Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The abs and check engine lights went on (again, after i had numerous items repaired or replaced on this van). i went back to my mechanic who found that a part was needed, called the c1185 and is part of the abs module system. i then went to ford dealership to see if this part could be replaced, and they told me that the manufacturer for this part had gone out of business and the part was no longer made! i have had these items repaired/replaced on this 2000 windstar since i bought the vehicle in december 2013: 1) ford dealership replaced ten-speed control deactivation switch per recall 2) my mechanic then repaired the electronic braking system, speedometer and odometer, which was tied in with the speed control deactivation switch (repairs were over $420) 3) my mechanic reinstalled improperly installed rear windshield wiper 4) my mechanic installed new battery *tr

2 weeks after i bought, what i thought was going to be the best car i ever owned, the check engine light came on. since i'm a single mom with 5 kids, im very tight on money, therefore, i went to the auto part store, put it on the machine, hoping i could do what i did with all other vehicles i owned, buy the parts, go online and read up on fixing it my self. i had just put all my savings into buying the van. the store clerk, gives me a list of 4 codes and the list of possible fixes. i get home go online and found out that not only is it not easy for someone like me to do, but its going to be a good $1200-$1500 for a mechanic to fix. and worse of all, it as been a major issue with this make and model, ford knows about the problem and even put out a repair kit just for the issue, but still refuses to recall the vehicle after numerous complaints. well your little kit maybe inexpensive for people who can fix it them selves but when you have to pay a mechanic to do the work its more then a simple repair. if a car as been treated good by its owner, as not been abused and maintenance kept up with over the years, then the only major (above $1000) repairs that we should have, are repairs due to accidents or normal wear and tear. when almost ever one who owes one of them as the same problem, around the same time, then it is a defect in the making of the car and should be the responsibility of the ford company. the fact that ford had to come up with a repair kit, is admitting there is a defect with the van. i should have check this website before i bought the van. do your research people! *tr

Cel on, ecm throwing p0174 codes, many many complaints on internet of this problem with 3.8l v6 engine. apparently no help from ford or dealer to assist customers with a fix for this. ford what a joke this 2000 windstar is. no more fords for me, total lack of support for product failure. *tr

Had vehicle in for service recalls. recalls met the requirements to replace the subframe assy; however, it was repaired instead. contacted ford about my concern over how it was being fixed and was told that the dealer was given info. on how to do the repair and if there was any problem after it was fixed, i would have to take it up with the dealer because it would be a warranty issue with them, that ford would not help me. now after picking up the vehicle, the a/c no longer works. - it blew cold air before they got it. *kb

Hi i owned a ford windstar 2001 and having trouble for the past months.. we took it to auto shop mechanics and got transmission rebuilt paid almost $2,000 for it. then got that fixed then i drove it for a while then all of the sudden driving on the freeway the engine quit so i called for help tow truck was there then brought it to auto mechanics to get it fixed problem was alternator got that fixed paid over $500.00 .now runs okay .. but now every time i turn the van on the engine lights on all the time while driving and abs lights on then the brake lights on too.. and the smoke that coming from exhaust from the rear smoking so bad...i need help this is could be part of a recall for fordwindstar.. i just don't have money to pay for the fixing ..i hope ford realized this i think i'm not alone out there dealing the same problems...thank you looking forward for the response... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. upon starting the vehicle, the contact heard a clicking noise from the center of the instrument panel. after a few minutes, the clicking noise stopped. prior to the failure, the contact stated that the same clicking noise was present when she operated the temperature gauge on the air conditioning unit. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the motor for the air conditioning unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact also stated that while driving at any speed, the vehicle would bounce and she could feel vibrations. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the vehicle also stalled intermittently. the idle air control was repaired by a local mechanic. the current and failure mileages were 115,432.

I own a 2000 ford windstar, and had the water pump break recently. when the mechanic put the vehicle on the hoist he noticed a large degree of rusting and separation on the subframe connecting to the control arm. this issue needs to be repaired before the vehicle can be driven again as it is a major safety concern - as per the mechanic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he noticed that engine warning light illuminated on the instrumental panel. he also noticed that there was a knocking noise coming from the engine. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that the spark plugs had failed which caused a small fire under the hood damaging the engine. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Just pulled into a parking space and put vehicle in park mode when without warning i heard a loud clanking sound. turns out the transmission failed. i had to get it rebuilt. i have had numerous problem with this vehicle in many areas and have spent a lot of money getting things fixed and replaced on it

ford windstar 2000: my car engine light and abs light on when start the engine. also has overdrive light flashing when start engine and when swift gears. *tr

My 2000 ford windstar had transmission problems that started in late 2008. automatic transmission lever was hard too shift into any gear. a few months later the transmission started leaking. as the months went by the leaking got worse. in may of 2009 there was now quite a bit of transmission fluid leaking from the transmission, causing the need for fluid to be added in order for the transmission to work. problem fixed in july of 2009. transmission oil seal was defective on the van, even though it only had 75,000 miles on it. head gasket needed replaced as well. total price: $1700. *tr

Check engine light has been on for several thousand miles, from about 40,000 to current 130,000. the code that comes up can be 1 of about 10 things. nothing corrects this. i have the 3.8l engine and the "check engine" light has been on. had a mechanic pull the codes up and they are bank 1 running lean and bank 2 running lean (p0171) and (p0174). was told could be mass airflow sensor, o2 sensor (1 of 4), vacuum issues, head gasket or a few others. i have replaced the maf sensor and all 4 o2 sensors at about $200.00 a piece. still on. 2nd issue. noise from front end when turning. 3rd issue. currently sitting at ford dealer with fractured rear axle for last month. also abs light goes on and off all the time.

Abs light lit check engine light on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while backing out of the driveway at 5 mph, the bracket that supports the lower passenger side control arm failed. a mechanic stated that the engine cradle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 81,000.

My check engine light came on, and i had it diagnosed with codes p0171, and p0174, engine too lean. i have been told from the ford dealer, and other mechanics i called that it is a common thing on ford windstars, and that it's not a if it will happen problem, it's a when it will happen problem. it's a design flaw in the intake manifolds, which prices ranging from $800 to $1500 to repair. ford should do a recall on all windstars and have these problems fixed for their customers at no charge. *tr

Mar 2008 we took our 2000 ford windstar van in for a clicking noise. was told that the plastic manifold intake valve was broke. they said to fix it would be about $800 but if the noise did not bother us we could leave it. may 2008 was rear ended and two days later van broke down. took it to harris ford in lynnwood was told the manifold was completely broke and had to have it repaired at a cost of $1200. i know the plastic manifolds were recalled on other models and think the vans should have been included. what is my recourse? *tr

Pressure sensor on the master cylinder leaked taking out the speedometer, odometer, abs and cruise control. *tr

Tl*contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. the mechanic stated that the vehicle needed to have the upper input and the upper gasket replaced. the mechanic changed the fuel filter, performed a tune up, and replaced the ignition wire. the contact was responsible for the cost of the repairs ,which totaled $900. the diagnosis listed code po133 , sensor slow response. after the repair was performed another failure occurred. the vehicle accelerated without warning while driving 40 mph. the failure occurred while the contact's foot depressed the brake pedal or when the vehicle idled. the rpm needle also fluctuated from high to low. the current and failure mileages were 101,016. *ak

The intake went at 58,000 miles brought to ford dealer and it was covered under warranty . 1 year later had same problem and van was out of warranty and ford refused to cover had to pay $1,800 dollars. then last year the transmission went van had 78,000 miles. ford will not fix they would not repo it. they are now trying to sue me for a defective vehicle. *tr

Engine coolant disappearing without explanation. took into dealer to learn it was a common leak in the front cover gasket that could lead to engine failure. i own a 2000 ford windstar with a 3.8l v-6. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph, the check engine light illuminated intermittently. during the time that the light was illuminated, the vehicle ran normally. while the check engine light was not illuminated, the vehicle was sluggish, and would not run smoothly. the vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the problem. the battery was replaced, however the problem became worse.

California version of the windstar; catalytic converter not operating correctly, causing back pressure to the engine, caused engine input air control valve to become overloaded with carbon deposits which in turn also failed. for 3 months catalytic converter replacement parts have not been available $1400 estimated repair bill for catalytic converters. *jb

Upper and lower intake manifold gaskets replaced twice, first at 30k then at 50k

Intake manifold needs replaced and valve cover. $1500.00 this is obviously a manufacturer defect/poor design. a 6 year old car should not need the intake manifold replaced. *jb

I own a 2000 ford windstar and i had to take it to be serviced because the intake gaskets and isolator bolts have worn out due to time. as a result the car sometimes trembles in parking mode and idles and stalls when the car stops at a red light or stop sign. i did find it suspicious that these parts have worn out after only six years of use, (less than the common 10 year lifespan of a car). according to the ford service counselor this problem has lately become more frequent with this car model. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to an independent repair shop for inspection. the independent mechanic determined the left valve covers and upper intake gaskets were wrong for this type of vehicle and needed to be replaced. *ak

I just did a copy/paste of what i sent to ford:--description of issue/concern: i took my van in for service. the check engine light was on and i could smell and see oil on the left side of the engine. turns out it was the front valve cover, and i'm told that there was a tsb on this problem. it cost me $1000.00 to get this repaired. this is obviously a known problem, my in-laws have the same model windstar and they had the same problem, it cost them more. i should not have to pay for repairs to parts that were made/engineered wrong by ford. now i hear of a problem with the cruise control causing fire, even without driving the van. it could be sitting in my driveway in the middle of the night and catch fire, and ford is not going to fix this problem either. a fire in the van parked next to my house while me, my wife, and kids are sleeping, that's not a problem you are willing to fix? *jb

Dt: while driving ,the engine light came. we took the car to the dealership the next day. service dept said that the valve cover allowed the oil to leak into the system. the repair cost was $636.00. i asked the service man, how do we know this will not happen again? he replied, ford designed a new valve cover that would prevent this from happening again. *nm *tt *sb

my 2000 ford windstar will stall, while driving, without warning causing a loss of power to the engine, braking system and steering system in a 3800 pound vehicle. this is an intermittent problem, but repeats itself every 2 or 3 weeks or so. the last time it caused my wife to transverse into a stop sign controlled intersection in a populated residential area of los angeles county without brakes or steering. it has happened 15 times to myself and my wife and twice to south bay ford since approximately nov of 2004. i believe that ford dispatched engineers to south bay ford in hawthorne california who stated that this is an issue of fuel tank design and is not correctable. south bay ford and ford motor company together appear to be ready to return the vehicle to me with the instructions "don't let the fuel tank drop below 1/4 of a tank". the stated reason is that the ford windstar has a rectangular fuel tank that when driving on grades can cause the fuel to move to a part of the tank that will not pump the gas to the engine (this is supposedly a known bug and possibly associated with a service bulletin). i asked why, assuming that my driving habits (and my wife's) have not changed in relation to our letting our tank get below 1/4 tank, then why has this only surfaced as a problem in the last 4 or 5 months? why not the first 3.5 years?!? this car is covered by an extended warranty for one more year. the car has been in the shop for nearly three weeks now. ford can not fix the problem, but will not take ownership of it either.

Vehicle experienced a problem with the valve cover. it was leaking and causing the intake manifold o-rings to fail. the immediate result caused the engine to run very lean. too much air caused the spark in the engine to be too hot. *ak

Ford windstar 1996 intake manifold gaskets replaced. *bf due to the mis-design of the intake manifold failed prematurely. the intake manifold was plastic. *sc

Check engine light came on..took to ford service dealer...told me seal to intake manifold was leaking. they do them all the time!! problem is it only requires a few inexpensive seals to repair. ford will only sell the complete intake manifold with seals. the intake manifold costs @ $600 so the cost of replacing a few faulty seals is 800-$1000. why does ford not recall these seals or at least come out with a seal repair kit, so the consumer does not have to throw away a good intake manifold. i have owned this van since new, and i see that i am not the only one that has filed a complaint on this same item. if ford will not attempt to rectify this small problem, i will definitely be shopping elsewhere. *jb

2000 ford windstar se stalls at red lights and when idling -- dealer kept insisting nothing wrong, yet would stall. in shop in october returned to us as working -- stalled in december again. *jb

The consumer complained about multiple problems with the vehicle on numerous occasions. the driver noticed smoke coming from underneath the vehicle, and pulled over. the smoke went out on its own. the driver had the vehicle towed. the second incident involved the transmission exploding while driving. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the transmission and the engine needed to be replaced. *ak only four of the seat belts worked. *sc *jb

After pumping the brakes they could not stop the vehicle, and the check engine light was on. dealer replaced the anti lock braking system , but the check engine light problem had not been repaired.*ak...also,overdrive light came on dealer replaced shaft sensor. *ak

Consumer request for recall on ford windstar 2000, sounds like valves rattling. *bf

Consumer stated that emission light came on. she took the vehicle to the mechanic to be checked. after checking the vehicle, she was told that the intake manifold was leaking. also, mechanic stated that vehicle was too new to have this problem.

While driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalls. the consumer managed to pull over and restart the vehicle. the dealership was notified, but did not red resolve the problem. the cause was not determined. please provide more information. *nm

The check engine went on and the codes p0171 and p0174 were found. there was an extreme loss in gas mileage leading up to this situation, down to ~10mpg. the gasket manifold, the line leading to it, and the cover assembly for a rocker arm were all replaced at a cost of $543.10. this on a 4yr old vehicle with only 47,000 miles. the dealer acknowledged that they had seen this before in the windstar. kind of got the idea it was a chronic problem that should be covered by ford! in the course of repairing this they also determined that the left front axle seal was leaking and the servo cover gasket was leaking also. these were estimated to cost $465 so i will be spending over $1000.00 on this vehicle for defects in less than 5 years and under 50,000 miles. what a pile of junk! it will be a long time before i go back to ford if ever.

While at a stop vehicle stalled. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Manifold gaskets failed, exhaust sensors failed, fuel injector wires rubbed together causing arc and fuel injector failure, spark plug replaced, spark plug wiring harness failed. van has approx. 48,000 miles. also having problems with electrical; power doors, power locks, front-driver power seat, back-up sensors all have failed at one point or another. van has been serviced for all problems on at least four separate occasions over the period of ownership. we purchased new.*ak

The van started to idle very rough, from complete stall to racing, intermitently, then check engine light came on, to compensate, car needed to be placed in neutral at complete stops, dealer service indicated intake manifold gasket failed, caused, in part because of original manufacture of a plastic part that is no longer availble. replacement part is indicated to be aluminum , several other gaskets replaced in a costly repair that ford refused to cover under warranty on van with only 41,500 miles. *ak

When driving through an intersection vehicle stalled. this caused consumer to have the vehicle towed to the dealership for inspection. *ak

Since buying my windstar, 2000; used, 57,000 miles i have had one problem after another. within two weeks after purchase my transmission would jump then straighten out and go on. i had it checked by five different places and all stated there was nothing wrong. it stopped completely during a family trip and i had to purchase a new transmission. it had a knock in the engine ever since i bought it but it finally got so bad i thought the prudent thing to do was to get it overhauled. there crank shaft was not smooth and had to be machined and rebuilt. i have had several different issues concerning the electrical system; abs stays on, sliding door lock failure, interior lights come on while driving and will not go off, all instrument dash lights flash on and then seem to recover, now my whole electrical system is acting up. the radio always went off when you cut off the engine and open the door, but now my battery is dead and while charging it the head light came on, (but none of the switches were turned on), oh and about 10 months ago i had to replace the alternator. no warning except right before it died the light started cutting off and on. i cannot afford another purchase at this time. i am sick of this. *tr

While the vehicle was parked consumer heard a loud noise coming from the steering wheel when turning left/right. then, vehicle surged forward. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak dealer also performed diagnostic on vehicle, and found that the cause was a bad idle air control valve. consumer declined repair on idle air control valve after diagnosis from first dealer. however, idle air control valve was replaced by a different service dealer. *la

My 2000 ford windstar ,still under extended warranty, has a life-threatening bug. the engine, without warning, will stall while driving. it is intermittent, and very odd, but at whatever speed you are. *ak traveling, suddenly you realize that you have lost power to the engine, braking system and steering system, yet you are moving at the speed of traffic in a 3000+ pound vehicle without control. the vehicle has been taken to south bay ford multiple times and they state that there diagnosis of the car shows the vehicle to be in good heath. yet, it keeps happening and will likely result in an accident if it continues. vehicle is covered under warranty.

I bought this vehicle in nov 2003 from pacific coast ford in federal way wa. it is now march 2004, i have in the past 4 months had to replace the battery, which would not hold a charge. the tires replaced due to the front pasenger side tire blowing out while driving on the freeway. next thing was the brakes front and back. the van started all of a sudden making a terrible grinding noise. when i took it in to have it looked at they said it needs brakes. next i had to have my back windshield replaced due to it shattering with no explanation. the van had not been driven since friday. sunday morning my neighbors came to my door to tell me that they were standing outside smoking when all of a sudden my back window had shattered. following that i had to have the head gasket replaced along with the spark plugs. which is a manufacture defect on ford's end. when i took my van into the dealer they told me what was the problem also gave me a bulletin update on the problem. the original exhaust manifold gasket has a small hole in it, then new exhaust manifold does not have this hole. if you ask me ford should be fixing that! since i have bought this van and had all this trouble i have been online looking up everybody else's comments on this van and all are the same. faulty head gaskets, brakes, wiring, doors, battery, glass not being installed properly, tires bulging causing blowouts. it seems to me that ford should own up to these problems. before this i had financed a brand new 2000 ford escort drove it down to california from washington when there was a sudden death in the family and never had not 1 problem with it. the only reason i upgraded to a van is because i have 3 kids and sometimes i have a friend of theirs or something so really we need the room of a van, but with all of this trouble i am thinking about going back to a car! can anyone help me nail ford on these issues? i am compiling a file and mailing it to headquarters. *ak

While driving ,the piston blew out into the engine and caused the vehicle to stall. *ak the engine was replaced at the owners expense. *jb

We have owned this 2000 ford windstar since february of 2002. i have lost count of how many times we have taken it back to the dealer because of the poor gas mileage. it was getting 13 mpg and the dealer said that was normal. but over the past 3 months we have taken it back to the dealer 8 times because of the check engine light. the dealership has replaced the upper/lower intake gaskets, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel line, mass oxygen flow sensor, both o2 sensors, valve cover gaskets, and a couple of other things too. the gas mileage actually got worse after several of the repairs. we are averaging between 9 - 10 mpg. in addition to the engine problems, our door locks don't work right and the interior lights don't work at all automatically...we have to turn them on and off. the door locks on the sliding doors have to worked by hand. i am so sick and tired of this car. we have had to cancel two road trips because of the problems, because i don't trust the car out of town. it already left me stranded overnight because the transmission blew up two months after we bought it.*ak

To whom it may concern, i would like to know how many service bulletins does it take before a manufacturer initiates a recall on the item. i own a 2000 ford windstar. your service bulletin database has 191 entries for this make and model. although my van represents numerous conditions of the 191 entries, i am only concerned with the 11listed for the lean condition codes p171 and 174 listed in service bulletins 03161, 03123, 16920, 0347, 0338, 15740, 15522, 01205, 14353, 14060, and 8532. obviously, ford has a problem with plastic intake components and engines exibiting a lean condition. i did not research any other make and model ford product, and i would bet that there are similiar problems elsewhere. i personally think it is time for a recall. i have had my van in for repairs for this condition four times this year and my certified mechanic doesn't think that the latest fix ford published will correct the problem. so in the meantime, i carry a socket and ratchet with me and when the check engine light comes on, i unhook my battery to clear the code. any information you can provide me to a permanant solution to this problem would be greatly appreciated. sincerely, karl j. bodien. *ak