1996 Ford Windstar GL review from North America
"This van is not worth $20,000 and I will never buy a Ford again"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Check engine light came on when we would go on long trips since we bought it.
On a vacation we had a complete tune up done to "correct" the engine light problem to the tune of about $500. It seemed to run better for a while.
Speedometer head is bad. Shop told us it would cost about $600 to repair. This seems to be a common problem.
Engine light has been on for over two months. I have had it in and out of two shops and they are puzzled. They replaced the plug wires and the temperature sensor. Still the engine light came on.
When I took it back a fourth time, they said it was the control module. Guaranteed that would fix the problem. I picked it up, drove it two miles and once again the engine light flashes and runs rough.
I have spent over $1300 and still have a van that runs like crap. Not sure if I am willing to throw any more money away.
General comments?
The transmission always has had a jerk on occassion.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 95 miles |
| Most recent distance | 103000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 18th August, 2001 |