Problems with 1999 Ford Windstar POWER TRAIN

On oct 30, 2004 engine light came on toke to dealer leaking head gasket costing $459.00 now the transmission has failed which is going to cost 2398.00 to fix two major repairs in 2 weeks this is crap ford so fix the problem with a recall. *ak

Transmission on our 1999 ford windstar had to be replaced costs us 2500.00. car has only 56,000 miles on it.*ak

At 33,000 miles, sudden transmission failure. rebuilt at a local shop for $2600 ... ford contacted, but refused to stand behind its product.*ak

At approximately 79,000 miles, transmission failed catastrohically. i was stopped at a red light, and proceeded forward when the light changed. almost immediately, i felt a violent forward jolt, then the vehicle would no longer go forward, though it would reverse. i had vehicle towed, and was informed the transmission needed replaced, costing $1800 (and that was with a discount for being frequent customers.) also, the o/d light began flashing days after we bought the vehicle used in 2002. dealer repaired free, but informed us that the wiring harness connected to the o/d switch rested on the engine, where normal vibrations caused it to wear through and fail. the technician called it a "design flaw."*ak

The poorly manufactured aluminum pistons in the transmission fractured and destroyed other components in the transmission at 99,000 miles.*ak

Transmission problem with 1999 ford windstar on several occasion. *bf (transmission slippage) these problems have existed since the vehicle was first purchased; engine trouble, vaporization leaks, and a broken gear. there were also worn front brakes, steering was inoperative, and there was a vacuum leak due to the upper intake manifold. *sc *jb

Transmission failed while shifting from park to drive. a loud squeaking noise wa coming from the front. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

Driving locally at low speed, upon accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle experienced an abrupt transmission failure. no prior symptoms, just a loud bang and then it would not move forward and had to be towed. dealer where the van was purchased and serviced at offered no recourse as i am out-of-warranty! in process of getting estimates to replace transmission. *ak

We were driving on the freeway in ohio without any problems. upon exiting the freeway we stopped at a stop sign and barely accelerated and the van hesitated and we barely made a slight turn into a gas station when the van would not switch into gear. we managed to nurse it into a parking spot and put it in park and there is where it stayed, unable to shift into any other gear. we were on our way to florida from michigan. the van only had 53091 miles on it and was maintained well. we had the van towed to a dealer and were told the transmission needed to be replaced due to a faulty sun gear. upon further questioning we were told that something not welded properly just "broke loose" and destroyed the transmission. *ak

First, the o/d light flashed. a few days later, whie driving on the higway with all my kids in the van, i saw tons of smoke coming from behind the van. i pulled off the highway and saw all the transmission fluid pouring out under the front end. i drove to an exit, called for a ride home (it took two separate drivers to come and get me and the kids!) and got the van towed. the torque converter clutch went, and then caused the transmission failure as well--at 74,000 miles. every garage i called said that this is a bad transmission, and they replace/rebuild it all the time. *ak

Ford windstar xl 1999- front end clunking noises serviced 3-4 times before it was fixed. repeated repairs to various front end components replaced at my expense including power steering pump, rack & pinion, tie rods, u-joints costing $2000 or more. continue to suffer from groaning, noisy, & stiff steering. also ongoing engine pinging upon acceleration after numerous repairs. random power sliding door function. metallic rattling, jingling noises from under car both when idling & driving. *tr

Two problems occurred in one month. first, the power steering went crazy. the ford dealer told me that it was leaking and had to replace the entire power steering assembly. but i was not sure because i do not know if ford dealer was trying to rip me off. then i took it to carx in racine, wi to take a look at it. he said same thing but he can't fix it because he had to order the part. then i decided to wait and leave. about 2 miles later, the transmission blew up in the middle of the road. the engine was running but can't drive or gear. i had it towed to towne ford inc. in racine, wi. the towne ford inc said that he found the problem. the problem was one of the gears snapped off the metal part. they had no idea why it happened. so, my option is to replace the entire transmission instead of several parts because of the cost and warranty coverage. but my van isn't old yet. it is 1999 ford windstar and it has 50,000 miles on it. it is still kind of new. why did the transmission blow up at 50,000 miles? what is the life expectancy on transmission? by miles or age? also, why did power steering get leaking?*ak

Consumer was at a red light of a major intersection, heard a very loud explosion sound, and the car wouldn't move. transmission literally exploded for no reason and no warning. danger because of our location causing traffic problems. car only has 55000 miles on it. we had the trans rebuilt - steel part exploded. costing consumer $2400. ford is not willing to help or acknowledge safety problems when a car just dies - could cause major accidents and injury, especially when you don't know when it's going to stop or die next on you. afraid to drive it now with my family. second time in 4 months this car has caused problems on a major interstate and intersection.*ak

I lost all acceleration while in the outside lane on the interstate. fortunately i was able to coast to the emergency parking lane without incident, however, without the ability to accelerate (no gears at all) it could have been quite dangerous on a busier stretch of highway. i was towed to the nearest ford dealer and had to replace the transmission pump, shaft, valve body and seals. *jb

First: while traveling 70 mph on an interstate in nc our van died. after safely pulling over, crossing 3 lanes of traffic, we had the van towed home to va and the mechanic said he changes 7-8 transmissions a week in ford windstar vans. we had fallen victim to this. we still have problems with the o/d light coming on and having to add transmission fluid frequently. second: our van interior and exterior lights dim and blink at random. the alert will also come on saying one of the doors is ajar leaving the interior lights on and doors unlocked. it will randomly change doors while driving. now the rear turning lights do not flash, the locks do not work, the interior and back exterior lights do not go out even with the key off and out. there will be random beeping and buzzing noises. the rear heat/air turns off and on at random even with the controls in the off position. there is a clicking under the dash when the rear heat or air is running. on inspection the mechanic found the alarm wires under the dash bare, unhooked, and exposed. he taped these hoping it would solve the problem. it has not. the local ford dealer is not reputable. it is a well known fact in the community that they break something else while fixing another to ensure a return visit. we have to travel 45-60 minutes to another dealer and they are so busy because they have to provide service for a large rural area. ford has never acknowledged phone calls or letters sent to them. we feel stuck with a lemon! *tr

Overdrive light will flash repeatedly after approximately driving 20-25 miles on the highway. when this happens, rpms increase and van attempts to lunge forward. also, while putting van into gear loud clunking noise. transmission was flushed completely, but problem persists. first occurance at 61,000 miles while driving family back from vacation. 2nd occurance at 63,000 miles and 3rd occurance at 63,800 miles. *ak

While slowing down to 25 mph the vehicle stopped going forward. vehicle was able to go backwards, but not forward. vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who determined that a new transmission was needed. *ak *nm

The overdrive light began flashing when driving at highway speeds. an electronic diagnostic test performed revealed the failure of the torque converter clutch and the stator. the recommended action was to replace the transmission, at a cost of $3,086.72. a transmission shouldn't fail at 65,000 miles. *nm

I really don't know where to begin. we purchased this vehicle used in 2000. the day after purchase it had to be returned to the dealer for electrical problems. the dealership fixed the problems. we noticed a hard shifting right away and inquired about it with the dealership. they said that it was because it had a large engine and we were just not used to it. we drove it for about 18 months when at 60,000 miles the o/d light began flasing. we took it to a ford dealership and was told the transmission went out. we were lucky and had purchased an extended warranty which after many phone calls and complaints finally put in a new transmission. now 2 years and 30,000 later we need another new transmission. the van starting lurching when stopped at a stoplight and then tried to stall. we has also noted a noise that sounds like the whole front end is about to fall out. we also have electrical problems where the light come on and never go off. the a/c-heat, comes on when you start the van and the blower is in the off position. the electric door locks, which are supposed to lock when the car is put in drive, finally lock about 50 miles down the road. after much research on the van and all the problems it has i can't believe that ford will not do something. i guess the lives of the families with children that drives these vans mean nothing to them. i guess it will take the death of someone's children and a heafty lawsuit to finally get some action. my wife is now afraid to even get behind the wheel of our van since it has a tendency to have its failures in the middle of traffic ( guess we are glad it has a five star safety rating). we would get rid of it but have now found out that it has no value either. *ak

While driving 65 mph, the over drive light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. black smoke poured out of the exhaust pipe . consumer was able to pull over and drive the vehicle home by pouring a quart of the transmission fluid into transmission cooling unit and lines. consumer had a mechanic inspect the vehicle, and mechanic determined that torque converter needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak

While driving a van full of 6 young girls to a sports practice, the van started jumping when slowing down and accelerating. we stopped at a stop sign and then the car would not move in drive .suddenly, it jumped into drive, all the while , my carfull were very upset and thought we were going to crash. i barely made it to the practice parking lot. the van was jumping the whole drive. it then stalled in the driveway. i attempted to turn the car back on but there came a very loud, scary noise from the engine. i got it on, but it would not drive in drive, only in nuetral. i had to be towed. it was a major hassle. i came to find that th e transmission had gone at 72,000 miles. i had been complaining to the dealer that the engine light was always on. it was evaluated and they said it was a sensor problem that all started at about 30,000 miles. come to think of it, the van "jumped from gear to gesr since day 1". ford motor company will also be contacted. it seems pretty fishy that there are so many complaints about the same thing.*ak

While sitting in traffic the driver applied the accelerate pedal the vehicle rolled backwards then stalled. the driver tried to restart the vehicle, but failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver a sun gear inside of the transmission needed replacing. please fill in additional information. *jb

While driving consumer heard a loud "popping" sound. when putting the vehicle in drive it went into reverse. *ak

Automatic transmission failure at 75000 miles. sudden loss of forward gears. reverse works. this transmission was replaced at 21,000 miles and has been rebuilt at the ford dealer as well. the windstar transmission is a lemon. *la

My wife was driving our 1999 ford windstar and without any prior events, the transmission started to "slip" when taking off from a start. she promptly drive home 1.5miles and by the time she got home the van could not be driven because the transmission shuddered so bad when you stepped on the accelerator. we had the van towed the next day and were given news of a transmission failure and a $1900 repair bill. the car only had 57,000 miles.*ak

Complete transmission failure at 75,000 miles. relaced transmission totaling $2,544.00. *ak

While driving my 1999 winstar the overdrive light came on, so i looked in my rearview mirror and saw smoke comming from under the vehicle. so, i pull over to the side of the road and stop, transmission fluid was leaking out. my winstar van broke down out side of nashville, tn with 70,401 miles on it. the costs at john barker's two rivers ford in nashville was $2017.81.*ak

* vehicle leans since purchased sept 13, 2003. * allignment problems. * transmission does not properly change gears. * low treads on tires. * a frame problems. * suspension steering makes a clunking noise. * brakes must be pumped to stop, and make a ticking noise when applied. * vehicle has overheated. * power steering fluid leaked. * gears do not shift properly. * primer scotch guard on seats wearing after coat applied.

The transmission failed.*jb

Consumer complained repeatedly about transmission problems, but nothing was done because the dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak the door lock was inoperative with the key, when driven at low speeds a clunk noise was heard, but it was an intermittent problem, the vehicle lurched in low gear and the consumer had to downshift when going up hill. *sc *jb

I just purchased this vehicle may 2003. i was having transmission problems wouldn't accelerate past 40 km's then would rev really high then kick into gear. i found out from another dealership that the vehicle has had a transmission put in dec'02 at 68,000kms then another went in jan'03 with 974 km's on that one & found out today i need a new one. i am fighting with the dealership that sold me this vehicle that i am not responsible for it. that they obviously knew there was a problem with it when they sold it to me. still waiting to see who's going to pay for it. been waiting for tuesday will be a week. dealer i bought it from was totem ford mercury.

Transmission went out with no warning. internal failure of components.

We replaced the transmission on our 99 windstar 4 weeks ago...two days ago the power steering started grinding and we brought it in for repairs...replaced the power steering pump within 30 miles of the dealer the noise in the power steering came back and after paying $800.00 for the power steering pump they want to now charge us $600.00 to replace the rack...in the last 4 weeks the repairs on the windstar have been over $4000.00... this on a vehicle with less than 70,000 miles...i have pages of windstar owner complaints of the same nature...the transmission and the power steering on the windstar is faulty and i hope ford listens...this will be the last ford we purchase! *la

One day everything worked fine in the car, next day,the car won't shift properly in all gears and shudders while at a stop. two different repair places have told me it is definitly a failed transmission. i'm currently at 49k miles on the car... way too early for this to happen. according to all the posts at cartrackers.com, lots of others have also had the same problem with ford winstars.

Vehicle was parked in the driveway and without warning vehicle popped out of park into reverse. no one was hurt, dealer had been notified. *ak

The consumer stated the vehicle rolled off a hill, went across the highway into a field there was damage to the drivers door and the muffler. the second time the incident happened the vehicle was in the consumers driveway and crashed into a tree, the vehicle sustained damaged to the fender. in both cases the consumer stated the air bags did not deploy. the steering wheel never locked on the vehicle as well. *ak *jb

When parked on a hill, the vehicle rolled back. *bf when the vehicle rolled, it went a big field and caused damage to the drivers door and muffler. the second incident, the vehicle was sitting in the consumers driveway on a little hill when it rolled and hit a tree and caused damage to the fender and bumper. the consumer stated when both accidents happened the air bags never deployed. also the steering wheel never locked. *jb

Transmission in '99 ford windstar failed after 85,000 miles

Mileage was 49600, total cost for the repair was $2600.00 but our cost was only $2072.00 because drew ford in san diego, ca helped us cover some of the cost. the itemized bill said the remanufactured transmission was $1702.28. the tranny went out with no warning lights and no sign of giving out. my wife usually drives it but i had just driven it the day before and i am in tune with odd noises and the van had none. 8/22/2003 in the evening when she pulled into our garage and was still moving forward, it stopped. it didn't move until the engine was rev'd pretty high then it would kick in violently. that lasted about 2 or 3 times while trying to finish moving it into the garage when a huge grinding sound took place and the van did not move again until the tow truck took it away! i am outraged that the van was so young when a major component went out like the transmission. and after combing the web for others who have experienced this, i found plenty of people. i think ford motor company should pay for this. i figure they won't, though.

1999 fordwindstar steering rack replaced at 62000 miles, transmission replaced at 75000 miles and intake gasket rplaced at 75000 miles. *ak

My wife was proceeding from a stop,pressed gas and heard a pop or banging sound.car would not move in forward gears,only in reverse.towed to dealer.haven't heard from them yet.but by my reserch into this it appears to be a common problem.vehicle has 39,000 miles,never abused.ford should do something about this before someone is seriously hurt.*ak

We first had to replace the transmission at 49000 miles for $2000.00. just a few months later the engine failed at 53000 miles. to save money, we purchased a used engine from a wrecked windstar van for $900.00. my husband and father did the labor themselves. then in july 2003 we had to replace the shift solenoids which cost $500.00 for parts and labor. now, just a little over a year from replacing the first transmission, the van is in the shop again with transmission problems. any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciate. thanks for your time.

Problems with vehicle's transmission and rack and pinion.*mr the rack and pinion type gear had to be replaced at 71,900 miles. one month later while at a traffic light, the consumer stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle did not move, the vehicle was towed to a near by mechanic shop where the transmission was replaced. *jb *nm

Vehculo da cantasos y jalones al conducir. un da nos bamos de camino a un restaurante la transmicin empez a dar cantasos nos estacionamos en la grama, la transmicin parece que liqueaba aceite y el aceite caliente cay en la grama y la grama se encendio en fuego y hoy en da la transmicin aunque se arregle sigue liqueando y dando cantasos

Awful noise coming from front of vehicle with tendency to stall. towed to lee myles transmissions, with diagnosis of a separated 1/2 drum asm epc solenoid. repair cost $2148.03 minus $180.28 plus tax for a transmission cooler with labor. *nm

Constant transmission shudder during upshift. unlike the tsb dealing with shudder while cornering, this problem occurs all the time. mechanic indicates that likely cause is failure of the piston in the foward clutch. a very common problem in windstars. consequently, it causes insufficient acceleration form a stop making crossing intersections unsafe.

While driving, the transmission failed which caused the vehicle to only move in reverse. *jb

We have taken this van in for repair fivetimesin one year. the first month we had it the head was replaced. the power steering has gone out for now the fifth time. i actually lost controlof the vehicle due to beingunable to turn the steering. my husband has to drive me everywhere because only he can turn the steering wheel. each time we take it for repair we are charged a deductible and i can not do this anymore. this is obviously a lemon. marshall mize ford in chattanooga tennessee is where the vehicle was purchased in january of 2001. they also have performed all service on this vehicle. ford has not been understanding of why my payments have been late, but when you are having these kinds of issues such as electrical, transmission, air conditioning, and engine malfunctions, it does not take a genius to figure out why a woman with a family who depends on this vehicle as reliable, safe means of transportation is having difficulty. maybe if their product was of better quality, my children would be in a safe vehicle, and ford would get their money on time.

While driving the transmission failed while the consumer attempted to down shift. *nlm

Sudden transmission failure on a 1999 ford windstar. the transmission suddenly failed while being driven by a ford dealership technician while test driving the vehicle after replacing a defective air intake manifold. vehicle mileage was 32621 miles. while there was no accident envolved, the suddeness of the failure of a major drive component presents the hazard potential that needs to be investigated. an internet search has revealed significant numbers of complaints of similar premature and sudden failures on this vehicle and other model vehicles that use the transmission found in this vehicle. this complaint is being filed in order to bring it into the federal data base in order to determine if a recall of this transmission is warranted. i have the replaced components and would like to submit them for test and analysis if this agency is interested.*ak