1996 Ford Windstar GL review from North America
"A worthless piece of metal"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
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 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 V 6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 1/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 21 miles |
| Most recent distance | 57000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Horizon |
| Date of Entry | 20th July, 2002 |