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.
After a full stop vehicle will not move in any gears. Problem is intermittent. Engine will still idle like it's in neutral. Dealer can't find what's wrong because won't duplicate.
Ford issued a tsb 97-22-13 in Oct '97 for this was third serious problem. Yet, when I returned the car to the dealer the dealer said he never heard of this problem and wanted the car till he could discover it. The real issue is that this neutral condition after a stop was not a complete neutral condition but rather the van started up slowly till it reached 3 mph and then would go no faster. Imagine starting across a highway in front of a truck and only finding out that you cannot go faster than 3 mph in drive. Ford should have recalled all models affected and replaced the transmission immediately. It took two dealers visits and a rental car for two days before I got someone to admit that there was a known problem and they would fix it for me. Without the warranty it would have cost me $ $2,500.
On occasion the transmission willl become locked in second and sometimes third gear. It refuses to shift gears properly and when it does shift its shifts roughly and sporatically. My belief is that there is a short in the wiring somewhere.
- Bronx, NY, USA
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The transmission was replaced, but has still slipped again, I am writing this after hearing the report on tv about the transmission problems with the 95 minivans. This occured when I stopped at a light, and when it would finally go forward, it gave us all a real hard jerk, then drove it more and about 86 miles later, it did it again. The dealership replaced the transmisssion, but I am still not sure of the safety of this vehicle. I contacted Ford motor and no action taken. They had a recall on the day-light on the van. I took it to the dealereship and with the letter and they still have not done anything there. I wonder if the transmission problem is related to the 95 problems"?"
1. transmission: The vehicle would act as if it were in neutral after coming to a stop. Sometimes this would happen right as I pulled into an intersection, leaving me in the path of oncoming traffic with no power. 2. A/C: the control module failed to engage the A/C but still cycled the idle speed. This was dangerous because the braking required to hold the vehicle at a stop was insufficient when the idle randomly surged to high. Both failures had potential to cause accident but were repaired before any incident occurred.
There are two significant safety issues that we continue to experience with our 1998 Ford Windstar. The transmission continues to intermittently "neutral" at the worst possible times. The effect of this is that the vehicle will begin into an intersection and then the transmission will disengage and the RPM of the engine will race. At this point the transmission might engage after several seconds with a jolt, screeching the tires. In some cases we have had to shift into park and back into drive several times to get the transmission to engage. When this first occurred, we had only owned the car for less than two months and it would only happen every few hundred miles. Ford had to place a "flight recorder" in the vehicle to verify that it was happening. Ford replaced the transmission in early 1999. We began experiencing the problem again in the summer of 2000 and Ford has been unable to repair this problem. We have had it in the shop a total of 12 times with the symptom manifesting itself multiple times in between. The vehicle has been in the shop almost continually since July 15th, 2000 and is still there as of this submission. If it were not for extreme defensive driving and anticipation of the problem that has helped us avoid an accident so far. However, we continue to have the car delivered to us that is supposed to be repaired and we continually have the same problem. The second problem is also reoccurring and deals with the ABS brakes continually going out of adjustment. When they are out of adjustment the stopping power of the car in emergency situations is greatly impaired. The brakes are self-adjusting but continue to be out of adjustment. We have had this problem looked at by four different Ford dealerships and they readjust the brakes that only corrects the problem for a short period of time. The brakes continue to go out adjustment and Ford denies that this is a problem, even though it continues to happen.
While traveling on freeway at 40 mph vehicle commenced to stop moving while engine was still running. Vehicle towed to dealer for repairs at consumer's cost. Also, manufacturer notified, and informed that vehicle was out of its warranty, and nothing could or will be done. Feel free to provide any further details.
Experienced irratic transmission shifting at 65 mph in rain. Car swirved out of control however I was able to recover to side of road. Transmission is stuck in 1st gear it appears. Taking to dealer 10/09/2000 because of holiday wait.
Transmission suddenly started cycling through the gears causing engine to rev up and the gears shifting with hard clunks. Afterward, it would not shift into overdrive and we were forced to drive at slow speed on shoulder. Transmission shop could not reproduce problem. Fluid was clean and no codes were detected on scan.
When at a stoplight transmission goes into neutral unnoticed, but when you step on the gas the engine revvs up and then suddenly jumps back into gear and shoots out into traffic with out warning. Ford knows of the problem, and told me it was a aluminum piston that fails in the trans. But wants over $2000 dollars to fix it because I didn't report it soon enough. I was lucky that the intersection was empty, or it could have been a bad accident! this is clearly a safety problem that Ford does not want to deal with. I want to know if there are any others out there with this problem" I called several transmission shops and they all knew of the problem, even some of the Ford dealers admitted that the transmission is defective! for $26000 the trans. Only lasted 2yrs. Is there anything I can do"
Driving nys thruway @ 65mph about 5:30pm when suddenly without warning transmission dropped from overdrive to first gear. Sudden change from highway speed toparking lot speed required great skill of following drivers to aviod running over us and creating a rush hour chain reaction traffic pileup. Agency denies type problems with that transmission, Ford has not responded to my letter. Help!
1. transmission will shift erratically, and a loud noise will occur and motor will shake. Ford engineering was sent out and determined transmission needed work, but no dealer will honor warranty. 2. brakes will fail in the winter and in slippery roads, causing pedal to go to floor and vehicle will not stop. 3. all doors lock by themselves/ lights flash on and off, and heater and defroster motor will come on even without the key in the igntion. Vehicle will even start up by itself.
After backing out of a driveway, from a complete stop transmission made a grinding sound when shifting to drive.transmission experienced a complete failure after driving 1/2 mile down the road.Ford mechanic informed me that an aluminum part was used in this model year, then Ford changed it back to steel on rebuilt and subsequent year models.Ford never issued a recall on this problem.dealer said they would replace the transmission for $500 plus deductable for an extended service plan.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Reynoldsburg, OH, USA