I have a 2003 ford windstar that I purchased at the end of september 2008 from a local ford dealership. In november, the ABS and brake light started intermittently coming on the dash. I currently have the van at the dealership for a transmission repair and had them look at this problem. They have told me that the ABS hydraulic module is bad and needs to be replaced. After doing some research, I have seen that this is a known problem by ford and they have yet to do anything about it. The brakes still function like normal, but the ABS system does not work due to this problem. I understand that they do not want to fix this since the brakes will still technically work, but as this is a fire hazard I am shocked that they have not been directed to fix this problem. I was quoted $1,200 for the module by the dealership which I just can not afford to spend the money on right now. I will search on the net for a new module, hopefully, at a lower price and replace it myself. Ford needs to be held accountable for their products and they should be forced by the government to correct this problem.
2003 Ford Windstar transmission complaints
Page 8 of 9: complaints 191 to 220 of 225, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The ford windstar stop suddenly without warning. If you are in traffic, this could be fatal.
I have a 2003 ford windstar. I turned the corner at a busy intersection and the transmission went out, no forward or reverse. I barely missed being hit while the van coasted to the side of the road. I have owned two previous windstars that were a 1995 and a 1998 that I had the transmissions go out on but there was slipping and it was obvious the transmission was going. I bought another found because they are just about the only thing I can afford. There was no warning whatsoever this time. I had the vehicle towed to a transmission shop where they said the transmission was gone and the spline had been stripped off the torque converter. He said he sees this kind of thing all the time with fords. They are rebuilding it for me for $1800.00. This is a dangerous situation since I read on here another person with the same van had a similar experience. Ford needs to be responsible when they put out crappy transmissions that go out with no warning. What's going to happen when this situation occurs on a highway? Now I know why people refer to fords as found on road dead..because they will break with no warning!
I have a 2003 ford windstar with 64750 miles. A few days ago my wife went to leave for work and when she put it into gear it would not move in any gear selected. Had my local mechanic look at it and he suspected a transmission problem. The vehicle was taken to aamco for repair and I was told that the transmission had blown up. I had no prior warning to this impending problem and now it is going to cost me $2100.00 to repair the transmission. I was told by the transmission mechanic that this is a common problem with ford windstars and ironically another windstar was in the shop for the same thing. He said that it is caused by defective parts that are prone to failure. I contacted ford to see if there was a known problem and any recall on faulty transmission. I was told there was not and basically got the run around and told that there would probably be no help in repairing the transmission. I did further research and see that this is a common and frequent problem with the faulty transmission in the windstar. Why is there no pressure put on ford to rectify this problem of defective equipment. I have other vehicles with over 120,000 miles and have not had transmission problems. This should not be happening to a vehicle with only 64750 miles. I want to see ford made to recall and remedy this problem. There are a lot of people out there that have had the same problem and the same results with ford. Luckily this happened in the driveway and not on the road. This could have been a very unsafe incident if it had happened on the road.
My ford 2003 windstar, purchased 05/01/08 w/35000 mi, began rolling backwards on inclines while stopped in drive. First time was 08/01/08 coming out of a parking lot into traffic -- sitting on incline, waiting for traffic to clear, took foot off brake to rest it on gas, and back I rolled -- twice. Notified dealer (under 12/12000 dealer used car warranty), left van that evening (fri), picked up on wed, they couldn't get it to roll or find anything because there were no codes showing up. Brought it back, and wed evening had 3 separate instances of rollback, one on a city street (hill) and 2 on driveways where I rolled back until reaching level surface and the van stopped itself. Next day, rolled backwards again out of drive at office, then stopped on level surface, then began to roll forward on its own -- my foot was nowhere near any pedals. Took back that afternoon. Service mgr drove w/me and we rolled back at an intersection. Service mgr called ford tech line while I stood next to him. Said that the tech at ford told him that because of govt requirements to improve MPH, ford has lowered their idle speed and what happens is that at a stop, the slower idle causes the torque converter to slow down and eventually start going backwards which will cause the vehicle to roll back while in drive, especially on inclines. The tech said that they (ford) are getting more and more calls about this, particularly on newer vehicles. He also said that the temperature of the transmission fluid makes it worse. Could account for why my windstar rolled back much quicker and further than the one we tried that was sitting on the dealers lot. Nothing can be done about this problem according to ford. From what I'm seeing in these other complaints, I've been sold a lemon that I need to trade asap. Would like to see a recall on the ford windstar transmission.
Nothing leading up to event. Christmas day the torque converter went out of my 2003 windstar no warning $900. 2 months later seals $300, and now overdrive is completely. I need a new transmission $2000. This is my 3rd windstar and at 90,000 to 100,000 mile the transmission starts giving trouble. What is the deal? You pay big dollars for a american car and it doesn't last. Honda's in which I don't want will last for 200,000 or more. If you could help please do so. I am not a dead beat asking for help, I am a fulltime baptist pastor with a wife and 3 kids just trying to make a living. Thank you for all you can do....
Transmission went out at 68,000 miles. Driving down highway at 70 MPH, when engine revved and we lost all drive. No forward or reverse gears.
Brake, ABS, and other lights come on, drive disengages, van will only run in 2nd or low gear until you turn it off then on again. Very dangerous situation as the van loses power and decelerates. Fuse #1 sparks when putting in a fuse. Blows the fuse immediately. Interior light then will not work. Van is currently being looked at by phil long ford.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated that when when the vehicle is cold and driving in reverse, the gear locks and the vehicle continues to move in reverse. The contact continuously placed the gear into drive in order for the vehicle to drive in reverse normally. The vehicle has been taken to a dealer four times, but they could not duplicate the failure. The speed was unknown. The current mileage was 85,873 and failure mileage was 85,273.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford wind star. The contact stated that the transmission would not engage. The tow truck driver stated that the vehicle was stuck into gear. The dealer replaced the transmission. In addition, the front passenger locks would not work properly. The dealer stated the motor in the doors caused the failure. The current mileage was 57,303 and failure mileage was 46,736. Updated 4/16/08 *cn the dealership removed the transmission to replace the torque converter, front hub seal, pump shaft and bearing. The front doors needed actuators. Updated
Since purchase I have had to replace transmission, airconditioner, and the alternator--this has been replaced 4 times. There is still an issue with the interior lights coming on. This has been reported to ford and they state there is no issue on their part.
My wife pulled up to stop and when the light changed she had no gears from the transmission. No warning signs or sounds. We had the van toed to the nearest dealership( champion ford) it was diagnosed as a internal transmission failure. We were told it would be 3,319.94 to replace the transmission and flush the system. If we wanted to have the transmission taken apart to find the failure we would have to pay for the tear down and if it still had to be replaced then the replacement cost would be added. What do you do? The van only has about 75k miles on it. I authorized the replacement. Upon talking with a prior ford mechanic (retired now) I was told that this is an ongoing problem with the windstar transmission. After doing a little research on the web I see that it is still a problem in vans newer and with lower mileage than my own. There is a problem here ford. Fix it!
While driving, the vehicle started to loose forward speed. Then transmission fluid began to pour out from the transaxle, apparently contacting the catalytic converter or engine manifold. The latest caused the vehicle to catch fire, resulting in total a loss and damage to third-party property. At the time of event the vehicle was only 4 years old. This is a serious defect.
I and my wife were returning home from a long trip to settle my son at a rehabilitation center for kids with retardation when the transmission stopped working without any warning at all. It was raining and a tornado warning was issued for where we were. I had to coast to a stop on the side of the road without much available space to clear traffic. I then proceeded to walk to the nearest house which was about 1000 yrds away due to the fact this happened in a rural area and with considerable risk to myself approach a home of people who did not know me, during a period of darkness and rain, and ask for help getting a tow truck. Meanwhile my wife and brother were back at the van with 18 wheelers whirring by during a severe thunderstorm. The chance of a collision due to poor visibility was most definitely a possibility. When the tow truck arrived he had to hookup my van in pouring down rain and tow the van to a safe place until morning so I could then have it towed home. At this time I believe the transmission needs to be replaced but I cannot afford to have it done. Upon research on the internet I discovered that this is a common problem with the ford winstar.
2003 ford windstar transaxle jerks vehicle from 1st to 2nd gear shift under light or moderate throttle. Was serviced 4 times in 2006 by dealer. Dealer rebuilt transaxle yet problem still existed. Dealer replaced throttle position sensor 2nd time and problem was even more pronounced. Now vehicle would pop out of 2nd gear with engine race immediately after 1st to 2nd gear shift because it hammered the shift so bad. Dealer replaced stator support on 3rd time in yet still pops during shift from 1st to 2nd. Called ford consumer line immediately afterward to complain. Vehicle was coming out of warranty in 8k miles and I wanted to voice my concerns that the transmission was not working properly after being service 3 times. Ford called dealer. Dealer called me to explain that the ford service rep told them that the windstars will shift like that and that is the way it is. 14 months later transmission is failing when under any stress (hills, moderate acceleration, etc..) with a ratcheting or grinding noise. Have to disengage od on highway hills to maintain speed with heavy traffic. Have called ford again. They want to have dealer perform a diagnostic test which I will have to pay for. It is out of warranty now even though I complained to ford a year ago when it was in.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stopped accelerating without warning. The contact pulled off the road and shut off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and placed into gear, but it would not move in drive or reverse. The vehicle was towed to a transmission shop and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer has not yet been notified. The VIN, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 99,824.
2003 ford windstar, 50,000 miles, and the transmission needs to be replaced. Even though proper maintenance done. Vehicle shifts out of gear, and reverse is not hit or miss. Search on the internet reveals this vehicle is worthless and a rebuild is recommended over a used one since your only going to get other peoples problems. A new transmission from ford is 3000$ the rebuild will cost $2000.
Driving southbound on i65 in lebabnon, in on way to work at about 65-70 MPH. Suddenly the vans tarted to slow even though I was maintaiing pressure on gas pedal. Van continued to slow with tractor trailers racing up behind me, swerving sorund me and hrons blaring. I was bale to get off at the next exit an made it to the end of the ramp where the vheicle just stopped moving.
Tl*-the contact owns a 2003 ford winstar. The contact's family member and passenger were in tehe vehicle while driving through a traffic light when the vehicle stopped moving forward, but the engine continued to operate. The vehicle was towed. The mechanic replaced the torque converter. There were no previous failures or warning light indicators. The current mileage was 44,000, and the failure mileage was 44,087.
I started the van and left the driver's door open to run inside the house to get something. When I came back the van was rolling backward across the neighbor's yard. Because the door was open it was ripped backward as it left the garage and hit the side of the garage door. It had rolled off a retaining wall which pulled the front bumper off. It was still rolling across the neighbor's yard when we finally caught it. When I got in the van it was still in park. Thankfully no one was hurt.
I own 2003 ford windstar, serviced by the ford dealership. At 70,000 miles while driving on the freeway, the overdrive indicator light started flashing. Within an hour the transmission failed altogether, no forward or reverse gears. The teardown revealed a failed torque converter, input shaft support bearings, and burnt out intermediate clutch pack. The vehicle is at the ford dealership having its transaxles replaced completely as it is beyond repair. The industry standard for transaxles is a minimum of 120,000 miles between rebuilds. My research indicates this transaxles model, the ford axod and its variants, has been the subject of a huge number of failures, which are reported to occur at approximately 70,000 miles. The failures are alternately attributed to various components, which lead me to believe that internal components which are unreliable have been used in its manufacturing.
We own a 2003 ford windstar van. Ever since we have had the van after running at cruising speed the engine will not idle down. We have taken it to the dealer several times but they could not fix it. Being a former ford tech. I tried to fix it my self and replaced the tps sensor with no luck. No matter where you set the idle speed the problem will come back. We have been dealing with problem for three years now and are growing very tired. Not only is this dangerous it is wearing out brakes faster. It seems to be an electronic problem where the computer will not lower the idle. I have checked the throttle cable and throttle valve and nothing is binding. I can't blame the mechanic at the dealership, I blame ford. I hope this can be corrected before someone gets hurt. I bought this van so I would not have to worry about my wife and kids.
While making a right hand turn, the van made a noise like it was shifting out of gear, then the car stopped. I had no problems getting the gears to shift before or after. After the van stopped, would not move into any gear. I tried reverse, neutral, drive, d2 and d1 and the car would not move at all.
We own a 2003 windstar and the transmission and power steering is going out of it. To me they should last longer than 60,000 miles.
03 windstar was parked on a slight incline with the engine running, A/C was on. My wife and I unloaded the children from both sides of the van (manual sliding doors) and I unloaded a stroller from the back of the van closing the tailgate. We placed items in our garage and I moved the kids toys out of the way so I could pull the van in the garage. My wife needed help taking items in the house and I followed the children into the house. We heard a loud crash. I opened up the door to our garage to find our windstar had engaged and drove up the drive, through the garage and into a deep freezer and refrigerator, pushing them both through the back wall of our home. The back wall of our house was moved 8 inches off the foundation and the appliances were crushed. The bumper and hood of the van was damaged. The van was idle and still running as it pushed against the appliances. I opened the driver door, took the van out of park and backed it out into the driveway and turned off the van. We are thankful that there were no injuries or deaths. The van was taken to a ford dealer immediately. The ford dealer was concerned and had three techs look for issues. The tech reps could not find any issues with the van and stated that it would be impossible for the vehicle to move forward while in park. In a professional manor they advised me to always turn a vehicle off and remove the key as well as set the parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle. I have a hard time understanding how the van was able to accelerate while in park but was witness to the results. The mechanics stated that strange failures can occur in any machine and confirmed that the van was safe to drive.
The transmission failed after 43,00 miles and had to be replaced. I spoke to a local aamco transmission store and they told me this was the fourth such problem with 2003 windstar's they had seen in a month.
My wife was driving the windstar on the highway when all of a sudden the car accelerated up to 80 MPH by itself. By applying the brakes, she got it to a low enough speed to slam the transmission into park.*ak the dealership said that the problem was fixed, but about 3 or 4 months later, it happened again. The dealership says that they fixed it again. But we refuse to ride in this death trap, and demand that they give us a new car among other things.
Simply driving on the highway, and attempted to set the cruise control. The engine began to race, and the transmission disengaged. Required new transmission to repair. This after only 49,000 miles. Transmission filter and fluid changed at 37,000 miles was not the problem. This vehicle also had the front wheel bearings replaced at 17,000 miles. This vehicle was not used for towing, primarily highway miles.
The consumer stated the vehicle was able to come out park without applying the brake. Provide additional information.
I thought the van was in park and got out of the vehicle. It popped out of gear and started to roll back. I tried to get back into the vehicle but it rolled to fast and crushed my leg between the vehicle and a pole. After I was thrown from the vehicle it then started to go forward on an incline. The accident caused me to have surgery to repair a broken left leg. The vehicle was taken to freeway ford where the found that the parking linking was out of adjustment causing it to pop out of gear. Parking linkage was adjusted.
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