# 1996 FORD WINDSTAR — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
> NHTSA complaint `175129` · 1999-09-29 · Ford Motor Company
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** FORD
- **Model:** WINDSTAR
- **Year:** 1996
- **Manufacturer:** Ford Motor Company
- **Component:** POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
- **Speed:** 35 mph
## Narrative
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS BUILT WITH AN ALUMINUM CYLINDER PISTON THAT LOSES FORWARD LINE PRESSURE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE. VEHICLE CAN SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AT ANY TIME.  A LOCAL DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY REPLACE APPROXIMATELY 5 OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS A YEAR. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FROM FORD IS BUILT WITH A STEEL CYLINDER PISTON TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HEAD ON COLLISION IF YOU TRIED PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION WITH ALUMINUM PISTON.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*