1996 Ford Windstar GL 3.8 V 6 from North America
Summary:
A worthless piece of metal
Faults:
After 1 week the ABS light came on.
The rear vent window motors went out 3 times.
The power locks went out after only 6 months.
Most recently at 52000 the head gasket went.
At 54000 miles the speedometer started jumping at speeds over 40 MPH and had to be replaced.
57000 miles the engine went.
General Comments:
At 57000, a loud ticking noise coming from the motor. I made an appointment with Ford it was there the whole day. The service manager and mechanic could not hear the noise. When they brought out the van, I could hear it right away. After the mechanic heard the noise he said it was loose piston skirts. The result would be a new or rebuilt engine. At 57000 miles!!! I called Ford they said the extended warranty was up. I explained that I had always taken the van to the dealer for oil changes regularly, after all the oil changes were free. Ford kept saying too bad. I explained about the other problems, head gasket and speedometer, they said they had not received many other complaints about these problems with the 96 Windstar. I told them about the internet with all of the complaints. They said it was probably one person with a grudge against Ford writing all of these.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 20th July, 2002
10th Mar 2004, 07:53
I have a 96 Wind star which also has a blown head gasket. There are hundreds of complaints filed on the National Traffic Safety site regarding this. It is apparent the 96 model has a defective gasket and I am really disappointed to learn Ford is stonewalling the problem. I have 2 Ford vehicles - my last.