Problems with 1999 Ford Windstar POWER TRAIN

No warning prior to forward sun gear failure , gear had sheared off at welds cleanly. *ak

Vehicle stopped for a light, and when attempting to take off, vehicle would not move. consumers foot was pressed on gas pedal, and vehicle just made a noise and would not go. *ak consumer adds even though recall 00b51 was performed on vehicle, the tranny, which is possibly related to the recall, failed. *tt

Transmission forward drum broke, had to be replaced. *ak

The overdrive off light started flashing on the 27th of dec.2001 and the vehicle was very hard shifting through the gears. on the 28th of dec. 2001 my wife was taking it to the dealer when the transmission had a catastrophic failure on a 2 lane roads steep hill on a curve, the vehicles engine revved up to redline and the vehicle started rolling down the hill no gear would engage. ford did pick up all but 495.00 of the repair cost,but i still found it my obligation to inform other entities of this failure. the indian head ford dealers service dept. was very helpful and i have no problem with the service just the product. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

The vehicle's check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the fuel filter. *nm the alternator, right inner cv boot, abs module, and brake master cylinder were replace. *jb

The mechanic found the torque converter had failed and spun brass off and ruined the whole transmission. *yd

Transmission sun gear sheared from housing. required transmission overhaul and parts totaling $1855.00. vehicle starting from a dead stop at intersection. driver heard a noise from the transmission at the point of failure. stranded vehilce in intersection. reverse worked but all forward gears inoperable. part design appears to be week inthe area that a gear mounts to metal housing. *ak

I have contacted ford to see if i could get some help and they have been giving me the run around. no safety defect mentioned within summary. *ak

Consumer stated the check engine light would illuminate, the engine would hesitate when accelerating, the dealer replaced the cam sensor, crankshaft sensor, replaced all the plugs with platinum, and replaced the upper and lower intake gaskets. *jb

I backed out of my driveway, put van in drive, reached about 25mph, van just locked up(tires did not roll)...threw me forward. i put the van in reverse, then back in drive, but it still wouldn't move forward. backed back into driveway and contacted ford dealer. am now told "the transmission is broke". on a car only 2 years old. ford motor company should make this wrong, right!*ak

Consumer had just stopped at a stop sign, and was gently accelerating into the intersection when something pooped and the vehicle would no longer go foward, consumer was informed that the breakdoen was caused by the failure of the weld which holds the drum and the secondary sun gear together.*yd

My transmission is going out at 52,000 miles, and since i don't have an extended warranty, i'm stuck with the bill. this is unacceptable that a transmission on a new vehicle is defective!. *ak

While driving transmission would start to shutter at high speeds. consumer stated that at 53000 miles transmission should not need replacing. *ak *slc

While driving 60mp vehicle stalled out and died without warning ,resulting in loss of vehicle control. after vehicle had stalled out "low oil pressure" indicator light flashed. dealer inspected vehicle. *ak dealer could not figure why vehicle stalled, however stated that the pcm was canadian or europian made so it was replaced. *slc

Transmission failed, seal broken; and transmission fluid pumped onto highway, caught fire under engine compartment; transmission to be replaced; common occurrence with this model; please recall. *ak

Failure of transmission at highway speed; fluid spilled onto road caught fire under engine compartment; complained to dealer about hard shifting from 1-2; and van surging forward when coming to a stop; dealer claimed no problem performed b51 service update prior to problem; overdrive slips in and out on incline; requires remanufactured transmission. *ak

We have owned our 99' windstar since the day it was new, and at first loved it. but there seems to be a major problem with the transmission and as i have found out with ford employed investigators the 99' was a bad year for many areas to include the transmission. our transmission goes into default limp-home mode(overdrive flashes on and off continuously rpm's increase and shifts hard). at 5 miles after starting up and getting under way. the dealer told me the best repair to the problem was to "drive the van till the trans dies" as this was an easier fix than the bad computer module. supposedly cheaper as well. i strongly urge everyone in the windstar transmission predickament to spread the news as ford should correct this known problem befor it kills someone.

Brakes operate erratically, failing to slow down vehicle during normal operation. dealership has examined vehicle three times and replaced master cylinder while making other adjustments. *ak *jb

My wife called me at work stating that there was a grinding sound coming from the van as she parked it in the garage. i went home and popped the hood and did a visual inspection and discovered nothing. i was going to stand in front of the van and listen while she started it to see if i could pinpoint the sound. she was concerned that i should not be near it in case "something blew up". i agreed and decided to start it myself and see how it sounded. as i started the van it surged forward (while in park), made a terrible grinding sound, and i had to slam on the brakes to stop it. it just touched the chest freezer in front of it in the garage. i immediately shut it off. started it again and there was no sound and the engine run smoothly. tried all the gears and got nothing. had it towed to the dealer who tore it down and stated the planatery gear had seized. had i stood in front of the van to listen as my wife started it i would have been smashed as it surged forward. seems very dangerous for the vehicle to surge like that, even if the transmission fails.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Transmission jerks harshly into second gear after slowing down and accelerating especially on incline. dealer replaced solenoids and torque converter and problem still exists. after returning to dealer they state it needs a new transmission. steering makes loud grinding noises when turning. dealer replaced tie rod, problem returned after 1 week. dealer then replaced rack.*ak

Transmission failure started while on highway @ 60 mph. sounded like muffler dragging on pavement, except it came from front of van. was able to drive to nearest ford dealer -- about 12 miles. dealer reported transmission "full of debris" and replaced it (part # xf2z-7000-barm). *ak

First indication of problem was "rattling" sound going downhill @ about 60 mph. sounded like muffler came loose and was dragging on pavement, except the noise was coming from the front of the car. after investigating and finding nothing, proceeded to drive to destination (about 12 mi). rattle continued off and on; overdrive off light on dash started blinking off and on though od was engaged. drove to a ford dealer (university ford, peoria il). they found "transmission full of debris" and replaced the transmission under the original warranty.

Gas gauge hasn't worked a while, and transmission failed a few days ago. *ak

Transmission has been replaced twice! first time when we brought it in to dealer - they had no idea what could make the rattle sound (warrenty was still in effect). it was happening around 40mph - whole front end would rattle. they had transmission "expert" look at it and they said that it was not the transmission. about 10,000 miles later - wham! could not drive. took it back (after warrenty expired) and transmission "expert" says it is torque converter and it would need new/rebuilt trans - not covered under warrenty. i went else where for the repair, not a cent more to ford - ever. next, after i got my trans rebuilt by 3rd party, it failed again 25,000 miles later. they got all the updates, etc - and trust me, they do a great job on trans (they repair fbi cars). after 2 rebuilds later - we are up and running again - but, if someone offers me money for this car, they can have it! found on road dead - (and changing the name to freestar does not help the cover up)

After placing vehicle in park consumer entered house and he was notified by his neighbor that vehicle was on road. vehicle must be in park before key can be removed from ignition. *ak

Transmission would shift properly into gears. problem of shifting was intermittent. steering is leaking fluid. took to dealership, mechanic could not locate cause of leakage or reason gears would lock up.*ak

Abrupt transmission failure without any previous symptoms - failed to engage forward or reverse.

Transmission problem - problem began with some"rough" shifts, noticeable at 20 and 40 mph. when went to merge onto tollway, car was unable to go above 40 mph, until as i was about to pull over, car jerked and began to accelerate. i knew something was seriously wrong with car then, so made appointment at dealership. it has been at dealer for 2 weeks waiting for a new transmission. driver sliding door doesn't always want to close. try to close, and it either clicks, or closes a couple of inches and then reopens. shake car, and eventually it will close. it is at dealership for the 4th time, in hopes of a repair. what happens if can't close door at all? can't drive car full of little kids with door open. fuel pump wouldn't work, car had to be towed from a parking lot. no prior warning to this problem, what if this happened while driving?

Windshield cracked while driving slowly. after taking it to get a new one put in we found that it was never sealed/mounted on the bottom. absolutly no adhesive contact what so ever. also at 28755 miles the o/d light started blinking and the car clucked while making turns and the transmission was replaced under warrantty and now at 37000 miles it doing them same thing again. *ak

Grinding noise which is in time with the tire rotation, dealer is assuming there is a problem with the transmission, vehicle has not been inspected yet. *mjs

When putting gear in reverse vehicle went forward. consumer had to put gear back into park to reshift. consumer stated that gears operated roughly. *ak

There are several problems with out now three year old windstar that have either been corrected temporarily or not corrected at all. the most persistent issues are with the drivetrain in particular the transmission which shifts erratically when going around corner or climbing hills at low spead. the recall was performed at 25k but the transmission continues to operate poorly. ford has offered no solution or warranty extension for these problems. the engine problems to date revolve around the innability to use regular or mid grade fuels as advertised on the vehicles sticker, we have been offered a valve cover replacement for $500 but in speaking with other windstar owners this only fixes the problem temporarily. also it seems to me this is a defect that ford should fix not the owner. the other persistent problem is with the direver side power door, in hot temperatures the door does not close completely and pops open when driveing. the dealer has repaired this several times and while better that in was it continues to be an intermittent problem. we are frustrated with the probelms this vehicle has experienced including the replacement of the entire power steering system, rack, pump and hoses and more frustrating is fords unwillingness to stand behind the vehicle and its fault. our overwhelming concern is that the transmission and engine will both fail before we have received any usefull value for our money. ford needs to be held accountable for the products they develop, i hope you will be able to enforce some type of coverage or warrantee protection for the consumer.*ak

The transmission went out again on 6-21-03 with just under 60000 miles on van. both transmission failures wre sudden without any warning slippage etc. both trans failures left the vehicle with no forward gears, but reverese worked each time. the fluid has been changed properly and the van is well maintained.

While parked vehicle jumped from park to reverse, pinning my husband against a tree and threw him to the ground and proceeded through the front of our closed garage. *ak

Van was running in park and jumped from park to reverse. pinned my leg to a tree, then threw me to the ground and then proceeded into my garage through the closed door. it then stopped. *ak

Filed for lemon law going to arbitration. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak

On the highway up the hill i notice smoke coming out from behind my van and when i halted i notice transmission oil coming underneath my van and i call road assistance. *ak

Leaving a filling station and returning to the street attempting to stop because of traffic the transmission made a grinding noise, the car kept moving, the engine was not reving up but the van kept moving, i steered to the right as much as i could i was almost side siped by a 18 wheeler. after reaching the street i let up on the brake pedal and the van coasted to a stop. i took it to the garage today and they check the abs brakes but found nothing wrong. it appeared to me that when i stepped on the brake the transmission styed engaged , because when the car came to a stop the grinding noise stopped. the garage did not check the transmission, they felt it couldn't happen. i'm 74 years old in excellent health. the motor was not reving up so i did not have one foot on the gas peddle, as they assumed i did. i tried sat with 1 foot on the gas and the other on the brake and the car would not move. so in my opinon it had to be in the transmisson. if that 18 wheeler would have hit me they would have said the driver failed to stop, and my wife and i would have been dead . *ak

Abs module wire burned out; odometer and speedometer did not work. *ak

Vehicle was parked in the garage with the emergency brakes on and in park, there was loud popping noise, and car apparently engaged in gear and proceeded to go out of the garage, dragging ms davis . car went several hundred feet and then stopped on an incline. emergency brake was still on, and the indicator showed in park. contacted dealer, and dealer suggested to contact manufacturer. *ak

Transmission shifts hard from 1st gear to 2nd gear. transmission downsihfts hard to 1st gear at times. problem has continued to get worse over time. at first just a little bump feeling but after about 40,000 miles got worse and now at 150,000 car is not drivable. problem occurs almost all the time, 95% or more of the shifts. transmission has been serviced with filter and fluid change every 30, 000 miles but the problem does not go away. will try a neutral safety switch but may have to replace the transmission if that does not clear up the problem because it currently is not safe to drive. *tr

My 1999 ford windstar with 95000 miles experienced complete transmission failure due to three now updated problems that ford does not want to recognize or be responsible for. the first is a shudder during the 1-2 upshift caused by a faulty solenoid which is now updated in the reman transmission. the second is a faulty torque converter that was also an updated item and causes my van to not want to shift at the appropriate times. the third is slipping which occurs at highway speeds and is caused due to a faulty clutch piston which is also an updated item in all remanufactured transmissions for that make and model. for it to be a coincidence that all three caused premature trnsmission failure and all three also to be updates is undeniable evidence that the original transmission was not engineered correctly or not manufactured correctly. this should be recalled or be covered by extended warranty because after reading bulletins and similar complaints it is clear that ford know all about this and is trying to just cover it up.

Consumer had problem with transmission twice. transmission wouldn't shift due to a cable being loose, and dealer replaced transmission twice. also, dealership replaced a cable on the sliding door, and instrument panel performs erratically. *ak

Less than two months after purchasing our van we had to jump start it and lost the cable on the power sliding door. since then the car's engine was worked on but still stalls out sometimes.the transmission still jerks in park.(they couldn't find a problem.) for the power sliding door, after a new cable,numerous adjustings,alighnments and two control modules put in. it still works eraticley and the dealership refuses to see a problem. the door will not open, when it finally opens it will not shut. when it is closed it does not latch and the interior and door ajar lights stay on. it constantley makes a racket and popping noise. on occasion the door opens while driving. i have three small children and this is a saftey hazard!! working with a ford rep he states there is nothing they can do but to bring it in "again" for repairs. but they really can't see a problem. he did state that they would give me 1,500 rebate towards another van or trade in. i told him i wanted this unsafe vehicle mashed no further owners. he said that would not happen. after looking at your report on 1999 and 2000 windstars and the same repeated problems with engines and sliding doors.then comparing to other makes of mini vans and there few problems. i would not want to own another ford!! i will be submitting this problem to the dispute settlement board. i'ts to bad ford does not stand behind there products.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. the contact noticed that the rear axle on the vehicle was cracked on the bottom. the contact had not driven the vehicle since locating the crack in the axle. the vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer when the complaint was filed. the failure and current mileages were 170,000.

Vehicle experiences sudden acceleration on its own up to 15-20 mph. the accelerator pedal does not have to be applied. on occasion transmission appears to be between gears.. *ak

Transmission experienced a leak. nlm

Transmission failed. yh