Transmission Fluid Leaking Problems of Ford Windstar

Transmission problem. The transmission was replaced 4 times within 60k mile interval while following the 30k transmission fluid flush. A flashing o/d light comes on and the transmission will die out of nowhere and the past few times it has been on the highway going 75 mph with no warning, smoke, lights, etc. I had the transmission start smoking from the engine bay even though the fluid was changed. Now there is a massive transmission fluid leak. There have been thousands of owners who report a bad design of the Ford Windstar 2003 transmission and it needs to be recalled. The Ford freestar was recalled for the transmission issue, but the Windstar wasn't. Why not? both models use the same transmission. It is a safety issue and Ford is not willing to acknowledge the issue with the vehicle and recall the vehicle to fix the transmission problem.

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The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving 2 mph, transmission fluid leaked from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was diagnosed at carriage Ford dealer located in clarksville, indiana where it was determined that there was a fractured transmission casing in the vehicle. The dealer under NHTSA campaign number: 11v030000 (structure) and 10v385000 (suspension) previously repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact with case number: cas-13693189. The failure mileage was 175,000. The VIN was not available.

Transmission just started slipping out of nowhere , stopped for a red light put in nuetral light turns green and I put it into drive and start to roll the van wouldnt budge looked out the window and leaking alot of transmission fluid . Parked it in nearby parking lot added tranny fluid still not drivable and wont move in any gear.

Ford Windstar seems to be a good vehicle at first. With age numerous problems continue to happen. Service shops regard problems as common for a Ford Windstar. I think Ford ignores the problems. My husband and I are loyal Ford owners, I don't know how much longer we will continue. Currently the abs& brake lights are on. Transmission leaked out all of the fluid while driving, had to rebuild trans. Speedometer doesn't work properly when brake lights are on. Engine light is on, numerous codes for this problem.

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The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began decelerating and losing power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician advised that the transmission seal had failed and caused transmission fluid to leak when the temperature of the vehicle increased. The technician also advised that the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the transmission was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

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2001 Ford Windstar. I took it to the dealership to have some safety recalls done. A few days later I was driving along and smoke started boiling out from under the hood so I pulled over and by the time I got stopped and got the kids out safely it quit smoking. I raised the hood and could see some burned wiring under the brake master cylinder. We got back in and drove on then the transmission started shifting wrong and the brake pedal didn't feel right,it felt spongy. I took it to my mechanic who is ase master and Ford senior master certified. He replaced the trans range sensor and told me that the fire was caused by a defective cruise control deactivation switch leaking brake fluid. He replaced the switch and advised me to take it back to the dealer and have them do the recall which is what they were supposed to have done in the first place. He said that it also had a damaged abs module and wiring and that was part of the recall. I called them and they said they only did the rear axle recall that was on the letter I got from Ford. My mechanic said that they were required by law to complete all safety recalls while it was in their possesion. I am going to take it back but I'm afraid to drive it cause it hardly has any brakes. My mechanis said it was because all the brake fluid leaked out of the switch and got air in the lines.

I have a Ford Windstar year 1999. About two weeks ago the two brake lights went on, I had a fuse # 10 blown and a non working speedometer dial. ( the cruise control has three months that is not working) I did take a look at the owner's manual. In the manual I read that reason for the break light to come on was the lower level of brake fluid in the reservoir and so it was. I added some brake fluid and the light was off. In the mean time I did checked the fuse panel and I found this fuse #10 was blown and I replaced it, but half an hour later I got a blown fuse again. Also the abs light was on and so I decided to see a mechanic. I did go to a repair shop and I was told that my van has a serious problem. Scds under the master cylinder has developed a bad leak. The scds switch is leaking and that may cause a fire sooner or later. This leak has caused a short and a fuse trip #10 this break fluid leak has wicked down the wires to the abs module. I was told that this leaky switch has caused all the problem in my van. Speedometer, cruise control and abs brake system are not working. I was told that there may be a recall on this problems. I do not knowany thing about it. I know that it was a recall issued on August 27,2010 in regard with rear axel. I never got any notice from Ford CO. I had a broken rear axel on March 2010 and I was saved by good luck. I paid a lot of money to fix it. Ford did not pay a dime for this problem. Ford never sends me any recall notices. I'm never going to buy Ford cars again.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving approximately 30 mph the contact heard a rubbing noise underneath the rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the rear axle was bent. The rear axle was replaced by the independent mechanic. The failure has not recurred since the vehicle was repaired; however, transmission fluid has leaked out of the vehicle. The transmission leak was not diagnosed by the dealer. The failure and current mileages were 123,000.

1998 Ford Windstar transmission fluid leaking out under the motor.

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When driving van in hot weather or going up steep hills or grades the transmission will start leaking out transmission fluid. Enough will be coming out to create a visible cloud of smoke behind the vehicle as it is hitting the exhaust system. Had new trans axle seal installed but the problem still is there. If you park the van for about 45 minutes it quits leaking and you can proceed. For some reason the fluid gets so hot it is basically boiling out of the transmission.

2000 Ford Windstar transmission leaking. It started intermittently and then became more serious. Leaving a stream and trail of transmission fluid in my garage, my driveway and the street in front of my house. I have brought it to a reputable transmission repair shop and they tell me I need a complete rebuild. I have received a second opinion which is the same as the first. The lowest repair cost is $2200. After researching for similar issues with the Ford Windstar, I am amazed that there are several (too many) complaints regarding the same problem. This cannot be coincidence. If the transmission design Ford provided in these vehicles is not reliable, Ford needs to step up and repair these issues under warranty even though it has long expired. Chrysler realized they had an issue and revised their warranties to 10 years and 100,000 miles. Ford needs to follow suit.

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: the contact stated a burning smell was present after the vehicle was parked. Upon inspection, there was transmission fluid on the ground of the driveway. Underneath the vehicle there was fluid leaking out of the servo cover of the transmission. The dealer was contacted and faxed a copy of the NHTSA recall #97v097000. The contact was told that the transmission mechanic stated there was no recalls pertaining to the servo cover and there were never any vehicles repaired at that dealership according to the NHTSA recall. When the dealer was asked to fix the vehicle based on the recall, the contact was told the information meant nothing to them. The manufacturer was contacted who expressed that they could not authorized repairs for the vehicle under the NHTSA recall.

I was sitting at a traffic light and went to pull away when the light turned green. There was very loud noise, like an explosion, and the van lurched forward. At first I thought another driver hit us and I was bracing for the impact. Fortunately, we had not been hit, but the van would not move more than a few feet at that point. I managed to pull as far over as I could in the traffic lane, although I could not reach the shoulder, and turned on my hazards. There had been no warning at all that anything was wrong with the van at that point. No warning lights, no leaking fluid, and it was still running-it just wouldn't move forward or reverse. I had been driving it all day, and I am the primary driver. The transmission seemed to be working just fine up until that point. I had not noticed any slipping or any other problems. Once it was towed to the dealer, we found out that the transmission had totally failed and we are now paying $2600 for a remanufactured transmission. The van has 89,000 miles on it currently, and we did have an extended warranty than ran out at 75,000 miles. We have had the power steering unit replaced already, in addition to Ford sending mechanics out from michigan twice to repair our automatic sliding doors, which had been malfunctioning since we bought the van.

Contact stated after driving for about an hour the od light illuminated. The vehicle was smoking from underneath. The contact was able to pull the vehicle off to the side of the road . The fire department came and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a dealership to be inspected. The dealership stated there was no damage to the vehicle as a result of the fire. Also, they stated the fire could have been caused by transmission fluid leaking on the catalytic converter. While driving at a later time the dashboard light illuminated again. The vehicle was then taken to a local mechanic, who determined that the automatic transmission was causing it to smoke. Updated 12/7/2005.

While driving the consumer was unable to shift gears. The consumer was able to pull over and noticed that fluid was leaking from underneath the vehicle. The dealer informed the consumer that the transmission needed to be replaced.

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Golf mill Ford dealership induced transmission failure. Vehicle taken in for a recall and the dealership recommended a transmission flush, injector flush, throttle body service,power steering flush and fuel filter. On Feb. 19, 2004 had a transmisson flush and throttle body serviced at golf mill Ford. It was never written or verbally told to me that I had any transmission problems prior to this service. After having this service I experienced a number of problems on the way home. The car ran rough, it hesitated will stopping a stop light, there was a mist that came from the front vent, the car started but then quickly cut off, and lastly when I went start the car I could hear a loud whosh sound which scared me. On Feb 26, 2004, I took the car back to gold mill Ford where I did inform them of all the problems I was having. After inspecting the car they stated nothing was wrong. The car was safe to drive. On March 1, 2004, while on the road I noticed fluid was leaking from the car. I went to a ray skillman Ford dealership in grenwood indiana they stated that there was a leak around transmission seal & the pan was not tighted properly. Tony at ray skillman Ford also stated that golf mill did not place enough transmission fliud in the van. Golf mill Ford instructed tony to put some liquid transmission sealer in transmission & send us on our way. At the time tony told us he did not feel comfortable with doing so. Golf mill felt as though they did nothing wrong. However after waiting eight hours at the dealership tony descided to put the sealer in because he did not want to keep us any longer. After leaving indiana, 4:oo am on March 2, 2004 the car stopped on the highway. The car had to be towed 600 miles at my expense. I have contacted the Ford motor customer care and golf mill Ford, they feel that because I am not in warranty that there is nothing that they are going to do. It has been two months and I am paying for a car I can not drive.

We purchased our 2001 Ford Windstar with approximately 24,000 miles on it. One week after we purchased the van the indicator light for the air bags would not go off. We took the van to the dealer and they fixed the problem. Shortly after that incident the rear heat and a/c would not operate. We took the van to the local dealer again and they repaired the problem under warranty. A few weeks after that the check engine light came on and they tried to fix it but it came back on. They charged us for that visit. The check engine light is still on we now have around 70,000 miles on the van. When the van had accumulated about 35,000 miles the transmission started shuddering. The van would shake all over during driving. Recently I had to have the transmission replaced. There is a leak around the passenger door on the left side of the van. There is a clicking noise when I brake that no one seems to know what it is or how to fix it. Now there is a loud humming noise coming from the automatic power steering fluid pump. It is so loud that it can be heard even when the radio is turned on. It used to be loud when I turned a corner or onto another street but now it is loud when I am sitting at a stop light. When we first purchased the van there was a foul odor coming from the venting system. I asked the service tech at the local dealership about this but he did not know why this was happening. We still have an odor even after changing the filter twice for the vent system. We are very unhappy with our purchase and would never consider buying another Windstar.

Bought van from dealer June 2001 with 28,000 miles; ongoing issues with automatic transmission over 24 month period; 34,000 miles, harsh vibration and slipping on acceleration (at times no faster than 35 mph getting on interstate), rebuild under 3 yr, 36 warranty (torch converter other internals); 1 year later, 58,000 miles, same symptoms with fluid leakage, transmission totally gone, replace with new rebuilt transmission under purchased extended warranty; 4 months later, 64,000 miles same symptoms, slippage, harsh vibration, rebuild torch converter under warranty; 4 months later (June 2003) transmission starting to show same symptoms, dealer can not duplicate; now constant vibration when torch converter is locked in,clunking, slipping on acceleration around corners, end of July filed under lemon law at state, waiting to hear from them.

Intermittently while driving there was a kicking noise from the transmission, which resulted in the vehicle losing transmission fluid. Transmission jerked and seemed to kick more on turns and acceleration. On one occasion, transmission fluid leaked all over the engine which resulted in smoking. Transmission needed to be replaced.

Transmission failed internally, causing outside case to crack, and started leaking transmission fluid. Needed to replace transmission for $2400. This at 72,000 miles, and after replacing entire engine (under extended warranty) at 59,000 miles. This vehicle has been serviced per the owner's manual, since buying new. The only satisfaction is that Ford has lost money on this vehicle because of all the warranty work done for the first six years of it's life. Have had major problems with the last 4 Fords I have owned, all at less than 60,000 miles. No more Fords in my future.

The consumer is concern she didn't receive a recall #number97v097000 for the a/t fluid sevo cover leak. Because her VIN number wasn't included but she is experiencing the same problem. Dealer is aware of the problem. Mr.

During the first 2 years of driving the vehicle there was always a noticeable thunk when the gearshift was first engaged. On two separate occasions I inquired of the dealer what this might be and was advised that it was not unusual and that I should use the parking brake at all times to minimize this problem. In any event, after 2 1/2 years of mainly highway driving the transmission simply failed one day while I was on a major highway driving about 110 km/hr. It was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the failure as arising from a hydraulic line that had burst inside the transmission leaking a contaminating fluid into the transmission fluid which subsequently resulted in a melt-down of the working parts inside the transmission.

We were driving on the interstate at 70 mph with the cruise control on. Without any warning, the van went out of gear , the engine revved up, and all acceleration stopped. We pulled off the road and tried to get the van to go back into gear - any gear - and it wouldn't. There was no warning of a problem - no noises or leakage of fluid or anything unusual.

See all problems of the 1997 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Stopped at traffic light, upon acceleration transmission would not engage. Engine revved as if in neutral. Also occurred as accelerating from a stop to make a turn. Presented a very dangerous situation of being put into the path of on coming traffic. Turning engine off and then back on would allow transmission to engage. Dealer determined that the transmission had failed at 43,621 miles and had to be replaced. After four days in service and a complete new transmission, within 12 hours new transmission developed at least two serious leaks of transmission fluid. Dealer says this is not uncommon. The unit is sealed and can not be serviced by them. I am waiting to hear if I need another complete new transmission.

Transmission would shift properly into gears. Problem of shifting was intermittent. Steering is leaking fluid. Took to dealership, mechanic could not locate cause of leakage or reason gears would lock up.

Vehicle would not go over 30mph when the ignition was turned off oil started to leak from the vehicle. The dealer informed owner that the transmission fluid had evaporated, causing various parts to melt together. The manufacturer has been notified.