My daughter has 2003 Ford Windstar with 97K miles. We replaced the transmission at about 75k miles about 4 years ago at a cost of $3000. We bought the van for $3000 from my mom who was the original owner. So now the mechanic shop is saying the head gasket is blown (something about putting in some chemical and it changing colors to show it was blown - no codes), and $3000 to replace. She said it has never overheated. Should we consider an engine replacement at $4500 or just cut our losses and sell? No money really to be had for car replacement and not really sure which direction to go. $4500 for another used car that we have no idea of the history or the new engine on the one we have. Thank you!
No way is that nearly 20-year-old Windstar worth spending $4500 on, you'll just be throwing good money after bad.
Get a quote from your "mechanic" or a real mechanic for a rebuilt cylinder head replacement, not an engine.
$3,000 for a head gasket job on that van is almost robbery. The Windstar had a 3.0 Vulcan V6 or 3.8L Essex V6 that year. Both of those engines are old school overhead valve designs with pushrods and rocker arms, no overhead cams and all of the fancy stuff they put in more modern engines. That means they can pull the heads off without messing with the timing of the engine, which is a huge time consuming thing with overhead cam engines. I'd look around for another estimate.
If you have the 3.0, Ford Rangers, Tauruses and Windstars all had that same engine. There are tons in junkyards. If you don't mind gambling on a motor swap, try that. Those Vulcans can run forever if they're maintained. It was probably one of Ford's best engines.
Unless you're ready to do your first major repair, I'd sell it (with the head issue listed).
If you feel adventurous, get a decent tool set from harbor freight & crack it open. Providing the block isn't warped (check that with a square & try sliding feeler gauges under it to check variation), send the head off to a machine shop to be decked & completely rebuilt as that's not something you can do at home unless you're a machinist.
Rust. Check the frame for rust first. They had a lot of issues.
