Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar STRUCTURE

My complaint is for a potential problem. i have a 2003 ford windstar that has a water leak in the roof body seams. i took it to a dealer on 5/19 who had a specialist come in to look at it. they said they couldn't do it and suggested taking it to a body shop. i don't think body seams leaking is normal wear and tear and i'm afraid that if i'm in an accident, there could be deadly consequences due to the structural defect. ford is not being helpful at all. i'm a single mom with no money, but i guess i have to take it to another dealer that has a body shop and have them tear it up. help. the car has never been in an accident and i bought it new. it took a while for me to figure it out because the water that comes in goes right into the hatchback/trunk carpet. i kept thinking that my kids spilled something or i left the window cracked, trying to give ford the benefit of the doubt. i don't have time to be bringing my car in. any other complaints? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the sliding door behind the driver's seat would not open from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. there were no child proof locks; however, the door would only open from outside of the vehicle. in addition, the driver's side window also failed to operate correctly. once the window was opened, it was unable to be closed. the vin was verified, but was unable to be entered. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 103,000. updated 03/23/09.

dt: contact states the automatic doors are not working properly. the door is taking more resistance before the door backs up. the vehicle has been taken to the dealership twice, and dealership stated the vehicle was fine. the consumer has contacted the manufacturer and the service dealer. *ak

My ciggarette lighter pops out onto the floor every time it is pushed in. the distraction of a possible fire can cause a wreck.*ak

We have not been properly informed about all of the recalls or other issues with our vehicle. the vehicle does have a lot of problems from the electrical, structure, engine lights are always throwing codes needing a lot of sensor replacements at our cost, the rpms seem to run fast sitting at a light(we have to turn off the engine and then restart), and the engine seems to run hot, brakes, cruise control(cannot use), traction control(cannot use), interior light are always flickering, passenger windows(cannot use) and door locks(cannot use), both rear windows(cannot use), leaks from roof, rear door and sliding doors, the cruise control, brake and traction control lights stay on while driving(we were told by a dealership that we can still drive the vehicle, but we won't have anti-lock brakes.), the ac is always having trouble staying charged, the ac/heat control switches have malfunctioned(it has to be set away from the cold and the speed to 3/4 speed to work right), the battery keeps losing charge, the brake tail lights stay on draining the battery and had to get repaired by us because the dealership could not locate the problem, driver seat has malfunctioned(cannot use per dealership's request), cruise control and traction control does not work, suspension seems to have a lot of squeaks and popping sounds, alternator and starter had to be replaced several times, the coil packs need constant replacements, all spark plugs and wires had to be replaced before their time, cannot use the rear wiper because it goes down onto the paint and starts wiping the paint and not the rear window, constantly replacing exterior lights all around, the engine constantly cuts out, we told the dealership for several years that there was an antifreeze smell and they could not locate it until 5-28-13, replaced bad front and rear axles on 5/28/13 and many others. 12k-18k to repair everything. *tr

Continuing problem with power rear sliding doors. non-operational on drivers side and opening by itself on the passenger side. also, does not retract when closing if there is an object in the way as stated in owners manual. happened after 1 year warranty expired. feel quality should be better than 1 year especially since the power doors were a big selling point with the vehicle. one door was fixed within the 1st year, but 3 or 4 months after that we had problems with the other door and now we have it with both doors. we will leave the minivan in the mall parking lot and return with one of the doors open. it also opens automatically, at times, when we close one of the front doors. *jb

Consumer arm was pinched while she was resting it on the window ledge of the vehicle. *mr this problem would occur while in the passenger seat. when the lock snapped down, the consumer's arm would be badly pinched. *sc

#2 power slinding door would inadvertently open while in motion. the manufacturer was not notified on june 24, 2004. *ak *jb

Sliding door failed to open and close by remote control. *ak the passenger side door did not open or close properly. *sc *jb

The sliding door would close if the vehicle is parked and inclined. it would be unsafe for the consumer while standing between the doors. *ak

We rented a ford windstar from hertz during a recent vacation. while shutting the manual sliding door, i broke my middle finger and badly bruised my ring finger. the door handle inside the vehicle, used for shutting the door, appears to be too close to the door jam. i was distressed to see online that others had complained of the exact same problem as long ago as 1999, stating that if you didn't grip the handle tightly, but instead left your fingers slightly extended, they would be injured and that ford hoped to have this fixed in the 1999 version.(http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/live/ford/25.html) see the 2nd paragraph. obviously, it's not yet fixed. *la

The power sliding doors on my 2003 windstar open spontaneously after closing. this is a concern when there are children or pets in the car. two different car dealers have attempted multiple times to fix the problem. they have been unsucessful so far. another issue is the car alarm goes off for absolutely no reason. they have also attemped to fix this problem, with no success.

Excessive wind noise in front seat area at 65 mph or faster. the dealer was unable to repair. cannot locate problem but recognizes that it exists. *nm

I am writing about our 2003 ford windstar. our passenger automatic sliding door frequently pops open after it appears to have latched shut. it has opened by itself on three occasions while the van was in drive. recently my three year old daughter almost fell out of the van headfirst onto concrete because the door popped back open as soon as it "latched" shut. the van has been in to repair this problem seven times without success. we first started having problems with both doors within the first 2 weeks of purchased. the times the door has popped back open are way to numerous to count. the number listed below is a low estimate.*ak

2003 ford windstar the side doors have not worked right from the time we bought this van. took it back to dealer, said it's contacts are dirty. still didn't fix doors they don't work right to this day now the abs brake light keeps coming on! the rear axel are cracking and recalled. the windstar should be recalled complete! *tr

Have 2003 ford windstar no dealers are willing to take this vehicle in trade because of frame recall,dealers do not have parts to fix frame yet.ford should buy back all ford windstar .these vans are not safe,transmissions are bad,electric windows do not work half the time. rear axle recall front frame recall. do not buy one of these vans they are junk. *tr

Body seams not sealed resulting in water intrusion into floor seat anchors of passenger compartment. *nlm

Problem with power doors on both sides. they do not stop closing if a person is in the way. also, they open back up after they have been closed. i will come back to the van from shopping and one will be open. also, there was a time a could not get one to close without doing it manually.*ak

Nar 03-25-2003. the consumer had to return the vehicle to the vehicle to the dealership on numerous occasions because of a problem with the sliding doors. the first time the vehicle was returned to the dealership, the consumer noticed the driver side rear slider panel was hanging on by a few plastic rivets, the doors would pop back open after the closed button was pushed. the dealer made several attempts to fix the door. *jb