Faults:

The brakes worn out too fast (not anymore) until 34 000 km.

The muffler rusted and dropped 56 000 KM.

General Comments:

This is the best minivan that I ever driven I had it for 7 exciting years and everyday, i putted at least 550 km on it cruising at 140 (85 mph) while the engine still had enough back up power.

This is not my first Ford vehicle (even thought I experienced few problems on my first ones) I think they should do what they are doing, but a little better next time.

Faults:

Engine light often on. Had ports cleaned one time. They said they cleaned the intake plenum, which I have yet to find on the vehicle. Window bracket on drivers door breaks easily, I repaired it rather than getting another one the second time one broke. Speedometer malfunctioned. Bolts or nuts loose from the factory.

General Comments:

I had the van in for the 4th or 5th time for the engine light. The Ford dealer replaced 1 plug and told me I needed a new motor (always used synthetic oil). The light came back on after about 2 weeks. I investigated the intake manifold. The plastic manifold basically floats on the motor and the o-rings suck outside air easily below the manifold. The construction is done because metal and plastic don't expand and contract equally. Anyway, I sealed up the o-rings with a small amount of silicone cement and now the motor just purrs. I hope I don't cause the manifold to crack. Such an obvious flaw is no doubt known by Ford. Why is it such a secret? There are so many people paying big bucks for service that they don't need because of this basic design flaw.

Faults:

The speedometer head went out within the first 4 months.

It cost me $900 from the dealership. A month after, the tachometer went out and I was told the $900 speedometer had nothing to do with the Tachometer.

The tachometer would cost an additional $400 to be replaced. I took it elsewhere.

The dealership customer service and quality of work was extremely poor.

My dashboard and cluster window was badly scratched and screws were missing.

I hope to never have to use the dealership again.

General Comments:

The overall appearance of the vehicle is good.

The paint and interior wear well.

The front seats are not comfortable for a person 6'2" and over.

Faults:

Multiple injector replacements (the local dealership had to do 3 replacements until they finally realized the problem, spanning over a 14 month period)

Alternator replacement.

Side door and hatchback are starting to loosen, causing rattling noise during driving or in high wind.

Hatchback lock does not engage.

The "door open" indicator seems to be affected by the weather. My local dealership has yet to locate the problem.

Valves in the engine are becoming worn, with a repair quote higher than the worth of the van.

General Comments:

This minivan is a workaholic. In the first year of ownership, I have driven from Wisconsin to New York and back, with the return trip in a blizzard with the interior loaded down with various home goodies (TV, knick-knacks, etc.), to Nebraska and back, and to Virginia and back twice. Even with injector problems, it hasn't let me down yet.

The Winstar is a very comfortable ride. Enough room for a big person (I am 6'1") to drive without the seating compromises common in family grocery-getters. The V-6 provides enough power to keep me out of sticky situations on the freeway, and gas mileage is acceptable (Highway is around 25-30 mpg).

However, this vehicle definitely shows it's age. Between multiple injector problems and low-end engine noise, usually attributed to valve wear, it's working it's way ever closer to a major, costly vacation in either a repair garage or donation cycle.