Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar VISIBILITY

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked and smoke began to emit from under the hood. the contact did not see flames, but poured water under the hood to put out the smoke. the windshield wiper motor stopped functioning after the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic test and the technician stated that water entered the wiper motor and started a fire. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 01v261000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor), that may be related to the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 142,000. updated 02/22/12

I own a 2000 ford windstar and the windshield wipers have quit working for the third time. this always seems to happen while i am driving in the rain, which is not safe at all, but yesterday it happened during a very heavy thunderstorm while i was driving down the interstate at 70 mph! it has always been wiper motor failure and the motor needs to be replaced. i have seen a recall in the past on the 2000 ford windstar for this same complaint. i contacted my local dealership and they stated that my windstar was not included in this recall. as much of a hassle and an expense it is to have the wiper motor replaced, it's still not as much a hassle as it is dangerous to be driving a vehicle that not only do the wipers randomly quit working without any warning but the abs and traction control will kick off all the time and ford won't fix or do anything about the failures that so many other windstar owners continue to have. how many recalls on safety issues do you have to have before the entire vehicle is recalled? the frame, the suspension, the wipers, the speed control system and the anti-lock brake system, all the things that a driver truly needs to safely transport their family around have been recalled on the windstar. this doesn't even touch the amount of money that has been spent on the lean system bank 1 & 2 error codes and the engine light still comes on for the same code. i'm sure this has a lot to do the terrible gas mileage that is not even close to what the original sticker quoted!. or the torque converter issues in the transmission that had to be completely rebuilt. a lot of the windstar's issues started while it was still under warranty and just continued to get worse. if were up to me i would definitely call the vehicle a lemon. p.s. after talking to my neighbor, he also has replaced his windstar's wiper motor three times. seems to be happening to more vehicles than just mine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that he received notification of nhtsa campaign id numbers: 10v385000 (suspension: rear:axle: non-powered axle assembly), 00v351000 (electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash) and 01v261000 (visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. the vehicle was left with the dealer for over a month and once the vehicle was released to the contact, the power steering would abnormally pull the vehicle to the right. in addition, the windshield washer would only spray to one side instead of both. the anti-lock brake warning light was also illuminating on a consistent basis. the dealer was contacted and they advised him to junk the vehicle. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

A/c system was found to be totally low on freon. after replacing freon, it was observed that the rear ac low pressure pipe had a leak located next to the rear driver's side wheel. there was nothing in this area that would have caused this pipe leak to occur, such as another pipe rubbing against it or other form of friction. it is assumed that the pipe was structurally defective. *tr

This is the second time in 3 years i have to replace my tailgate window for my 2000 ford windstar. 2007 july, it just shattered without any sign/ warning when i was on my trip to the provincial park. i replaced it thinking about i may be the 'lucky one'! last night again on my way to ottawa around kingston on hwy 401, it started from the wiper/ brake light area and shattered. my daughter was so afraid because she was seating at the back 2 times in a row!! i was questioning about the occurance and frequency??? i have to pay $400 for each replacement!! *tr

I have a 2000 ford model sel - my wipers stopped working. i took it too ford to get the problem fixed since i have an extended warranty on my vehicle (intercontinental warranty services -iws - 1-800-333-3028) iws first agreed to cover the repairs to the burned out wiper motor. ford (305-266-3000) called iws to get an additional cable to be covered as well since the pins that were attached to that cable where also attached to the wiper motor and broke off. they got corroded with water and rust build up. iws then decided to reject coverage since water damage is not covered in their policy. i spoke with iws and they gave me recall #01s25 and advised me ford would have to cover the repairs. i called ford back and they advised me that no recalls show up for my vin#. however, i find that the same issue of this recall is affecting my vehicle as well and feel it needs to be covered by ford or iws. www.customersaskford.com per mike (at ford, no recall shows up for my vin#). i checked on the ford website and was advised that no recall shows for my car. *tr

Every time we get heavy rains my front windshield leaks. while checking recalls i have come across this problem which my mechanic explained to me exactly as the recall reads. ford will not fix the problem because there is no recall on their site. i was told it could be because the recall was too old or it was already taken care of but they don't know which. this vehicle was purchased from a ford dealer almost a year ago. i was told in event of an accident my windshield may come loose because of the bonding and could result in injury or death. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving in rainy weather conditions, the windshield wipers suddenly failed and impaired visibility. the dealer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 01v261000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor), although the failures were identical. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the speed was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 136,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while driving 55 mph, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the windshield wiper motor. the wipers and wiper park function worked intermittently. as of november 23, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 01v261000 (visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor). the failure mileage was 149,900 and current mileage was 150,000.

Windshield wiper failure while driving in rain on i-5 seattle washington, failure mode is similar to prior recall # 01v261000. it appears that the recall implemented in 2001/2002 was either ineffective or wiper motor was already damaged. the dealer repaired wiper by replacing damaged motor and wiring harness. corrosion was extensive. as in the original recall it looks like heating may have occurred. wiper failed and left blade stuck in a position that obstructed drivers view. *tr

I have had to replace the wiper motor in this vehicle twice so far and now it has malfunctioned again and i will now need to replaced it again. that makes four wiper motors in one car. ford disavows any responsibility for this in my windstar, even though it has recalled this motor in other 2000 windstar's. i don't understand why they won't be responsible for mine. it does all the things listed in the recall of 2001, loses intermittent, fails to work at all, turns on when i have it is on "off," and once, it even caught on fire when it was turned off and not in use. needing 4 new wiper motors in one vehicle is clearly a design or manufacturing problem. this vehicle clearly should have been included in the 2001 recall for this very problem. how can i make ford take responsibility and fix this repeated problem once and for all? thank you. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was parked in the driveway and the keys were out of the ignition while the windshield wipers engaged by themselves. black and white smoke erupted from under the hood. the contact raised the hood and disconnected the windshield wiper motor which stopped the wipers. although smoke was present, no visible flames or fire was observed. upon further inspection, heat damaged the wiring harness and throttle body. the contact determined the windshield wiper motor shorted out. although the dealer was alerted, the vehicle was not inspected.

Dt: vehicle was parked friday all day and on saturday morning consumer noticed a shepard hook crack in the windshield. there was a recall, but according to the manufacturer, this vehicle was not part of the recall.*ak *nm

Dt: the windshield wipers worked intermittenly and then quit working completely. there is a recall for this problem, but thid vehicle is not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

2000 ford windstar driver side window shattered. *ts the passenger side sliding door window shattered but did not break. there was no evidence on the glass of any sort of impact. it was still intact and perfectly flat (no indentations, marks, scuff etc). *nm

Rear window blew out for no apparent reason. *ak

Rear hatch window exploded while waiting to pull into disabled parking--sending glass throughout vehicle and embedding glass in my head as well as causing stroke symptoms...with 18 recorded incidents this is a defect that should be investigated and ford should be charged for this condition with rear hatch window. *jb

The intermittent function on my windshield wiper motor has failed. ford has a recall on certain models of my vehicle, but evidently my particular vehicle is not included in the recall even though i have the malfunction. vehicle also has hard shift when downshifting going around a corner. *jb

The heater blower chamber malfunctioned, causing defroster/ defogger and the heat system to become inoperative. thus, reducing consumer's visibility. the entire heater blower chamber had to be replaced. *ak *sc

Passenger's side middle window located on the sliding door blew out when the consumer shut the door. *ak

The vehicle kept blowing fuses, and caused the transmission to mallfunction. the manufacturer refused the claim. *ak the heater would make a thump noise inside and would not heat, the third light blew fuses and could not be shifted out of park, there was no out put from the abs relay, there was possibly an intermittent short in the switch, the abs light stayed on, the short was traced to the deactivator switch, leaking fluid into the switch. *sc *jb

While driving at normal speed and under normal weather conditions rear window burst without warning. there were no injuries. *ak

While driving at normal speed rear window burst unexpectedly. *ak

While driving during rainy weather, the windshield wipers failed. *ak the vehicle was recalled in august 2001. recall# 01v261000. a few months later while driving in the rain, the wipers quit. the vehicle was still under warranty. the wipers failed again during a thunderstorm while traveling on the highway. the consumer contacted ford and again they refused to fix them. *sc *jb

Recall of wiper moter cover. van was sitting in my driveway and started smoking, disconnected battery and found that the wiper motor shorted out. wiper motor was replaced by recall, with further investigation wiper motor cover was not properly installed, took van back to ford dealer, they told me they would not replace it out of warranty. ford wanted over $500.00 to replace it, so i replaced it my self for under a $100.00. *ak

Information request. letter and package is in the mail concerning our complaint! *ak the consumer wanted to know the status of his complaint.

Intermittently windshield wipers became inoperable, obtructing the driver's view. a recall has been issued on similar makes and models. however this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak

Dt: the contact stated the interior lights, power windows, radio, and heater would stay on after the ignition was turned off and the key is removed. the fuse has to be removed every time the vehicle is turned off. he found recall 00v351000 on line concerning this problem. when he contacted the dealer , they said that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. also there was a problem with the cruise control. the off switch for cruise control did not work. the cruise control could only be turned off by applying the brakes. *ak

Intermittent windshield wipers inoperable and wipers will not park when turned to off position obstructing drivers view and increasing possibility of a crash. a recall has been issued, 01s25, for certain models of same make and year for this exact description of problem. this vehicle, however, is not included based on the vin. *jb

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

The windshield wipers would go on and off while driving. *nlm

Rear liftgate glass self-shattered without warning. vehicle was parked in a locked garage with all doors locked. ph

I went out and started the van so it could warm up and then went in to get my daughter ready for her dentist appointment. the van had warmed approximately 25 min when we got in. i was backing out of the drive way and noticed there was frost on the rear lift gate window, not a lot just enough to decrease my visibility, so i turned on the rear defroster. approximately 1 mile down the highway there was a loud explosion sound followed by glass shattering, causing me to slam the brakes and pull over to the side of the road. i then realized that the rear lift gate glass had shattered out. fortunately no other cars were on the road at the time and no one was injured just frightened. i called ford customer service and spoke with a gentleman there. i was told he could not do anything that it would be up to the dealer as to whether they would replace it or not. i then called the local dealer and spoke with a gentleman there who said he would contact the service manager and get back with me. he phoned later that day and said that they would not replace the window, i would have to have it done myself. so i did. i decided to do some investigation on this matter and found that there was a recall on some 2000 windstar's concerning the back glass, and many complaints from others who had theirs to shatter out as well. some for no apparent reason. i have since contacted the ford motor co. to tell them of the problem and asked to be reimbursed the money for the back glass as i felt that we should have received a recall and if that many people had the same problem that it was a safety issue. i was told that they would not reimburse us for the glass because ours did not have a recall on it. i have also filed a claim with the dispute settlement board and i am waiting on their decision. is there anything else i can do. ford does not seem to care. *jb

Consumer states that rear passenger side window exploded without warning. ts

While driving 45mph when letting power down glass touch something and door flew open.*ak

While using rear windshield wipers, motor of rear wipers caught on fire. *ak *slc

On may 27, 2002, i was on vacation with my family using our 2000 ford windstar. i was sitting in the middle row seat and was trying to get out when i tripped and landed with my knee on stepping area of the vehicle. the force of my landing (which wasn't that hard) caused the side door to unlatch from it's grooved molding and shut on my arm with full force. i was lucky not have any broken bones (but did have to go to the doctor and have x-rays) however i was unable to work or really take care of my children (i had a 1 yr old and 5 yr old at the time) for a good month (i went back to work after a week but with pain). i called fullerton ford and told them what happened and they said the first step was to come in and have them look at the vehicle, which i did. jaime, the service rep, looked at the car and said there was nothing wrong with the car however this is a flaw in the overall design as the automatic windstar doors have a locking mechanism and the manuals only have this small molding. he recommended that i call ford motor company and lodge a complaint for a recall. he also stated that he would document all this in his computer for when ford reviewed the complaint. i called ford immediately and they said they would take my information and that would be it. when i asked about a recall they said it was doubtful but write a letter. i sent out a letter on june 15th explaining what happened and how i felt very uncomfortable driving this car as the door had slid other times in the past and i just didn't feel safe that my son wouldn't get hurt or some other child down the road. i asked them to allow me to be released from my lease and to give me a credit toward a purchase of a different vehicle...they responded on paper within two days or receiving my letter however, they chose not to mail it to me until 8 weeks later. in august, i received their response and it said that they dealership said there is nothing wrong with the car so they were going to do nothing

While at a stop the drivers side rear pop out window blew out. no injuries. temperature was mid 80's. nlm

Liftgate windshield blew out. car had been sitting in the garage for hours. cause unknown. if children were present some one could have been injured. *akconsumer pulled out of the garage, drove approximately 35 feet and stopped. driving again less than 40 feet and the liftgate window blew out. *jg

Door ajar light keeps illuminating for side sliding door. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated that some screws were loose, and corrected the problem. drivers insists that problem is still occurring. please provide any further information. *ak

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.

Without collision occurring, while vehicle was parked with engine on, rear window exploded without incident. please give any further details.*ak

Front window frame on right side has some wires sticking out. *ak

Consumer was denied nhtsa recall 012610000/ manufacturer's recall 01s25 service. lanham ford motor company dealership stated that vehicle would have to have problem before work could be done.*ak

Consumer received safety issue notice, recall#01v261000, about wiper motor cover from ford and obtained the new wiper motor cover from the dealer. the wipers failed to operate when first getting into cold car. after car was warmed up and run for a time, wipers would begin to operate, consumer took vehicle to the dealer again and first they replaced the switch and then replaced wiper motor again. consumer is stating that the wiper motor function operation was the result of faulty engineering by ford motor company. clearly, water entered the wiper motor cover before corrective repair was initiated and possibly not removed by the dealer. consumer is expecting a refund from manufacturer.*yd

While driving 10 miles per hour, rear tailgate glass window exploded. it was raining out. road conditions were wet, smooth, paved surface. glass shattered and flew everywhere, inside vehicle and outside vehicle. loud explosive noise. it was extremely frightening. luckily, i wasn't injured and didn't lose control of the vehicle and my 3 small children were not in the vehicle at the time.

Front windshield deteriorated and caused poor visibility while looking into windshield from the side. dealer was notified, and replaced glass, but problem was still there. would like for nhtsa to look into this matter.*ak *jb

While driving on smooth roadd rear wndow exploded, recall # 00v020000.*ak

Rear window exploded while traveling 20 mph on a bumpy dirt road. the majority of the shattered glass came inward covering the right side of the rear passenger seat. this is a major safety problem, why are the side windows not covered under the current ford recall of 2000 windstar windshields and liftgate glass because of the bonding problem? *ak

Glass on rear side window exploded ,spraying glass onto the back seat of vehicle which could have caused injuries. glass should be shattered proof. *ak the thermal and mechanical internal stress while manufacturing caused the window to explode. *yh