[phil-l]

Sorry to hear your '99 has reached its end. My '00 has had several of the symptoms you've described - but I've been able to successfully resolve all of them, with help from this board. Mine has proven itself to be reasonably dependable - though it has shown signs of where Ford didn't follow through with the design. It only has 95K miles, but I plan to keep it. We'll see how it does.

If I had to replace my Windstar tomorrow (budget realities keep me in the used market): I'd look for an '02+ Windstar, or perhaps a well-priced Freestar. The '02+ Windstar got a redesigned transmission; the internals of the unit are shared with the F150, so its up to the task. As I understand it, the intake isolator bolt issues were worked out by '02 (but I'll defer to others who know more on this topic). I haven't had the infamous blend door problem on my '00 (knock on wood), and don't know about later designs.

I'd really love to find a 4.2 Freestar (the same 4.2 found in V6 F150 models); I tow a popup camper with my Windstar, and the 4.2 Freestar is an ideal popup tow vehicle. However, I've noted that the used market seems to have determined that the Freestar is a pretty good deal: They're harder to find than older Windstars, and go for decent money.

I like recent Odyssey and Sienna models - but anything in reasonable condition is simply well out of my current budget range. Personally, I don't like what GM has done with their minivan lineup over the years. Recent Chrysler minivans have impressed me, though I haven't done research to know what particular model I'd be interested in.