Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2000 windstar with design flaw with the front valve cover causes costly repairs.*ak

Per dealer repair: trace to lower vacuum leak, r&r lower intake gaskets, install undated parts cost of $600. this was on top of a $2000 transmission repair at same time, separate complaint, and also after two tie rods replaced. *la

The truck idles ruff. the wrong engine motor valve cover bolts were used at time of the truck being manufactured. as a result the bolts caused an oil leak in the engine. the dealership replaced the bolts. please provide more details. *ph there were eight bolts covered with plastic which melted and caused oil to enter the engine and run rough. mechanic informed the consumer that many of these bolts have been replaced. the consumer feels ford should cover the cost of repairs, not him. *ph

The air flow unit attached to the top of the engine makes a clattering noise. the dealer/service dept. inspected and described the noise caused by a piston driven mechanism inside this air flow chamber. apparently this unit helps with fuel efficiency. it needs to be replaced and ford motor co. will not replace it.*ak

2000 ford windstar van check engine light coming on and rough idling, took van to ford and the problem was intake manifold gasket $850.00 repair van had 40000.0 miles, what was funny is my boss has the same van and same thing happened to him at 43000.0 miles. i think this is happening more than 4 occurences as stated. *ak

Manifold gasket leak. tbs article no. 03-16-1. this repair was done 7 months earlier than this and we paid a $200.00 deductable and our warranty company paid the rest. 7 months and 13,800 miles later it went again and they never did the tbs to it the first time and they wouldn't pay for their error in not taking care of the problem the first time. our warranty company would not pay as it's a faulty part from ford and it should have been addressed at the 7 month prior apt. i had also brought it in a few months prior to this oct. visit as the engine light was on and they said it was because my gas cap wasn't on tight enough and was charged $85.00 for this visit. i wonder if this was a sign of what was happening. we we're treated terribly by ford not only with not paying for their error but disrepectfull and uncalled for language and behavior.

While driving vehicle shut off without warning. *ak

While traveling on the highway carbon fuel intake into manifold clogged up, causing fumes and bad smoke. *ak

Right from the day i bought the van, i have had one issue or the other. here are some of the major issues. 1. tires - my new van had bumps on all 4 tires. every tire dealer told me they would burst on driving. they were general tires. i went to ford many times and opened a case with them also to no avail. after 12,000 miles, i decided to buy 4 new tires myself for the safety of my family at my own expense. 2. at 15,000 miles, i had to get my front brakes changed as they had reached their end of life. 3. at 15,000 miles, i also had to get my transmission fluid as well as drop pan changed as they worn out 4. at 30,000 miles, i had to get my front brake pads again changed (these were also worn out). what is surprising is that my rear brakes are fine 5. at 30,000 miles, i also had to get my transmission fluid as well as drop pan changed as they worn out 6. at 40,000 miles, my check engine light came on, for which i had to get the entire cooling system changed as well as had major engine work done to remove the light. the bill was in a few thousand, and i still don't know what they did to get it all fixed 7. at 45,000 miles, i had to get front rotors and brakes again. 8. at 45,000 miles i also had to get my front tie rods changed as they were squeaking 9. my automatic door sensor has never worked since i bought the van. if you shut the doors using the electronic door openers, and if something is in the way, it will still shut the door trapping the item, rather than reversing the process. 10. my drivers side power seats have just failed, and i am yet again faced with a large expense. i will never buy a ford again

2000 ford windstar, 47,000 miles. check engine light comes on. one item diagnosed is a leak in the intake manifold spacer. ford service says intake manifold spacer is not covered under warranty. a)intake manifold is covered for 7 years, 70,000 miles in ca b)intake manifold is in two pieces, upper and lower. the spacer is what goes between both pieces of intake manifold. c)you cannot use one part of the intake manifold without the other, you must have that spacer, therefore it is part of the intake manifold unit. in addition, tsb 01-20-5 was issued for windstar years 1997-2001 stating that there is a known issue with a leak in the intake manifold. that's five years that this was a problem. *jb

While my wife was driving our 2000 ford windstar down the highway after picking my son up from school, she noticed that at least 3 cars had passed her with their windshield wipers on during a perfectly clear day. she looked out the back window and could not see anything. we later found out the hot engine coolant was spraying out from the bottom of the vehicle and spraying onto the trailing cars creating a visibility hazard. the cause of the incident was the failure of the head gasket on the windstar. this could have had a very serious impact on other drivers or my wife due to a lack of visibility due to the engine coolant spraying over the windshields of other vehicles. ford motor company under went a huge recall campaign in 2000 for head gasket failures in several vehicles for model years 1996-1999. ford claims they resolved the problem with the head gaskets, but considering i had a failure at less than 50,000 miles that warranted an engine replacement i don't believe the issue has been resolved. *jb

Have had constant problems with my 2000 ford windstar since 40,000 miles. have already done the overhaul for the check engine light and the abs light still comes on and off daily for the last 3 years. replaced the cruise control activation switch 2 years ago, but i guess the leaking fluids have destroyed my ecu. also have cleaned and checked all wheel sensors which has not helped at all. i used to be a ford man, but after these problems and $$$ spend, i'm very cautious of fords now! *tr

Consumer states while traveling 65 mph without any indication engine indication light flash speed drop and over driver lights started blinking. dealer was contacted techician notice transmission needed to be replace transmission is on the third repair. please provide further information. ts

12/02 engine light came on - had to have upper plenum gasket, o-rings, vacuum elbow and valve cover with gasket replaced for $600.00. 4/03, car less than 3 yrs. old but with 44k miles, the transmission blew: weld broke on the "drum over the planetary gear". so warranty expired at 36k miles but windstar still under 3 yrs. old. i expect a car to last at least 3 years before anything this expensive happens. want ford to pay for repairs and extend warranty til windstar is paid for in 2005.

On 12-13-02 i was told by mile one where i purchased my warranty to have my van towed to a ford dealship because it had a mechanical breakdown.the service manager john locket said that the van had what he called an intermix in the engine,he said that coolant and the oil had somehow mixed together.i asked him what caused that to happened and he said that it could be a blown headgasket or a cracked cylinderhead. i called him on 12-23-02 and he said told me that the mechanic said that he couldn't tell what the problem was so i would have to give my permission for them to break down the engine at my own expenses and i was told the samething by mile one,i agreed.i contacted the service manager sam steward of kia of glen burnie where i purchased the van and he agreed to call and speak to the service manager john locket at the ford dealership.he told him that he would have everything worked out after christmas. mr.steward told me to keep in touch and to let him know if i needed anymore assistance.i contacted him again the first part of january and i told him that they still couldn't find the problem so i made a conference call to mr. locket with mr.steward's permission. mr.locket explained to mr.steward and myself that i would have to give my permission to have the engine pulled out to have the blocked checked to see if it is cracked i agreed again. mr.steward asked mr.locket why was it taking so long to find the problem and he said that he was short on help.i spent over 1200 dollars on a rental van and had to catch rides with friends to and from the babysitters and work.i am stress out and i feel like mile one do not want to honor the warranty.i was told today by the ford dealership service manager john locket that i had to pay a 1000 dollar deductible and they would pay the rest to replace the engine. the engine is covered under the warranty so why do i have to pay a 1000 dollar deductable.

My 2000 ford windstar had to have a new intake manifold when it had only 44,000 miles due to a defect causing the system to run too lean. the code was 0171. it is ridiculous to have to replace a part of this nature when the vehicle has only this many miles on it and all maintenance has been performed as recommended by the manufacturer.

The abs system still is not working right. the mechanics say that the abs and the emissions could very well be caused by the same problem - a faulty computer. both modules have been diagnosed to be bad, however, the local ford dealership has been unwilling to use a "post warranty adjustment" to help fix this problem. it seems unreasonable that with just over 60,000 miles these types of problems can be considered anything but manufacturer defects.

The vehicle stalled without warning.*jb

Ford admits this is known about the check engine light but won't pay to fix the problem due to being out of warranty.**** dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****769755. *ak *jb

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will shut off causing consumer to pull over and it will be hard to get the vehicle back started. dealer notified. ts

Transmission will downshift very roughly, driver gets thrown forward. dealer cannot find cause.*ak the transmission was down shifting with a terrible jolt at low speed. the vehicle was difficult to start when cold and damp, also when the ignition was switched off and then back to start the engine fires and runs. the vehicle stalling was determined to be fuel pump failure. the gas mileage dropped from 23 mpg to 16 mpg and the vehicle burns more oil. the lights flicker when driving at night and a/c is on, also the vehicle shakes while idling with the a/c on. the driver?s seat cut and slashed the consumer?s clothing. there was a weak green light from the battery. vehicle vibrates at high speed. the driver?s door was difficult to shut. *yh

At 35 mph engine will make a clunking noise with no warning. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

After hitting brakes vehicle appears to lose power, and feels like it's going to lurch forward. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle is using 1 quart of oil in 1000 miles. vehicle inspected by ford tech engineer. found no exterior oil leakage and states vehicle operating as designed at this time. *tt transmission fluid was leaking from the pan gasket. the servo cover was resealed. updated *jb

At this time we are leasing a 2000 windstar lx and we can't wait to turn it in to the dealership - and we plan to never purchase another ford product again. we have purchased a used honda accord and expect that we will be quite happy with it... there was a recall on the exhaust/emissions was fixed and the light came on again and will not go out - eastgate ford, dayton, oh does not know why the light will not go out. the paint on the luggage rack is peeling off. the door actuator on the passenger sliding door - does not work - it takes 2 people to open the door, one inside and one outside. the power steering pump is faulty. ford has a service bullentin out - but there is no recall because ford does not believe there is a safety issue here - i do not agree. proper steering is pretty important and if a smaller size female or male was turning left and the pump failed, it could be quite hazzardous. our biggest complaint is the way ford motor company and eastgate ford have treated us. there is no accountability on either part. ford or eastgate won't stand behind their product.

a ticking noise continues to come from engine when running and while driving. vehicle been to the dealer on two occasions, and problem is reoccurring. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Crankcase valve located on valve cover failed --- had to replace the entire valve cover --cost $349.03 at local ford agency -- vehicle had 47707 miles on it the left valve cover was replaced . *ak

Engine pings and stutters. engine check shows carbon build-up dealer -- marshall ford replaced intake hoses and a long list of other things and now 2 years later i am stuck with a van with the engine light on and since the warranty is up, they refused to fix or tried to fix anything when this is the same problem that i had from day of purchase. carbon builds up no matter what i do. the dealer had the van in for repair off and on a total of over two months. *la

Manufacturer states; van is built to their specifactions, thus there is nothing wrong with it. no safety defect listed. *ak

Vehicle stalls at any speed. it has been examined by dealer 15 times. dealer cannot correct the problem, computer shows no error code.*ak

Since vehicle's last motor was put in, when shifting gears, it sounded like engine was ready to fall out.*ak consumer ended up trading vehicle, dealer offered a buy back. *slc

Motor replaced at 20000 miles. 2 weeks later, new motor was knocking like first one after 500 miles. currently, third motor will be installed. consumer trying to give vehicle back. *ak

There was a churping noise on right driver's side of car, took to dealer, and they replaced housing for motor.*ak

While consumer is driving passenger's side door can come open without any assitence. consumer's child almost fell out of door. this happend while consumer was on highway. contacted dealer, and dealer said there was nothing wrong with door.*ak the cause for the sliding door opening while driving was determined to be detent switch failure. the humming noise while cruising was caused by vapor management valve failure. *yh

Engine "pings" (detonation) when warm- dealer reset computer on first visit- claimed a manufacturer defect in valve cover on second visit-claimed that recall will be forthcoming when replacement parts become available.

The engine shut off while turning left. nearly hit by oncoming traffic. despite reassurance from dealer that this problem has been fixed, we are concerned the vehicle remains unsafe. these concerns were heightened by the september 12, 2000 article in the new york times.

The right rear view mirror was replaced. *slc

Engine check light keeps coming on and off for last 4 years. dealer states that oxygen sensor was bad. also, head gasket needed to be changed. *ak