1997 Ford Windstar GL 3.0 from North America
Summary:
This is our second and last Ford, both have been terribly disappointing
Faults:
The first signs of problems seemed innocent enough. A door ajar light on the dash. All of the door sensors are functional, yet the door ajar light remains on. Where it really gets annoying is when the headlights are on and the car is moving less than 15 mph.
At that point the warning bell goes off continuously until you either get above 15 mph or turn off the headlights.
The ABS often activate @ below 10 mph. Sometimes the ABS light goes on & stays on, other times the brakes just release and allow the car to coast an extra 5 feet or so at the end of a stop.
The Oil Pan Gasket takes 4 "book hours" of labor to replace? Why did they put the oil pan where it is inaccessible?
The cup holder rattles constantly.
General Comments:
Overall, this car has been a headache. We bought it new, maintained it properly, used Mobil 1, the whole bit. Ever since it turned 40,000, we've regretted buying it, but since the resale is so bad, we're going to keep it until the kids can drive & let them drive into the ground.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 1st April, 2003
8th Feb 2003, 22:16
Do not buy a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, either. They are underpowered junk and have a lot of problems, mostly with transmissions and head gasket sometimes.
If you want a good vehicle, buy a Chevrolet venture or a used Astro. The Ford Aerostar are nice too and they're rear wheel drive which makes it a lot safer than front wheel drive on minivans. I have a 1992 Aerostar extended and it is 90 percent reliable. The only problems with them are associated with normal maintence. We have put well over 400,000 kilometers on it and it still purrs! Just make sure you buy a 92 to 97.
The Astro is the same as the Areostar rear wheel and it is built on a truck frame and it is very powerfull. Try looking for an Aerostar or Astro. Trust me you will never regret any penny you spend on them!