1997 Ford Windstar Interior & seats Problems

TL*- THE CONTACT WAS SITTING IN VAN , THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VAN STATED TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE. AT WHICH POINT HE LOOKED AT THE DRIVER SEAT AND NOTICED THAT THE VAN WAS ON FIRE. THE HE PUT OUT THE INITIAL FIRE. WHEN HE LOOKED UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT HE NOTICED THERE WERE MORE FLAMES. THE NEXT DAY HE SAW THAT THERE WERE WIRES UNDER THE SEAT. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VA WITH THE SEAT IS DAMAGED DUE TO THE FIRE. CONTACT DRIVE THE VAN HOME.

NHTSA ID

10176471

Incident

Dec 14, 2006

Mileage

115,000 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATES HAS BEEN HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SINCE 2002. ON APRIL 28, 2004 THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT PROVIDING AN ACCURATE SPEED READING. ON DECEMBER 9, 2004 THE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR SLIDE PROPERLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND DETERMINED THAT THE SLIDE WHEELS WERE DRY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH, AND NOW IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. ON FEBRUARY 5, 2005 THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 75, 172 MILES, AND ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005 THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10144086

Incident

Feb 11, 2005

Mileage

75,172 mi

CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO PUT CHILD IN REAR MIDDLE SEAT. TS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10004615

Incident

Oct 15, 2002

WE HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 115,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THE VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY WITH CONCERNS THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN. THEY BLEW US OFF LIKE WE WERE IDIOTS!! WE HAD TO HAVE THE DOOR WINDOWS REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, THE LATCH ASSEMBLY ON THE HATCH BROKE WE TOOK IT IN AND HAD REPAIRED THEN APPROXIMATELY 1YEAR LATER IT BROKE AGAIN! OF COURSE THAT TIME IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE LATCH, INSTEAD THEY WANTED ME TO PAY $250 TO REPLACE A PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT COULD NOT BE PURCHASED SEPERATELY! THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER QUIT WORKING. WE ALSO HAVE TO PERIODICALLY SCRAPE AND CLEAN THE SENSOR FOR THE SLIDING DOOR OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT STOP DINGING. THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR CRACKED THE FIRST WINTER, IT WAS REPLACED AND THE REPLACEMENT CRACKED THE NEXT WINTER. RIGHT NOW THIS VAN IS NOT RUNNING AND WE HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD PRESSURE CHECKED AND RESURFACED, WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS, ETC... IF WE ARE LUCKY WE WILL HAVE A VAN THAT RUNS IF NOT WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WHICH WILL BE AROUND $4500 OR MORE. WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED. I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THESE SERVICES ESPECIALLY SINCE WE TOOK THIS VAN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE OUR O2 SENSORS!! FORD IS JUNK!!!

NHTSA ID

754556

Incident

Jul 2, 2001

BROUGHT VAN IN FIRST TIME AND GOT CHARGED $132.00 FOR THEM TO TELL ME NOTHING IS WRONG,PROBLEM KEEPS HAPPENING WHEN DRIVING . FORD WANT ME TO RETURN IT WHEN IT HAPPENS AND CANNOT DO THIS. ITERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. I DON'T WANT TO GET STRIANDED WITH MY 3 CHILDREN. *AK

NHTSA ID

719674

Incident

Nov 20, 1999

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. NLM

NHTSA ID

549928

MY WIFE HAS A DAMAGED SPINAL COLUMN DUE TO FLAWED NATURE OF VAN SEATS. OUR PRIVATE DOCTOR, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT STEVE MARSH FORD AT MILAN, TENNESSEE HAVE BOTH STATED THAT WINDSTAR VAN HAVE A FLAWED SEAT DESIGN. ALSO VIRTUALLY EVERYONE I HAVE TALKED TO WHO HAVE DRIVEN A WINDSTAR FOR LENGTHY PERIODS OF TIME STATE THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AND PAINFUL. OUR SEAT WAS A SPECIAL SEAT DESIGNED TO MOVE FORWARD TO ALLOW FOR DRIVER SIDE ENTRY INTO VAN. THE SITTING PORTION OF SEAT IS FLAWED AND DURING PROLONGED DRIVING THE POSTERIOR BECOMES NUMB, PAINED AND IN THE CASE OF MY WIFE DAMAGED. THE VAN IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE AND HAS NEARLY GOTTEN MY FAMILY KILLED DUE TO FACT THE PAIN CAUSED BY THE SEATS CAUSES ON TO SQUIRM AND TRY TO MOVE THE BODY RESULTING IN LOSS OF SAFE CONTROL OF VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

708421

Incident

Jan 1, 1998

THE BACK SEAT SHOULDER BELT STRAPS WERE REROUTED AT DEALERSHIP DUE TO LOCKING MECHANISMS. THE BACK REST OF FRONT SEAT WAS ADJUSTED FORWARD, THE SEAT BELT HARNESS GOT CAUGHT AND WAS SO TIGHT THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO RELEASE IT. CONSUMER 'S SIX YEAR OLD GOT INTO THE SEAT AND RELEASED BACK FORWARD, SHE GOT CAUGHT AND TRAPPED IN THE SEAT. THE THIRD TIME WHEN CLEANING THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT BUCKET SEAT LEANED BACKWARD AND LOOKED UPWARD. AT THE SAME TIME, IF RELEASED THE BACK SO THE HEAD REST COULD COME FORWARD AND IT CREATED A (V). THE TOPS OF THE TWO HEADRESTS CAUGHT CONSUMER'S HAND,. A YOUNGER CHILD COULD HANG HIMSELF IF IN THAT POSITION. CONSUMER HAS YOUNG CHILDREN. THIS VEHICLE HAS HIGH BACK BUCKET SEATS. CONSUMER WILL ADD VIN.# THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS. *AK

NHTSA ID

831694

FRONT SEATS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE.

NHTSA ID

536816

FRONT DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN UNSAFE OPERATION OF VEHICLE BY DRIVER DUE TO PAIN. ALSO, RESULTING IN VARIOUS FRUSTRATING BODY MOVEMENTS MADE BY DRIVER TO RELIEVE PAIN. THIS HAS CAUSED NEAR FATAL CRASHES. *AK

NHTSA ID

533366