Faults:

4 months ago head gasket fail (120.000 km)

Now the motor literally blew from under (132.000km)

General Comments:

While searching for an engine I been told this problem is very common among this model engine/year so is very hard to fix without spending at least 4 grand ($ 4.000).

I love the van, but the engine quality is undesirable, it SUCKS!

Faults:

Transmission needed to be replaced at 89,000 miles.

Head gasket recall, antifreeze leak from the day I purchased the vehicle, but dealer would not replace.

Computer needed to be replaced at approximately 100,000 miles.

Anti-lock brakes activate on every stop.

Cruise control stopped working around 95,000 miles.

Automatic window (down) stopped working around 95,000 miles.

Mysterious bangs from underneath the car.

General Comments:

This vehicle has been a true disappointment.

Poor handling and poor acceleration.

Poor reliability.

Faults:

Not sure about the previous owner... there were no service records when we bought the van.

2002 - full engine replacement (not sure why, though)

2003 - replaced front brakes, front left caliper, front left CV boot.

2004 - replaced thermostat.

2004 - blown head gasket (we were told it needed to be replaced by the dealer, but found out later that all that needed to be done was a thorough cleaning of the radiator externally where it backs onto the A/C condenser - fixed the overheating problem!)

Rear venting window motors work sporadically - we are told it may just be the switch, but could be the motors.

Driver's armrest bolt is stripped, so the armrest doesn't work, but spins around.

General Comments:

We purchased this van used, with a Honda Civic as our trade in. Our three kids were getting bigger and more active, and we didn't have the cash for an Odyssey, so figured we would get a Windstar, because it was the only other model with the rear heat/air.

Between the constant repair bills and the horrible service we receive from the Ford dealer, we would never purchase another Ford again. We are currently trying to fight the recent $1200 CDN bill to replace the head gasket because we were told it was "absolutely" the cause of our overheating. They changed it, and the van was still overheating. They then changed their tune and said that something else CAUSED the gasket to go, so now we needed to replace the radiator.

We ended up taking it to a rad guy who very quickly diagnosed a common problem with overheating on Windstars and Crown Victorias: external clogging of the radiator where it rests beside the A/C condenser. This fixed our problem.

Before changing the head gasket, I would recommend looking into a cleaning/service of the radiator first. It is MUCH cheaper to do.

Faults:

Head gaskets!!!

Transmission

Steering

Electrical.

General Comments:

Ford is killing the American Car industry. They simply cannot produce a car that is not full of defects. Fords have been notorious for blowing head gaskets and having useless automatic transmissions for years, but has not been able to correct this. American cars have made tremendous strides in quality in the past several years and most models (besides Ford) can hold their own with any Japanese model out there. The crap that Ford puts out, however, just completely destroys any kind of statistical recovery that other companies (GM in particular) is working so hard to bring about. I hate this company for what they are doing to the American automotive industry. It pains me so much to see Americans driving around in Japanese cars, and when it comes time to shop for a new car, not even consider an American model. After owning a Ford though, what are people supposed to think? Ford should do some real soul searching and contemplate what they are doing to the American auto industry.