2000 Ford Windstar review from North America

Axel seals seem to like to leak as the car gets older.

Current issue is the wheel bearing, which from reading other comments, a few others people are also experiencing.

Sometimes I find I need to jiggle the key in the ignition before I can start the car on hot days. Uncertain on how the heat affects the ignition, but at least it's consistent and solvable. Figuring this out took a while because the car will otherwise appear to have a flat battery and not start, but the lights will be on. All it took was a few light taps back and forth before trying to turn the key again, and it would start.

Other than the fact that I wish my 2000 Windstar was also a hybrid, it has served me well and our family has had few major problems with Ford vehicles. It's very comfortable, and most everything is in easy reach (minus things I probably shouldn't be reaching for while driving, anyway...).

The van to my surprise when we bought it as an ex-rental, gets better mileage than my Taurus wagon did. I don't know how some people are only getting 11 mpg, but I find that if I drive 55 mph on the freeway, take it easy with sudden starts and stops on back roads and take out far the back seat, I can drive an extra 75 miles on a full tank. Manual lists a standard of 400 miles on a full tank, but I've seen close to 400 with about 1/8 a tank to go on using just basic unleaded fuel.

One other thing I like is that the Windstar is a little shorter in length than a number of other vans on the market, which makes it a tad easier to find parking at times.