1997 Ford WINDSTAR: complaints, problems and recalls

BLOWN HEAD GASKET ON 3.8 ENGINE ON 1997 FORD WINDSTAR, WITH ONLY 77,000 MILES. FORD WITH NOT OFFER ANY HELP. AFTER OWNING A FORD FOR PAST 28 YEARS, THIS IS THE LAST FORD PRODUCT THAT MY FAMILY WILL EVER OWN. EVER! TS

Owner-reported narrative. 77,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000312 at NHTSA ↗

SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1996 WINDSTAR, 86,000 MI. PROPER MAINTENENCE HAD BEEN DONE. I SEE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS HERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NHTSA IT IS TIME TO STEP UP AND FORCE A RECALL. HOW LONG DO THE CONSUMERS HAVE TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT. WE DON'T HAVE THE $3000 THEY WANT FOR REPAIRS. WHAT HAPPENED TO COMSUMER RIGHTS? THE WAY IT STANDS NOW I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AMERCIAN CAR. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE ECONOMY. YOU HAVE TO HOLD CORPORATE AMERICA RESPONSIBLETOPUT OUT QUALITY VEHICLES…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000833 at NHTSA ↗

DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER UNITS IN 1997 FORD WINDSTARS.I HAVE HAD MY SPEEDOMETER REPLACED 3 TIMES AND IS IN NEED OF ANOTHER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSTARS AND THE TAURUS.YOU CAN NOT JUDGE HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE.ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU REPLACE THE UNIT AND IT KEEPS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED.CAN IT BE RECALLED?

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003593 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO PUT CHILD IN REAR MIDDLE SEAT. TS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004615 at NHTSA ↗

97 WINDSTAR HAS HEAD GASKET FAILURE IM STILL PAYING ON IT PURCHADES AT AVIS FORD OF SOUTHFIELD 12 MILE TELEGRAP MI CANNOT AFFORD FIXIN IT I BELIEVE IS A MANUFACURE FAILURE AND NEED TO BE FIX DO NOT HAVE ANY SAFER TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME PLEASE HEL US

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005802 at NHTSA ↗

COOLANT LOW ENGINE RAN WARM, NO LEAKS FOUND. FEBRUARY 2003, ENGINE WAS FILLED WITH COOLANT BECAUSE OF LEAK. STARTER BLEW AND ENGINE LOCKED UP. PH

Owner-reported narrative. 72,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007543 at NHTSA ↗

HAVE A 97 FORD WINDSTAR ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD A TIRE BLOW COMPLETELY HERE TO FIND OUT THAT THE COIL SPRING ON DRIVERS FRONT BROKE AND WENT INTO TIRE, THEN TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL 2 YEARS AGO ON IT BUT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF IT AND ALSO A FEW WEEKS AGO, VAN ALL OF A SUDDEN KEPT GETTING REAL HOT WITH ROLLING WHITE SMOKE JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THESE WINDSTARS BUT YET STILL WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, THIS IS NOT RIGHT, I FEEL WE WERE CHEATED, NOW HAVE A VAN THAT SITS AND STILL OWE $10,000 ON BECAUSE I'M A F…

Owner-reported narrative. 88,890 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007578 at NHTSA ↗

I BOUGHT MY 1997 WINDSTAR USED 6 MONTHS AGO WITH 87,000 ON IT, I HAVE DRIVEN ONLY 3,000 MILES AND MY ENGINE BLEW WITH NO WARNING. THIS WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE USED CAR I HAD EVER OWNED AND WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT..WE CHECKED THE VIN REPORT ON CARFAX...WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT BY OUR OWN MECHANIC. I THOUGHT I HAD FOUND A GREAT (DREAM FOR ME)VEHICLE. BEN SATCHER FORD IN SC SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS CAR ONLY THE 95 MODEL AND THAT PROBLEM HAD BEEN SINCE FIXED. SO I'M STUCK WITH PAYING $3000 FOR A NEW ENGINE WHILE …

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007914 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-06-19 (June 19, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS, LIGHT PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OFF LEASE CANADIAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHICH MEET CANADIAN REQUIREMENTS AND NOT THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." ACCORDING TO FORD, THE VEHICLES WERE IMPORTED INTO THE U.S. ERRONEOUSLY.

Consequence: THE LIGHT GIVEN OFF FROM THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS BRIGHTER THAN ALLOWED BY U.S. STANDARDS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL BE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE THE RUNNING LIGHT FUNCTION AND TO COMPLETE ANY OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON THESE VEHICLES.

Reported: 2001-06-18 (June 18, 2001)

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD FRACTURE AS A RESULT OF CORROSION. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE FRACTURE, A BROKEN SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE.

Consequence: SOME TIRES HAVE DEFLATED DUE TO CONTACT WITH A BROKEN SPRING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL PROTECTIVE SHIELDS AROUND THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 6, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Reported: 2009-10-13 (October 13, 2009)

FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.

Reported: 1997-06-09 (June 9, 1997)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 1999-06-14 (June 14, 1999)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS. THE BRAKE FLUID MASTER CYLINDER IS RECESSED AND ORIENTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WARNING STATEMENT EMBOSSED ON BOTH THE TOP OF THE FILLER CAP AND THE SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR BODY ARE NOT ENTIRELY VISIBLE BY DIRECT VIEW. THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT FULLY COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 135, "PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS."

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW LABELS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.