ON THE 20TH OF MAY I WAS DRIVING THE VAN WHEN IT FELT LIKE IT HESITATED(SLIPPED) AND THEN IT PROCEEDED TO DRIVE NORMALLY. WE WENT HALF A MILE THEN STOPPED THE VAN AND PARKED. ON RETURNING TO THE VAN AND STARTING IT, IT RAN VERY ROUGH(LOUD) AND WOULD NOT GO PAST 30MPH ON OUR WAY HOME. WE PROCEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN THE NEXT WEEK AND FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE OUT AT ONLY 35000 MILES. OUR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED ON 4/16/01. BARELY A MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY AND A POWERTRAIN ITEM HAD FAILED ON US. WE KNOW TWO OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE OWNED WINDSTAR VANS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT WITH LOW MILEAGE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO REPAIR IT FOR $495. THIS WILL INLCUDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE POWERTRAIN FOR 75,000 MILES. WE FEEL WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE, A RECENTLY EXPIRED WARRANTY AND KNOWING OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILY THAT HAVE DEALT WITH THE SAME THING, THAT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THERE AUTOMOBILE AND REPAIR THIS FREE OF CHARGE. I AM SURE THIS IS A MORE COMMON PROBLEM THAN FORD WANTS TO ADMIT.*AK