17th Dec 2009, 20:54

99 Ford (Fix or Repair Daily) Windstar. Paint is falling off the whole vehicle. Around the windows and top are really bad. Rather than fix it, I am going to paint signs on it to tell other suckers about Ford.

9th Feb 2010, 08:27

I am currently the owner of two Windstars. One of the Windstars, 1996, has 240000 miles. Although I have had electrical problems (door ajar lights), this was an easy fix with wd-40. I have never had problems with the tranny or motor, and am VERY happy with our purchase.

You have to expect problems on any vehicle that has a lot of miles on it, but I have only had regular maintenance issues with it.

We just bought a second Windstar (used), 1999, and we're hoping to be just as lucky with it.

9th Feb 2010, 14:06

I am not fond of Ford electrical systems. They seem to come up with planned obsolescence every time. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the charging system on the Ford Focus and the Mazda Protege is the same crap. To have a charging system that is controlled by the computer and/or instrument panel control module in order to make the system unnecessarily complicated/expensive to repair. What a pile. So much for the KISS theory.

The Windstar has interior light door switches in the door latches, instead of using a simple push-button inside the door jamb like it used to be. In a word... asinine. And then, to top it off, the interior light circuit is controlled by the computer. WHY?? So that your battery can go dead over and over, and turn in to a frozen piece of junk when parked overnight in the winter??

Ford has figured out how to rear-end their customers again and again, and that is why Ford products don't interest me. Once they start building CARS again... well... MAYBE I'd consider one.

10th Feb 2010, 12:37

I had a 2003 Ford Windstar. Purchased it new, expecting a good reliable vehicle. Boy was I disappointed. It cost me over $6,000 in repairs during the time I owned it.

I replaced the starter twice, the alternator twice, even the intake manifold! I've never once in my life owned a vehicle the needed a brand new intake manifold. I always had the reoccurring electrical issues with the interior lights as well.

The final straw was the transmission going around 90,000 miles. I'm surprised it made it that long.

Not long after trading it in, I found out it was on a recall list for a faulty cruise control switch, which could short out and catch the car on fire.

Ford's are junk in my opinion. I've since purchased a Honda Civic. Now that my kids can drive themselves, I don't need a big vehicle anymore. I'm never purchasing a Ford again, and I probably will never purchase an American car again either.

16th Aug 2011, 18:09

We have had a 2000 Ford Windstar since 2003. The transmission went out the day after we got it with 84000 miles on it. Since then it has been very reliable power train-wise.

The electricals have been another story. At 115K the wipers went out, and park anywhere and everywhere while cycling off and on.

At about the same time, the power door locks went out one by one.

Now, with 130K and eleven years old, the paint has begun falling off in large sheets -- from areas where there was no visible cracks or nicks. The tailgate and front bumper are the worst. We have found foot long sheets of white paint simply lying on the driveway. I am one of the few posting here who actually likes Fords, but I will say.

FORD, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR SUBSTANDARD PAINT JOBS. I WOULD LIKE TO BUY AN ESCAPE SOME DAY, BUT I'M WONDERING IF I WILL FIND MY DRIVEWAY LINED WITH ITS PAINT SOME FINE MORNING.