This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Vehicle has been to the dealership 5 times for the same hard shifting, transmission problem since new. Problem is better, but I expect failure before warranty expires. The transmission has a hard 1-2 shift since I bought it new on 13 Jan 98. The lemon law caused firm to offer me an extended warranty of 5 years/75,000 miles instead of fixing the problem. I'm very dissatisfied with the transmission, and dealership service shop's performance. Recently, the brakes have developed a vibration and the engine sometimes stalls at slow speeds. I took the van back to the dealership on Monday 5 April 99 for the same transmission problem, and the two new problems. The last several new vehicles I've purchased have been Ford. My next vehicle probably won't be a Ford.
I have had my 1998 Ford Windstar for less than one year. It has been out of service for transmission problems 4 times. The first time they replaced the clutch pistons, second time they replaced the transmission. I am continuing to have problems with severe shifting between 1st and 2nd or 2nd to 1st. Ford Motor Company will only offer me an extended warranty, although they say they can not fix the problem. I am concerned for my safety and my the safety of my children. I have several friends having the same problem with their 98 Windstar only theirs have now begun to downshift when traveling on the highway! this is a safety hazard and Ford doesn't care help!!!
- Bluffton, SC, USA
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Transmission would jerk as if being rearended. Front end would work itself loose. Had to replace bushings, tracking bar & motor mounts due to being defective. Vehicle is not drivable after being in an accident.
Automatic transmissions failed twice in less than one year. Each failure resulted in a replacement transmission from the Ford dealer. This vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it and two transmissions have been replaced. I have requested a replacement vehicle from Ford due to the unreliable performance of this vehicle. I was told by the Ford consumer hotline that it is not their policy to replace a vehicle, only to repair or fix as needed.
While driving on the highway the transmission abruptly downshifted to 2nd gear. After getting off the highway, vehicle would not shift out of 1st gear. This happened, 3 times and had vehicle had been towed to the dealership twice. The dealership has not been able to find anything wrong, or to duplicate the problem.
Consumer was traveling, upon making a stop when approaching an intersection, the vehicle shifted gears from drive into netrual. Without knowing consumer depressed the accelerator, and the engine raced up and the vehicle was at a dead stop. Consumer contacted the dealer, dealer replaced parts within the transmission.
Our entire family (two adults, two chilldren both under age 10) were in the car when this incident occurred, and could have easily been killed. We had just exited the outer loop of the Washington, D.C. capital beltway and were in the process of slowing to a stop at the light at the end of the exit ramp, when we heard a loud thud from our transmission. When we started again the car seemed to hesitate. It went another two blocks and then the transmission completely failed in the car, leaving us in the right lane in an intersection with no way to move the vehicle. None of the gears worked. Our car spent 12 days in the dealership being fixed. This could be a potential life threatening problem if this occurs while someone is on the highway (as we almost were), and I felt I should report it. I haven't yet contacted Ford about this, but I plan to.
There was an engine head gasket leakage and the dealer fixed the leak. Also, the vehicle will shift from first gear into second gear, and from second to first while driving or sitting in traffic. The dealer can't detemine the problem, and the vehicle has been in the shop three times and they can't find the problem.
The consumer has experienced problems with gas tank. The consumer statevehicle doesn't hold the capacity of gas that is stated on the sticker. The gas tank gauge will read empty when it has 4+gallons gas. The manufacturer has been to be contacted. Two repair attempts and both failed and currently third repair has been postponed due to lack of parts. The transmission has developed a second leak..et.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Gainseville, GA, USA