Subject:  Windstar
Date:     1/4/2005

Hello,
 
I just came across your site (excellent!).   I was hoping you could
provide me with the e-mail address of the person who talked about the
bad experience with a 2000 Windstar.  The person's name was Lemick and
the message was posted 5/31/2003.  My dad has had problems with his
2000 Windstar since day one.  I've also done business with the same
dealership that Lemick spoke about (Marigold) and found the customer
service very bad as well.  Since I'm here, I may as well share my Windstar
problems!....
 
My dad bought his 2000 Windstar brand new from a dealer north of
Pickering, Ontario.   Shortly after he bought it, the doors started to
rust out along the seams (below weatherstripping).  We returned to the
dealer where he bought it and they suggested running vasoline along the
seams to "prevent" the rust from getting worse!.  We got a second opinon
from another dealership who agreed it was a problem.  So they sandblasted
the rust off and repainted it (this was done 3 times over a course of
2 years) but the rust continued to bubble out.  The doors never did quite
line up properly.  You'll notice on some vans that there's more of a gap
 between the door and the pillar.
 
Within the first year or so, the tranny leaked,  the tie rod had to be
replaced, the wheel cylinders replaced twice, the backing plate replaced,
the material on the front seats had to be repaired, power steering pump
replaced, a valve (egr?) also replaced.  Also, the tires wore out before
50,000KMS, the paint on the  roof racks started to peel, and the tailgate
arms were replaced as well.   The rubber from the steering wheel is
peeling off,  and now we've got a yellow engine light that has now
appeared.  My dad has spent over $500 trying to solve the problem with
the engine light, but no luck.   Two 02 sensors were replaced along with
cleaning the fuel injectors, but the light stays on.  The mechanic told
us that the van was running lean and the spark plugs were white.  Brakes
on these vans are absolutely terrible.  They wear out faster than you'd
expect.
 
The vans looked nice and were comfortible to drive,  but they are
extreamly high maintainence and the quality is well below average.  I
don't think it really matters what brand of vehicle you buy nowadays.
They all have problems.