Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar POWER TRAIN

I took my car in to ford due to a failure in the instrument panel. my speedometer was spinning and "stuck" in an approximate 5:00 o'clock position...in addition, my prndl needle "stuck" in the park position and would not move. on top of this, my abs/brake lights were coming on and off sporadically and occasionally smelled like something burning. the ford dealer replaced my instrument cluster and attempted to fix the abs/brake light problem. the "fix" didn't last more than two weeks...the abs/brake light is back to going on and off. according to the information that they gave me, the parts are no longer available for the abs/brake light repair...they assured me that my service brakes still worked. in the process, i have been told about recalls to the 2003 ford windstar for similar problems in other vehicles, however, i was told that these recalls didn't pertain to me. if i am experiencing the same problems that others are having and they are getting their repairs fixed at no charge to themselves, why am i paying for repairs for the same problem items??????? the sway bar links on my windstar were also repaired along with the bushings...again...another recall that seems to have been issued but i was told that "it didn't apply to me". now i have my windstar in the shop, again, because the transmission pump exploded and damaged the transmission. no warning, no check engine light, nothing. how much of an additional expense is this going to be???? oh, i did receive the recall notice for the rear axle...that will be checked right after i get my car back from having the transmission repaired. why are some vehicles covered and others aren't??? if it affects a 2003 ford windstar, it should be all of them, not just some of them. *tr

Sudden failure of transmission while driving at low speed, taking left turn up a small incline in the road. car would not move with engine power either forward or reverse. felt like it was in neutral in all shifter drive and reverse positions. towed to repair shop, vehicle required complete rebuilt transmission costing over $3000. *kb

I was driving my vehicle and came upon a red light. when it turned green i pressed on the gas and i heard it rev up but did not move. was able to let it coast to the side. i called aaa and had it towed. the mechanic looked it over and said i would need new transmission. before the incident, it never showed any signs of slippage. still awaiting to come up with $1,300.00 to have transmission rebuilt. *tr

My 2003 ford windstar keep showing system information error and abs, brake light,od offlights stays on. this normally starts after about two to three minutes into driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated while driving at relative low speeds of 5 mph, the rear suspension broke causing the wheels to collapse. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle and any repairs would be at his expense. the manufacturer was also contacted and confirmed the dealers advice and offered to discount the repairs. the vehicle was left at the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. the failure and current mileages were 113,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving at 50 mph, the contact heard a noise under the vehicle. the vehicle was difficult to control so she pulled over. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed a crack on the rear axle. the contact called the dealership and the dealer advised her take the vehicle in for diagnosis. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were 140,780.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 30 mph, there were unusual noises coming from the rear of the vehicle. upon further investigation, it was found that the rear axle was broken in half. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the vehicle was out of warranty and would not provide any assistance. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were approximately 72,000.

Recently lost vehicle mobility on my 2003 ford windstar sel (type ax4n transmission). required new torque converter and complete transmission rebuild. *tr

I bought a 2003 ford windstar new . i am the only driver 66 years old. i backed out of my driveway in jan. 2010 and could not go into reverse or forward. towed to dealer, had to replace transmission,000 km., factory rebuilt $ 3500. now april 2010 put 5000 km.on took in for oil change and to check on tranny, it was not shifting properly{stuttering}. mechanic said he had to replace torque converter, found fluid in and now replacing radiator. what next????? ford should be replacing transmissions, too many complaints. i am afraid to take it on the highway in case i loose it again. help! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving at 40 mph, the rear axle suddenly broke in half. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the axle had rusted from the inside. the failure and current mileages were 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated while driving at approximately 40 mph, the engine began making unusual sounds and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a local repairs shop where she was advised that the transmission had failed and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 113,000.

While driving in ky my transmission suddenly failed, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. there was no warning, no lights, no noises. the car simply stopped accelerating. there were no forward gears nor reverse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the transmission failed. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where the contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 76,000. updated 05/01/13 *bf the consumer stated the transmission has since failed again.

Transmission failure with absolutely no warning. one second i'm pulling on to the roadway with a working transmission the next second my vehicle is sitting in the way of traffic and can not move. as i have researched this,this has happened quite often. this is very dangerous and something needs to be done. *tr

Transmission on the ford windstar 2003 goes without warning. in the middle of driving down a major highway it decreased in speed to a stop. the engine rev. would not go into gear. it is a big problem in these vehicles. you can find addition complaints about this and others on a website www.carcomplaints.com. i went as far as writing ford to let them know how dissatisfied and upset they expect me to pay for their malfunctioning transmissions. please investigate. i don't think someone life should have to be sacrificed in order for ford to correct their problem and now my issue. *tr

Transmission failure 2003 ford windstar. no indication of transmission problems leading up to the event. smooth shifting, no shudders, no hesitation on acceleration. stopped at a traffic light-busy intersection. on acceleration, windstar moved forward into intersection, rpms increased rapidly without anymore forward movement. ford dealership diagnostics reported transmission failure but could not be more specific than torque converter, input shaft or hydraulic fluid pump. some ford windstars share a transmission type (ax4n/4f50n) with the ford freestar which is being investigated for a similar complaint with odi (nhtsa action number : pe09033). vehicle had 95,000 miles with regular service actions. found numerous other anecdotal evidence is more widespread than the 3 reported incidents with nhtsa. see http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/windstar/2003/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml. no action to repair vehicle yet. transmission still available for investigation (for a little while longer anyway). 911 called on incident because of a dangerous traffic situation in a busy intersection. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. she stated while driving at speeds of 60 mph in clear conditions, she noticed grey smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. she was able to maneuver the vehicle off the highway without incident. she waited until the police arrived to assist. she noticed the rear driver's side wheel was collapsing inward toward the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they found the rear axle had failed. the rear axle and the entire driver's side rear wheel assembly was replaced at the owner's expense. there were no recalls on her vehicle. the failure and current mileages were under 80,000. the vin was not accepted.

Sudden lose of transmission function, driving and suddenly there is no gears just neutral, no warning, 2003 ford windstar. *tr

Without any prior problems or warnings my 2003 ford windstar with only 66,600. miles the transmission just quit. i parked it christmas eve and it was fine three days later i went to leave and it won't go into gear. i have also had electrical problems with the back hatch sensor. it says door is ajar and either minutes later , hours , days while i'm driving it will start beeping , lock the doors and light goes off. *tr

Automatic transmission failure with no warning. transmission had to be rebuilt. *tr

Od light flashing, abs light on, speedometer not working, odometer not working, air conditioner not working, smoke underhood, engine light on this all happened to my wife while on the interstate about 90 miles form home. *tr

Transmission failure without any warning sign. left on in the road with engine running, but would not move in any direction. *tr

We bought a used 2003 ford windstar lx. we have had one electrical problem after another. anti lock brake lights going on. engine light going on. driving down the road and all interior lights go on and stay on or the lights start flashing and flickering. yesterday the anti lock brake lights have gone on again. recently this has been happening several times a week. this morning we were at a stop sign waiting to pull out onto a major highway and the car would not move. my husband stepped on the gas. the engine roared but the car would not move forward nor would it move backward when put into reverse. we have had this van at the garage numerous times for these repairs. each time being told that the problem resolved. each time spending several hundred dollars. *tr

We have a 2003 ford windstar, the vehicle has always had problems when we drove, sometimes it would feel like the transmission was going, well it did one day going to work, the torque converter came apart damaging the entire transmission and the vehicle has less than 65000 miles on it we begged ford for help because we think this should not have happened to a vehicle this young we have owned lots of vehicles with well over 150,000 miles on them. *tr

No problems with 2003 ford windstar transmission. vehicle has approx 88,000 miles. vehicle running at highway speed when transmission whined and quit. left occupants stranded. upon online search, hundreds of issues with the make and model having issues with the same part. *tr

I'm the owner of a 2003 ford windstar. i had my transmission fail while in the middle of driving.the van drifted to the side of the road,the steering was locked,the lights blinked,my od n blinker flashed off n on.my drivers side window won't go down. also my abs light absolutely won't go off!!!!.also replaces,brakes, rotors(which were totally rusted). *tr

We had to replace the transmission in our 2003 ford windstar in late 2006 to early 2007 and now we need to replace it again. the 2nd time the o/d light started flashing and within and hour to an hour and a half the car needed towed back to our house where it is sitting now. another problem we have always had is an electrical problem. the overhead light comes on whenever it wants to and we lose the electric in the back passenger door whenever it wants to go. and recently the lock on that same door will continually lock over and over for about 10 times and then locks. *tr

The ford windstar stop suddenly without warning. if you are in traffic, this could be fatal. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar limited edition. while driving approximately 40 mph the vehicle lost power. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who replaced the torque converter and the transmission pump. eight months later, the same failure occurred the vehicle was taken to the same dealer. the dealer replaced the torque converter and the transmission pump. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 70,500 and the current mileage was 90,000.

I have a 2003 ford windstar that i purchased at the end of september 2008 from a local ford dealership. in november, the abs and brake light started intermittently coming on the dash. i currently have the van at the dealership for a transmission repair and had them look at this problem. they have told me that the abs hydraulic module is bad and needs to be replaced. after doing some research, i have seen that this is a known problem by ford and they have yet to do anything about it. the brakes still function like normal, but the abs system does not work due to this problem. i understand that they do not want to fix this since the brakes will still technically work, but as this is a fire hazard i am shocked that they have not been directed to fix this problem. i was quoted $1,200 for the module by the dealership which i just can not afford to spend the money on right now. i will search on the net for a new module, hopefully, at a lower price and replace it myself. ford needs to be held accountable for their products and they should be forced by the government to correct this problem. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar. i turned the corner at a busy intersection and the transmission went out, no forward or reverse. i barely missed being hit while the van coasted to the side of the road. i have owned two previous windstars that were a 1995 and a 1998 that i had the transmissions go out on but there was slipping and it was obvious the transmission was going. i bought another found because they are just about the only thing i can afford. there was no warning whatsoever this time. i had the vehicle towed to a transmission shop where they said the transmission was gone and the spline had been stripped off the torque converter. he said he sees this kind of thing all the time with fords. they are rebuilding it for me for $1800.00. this is a dangerous situation since i read on here another person with the same van had a similar experience. ford needs to be responsible when they put out crappy transmissions that go out with no warning. what's going to happen when this situation occurs on a highway? now i know why people refer to fords as found on road dead..because they will break with no warning! *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar with 64750 miles. a few days ago my wife went to leave for work and when she put it into gear it would not move in any gear selected. had my local mechanic look at it and he suspected a transmission problem. the vehicle was taken to aamco for repair and i was told that the transmission had blown up. i had no prior warning to this impending problem and now it is going to cost me $2100.00 to repair the transmission. i was told by the transmission mechanic that this is a common problem with ford windstars and ironically another windstar was in the shop for the same thing. he said that it is caused by defective parts that are prone to failure. i contacted ford to see if there was a known problem and any recall on faulty transmission. i was told there was not and basically got the run around and told that there would probably be no help in repairing the transmission. i did further research and see that this is a common and frequent problem with the faulty transmission in the windstar. why is there no pressure put on ford to rectify this problem of defective equipment. i have other vehicles with over 120,000 miles and have not had transmission problems. this should not be happening to a vehicle with only 64750 miles. i want to see ford made to recall and remedy this problem. there are a lot of people out there that have had the same problem and the same results with ford. luckily this happened in the driveway and not on the road. this could have been a very unsafe incident if it had happened on the road. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle transmission was defective and when attempting to switch gears, the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who rebuilt the transmission yet two years later, the transmission failed again. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 162,000.

My ford 2003 windstar, purchased 05/01/08 w/35000 mi, began rolling backwards on inclines while stopped in drive. first time was 08/01/08 coming out of a parking lot into traffic -- sitting on incline, waiting for traffic to clear, took foot off brake to rest it on gas, and back i rolled -- twice. notified dealer (under 12/12000 dealer used car warranty), left van that evening (fri), picked up on wed, they couldn't get it to roll or find anything because there were no codes showing up. brought it back, and wed evening had 3 separate instances of rollback, one on a city street (hill) and 2 on driveways where i rolled back until reaching level surface and the van stopped itself. next day, rolled backwards again out of drive at office, then stopped on level surface, then began to roll forward on its own -- my foot was nowhere near any pedals. took back that afternoon. service mgr drove w/me and we rolled back at an intersection. service mgr called ford tech line while i stood next to him. said that the tech at ford told him that because of govt requirements to improve mph, ford has lowered their idle speed and what happens is that at a stop, the slower idle causes the torque converter to slow down and eventually start going backwards which will cause the vehicle to roll back while in drive, especially on inclines. the tech said that they (ford) are getting more and more calls about this, particularly on newer vehicles. he also said that the temperature of the transmission fluid makes it worse. could account for why my windstar rolled back much quicker and further than the one we tried that was sitting on the dealers lot. nothing can be done about this problem according to ford. from what i'm seeing in these other complaints, i've been sold a lemon that i need to trade asap. would like to see a recall on the ford windstar transmission. *tr

Nothing leading up to event. christmas day the torque converter went out of my 2003 windstar no warning $900. 2 months later seals $300, and now overdrive is completely. i need a new transmission $2000. this is my 3rd windstar and at 90,000 to 100,000 mile the transmission starts giving trouble. what is the deal? you pay big dollars for a american car and it doesn't last. honda's in which i don't want will last for 200,000 or more. if you could help please do so. i am not a dead beat asking for help, i am a fulltime baptist pastor with a wife and 3 kids just trying to make a living. thank you for all you can do.... *tr

Transmission went out at 68,000 miles. driving down highway at 70 mph, when engine revved and we lost all drive. no forward or reverse gears. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and would not accelerate when the contact depressed the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the torque converter output shaft had failed. the torque converter was replaced by the mechanic and the defect was remedied. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 5/27/14*cn *tr

Brake, abs, and other lights come on, drive disengages, van will only run in 2nd or low gear until you turn it off then on again. very dangerous situation as the van loses power and decelerates. fuse #1 sparks when putting in a fuse. blows the fuse immediately. interior light then will not work. van is currently being looked at by phil long ford. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that when when the vehicle is cold and driving in reverse, the gear locks and the vehicle continues to move in reverse. the contact continuously placed the gear into drive in order for the vehicle to drive in reverse normally. the vehicle has been taken to a dealer four times, but they could not duplicate the failure. the speed was unknown. the current mileage was 85,873 and failure mileage was 85,273.

My wife pulled up to stop and when the light changed she had no gears from the transmission. no warning signs or sounds. we had the van toed to the nearest dealership( champion ford) it was diagnosed as a internal transmission failure. we were told it would be 3,319.94 to replace the transmission and flush the system. if we wanted to have the transmission taken apart to find the failure we would have to pay for the tear down and if it still had to be replaced then the replacement cost would be added. what do you do? the van only has about 75k miles on it. i authorized the replacement. upon talking with a prior ford mechanic (retired now) i was told that this is an ongoing problem with the windstar transmission. after doing a little research on the web i see that it is still a problem in vans newer and with lower mileage than my own. there is a problem here ford. fix it! *tr

I and my wife were returning home from a long trip to settle my son at a rehabilitation center for kids with retardation when the transmission stopped working without any warning at all. it was raining and a tornado warning was issued for where we were. i had to coast to a stop on the side of the road without much available space to clear traffic. i then proceeded to walk to the nearest house which was about 1000 yrds away due to the fact this happened in a rural area and with considerable risk to myself approach a home of people who did not know me, during a period of darkness and rain, and ask for help getting a tow truck. meanwhile my wife and brother were back at the van with 18 wheelers whirring by during a severe thunderstorm. the chance of a collision due to poor visibility was most definitely a possibility. when the tow truck arrived he had to hookup my van in pouring down rain and tow the van to a safe place until morning so i could then have it towed home. at this time i believe the transmission needs to be replaced but i cannot afford to have it done. upon research on the internet i discovered that this is a common problem with the ford winstar. *tr

There is a check engine light on and the van runs rough and almost stops running. there is an error code p0171 and p0174. after taking it to the ford dealership for the axel recall, it was noted that there is something wrong with the transmission, too. it seems like these are all defects that ford is aware of, but does nothing to fix for the consumers of their cars. *tr

While driving, the vehicle started to loose forward speed. then transmission fluid began to pour out from the transaxle, apparently contacting the catalytic converter or engine manifold. the latest caused the vehicle to catch fire, resulting in total a loss and damage to third-party property. at the time of event the vehicle was only 4 years old. this is a serious defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stopped accelerating without warning. the contact pulled off the road and shut off the vehicle. the vehicle was restarted and placed into gear, but it would not move in drive or reverse. the vehicle was towed to a transmission shop and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the dealer has not yet been notified. the vin, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 99,824.

2003 ford windstar, 50,000 miles, and the transmission needs to be replaced. even though proper maintenance done. vehicle shifts out of gear, and reverse is not hit or miss. search on the internet reveals this vehicle is worthless and a rebuild is recommended over a used one since your only going to get other peoples problems. a new transmission from ford is 3000$ the rebuild will cost $2000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford wind star. the contact stated that the transmission would not engage. the tow truck driver stated that the vehicle was stuck into gear. the dealer replaced the transmission. in addition, the front passenger locks would not work properly. the dealer stated the motor in the doors caused the failure. the current mileage was 57,303 and failure mileage was 46,736. updated 4/16/08 *cn the dealership removed the transmission to replace the torque converter, front hub seal, pump shaft and bearing. the front doors needed actuators. updated

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the gear shifter could not be moved into reverse or drive. the transmission was replaced twice because the failure was recurring. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer but the contact was advised that there were no failures found within the vehicle. several days later, the vehicle stalled without warning while the contact was attempting a turn at 5 mph. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the dealer advised that the failure could have been caused by the torque converter but the transmission would need to be removed in order to identify the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 144,000.

Driving southbound on i65 in lebabnon, in on way to work at about 65-70 mph. suddenly the vans tarted to slow even though i was maintaiing pressure on gas pedal. van continued to slow with tractor trailers racing up behind me, swerving sorund me and hrons blaring. i was bale to get off at the next exit an made it to the end of the ramp where the vheicle just stopped moving.

Abs light comes on intermittent. being station in europe, it is very important to have my automobile 100% with the autobahns. my windstar is a 2003 with only 60,000 miles. it has been doing this for the past two years. also the transmission went completely out. while driving it lost all forward gears and reverse. i had to pay to have transmission rebuilt. this happen feb 2009. *tr

I started the van and left the driver's door open to run inside the house to get something. when i came back the van was rolling backward across the neighbor's yard. because the door was open it was ripped backward as it left the garage and hit the side of the garage door. it had rolled off a retaining wall which pulled the front bumper off. it was still rolling across the neighbor's yard when we finally caught it. when i got in the van it was still in park. thankfully no one was hurt. *jb