Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar POWER TRAIN

While driving vehicle started to hesitate. vehicle was towed to a transmission shop, where the transmission was replaced.*ak

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

Bought 2000 ford windstar less than 6 months ago . van just turned 70,000 mi wife was stopped at busy intersection,tried to accelerate,and transmission clunked, and made an awful noise .transmission failed. would not go forward. ford dealer said it would cost $ 2,500. an expense i cannot afford, especialy right before christmas. sure would be nice if ford mo. co. could do something about their poorly manufactured vehicles !!!!*ak

Backing out of driveway when van made loud clunking noise when placed in drive and would not move. new transmission needed $2400! i will never buy another ford vehicle. *nm

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

Transmission in 2000 ford windstar failed at 77000 miles. required total replacement. *jb

At about 40,000 miles a vibration started to occur in the right front wheel between 5 & 40 mph. i took it to a ford dealer an was told this is not uncommon and it is caused by a defective torque converter. the dealer flushed the transmission. this vibration appears to be less when the fulids are cold. this problem will continue until i have the transmission overhauled. the car now has about 43,000 miles on it.*ak

The transmission failed with 55,000 mile on it. we took it to norristown ford in pa and we need a new transmission. it cost us $3000.00. *ak

Problem incident--- ford dealership using bg products transmission flush system to perform the 60000 mile emission service induces a serious transmission leak. dealer says the bg process can not cause such a problem. sent the vehicle away with a serious transmission leak.

When i put the van in drive in the a.m., it hesitated like i had it in between gears. as i pulled out into the highway, we heard a loud crunch like we bottomed out. as we are sitting in the middle of a busy road with on coming traffic, the van only went in reverse!! much to the surprise of on coming traffic. this mini van has only 47,000 miles and has been babied for a long time. *jb

While at a stoptransmission made a noise ,and the vehicle would not accelerate. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While driving, the overdrive light flashed. the vehicle was towed and the dealer determined that the transmission was defective. *ak the power locks did not operate properly, the rear seat belt was damaged when the vehicle was purchased, the inside lights did not go off when the door was shut. *jb

While driving 30 mph, the vehicle lost power. the consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. *jb

While starting the vehicle and shifting from park to drive consumer heard a loud noise coming from underneath of the vehicle. then, vehicle won't move. an independent repair shop repaired the transmission. *ak

While driving at 40 mph consumer heard a lot of squeaks and noises in the engine compartment. several days later , while driving at 30 mph, the noise was heard again ,and vehicle stalled while making a u-turn. also, the right front axle broke. mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be repaired.*ak

a 2 year old child was able remove the gear shifter lever from park into drive without depressing the brake pedal. the vehicle was parked with the engine running when this happened. this resulted in consumer's vehicle rear ending another vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted, but didn't provide any helpful assistance.*ak

While driving pulling alight utility trailer my overdrive off light came on.when i tried to disengage the overdrive nothing happened. i took this vehichle to the dealer of purchase, and i was told there was no serious problem.i read in my ourners manual that this flashing od off light indicated that the transmission needed imeadiate service. i then took the vehicle to a larger dealership and they told me that the transmission would not go in overdrive and that the transmission fluid was burned. they said i needed a new transmission and they offered to install a ford rebulit for aproximatly $2400. the van had only 49900 miles. i told them i was not interested in purchasing anything from a companey who couldn't build a transmission that would not last more the 41000 miles. i contacted an independent transmission service who could install a rebuilt transmission at about the same cost and it would be garenteed for 75000miles. ford would only gaurentee ther transmission for 36ooo. i told this dealership i would never do any more bussiness with ford , and i would spread the word every where i could about their infearior products.*ak

While driving and coming to complete stop at a stop sign automatic transmission would not go into gear. transmission totally failed , only the reverse gear was working. vehicle was towed to the dealer. technician indicated they could replace it with a new transmission or rebuilt it at consumer's expense.*ak

We purchased a 2000 ford windstar limited on 3/21/04 from a ford dealership in ionia, mi. we were told the van had been very well maintained and had been gone over mechanically by their people. it only had 38,549 miles on it. we have only had it a month and the transmission has gone out of it. do we have any recourse? at the time this happen, the vehicle was being driven up a hill in heavy downtown traffic. luckily no one was hurt, the van just would not go any where except backwards. my college age son and his buddie guided the van backwards into a parking lot a few feet away to wait for a wrecker. it was towed 35 miles, which is where it is sitting until we can decide what to do. i had mechanic look at it, but he felt it should be covered. he did not tear it down.*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

Transmission broke when vehicle was just out of warranty this past winter. we have had to have it replaced 5 times since then. he continues to hesitate and we have talked to several other windstar owners who have also had to get multiple transmissions. is there a problem with ford transmissions?*ak

My complaint is with my 2000 ford windstar. in approx. june of 2003(don't have exact date because vehicle is at dealership), with no warning my transmission failed. had it towed to dealership where purchased. easy care warranty refused claim due to fact transmission was flushed 1000 miles past recommendation. dealership nor ford motor co. provided no help. had vehicle towed to local mechanic for repair. local mechanic documented that transmission had no impact on failure. cost of repair was approx. $2100. in jan. 2004, engine light came on. local mechanic ran diagnosis and stated it must be repaired by ford dealer. stated that drivability was ok. took into dealership today, feb.2, 2004. once again, easy care refused claim because it was a poorly designed part and they were aware of this. once again, ford motor co. was no help. stated that vehicle's warranty had expired. per easy care, there is a revised valve cover that has better baffling system. ford has a design flaw. ford will not stand behind their parts, therefore, the warranty is meaningless and the customer must pay for poor design??!! the repair will cost in excess of $700. i would like ford to incur the cost of repair due to acknowledgment of defective design.*ak

Complete failure of the transmission at 42,000 miles. no forward gears- only reverse. heard a loud bang when attempting to accelerate from a red light.*ak

Was stopped at a traffic light and once the light had changed and i was able to proceed the vehicle would not move forward. the vehicle would move in reverse but not in the forward gear. had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership where it was purchased and it was found that the sun gear had broken causing additional damage to the transmission. cost for the repair to the vehicle is estimated at over $2000.

Transmission failed. i was in heavy traffic, i stopped to let another auto pass. i was not able to move my car. the rear sun gear drum broke in two pieces, which was the cause of failure. total cost $2,426.79 note: i have broken pieces. many failures for 2000 to 2002. *jb

Vehicle could only go backwards as a result of transmission failure. *ph the vehicle was purchased as is therefore the transmission was not cover under any warranty. *nm

Heard very loud noise, car would not go in gear. transmission had to be repaired at cost of $2000. *la

The child was playing inside of the vehicle while it was parked. the child hit gear shift causing the vehicle to roll backwards and hit a tree. please fill in additional information. *ph

Consumer stated that while driving and stopping at a light he had no gears, except reverse and park. consumer had vehicle towed to the mechanic. after mechanic evaluated the vehicle consumer towed it to a transmission shop. he then called the manufacturer, and was told to contact a ford dealer in his area. consumer contacted a ford dealer, and was told that they could not do anything because he did not purchase the vehicle from them or had the service done there . *ak transmission and torque converter had to be removed. failure was the result of a broken sun gear. consumer still has the part. *ph

My 2000 ford windstar with (46,000 miles) recently began making a small whirring or ticking noise under the hood. examination by the service department at a local dealer indicated that the origin of the problem was the transmission. upon teardown of the transmission, it was discovered that the stator support bearing had "blown apart." the dealer wished to replace the entire transmission for $3700. an independent mechanic also examined the car and found that in addition to the stator, the pump shaft, torque converter, and clutches would all need to be replaced. there was no damage to the gear train or the solenoids. it seems unbelievable that such extensive damage manifested itself in nothing more than a small ticking sound that mechanics at the dealership were at first unable to even detect. it is even more amazing and frightening that the vehicle was still drivable. there was nothing suspicious found in any previous service visits to suggest that such a failure was imminent and no dashboard warning lights of any kind. had this vehicle failed while in transit, serious injuries may have been possible. *la

The transmission just quit without any prior warning or problems. left wife and kids stranded in middle of busy street. *la

While leaving our parking lot the transmission made a few hard jerks while stopped and then would not go in a forward motion, tried to go in revese nothing. pushed the van back to a parking space, called ford custermer service and was told no warranties or "customer satisfaction programs" (seceret warranties) exsited.called around to survey options and noted that the windstar has had at least 3 upgrade kits issused for the transmission. found a lot of complaints for the same problem. called ford again, asked about the various other complaints and was told that this transmisson has never had problems that any information obtained from non-ford sources is false or incorrect. when asked about the transmisson upgrade kits (info found on ford's website) was met with the same response that the transmisson has never had a problem and non-ford info.... aamco estimates $2200 to $3500 for a rebuilt to new transmisson, ford offers no help. we are looking for a class-action or other information to get ford to own-up to and pay for a "known" failure in there transmisson that dates back to 1991 windstars/tauras. odometer reading 55,000. *ak

Transmission on my 2000 windstar lx totally failed at 70,000 miles. repair cost over $2,500. i wrote to ford and complained, as i am aware of this happening to many other people with windstars, many with less milage, one as low as 45,000 miles. ford has refused to extend the warranty on the transmission, although it must be obvious there is a defect. their customer service reps claim to have never heard of a transmission problem in a windstar before. i find this impossible to believe.*ak

nature of failure: transmission failure vehicle: 2000 ford windstar lx 73,000 miles. date of failure: october 22, 2003 cost of repair plus towing: 2,178.00

While driving at 65 mph automatic transmission failed. *ak

Transmission failure. *ak

While driving 45 mph, the automatic transmission stopped functioning. the transmission had to be rebuilt with new components. *ak *scc *jb

Transmission ax4s failed at stoplight. gear was sheared off drum. vehicle had 50,623 miles when failure occurred. transmission was overhauled at a cost of $2037.92.

Transmission has always kicked forcefully and abruptly in low speed or on deceleration at low speed. there has been a transmission fluid leak(indicated by red fluid on and around the the transmission pan) but the fluid level has remained constant and at approved limits. we have mentioned this to dealers but have always been told that was normal and that if the transmission fluid level was within specifications then there was not a problem. on this date as we accelerated from a four-way stop there was an extremely forceful kick and the van lost power and forward motion and actually began to drift backward. the dealer told us we required a new torque converter, some new gears replaced, and that we would be better off having the entire transmission replaced.

Complete transmission failure with only 48,000 miles.

Transmission on 2000 windstar needs to be replaced after 47,000 miles.*ak

While attempting to make a left hand turn at stop sign i heard a "clunck" and could not drive forward. after a few cars drove around me and my young children someone finally stopped to push my windstar into a parking lot that was close by. i needed to have the van towed and was told the transmission needed to be replaced. i have 37200 miles on this vehicle and it is not quite 4 years old. as angry as i am i also have to be thankful that this sudden transmission failure didn't happen just 2 weeks earlier when my family and i were on vacation in virginia. i am looking to ford at this time to have my vehicle fixed with assistance through a "goodwill" program so far i have not been successful. i also understand that this is a common problem that ford seems to be aware of.

Sudden transmission failure at 34,000 miles. no warning. all forward gears failed. manufacturer offering "secret warranty." problem appears to be common to all windstars as far back as 1994. *ak

Consumer stated that transmission would not change properly. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and was told that a new transmission was needed.*ak

While attempting to make left turn at traffic light, vehicle failed to go forward. it would go in reverse, so i drove it backward into a parking lot and had it towed to dealer. has 30,500 miles, ford will not assist me in the 2600.00 reapair of the required new transmission. i am very unhappy.*ak

Automatic transmission failure twice. first failure at 29k mile in october 2001. transmission was repaired under warranty. second transmission failure was at 56k vehicle miles but only 27k miles on rebuilt transmission. both failures occurred without warning. second failure is 3k miles outside of 2yr/24k warranty provided by ford. i believe sudden transmission failure is a severe safety issue.

Transmission failure. remanufactured transmission installed. as well as new tie rods.

Bought van from dealer june 2001 with 28,000 miles; ongoing issues with automatic transmission over 24 month period; 34,000 miles, harsh vibration and slipping on acceleration (at times no faster than 35 mph getting on interstate), rebuild under 3 yr, 36 warranty (torch converter other internals); 1 year later, 58,000 miles, same symptoms with fluid leakage, transmission totally gone, replace with new rebuilt transmission under purchased extended warranty; 4 months later, 64,000 miles same symptoms, slippage, harsh vibration, rebuild torch converter under warranty; 4 months later (june 2003) transmission starting to show same symptoms, dealer can not duplicate; now constant vibration when torch converter is locked in,clunking, slipping on acceleration around corners, end of july filed under lemon law at state, waiting to hear from them.

While driving at any speed transmission jerked. dealer has inspected and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak

While driving 35 mph gears went out and vehicle would not shift into drive. vehicle was towed to the owners residence. owner will contact the dealer for an appointment. *ak