can result in personal injury and property damage.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
Recall number 96V166000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- The park pawl shaft was improperly positioned when the roll pin that retains it was installed during transmission assembly. If the shaft was not properly positioned, the roll pin may not have lined up with the groove in the shaft and have been crushed at assembly. Also, a burr could have been raised on the shaft.
- Risk
- This could result in the park pawl occasionally not engaging when the transmission selector lever is placed in the park position. This could result in the vehicle rolling as if in neutral if the vehicle operator does not apply the parking brake.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft roll pin. If the roll pin is damaged, both the roll pin and the park pawl shaft will be replaced. In addition, owners will be reminded to fully apply the parking brake, in addition to placing the transmission in park.
Recall number 96V086000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1996 Ford Windstar won't shift
Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 1996 Ford Windstar?
9 of 1,386 owner complaints about the 1996 Ford Windstar (1%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 1995.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Ford Windstar?
There are 2 recalls and 40 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Ford Windstar
ABS 99Engine failure 83Check engine light 78Coil spring 63Overheating 57Brake failure 46Fire or smoke 41Transmission failure 40Misfire 30Stalling 27Ball joint 26Grinding brakes 25Adaptive cruise 22Slipping 16Loss of power 13Tire blowout 13Wipers 13Knocking 11Door locks 10Fuel leak 10Fuel smell 9Sudden acceleration 9Jerking 8Harsh shifting 7Premature wear 7Fuel pump 6Headlights 6Power steering loss 6Seat belt 6
VIN decoder
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