1995 Ford Windstar LX review from North America
"Fix or repair daily - don't get a Windstar"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket blew @ 101,000
Power window doesn't work
Vehicle speed sensor
Change brakes every few months.
General comments?
After the head gasket blew on our Taurus, we decided to try Ford again and purchased a used Windstar. We had the vehicle 6 months when the head gasket blew. The vehicle was 1000 miles over the warranty period and Ford would do nothing for us. The dealer was worthless and customer service at Ford was horrible. We had no idea about the recall or we would have had it in to be replaced because we drive a lot of miles. Repair by a mechanic friend was over $1,000.
Power window quit working 2 months into having the van - still haven't been able to get that fixed - the part has been out of stock at the vendor - apparently because everyone else is having the same problem.
Now we have to replace the vehicle speed sensor. The check engine light came on and that was what the code said was the problem. The vehicle just shifts into a lower speed as you are driving down the road. Also having a problem with pick-up when trying to accelerate. Apparently we have to remove the exhaust system to get to the sensor.
Just replaced the brakes for the 4th time today. Going to try the carbon metallic pads instead of the semi-metallic pads. Hope that will make a difference.
Luckily I work for an auto parts store now and can get a discount on the parts. But I see a lot of Windstar owners at my job and at least half have had head gasket problems, and they are coming in because the check engine light is on...
Recommended reviews
| Costly kid carrier |
| Use it for target practice |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 140000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Taurus |
| Date of Entry | 6th October, 2002 |