1995 Ford Windstar GL review from North America
"A real let down after years of faithful service"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Master cylinder failed and one of front brake calipers failed at about 60,000.
Passenger power window failed at about 95,000.
Head gasket failed with no warning until the day the engine was destroyed. Occurred at 100,600 miles and 7 1/2 years. Ford will not extend the warranty or do anything. The car was running a bit rough in very cold weather after a snow storm the previous day. Temperature gage showed car still cold after running 4 miles then when on a limited access highway, the temperature gauge went to hot. No check engine light or any other indication. At first exit (about 1 mile) pulled into a place to call. Noticed light grey vapor from exhaust. Stopped engine, waited for it to cool. Would not restart.
Towed to service station, which stated head gasket had blown and coolant was in engine. Dealer said that anything other than replacing engine was high risk because coolant probably damaged bearings. Cost to replace with re-manufactured engine: $4800 (Maryland) which is Kelley Blue Book wholesale value. We will probably junk it.
At about 70,000 miles, car failed to start twice. Replace starter solenoid and harness.
General comments?
Up until the gasket failure, the car was basically old faithful. I expected some problems as it aged, but not an engine replacement. Ford's unwillingness to make any concession for being just over 100,000 miles doesn't make me want to buy another car from them.
Car is roomy, and powerful. Mileage on trips was about 26, but in town less than 20. Seemed good compared to today's cars.
Rear and middle seats are a bear to remove and the rear one stays in the basement.
Recommended reviews
| Use it for target practice |
|
| Very poor engineering, quality and backing of product by Ford |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 1995 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Liter V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 30 miles |
| Most recent distance | 100618 miles |
| Previous car | Plymouth Voyager |
| Date of Entry | 9th December, 2002 |