The gauges in the vehicle keeps going nuts. Moving from one side to the other,tachometer, speedometer, gas, temperature, battery. The tachometer gauge hit the transmission selector and now that is pushed over to 1. It appears there a many fords that have this problem but ford refuses to fix the problem. The fix is well over $400 just for the instrument cluster. Also they refuse to fix the power steering whining noise that all fords have. If this is a well known problem then how come the ntsa don't make them fix the problems.
Ford Windstar whining noise problems
25 of the 14,140 owner complaints about the Ford Windstar describe whining or grinding noise, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 25
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical repair cost reported
- $900
- typical mileage
- 95,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20033
- 20023
- 20012
- 20003
- 19998
- 19982
- 19954
Often reported together
Grinding brakes 6Steering noise 3Transmission failure 2Stalling 2Power steering loss 2Ball joint 2Wipers 1Slipping 1
What owners say
Whining, grunting and shutter from under hood when turning left. Within 4 days noise occurred when turning right also. By day 6 a leak occurred from the boot on left end of steering rack.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford windstar. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the engine stalled without warning and restarted. In addition, there was a whining noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic two times and each time the engine belt and tensioner pulley assembly were replaced. Three days after the second repair was performed the failure recurred. The vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.
Drove the van to work without incident or any imminent warning of vehicle problems. As soon as I stopped and put the van in park, I heard a loud noise and different sound coming from the engine. When getting ready to leave work for home, I started the van and proceeded to place it in reverse and the van didn't wouldn't move regardless of the transmission selector position. There was a loud whine coming from the engine compartment.
I own a 1998 ford windstar(manufacture date aug..1997. I have been having problems for a while. My van was making a whining grinding noise. Gear is hard to get out of park bad popping noise when backing up...replaced all 4 wheel bearings and both tie rod ends..still making a bad whining noise.3 days ago I was driving down the highway and the steering started acting weird and shaking and the back of the van started swaying back and forth .. Was told at the shop about the recall on axel I called ford and was told my van is not on the list my van has a excessive amount of corrosion throughout the whole bottom the shop told me this van has been exposed to salt. When I bought the van it had a inspection sticker from previous owner from one of the recall states.(pens) ford would not give me any information onwhat state it was sold in or dealer, what brand of axel that was being recalled (said they didn't know the brand) come on what company spends money on parts and don't even know the brand or manufacture they buy from. I'm scared to death to drive this automobile.. I think ford should honor there promise to its customers and fix this problem on all 1997-2003 windstars not just certain months of 1997 or does someone have to lose there life before they do something? Ford>>> you took our money for your product now stand behind your product.
On may 22 my 1999 ford windstar van started to make a squealing/whining noise at approximately 10:30 in the morning during what should have been a 40 minute drive to my mothers house. Due to the weird noise I stopped and checked the air pressure in my tire (right rear) where the sound seemed to be originating from. The pressure was a little low so I topped it off and continued on my trip. The sound continued and I decided to stop at a service station about 20 more miles into the trip. The service station was little help, they checked my power steering fluid, drove the van around the parking lot a couple of times and it made no noises. The attendant told me he didn't have any idea as to what the sound might be and asked if I could return in an hour when his superior would be there. I agreed to return after dropping off my kids at my mothers. After going on down the road about another ten miles I felt the steering wheel start to float and drift and my brakes became useless and the van came to an abrupt halt and there was a huge bang as the entire rear end of the vehicle became disabled. As we all piled out to see what was wrong we found the rear wheels pointing inward under the van at a backwards angle. Some men came to help me who were nearby they informed me my axle was snapped. Looking under the vehicle I could clearly see they were right. My van will be repaired this weekend. I called ford they basically told me to eat the repairs myself. In wv a yearly inspection is required, I passed inspection at the beginning of april which tells me there was nothing visually wrong with my axle less than two months ago. I find it hard to believe that without any outside damage or force (accidents, force ect) an axle can just snap in two. If I had been traveling any faster my 4 children and myself would have been killed or harmed as at the moment it broke I had little control over the vehicle and the brakes were failing. Only people with children buy mini-vans, this is scary.
Whining noise from power steering. Replaced pump on 5-18, still noisy. Found out on 5-21-07 that rack and pinion was bad, allowing fluid to leak into bellows boots one of which burst, spraying fluid all over dealership. Van could not be driven since boot will fill up with fluid again, spraying it on brake rotor. Dealer wanted $900 to replace rack and pinion. Checked on various websites. This seemed to be a common complaint with ford.
I have a horrible whining noise when I turn my steering wheel, I heard its probably the power steering pump. I am going to have to replace it.
Whining noise in power steering. I took to the ford dealer and they replaced the power steering pump, but less than 10000 miles later the whinning started again. I took it to another ford dealer and they replaced the rack and pinion (and charged me $800. About 2 months later the whine is back and I know it is the power steering pump.
Purchased the windstar used in 2001. After about a year the steering started to make funny (whining) noises and sometimes it would get tougher to turn wheel. At 65k my family and I were driving across country and the power steering went out completely. We had to drive the last 800 or so miles to our new home with no power steering. Took it to a repair shop, suspecting the power steering pump and they said it was not bad, just needed fluid. I had checked the fluid when it originally went out and it was low, but not empty. It drove fine (still noisy) for about a month and then steering went out again. I returned to the same shop and again told me that I needed fluid. I told them I had never seen a leak, but I would check every day to figure out where the fluid was going. About three days later I was driving home from work and the noise became very loud again and when I pulled into my driveway I could see the trail of power steering fluid I left behind. I looked under the car and the fluid was pouring out from the boot on the drivers side. I took it to the same repair shop and they said "blown rack and pinion". Thanks.
Related recalls
Power train: axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from september 1, 1997, through july 3, 2003, and currently registered or originally sold in virginia. Over time, corrosion can weaken the rear axle making it susceptible to torsional stress. Corrosion and stress can lead to cracks which, if undetected, can increase and result in a complete fracture of the axle.
- Risk
- A fractured axle can affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install rear axle reinforcement brackets, or replace the axles, as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on june 19, 2012. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 12V193000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with ax4s automatic transaxles. The low/intermediate servo cover can separate from the transaxle while the vehicle is being driven. If this occurs, transmission fluid will leak contacting the catalytic converter.
- Risk
- The catalytic converter temperature may be hot enough to ignite the transmission fluid and cause a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the transmission and replace these servo covers.
Recall number 97V097000 · Recall details
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 Ford Windstar whining noise
Which Ford Windstar years have whining or grinding noise problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (8 complaints), 1995 (4 complaints) and 2000 (3 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix whining or grinding noise on the Ford Windstar?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $900 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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