1995 Ford Windstar LX review from North America

Computer Failure.

Head Gasket blown at 63,000 miles.

Tailgate switch failed at 11,000 miles.

Driver's side window motor failed.

Wears out tires in less than 20,000 miles.

Transmission failed at 87,000 miles

Engine failed at 87,200 miles

Water pump failed at 90,000 and 110,000 miles.

Radiator failed at 112,000 miles.

Power steering pump threatening to fail.

Right rear brake light doesn't work because of a "computer problem" (~$1200)

Headlight lens have turned yellow and fogged causing replacement.

Up-shifting or downshifting in transmission is often with a loud "clunk"

Car now has loud rumbling noise from transmission (failing again?)

I purchased this vehicle new because of its amenities, low step-in height, and rumors of Ford's quality being much better than in the past. Had it not been for the extended warranty, we would have scrapped this lemon several years ago. To date I have spent $4000 out of pocket and the warranty company has spent more than $16,000 on this vehicle. This vehicle has no redeeming quality about it. It has poor mileage, poor performance, and poor reliability. I would have been willing to accept the problems had the dealing been willing to admit that the car had serious design defects. After replacing the engine, I went to drive the car out of the dealer parking lot and immediately felt there was a problem with the transmission. I drove around the block and back into the service department. Their response was "It was working fine when we finished with it..." I guess it broke in the 100 yards or so that it was driven.

A number of frame and front-end specialists have tried to adjust the suspension on this beast so that it doesn't wear out tires. The best tires I have found get to 19,000 miles before the steel in the tire sticks out. Ford dealership acknowledges that Windstars have a "slight" tire-wear problem.

As more an more door sensors fail, I have just been disabling them. The side door sensor requires 2 hours of labor to repair. (~250). Now the lights never go out inside the vehicle.

All in all this was a poor decision on my part to purchase this vehicle. I will never buy another Ford product. I wanted to buy domestic and this is what I got for it. I'm going back to Toyota and buying a replacement for this van. I have had my 20+ years of good service/products from them.