Faults:

54,000 miles; had to replace the power steering pump.

60,000 miles; needed a new taillight. My wife accidentally smashed it out parking.

68,000 miles; had to replace the front wheel bearing.

77,000 miles; sliding door had to be realigned.

General Comments:

I bought this vehicle new when my wife was pregnant with our third child, and we needed more room, so that meant it was time for our Dodge Spirit to go; although it was a small, car it was reliable.

I love the Windstar; it's spacious, the seats are comfortable, great acceleration, great visibility.

The Windstar has a nice appearance.

It's nice on long road trips; every summer my family and I would drive from New Jersey to Kentucky. Got there without a problem.

Faults:

Head gasket 160000 K.

Steering rack 20000k.

Radio 18000k.

Radiator gauge 24000k.

Side door lock 60000k.

Back door lock 100000k.

General Comments:

I used to drive a Jetta diesel, but I needed more space, but still wanted OK fuel economy so I bought the Windstar. This was my first new vehicle and my second Ford (67 mustang). The Windstar did have the space I needed, but like most owners I have had issues.

I have learned over the years many tips on how to make a car last and have applied these tips to my Windstar. First let me say that rust and hard driving are the biggest killers of cars. So I have had it annualy oil sprayed since new and drive like an old lady. Second I change the oil every 5000k and the rest of the fluids when needed. Third other than warranty work I never take it to a dealership.

When the head gasket went I had to get it fixed at Ford. They wanted big bucks for the repair, but after calling Ford customer relations I got the price down to $600 but I feel I should have not had to of paid any thing.

Since I bought the Windstar new I wanted to get 500000 kilometers (300000 miles) out of it. But I think that the poor reliability of the van will make that a real challange. Rust protection has saved me from a lot of maintenence issues (I have heard horror stories). And I will keep changing the oil every 5000k and hope the engine holds together. But I am worried about the transmission.

The Windstar drives well for its size. And I think the aerodynamics are good. The interior is comfortable and with the rear seats out of it one can sleep in the back.

Faults:

Wiper blades replaced at 2,000 miles.

Windshield wiper stops at high speed, intermittently.

Windshield washer intermittent.

Engine head gaskets blew 50,000 miles.

Door ajar contacts.

Replaced fan motor, high pitch noise.

Starter.

Engine main bearings, engine replaced 66,000 miles.

General Comments:

After spending over $6,000.00 to repair Ford's defects, I am not interested in another Ford product.

Ford did not repair the head gasket defect for at least four years.

I would have liked to give this piece-o-crap to one of the Ford executives and been able to force him/her to attempt to live with all the problems. It definitely was an "experimental" vehicle.