Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
EA96026; THE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING LIGHT COMES ON, AND THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
REPLACED DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. ALSO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON.
FAULTY/DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKET, CAUSING OIL LEAK. *AK
TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE, THEN SUDDENLY IT WOULD JERK FORWARD. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAK.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING
CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE IDLING A BIT ROUGH AND JERKING ON HIGHWAY. THE HEATER WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, THEN CONSUMER NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE POSSIBLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO TOOK THE ENGINE APART, AND SAW THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS FAULTY, THEN REPLACED IT. THERE WERE OTHER PROBLEMS DUE TO FAULTY HEAD GASKET WHICH ALL WERE REPAIRED. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
HEAD GASKET FAILURE. (TSB #98-4-9)
FAULTY SEALS AND BOLTS ON THE HEAD GASKETS CAUSE COOLANT LEAKAGE AND OVERHEATING.
STRESS CRACK IN WHEEL CAUSED NOISE FROM WHEEL
HEAD GASKETS FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TO MISS AND HESITATE.
ENGINE GASKET FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT INTO ENGINE.
DOOR LOCKS ARE DIFFICULT TO OPEN WITH THE ORIGINAL KEYS.
SPEEDOMETER READS INACCURATELY.
TRANSMISSION FAILED WHEN GOING 45MPH. WHENEVER GAS IS GIVEN ENGINE WOULD RACE & THEN SLAM INTO GEAR (3RD GEAR) AFTER STOPPING & THEN TAKING OFF. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED ALUMINUM ENGINE CYLINDER WAS CRACKED. *AK
FORT CLUTCH PISTON MOTOR FAILED.
ENGINE GASKET FAILURE.
ENGINE GASKET FAILURE.
ENGINE FAILURE.
BRAKE LIGHT FAILED.
HORN RELAY SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING HORN TO BLOW CONTINUOUSLY.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING TWO ACCIDENTS.
WHILE BACKING VEHICLE FROM PARKING SPACE THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH CONCRETE PARKING BUMPER AT AN ANGLE. THE METAL FRAME HOLDING THE AXLE COLLAPSED ON ONE SIDE PUSHING THE WHEEL FORWARD INTO THE WHEEL WELL.
BLOWN HEAD GASKET.
MAJOR DELAY ON THE RECALL PART.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLEY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN CCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SUSTAIN INJURIES. *AK
AS A RESULT OF THE GRINDING OF A BEARING A PORTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN WAS SHAVED OFF
FELL ASLEEP WITH RIGHT ARM RESTING ON HEAT VENT BETWEEN SEATS. GOT SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON ARM
TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES.
AFTER ARRIVING HOME, HAD TURNED OFF HEAD LIGHTS. THEY FAILED TO TURN OFF. HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THIS HAD HAPPENED 4 DIFFERENT TIMES. TOOK TO DEALER & THE MECHANIC UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. ITS INTERMITTENT ONLY. *AK
ENGINE GASKET FAILURE.
BLOWN HEAD GASKETS.
BLOWN ENGINE GASKET.
VEHICLE HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WINDOWS FROM THE DRIVER'S CONTROLS. DRIVE ASSEMBLY AND ELECTRICAL REGULATOR REPLACED ON THE RIGHT SIDE WINDOW, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED.
NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND FOUND A STRESS CRACK IN THE RIM.
NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND FOUND A STRESS CRACK IN THE RIM.
ENGINE BLEW THE HEAD GASKET.
ENGINE FAILURE FIRST DUE TO BLOWN GASKET, SECOND TIME DUE TO CRANKSAFT ROD BEARING FAILURE.
VEHICLE PULLING AND GRINDING RESULTING IN TIRE WEAR DUE TO SUSPENSION PROBLEMS.
TRANSMISSISON CRACKED, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE OF FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING SMOKE.
AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING A MINOR CRASH, VEHICLE SUSTAINED ONLY SCRATCHES. PASSENGER'S ARM WAS BROKEN IN FOUR PLACES WHEN THE AIRBAG CRUSHED HER LEFT ARM AGAINST THE ARM REST.
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION CAUSING INJURIES TO CONSUMERS FACE AND NECK.
WHEN VAN HIT A CURB GOING ABOUT 15 MPH BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE DRIVER'S FOREHEAD/NOSE AND EYES. THE FUMES FROM THE AIR BAG CAUSED THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER TO LOSE THEIR BREATH. THE VAN HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED.
LIGHTS INSIDE AND THE DOOR AJAR LAMP STAYS ON WHEN ALL DOORS ARE CLOSED AND THE ENGINE IS STARTED. INSIDE LAMP GOES OFF AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE IN ON BUT STAYS ON WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF UNTIL THE BATTERY IS DRAINED.
TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 36969 MILES.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Ford Windstar → · Every Windstar year → · How the figures are calculated →