1999 Ford Windstar from North America - Comments

I bought a new 99 Windstar and the transmission blew yesterday at 59,000 miles. The dealer wants $3000 to replace it with a rebuilt transmission. Every other manufacturers have extended their warranty on the transmission to 100,000 miles if a problem is known to exist. Why is Ford not doing it when every other Windstar has this issue. In this tough economic times, spending $3000 on a transmission, I will have to feed my kids only once a day for another year. Please plan to open a class action lawsuit if some kind Attorney is reading this.

Unbelievable!! Embarrassed original owner of a 99Ford Windstar LX piece of crap with 119,000 miles on it. Had all the problems mentioned, & just replaced rack & pinion & needed a full tune up. OUCH.

Now just 3 weeks later, it won't start yet again.. they think it's a fuel pump (again!) but who knows.

I think everything in the car is new except the crappy interior.

We've also have the "phantom" interior lights go off & on for no reason for years, it's the running joke in the house.

Sad part is, we know it's a piece of crap but can't afford a car payment until at least June, so we keep throwing $$ at it to try & make it through. Even our mechanic WHO IS A FORD MECHANIC AT A DEALERSHIP says the cars are crap (by the way, he drives a foreign car.. what's that tell you?)

I know I'll be running to another brand of car first chance I can... you couldn't give me a Ford to drive again even if it was free.

Oh boy oh boy. I bought a 99 Ford Windstar second hand in August 2007. It had already had a rebuilt engine and tranny installed in Nov 2006 (according to repair bills included). I paid $3200 for the van and I figured it already had the major repairs done, so I should be able to expect at least 2 years out of this van before I am forced to scrap it and get something else.

My interior lights flash on and off when they want. Used to be just when I went over a bump, but now anything or nothing can trigger it.

Last month when it started to get cool at night, I switched my A/C to heat.. just cold air. I took the van in to a mechanic who tells me a "door" has to be replaced. Must remove whole dash, looking at 6-7 hours labour plus the part. The motor itself from Ford could cost 6-7 hundred?? I say thanks but no thanks, take it somewhere else and they jimmy it, so I have no A/C but my heat Works total bill 363 incl tax.. too bad I had to pay the idiot $100.00 to tell me it could not be fixed for under $1000.00 labour alone.

I am really hoping I can get one more year with no tranny or rack and pinion problems I have been reading about.. then I will feel I have gotten my $$ worth. Having said all that, it is a very comfortable van to drive.

Wish me luck!

I've rebuilt a few "worth while" vehicles for our family; fun stuff for me. Anyway, someone gave me their '98 Limited, "top of the line" loaded, with leather, Ford Windstar. The motor started knocking, and they didn't want to bother getting it fixed.

168,000 KM on it (a little over 100,000 miles).

I've got the motor out and taken apart. I've discovered that the intake gasket had leaked anti-freeze into the bottom end, and took out all the con rod bearings. The oil must have foamed up; everything was dry. Total rebuild parts are ordered $1400 (that's everything from pistons, rings, crank shaft, cam, timing, etc). The heads are good.

I was told that the tranny was good, but I decided to pull it apart, since it's out. I found two broken steel plates in the clutch packs; the tranny was ready to go "BANG". Total tranny rebuild kit with bands and bushings is $400.

Everything else checks out fine. Ball joints, tie rods, and the rack/pinion are good. All electrical systems are good. 'Should have it running in two or three weeks of "after work" tinkering in my shop.

I can see your plights with this vehicle; what a mess. You should get at least 200,000 KM (120,000 miles) out of a vehicle. And even then, with proper maintenance, you shouldn't have this much damage.

Anyway, one man's garbage is another mans treasure. If I can get 60,000 to 70,000 miles (100,000 KM) out of this, I'm laughin'.

I had a '97 Grand Caravan with 250,000 KM on it before it burnt a valve, blew the fuel pump, and the transmission seals. After fixing it, I gave it to my daughter. It now has almost 300,000 KM on it, and the original tranny shifts like new. That's the way a vehicle should be!

Ha ha ha Guys you make me cry!! Well the same here, but even "worse".

I took my Windstar 1999 SEL to a Ford dealer for an oil change, and inspection, I guess for about $29.00.

Well, left the van for a couple hours, I came back and they said, there is a little problem... Yes?? "well" the transmission went off... and, Fine, !! Now... (I said), are you going to be responsible and fix it, and give to me running the same way I left it here??

SORRY WE CAN'T since we at FORD SERVICE, we drove your vehicle in "your behalf". Sorry but you will have to pay in full for the fix, and he said... Ohhh BTW you can feel "FREE" to contact your "Lawyer", we have been thru this many times..

I ended up paying for the 2200 new transmission,.. just to add to the insult!! Exactly two weeks later (the rack and pinion) went bad... I wonder if they had anything to do with it... Who knows... and about the flickering lights ha ha ha so true!!... NO MORE FORD!!

Hello, I have owned 2 1999 Windstars. The first Windstar was a great running van, I had NO problems with it until a drunk driver decided I no longer needed it and he totalled my parked van.

Although the van was totalled, I was impressed on how the injuries would have been at a minimum to any passengers! A strong cabin indeed!

With the insurance money, I got another 99 windstar. Now I am nervous! Sensors going out, and the problems I am seeing in this forum.

I will replace the sensors on this van and hope for the best!

Good luck to you all!

Crazy Tiger.

Yep... phantom interior lights flicker off and on, brake lights burn out after 2 months, rack assembly leaks power steering fluid into the boots, a/c just went out last week, check engine light came on at 33,000 miles and has been on ever since (mechanic reset multiple times - back on after a few weeks), shocks are out, power windows don't work and then they do work and then they don't work (which sucks because the AC is out and we live in south Texas), paint on both hood and roof peeling off in large quantities, can remove key from ignition and engine stays running, power locks unlock in back after 2 or 3 tries.

All this and we are still under 70K miles. All that said, it still starts when I turn the key (unless the battery is dead from the phantom lights going on in the middle of the night.)

I don't need advice or even an apology from FORD (although it is probably due), I just find this forum as a kind of therapy for my Windstar issues. Windstar owners, I feel your pain. Next time buy a Honda.

Happened to me just last night! Stopped at a stop light, took foot off brake, stepped on gas, heard loud "clunk", stuck at the front of the line. Waved traffic around me for two lights until they stopped back far enough for me to reverse off to the side of the road. Insurance Roadside assistance paid for tow which took almost two hours to get there. Waiting for the call from the dealer. The van has actually performed well since we bought it new. Not much more than regular oil changes. Just drove it about 4000 miles over Thanksgiving break from NE to CT to VA to NE. It's got about 120K on it, and I recently put new front brakes and four new tires on it, so I'll probably pay the $2K and drive it another 50K before it dies. Interior and exterior still look good. Oh well.

Guys, I am having the same problem with my 99 Ford. Lights flicker. In the last 4 months I have replaced transmission, replaced "door" for the heater, replaced motor for windshield. The motor mounts went out, ball joints are going bad. I was wondering with all the trouble we are having and it sounds like it is all hitting around the same time. Could there be a problem with these vehicles. Could we file some report? Let's research this and see what we can come up with. conleysj@citcom.net is my email. I think we could have a case.

I have a 99 Ford Windstar (I feel that's how everyone starts their story). Anyways it has been a great everyday van. My partner and I have driven across America - twice.

Well now at 110K miles, the car has officially died. I was told the transmission has seen its last leg and I'm better off turning it in for parts. But leading up to this point, the lights have stopped working, the driver side window only works when it's 6' degrees outside (that's for real) and the heater in the front went out two months ago, yeah just in time for winter.

Again I haven't really thought much of these smaller things, but when the transmission threw the car back 5ft and leveled the ground, I knew this was not normal. Well until I read this website. I thought I could fix this trans. thing, but I guess the car is done and done for.

I have a 2000 Ford Windstar SEL and just Googled my problems with it, to find that everyone else is having them too! Not that it's expensive, but extremely annoying, my headlights and brake lights burn out every 4-5 months, have the occasional phantom interior lights, and one brake light that sticks "on" or comes on with a mind of its own during the night and has drained my battery multiple times. Check engine light has been on for ~ 4 years. Any fixes for these annoying electrical issues?

Well I feel bad for all of you who have had so many problems with you 1999 Ford Windstar.

I as well own a 99 Windstar, and it has been nothing but GREAT for me. I have owned it since new and have had absolutely NO problems with it. Until the last couple of months. And believe it or not, it has 345000 kms on it.

A month or two ago the lights starting flickering regularly, and now they just don't work so that solves that problem.

Also, within the last 2 months, cruise control, heat, odometer, speedometer, and power windows all gave up. I figured there had to be a reason for this so I figured out that the brake pressure deactivation switch (switch that shuts off cruise) was leaking onto some electrical wires underneath, which was shorting our fuse 10. So for $31 at the dealer, I bought the part and replaced it within 20 minutes.

Other than these few problems, in 11 years it has been a joy to own this van. Hang in there Windstar owners!!!

Same problems here with the Windstar, flickering cabin lights, A/C doesn't work (just had if "fixed" 4 months ago), power windows do not work. So yes, we have no A/C and no windows that will open... in Florida! My poor husband was laid off from his job 3 months ago and has yet to find a job so we have no money for repairs. Wish we had gone with another brand. Our 4 children hate going anywhere in that thing!

Thanks to Jan 25 2:13 Commenter - very helpful. I have a 7am appointment with the dealer tomorrow and was going to ask them about cruise control and flickering lights, but now I will have my dear husband look into this.

I am not a Ford Windstar hater, but I am tired of the nickle and dime things that have plagued us since we got it. My 10 year old Volvo didn't hurt my pocket as bad as my own country's manufactured auto. With all the stuff going on with US automakers, my pride is fading - next one is foreign. (It even sounds funny to say!)

I can't believe how many Windstars have the flickering light problem!! Unreal! I thought it was just some weird thing that could only happen to me :) I also had to replace my tranny within 6 mos. of buying my (used) '95 Windstar, but otherwise mine has been pretty good - I actually loved that van and miss driving it. I do not miss being stranded when my battery died due to the light problem!