I took my van in for the 11s16 recall and now problems are taking place afterwards. I got my van back and now the check engine light is on and coolant is leaking everywhere.
2001 Ford Windstar engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 77, newest first, as owners wrote them.
7/21/2011 bought van from private party. Recall completed in march of 2011 regarding back axle. On 7/13/2012 8pm, my 18yr old son, while driving home from lacrosse practice, nearly killed. Upon pulling out onto the main road, he lost all controls, no steering, no brakes and no power. He coasted and prayed it would stop. I arrived, we called aaa. Flatbed to my home driver could not believe his eyes. The engine had fallen out. 7/16/12 called ford in mich and spoke to rep. To be towed 13 miles away to route 23 auto at our expense. Really? Route23 wanted nothing to do with me (they did recall). Went back and forth then per rt23 "it will be a month until we can look at it" getting know where. 7/18-22 borrowed friend car for tournament. 8/1/12 called magarino ford and with great concern had a flatbed that night. This tow truck driver could not believe it. Fluids raced out and double stabilized for engine sliding during transport. 8/2/12 magarino called 9am, pictures sent to ford and awaiting reply. 8/5/12 t/c from m stating ford refuses to buy back and sending a subframe. You mean a recalled one? Magarino caught in middle I questioned whether he would put his children in this van. He softly replied, "no" what am I to do, out of work 2 years, single parent with no car to find work. 8/8/12 I questioned ford why this van ever left rt 23 auto, according to researched paper a part was waiting on. You mean to tell me that upon this fixed axle nobody noticed the subframe was rotted from inside out causing the engine to fall out the next summer nearly killing my son! But they signed it was fine! Really? Now we have case # 1373091992 8/10/12 picked up van. Broke= A/C, r-window, heater engine, airbag, brake light on, runs hot steering= thumps makes noise (full fluid) skip gears, sways, barely can get up a hill. 11yr old scared to drive in it
Abs, brake light and check engine light all on at the same time. Vehicle shakes like it is going to cut off. Despite numerous attempts at repairs, still does it as of today (2012).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there were no lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was safely maneuvered to the shoulder and towed home. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was also informed that the actuators for the door locks were bad and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.
At approximately 16:45 after driving 6 miles that day, the windstar van was stopped and the ignition key turned off. The delivery driver went inside his destination for about 5 minutes. While loading his cargo, he smelled smoke. Looking up, he noticed flames coming out of the engine compartment between the hood and the windshield wiper plastic shielding. Using an onboard 5 lb fire extinguisher, he attempted to extinguish the flames but to no avail. He dialled 9-1-1 on his phone. Employees at his destination also noticed the fire, and contacted the local fire department as well. The fire department extinguished the flames with severe damage to the rear portion of the engine, the fire wall, brake cylinder and glass windshield. The ambient temperature that day was in the 70 degrees range, windows were down in the van, and the A/C system was not in use.
Was riding on the highway when my car just stopped and seen transmission oil everywhere on the floor an now van wont move but turn on.
The engine cradle was severely rusted and had a catastrophic failure. I narrowly avoided getting t boned and crashed head first into a small hill. My fiance and my self were uninjured but where extremely shook up over this. I lost all control of the steering and the entire engine and transmission where on the ground. Thanks to this defect in fords design I am now without a car and either my fiance or myself could have been badly injured or died.
There have been numerous issues with this vehicle lately. Car would not start, power steering went out, oil light stays on, I have to put oil in every week, seat motor stop working and now the brakes do not work. We were driving out of town with our 3 kids and I went to press the brakes just to find that it was not there - it was all the way up under the dash board!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While the contact was driving approximately 40 MPH, the emissions, ABS and rear brakes warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The warning indicators remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure would recur whenever the engine was in operation. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was previously notified of the defect. The failure mileage was unknown.
Automobile leaking oil and smoking. Engine, ABS and brake lights constantly illuminated until they were removed by the dealer I informed him the vehicle would not pass inspection and told him of my saftey concerns regarding the same.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair under the federal safety agency campaign id 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly), and during the inspection the technician noticed that the front passenger side rear mount engine cradle was cracked with substantial corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Frequent stalling and inconsistent engine idle, especially when car is stopped but still in gear (at traffic lights, etc). Parts repaired and/or replaced include: coil wire, cam sensor, cylinder wire and fuel pump. Repeated blown fuses for fuel pump. Even after repairs car still stalls when stopped and engine idle is inconsistent, worse when stopped. Has been a problem with this vehicle since 2002.
Ref. The federal safety agency defect investigation pe10026: 2001 ford windstar experienced front engine cradle failure on passenger side while vehicle in motion, 26 june 2009. No injuries but rattled nerves. Half shaft and engine cradle replaced - vehicle impeded traffic for an hour until removed by flat bed truck.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While driving at 70 MPH, the contact heard a loud, unusual explosion. The contact was able to exit the vehicle and found that the front sub frame and axle had fractured from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 110,000. Updated 11/19/10.*lj also, the oil pan gaskets was leaking. Updated 11/24/10
While on vacationing in vermont. The yellow ABS light and the red brake light came on. Im a mechanic so I had the code reader for the ABS system. The code was the infamous tell tale c1185. I replaced the ABS module once. Unfortunately the problem has manifested again. I'm tempted to do away with the system, but the windstar transports my young children around. Its like having a gun to my head. What do I do?
Sometime between 10:30pm of 28 june and 5am 29 june, my 2001 ford windstar spontaneously combusted while parked in the garage of the rectory here at holy assumption church in marblehead, ohio. The van is a total loss as the entire engine compartment and most of the dashboard (on the passenger side) are burnt out or melted. This happened after I twice took my windstar to an authorized ford dealership in response to a recall to have a part replaced connected with the cruise control that has been reported as overheating and causing such a fire. There is damage to the interior of the garage (the local fire department does not know why the fire stopped before burning down the garage - since there is concrete evidence of the intense heat of the fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While driving 45 MPH the vehicle stalled without any prior warnings. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the dta module was repaired at the owners expense . After a couples months, the vehicle experienced an identical failure. The dealer was contacted and the technician repaired a fuse that blew. However the over-drive warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the odometer failed. The failure mileage was 96521. The current mileage was 98000.
2001 ford windstar very well maintained records to show. Engine failure (bad rod) with no warning . No leaks or use of oil ever. Mechanic said there is no reason for the failure except for maybe a faulty rod.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact stated that when driving she hears a loud squeaking sound coming from the bottom of the vehicle. Engine failure while driving increased the risk of vehicle crash. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility and a mechanic concluded that the motor cradle needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 96217.
2001 ford windstar was sitting in the parking lot started on fire under the hood. Vehicle was totaled.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact started the vehicle and the check engine indicator illuminated. He did not want to drive the vehicle, but took it to a mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the exhaust intake and manifold failed. There were also numbers missing on the computer, which was caused by the engine. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls, although the failures were identical. The vehicle has not been driven since the failure occurred. The failure and current mileages were 99,734.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While attempting to make a left turn at an unknown speed, the vehicle made a very loud banging noise. The dealer stated that the engine cradle was rotted out. The repair cost was estimated at more than $500. The failure and current mileages were less than 110,000. Updated 04-23-09 updated 04/24/09.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. When the contact first purchased the vehicle, it shut off. The rings in the engine had to be replaced. She also heard a rumbling sound when the brake pedal was depressed. An auto repair shop stated that the brakes were operating normally; however, after much complaining, the contact had the front brakes replaced. The windshield wipers stopped working after a new windshield was installed. The vehicle was diagnosed and the motor was found to be the cause of the failure. The motor was replaced. A couple of months later, the vehicle began leaking antifreeze and was towed to a repair shop. The contact was informed that the fuel injection hoses were leaking. The leak was repaired. Three weeks later, the vehicle would buck and shut off. She was informed that the catalytic converter was completely destroyed. Lastly, the contact noticed an issue with the rear of the vehicle. It would fishtail or wobble while driving various speeds. The dealer stated that the vehicle was no longer included in the factory warranty. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current mileage was 74,056 and failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Tl*the contact's parents own a 2001 ford windstar. While the contact's parents were driving 40 MPH, the vehicle completely lost power. They pulled over to the side of the road and noticed flames underneath the hood. After five minutes, the vehicle exploded four times and was destroyed. The fire department was called and a report was filed. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current and failure mileages were approximately 70,000. Updated 11/17/08 *bf the consumer stated he read on the internet that his make and model had problems with the cruise control . Updated 11/18/08.
Check engine light came on while driving. Had the diagnostic code read and the codes were po171 and po174 where the result (bank 1 and bank 2 system too lean). Did research on the internet and found tsb 03-16-1 concerning repairs required to fix this problem. The tsb states that ford used a lh valve cover that contained a 1/8 hole allowing oil to get on the rubber grommets of the isolator bolts which contaminated them. This resulted in breakdown of the rubber grommets and a vacuum leak to occur in the intake manifold. The tsb also recommends replacing the lh valve cover gasket, port seals, isolator bolts u-shaped vacuum line, and upper intake halves seal to prevent future occurrences. This problem is a result of faulty parts used in the engine intake manifold and would not have occurred with proper parts. The internet is filled with problems the owner of windstars from 1999-2003 have had. Eventually, the engine will run very rough and can stall causing an unsafe condition while driving.
Ford windstar brake, ABS brake, cruise control, and speedometer/odometer electrical problems * brake light (red) stays on * 15 amp fuse #10 blowing out * fire or smoke coming from under the van ABS ECM area while off. * melted ABS ECM wiring connector. * speedometer and odometer stop working. * cruise control will not activate or deactivates without warning. * ABS brake light (yellow).
I own a 2001 ford windstar van. It is used by my wife. Last weekend, she came home from a local shopping trip and told me the A/C was not blowing cold anymore and the ABS and brake light was illuminated. Also the odometer and speedometer were not working. Also the o/d light was blinking on and off. Later in the evening I went and checked my fuses on the van and found the #10 fuse (15amp was burnt). I replaced the fuse with a new one and started the van. The A/C was now blowing very cold and the ABS and brake light now was off. After leaving the van running for about 2 minutes, I noticed heavy smoke coming from the engine. I immediately turned off the engine and got a flashlight to see what was burning. I noticed near the master cylinder, a group of wires that had burned near the deactivation switch. I then came inside and searched the internet for this issue and came across a few blogs that stated the same problem. I then brought my vehicle in the next day to an authorized ford dealership that confirmed the problem as a faulty deactivation switch. I am very lucky that my van did not catch on fire while my wife has been using the van to bring my children to many different places. This is totally an unsafe matter and ford should be looking into a recall. What more can I do to make this happen??
I went to have my car services on 3/14 and was informed by monroe muffler that my that the intake manifold has cracked because it was plastic and not metal. While doing some research I noticed that many other fords have been recalled for the same reason such as vehicles affected in the american settlement use the 4.6-litre v8 engine and include 1996-2001 ford crown victoria, mercury grand marquis and lincoln town car; 1997 mercury cougar, ford thunderbird and ford mustang; some mustangs from 1998 to 2001; and some ford explorers from 2002. I was l;aso told that he has serviced at least five with the same problem in the last year.
"check engine" light stays on. When I bought the vehicle, the dealer said just go to ford and get it "reset." that wasn't done. Now it is time for the first mandatory smog and the vehicle won't pass because of the "check engine" light problem. Ford wants $500 to "fix" it. I don't have an extra $500. I feel I am getting ripped!!!! Suggestions from anyone?
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The air conditioner, cruise control, and radio failed. The contact inspected the switch on the master cylinder and noticed that the switch for the cruise control was covered with fluid. The cruise control switch was replaced; however, the new switch also failed. He cut the wires to the switch in order to operate the vehicle. He then heard a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The lifters were replaced, but the knocking sound continued. The upper intake was replaced as well. The purchase date was unknown. The failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 119,000.
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