1998 Ford Windstar complaints

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. MJS

ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. CAR WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME FROM WORK, (ABOUT A 20 MINUTE RIDE), AND HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN THE FIRE OCCURED.

DRIVER SIDE WIPER FAILED DURING A MAJOR DOWNPOUR IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VISIBILITY WAS NEXT TO ZERO. MANAGED TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN CHECKING WIPER ARM I FOUND THE NUT ATTACHING THE WIPER ARM TO THE WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY HAD COME LOSE. BECAUSE OF THE LOOSE CONDITION, WIPER ARM WOULD NOT MOVE MORE THAN 1-2 INCHES. A SIMPLE WASHER OR LOCK WASHER UNDER THE NUT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING VAN STALLS WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF WARNING. THIS CONDITION ALMOST CAUSED TWO REAR END CRAHSES. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AFTER PUTTING CAR INTO REVERSE, VEHICLE WENT FORWARD INTO DRIVE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

TIRE RIM LEAKING. YH

TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN SECOND GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT TO DRIVE. THIS CAUSED A NEAR COLLISION WITH TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF LACK OF AVAILABLE POWER WHILE MERGING INTO INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. PRIOR TO AND STILL ONGOING IS THE TRANSMISSIONS TENDENCY TO KICK OR SLIP.FORD REFUSES TO AKNOWLEDGE ANY INHERENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE FORD WINDSTAR AND HAS NOT OFFERED A REMEDY TO CURRENT PROBLEMS.

THE FRONT BRAKES, ROTORS AND PADS WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT BUT CONSUMER HAD NO WARNING OF THE FAILED COMPONENTS. NLM

DESIGN OF BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR BEING TOO CLOSE TOGETHER CAUSED THE DRIVER TO INTERMITTENTLY APPLY THEM BOTH RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. NLM

EVERY 3,000 MILE FRONT TIE ROD END BREAKS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. BEEN REPLACED 3TIMES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUS EOF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE VEHICLE JUST CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST TIME A COMPUTER ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE, THE SECOND TIME(JULY 23RD) THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICE FOR THE THIRD TIME(AUG 5TH) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

NOTED PROBLEM ONLY WHEN GAS TANK WAS FILLED, SMELLED GAS, THOUGHT IT WAS FROM VENT LINE - AFTER A FEW MORE TANK FILLS - NOTICED GAS LEAKING ON GROUND DURING TANK FILL-UP. PROBLEM WAS FIXED 07/29/1999 AT BROWN MOTORS PETOSKEY, MI - THIS COULD BE A VARY SERIOUS PROBLEM - COULD CAUSE FIRES AT GAS STATION, HOME GARAGE'S, ECT. THIS PROBLEM WAS THERE WHEN WE BOUGHT THE VAN AS IT WAS NEVER FULL DURING TEST DRIVING - STARTED SMELLING GAS FUMES WHEN WE WOULD FILL TANK UP AND UNTILL THE FUEL LEVEL WOULD DROP DOWN LOW ENOUGH NOT TOO LEAK OUT THE O-RING SEAL.

ABS BRAKES FAILED. ALSO ABS LIGHT COMES ON/OFF. *AK

WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION, THE TRANSMISISON SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT DRIVERS KNOWLEDGE, RESULTING IN VEHICLE ROLLING BACKWARDS WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED, SHIFTING TO PARK THEN BACK TO DRIVE REENGAGED THE FORWARD GEAR. NLM

REPEATED INCIDENTS OF UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR; THIS VEHICLE NOW HAS 21,900 MILES ON IT AND IT IS ON LITERALLY ITS THIRD SET OF TIRES. THE TIRES KEEP CUPPING AND CAUSING THE VAN TO BECOME MISALIGNED; CARIBOU FORD HAS HAD THIS VEHICLE IN ITS SHOP IN EXCESS OF 10 TIMES FOR THIS AND OTHER RELATED PROBLEMS. THE SHIFT CABLE THEN BROKE (THANKFULLY) WHEN I WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT, AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF I'D BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY OR ELSEWHERE, MOVING. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINT CONCERNING THE TIRE WEAR/MISALIGNMENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE VIBRATES SIGNIFICANTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND LOWER AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I DO CONSIDER A SAFETY PROBLEM. YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE. I APPRECIATE YOUR INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/7 )

APPEARS TO HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 25 MPH TO 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE REPEATEDLY HAS DOWNSHIFTED, THUS DECREASING SPEED OF VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE FROM TRANSMISSION SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO ZERO. THE REPORTED DEALER HAS HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR MORE THAN A WEEK WITH NO RESULTS. I HAVE ALSO DRIVEN VEHICLE WITH ATTACHED "FLIGHT RECORDER" FROM SHOP. I MADE SEVERAL READINGS BUT KNOW THE SHOP SAYS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT (THAT WAS 1 WEEK AGO TODAY). ALTHOUGH THE SHOP KEEPS MY VEHICLE AND I HAVE DESCRIBED THE SYMPTOMS SEVERAL TIMES, THEY CLAIM THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT COULD BE. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF USING THIS VEHICLE. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL ME. THANK YOU.

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING SIGNAL. YH

A "BEEP" NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH, AND DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHERE THE BEEP NOISE CAME FROM, THEN A FIRE STARTED DUE TO ALTERNATOR WIRING BURNING. FINALLY, DEALER INSISTED THAT THE BEEPING NOISE WAS AN INDICATOR FOR A PROBLEM, BUT NOT PART OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. *AK *ML

BRAKE PADS ARE CUTTING ROTORS, CAUSING FAILURE. *YC

WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR ,VEHICLE WILL ONLY GO ABOUT 2 MPH EVEN WITH VEHICLE IN DRIVE GEAR. MANUFACTURER HAS TSB #98-2-1 OUT FOR DEFECT. *AK *ML

TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO "STICK" IN NUETRAL AND THEN VIOLENTLY SHIFTS INTO 1ST. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 2 TIMES. BOTH TIMES DEALER SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG!! *AK

WHEN RADIO ON, ELECTRICAL NOISE EXISTS WHEN LIGHTS ARE ON. NOISE CHANGES PITCH, VOLUME, AND PHASE WHEN DIMMER SWITCH IS ROTATED. DEALER CLAIMS IT'S NORMAL. ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL NOISE GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS AND WHICH IS IN SYNC WITH TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY DEALER. PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST WITH INSTALLATION OF NON-FORD RADIO.

SPEED CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WHILE DRIVING 75MPH. I TRIED TURNING IT OFF FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL AS BY BRAKING. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED I HAD NO BRAKING POWER AND MANAGED TO USE AN EXIT RAMP SLOWING DOWN BUT NOT STOPPING COMPLETELY BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AT 75MPH WHEN I SHUT IT OFF. CAR WAS TOWED TO TAMIAMI FORD IN NAPLES,FL. THEY COULD NOT FIN ANY PROBLEMS. TEST DROVE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PLEASE NOTIFY ME AS TO ANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THANK GOD MY CHILDREN AND I WERE NOT INJURED.

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, DEALER HAS REPLACED TIE RODS AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

REAR WINDSHIELD EXPLODED FROM INSIDE WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. COMMON PROBLEM. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AT TAKE-OFF FROM STOP LIGHT, TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO WARNING. PUT INTO NEUTRAL, AND GOT STUTTER AND GRIND FROM TRANSAXLE. SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE PLANETARY GEARS HAD DISINTERGRATED. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM OR DEFECT WITH THE FORD 3.8L/AXOD COMBO, AS THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS DATE BACK TO 1988 AND THE TAURUS/SABLE COMPATIBLE ASSEMBLIES. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FUEL GAUGE INACCURATELY READS THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS NORMAL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES AND BRAKED DIDN'T STOP VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. *AK

CONSUMER IS DRIVING AND PULLED UP TO AN INCLINE, IF HE TAKES HIS FOOT OFF THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL BACKWARDS, HE'S ALSO DRIVEN TWO OTHER WINDSTARS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER DUPLICATING THE PROBLEM FORD SAID THAT THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM, THIS IS NORMAL.

TRANSMISSION OPERATION IS POOR, BANGS INTO GEAR, UNABLE TO RECTIFY. MJS

WHENEVER STEERING WHEEL IS BEING TURNED, LEFT OR RIGHT IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT DEAL OF NOISE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS & WAS INFORMED IT WAS THE TIE ROD. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT IT WAS THE RACK & PINION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT NOTICE. CONSUMER WAS UNAWARE AND STILL APPLYING GAS WHEN IT JUMPED BACK INTO GEAR VERY HARD, CAUSING WHIPLASH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROX. 5MPH WHEN THE COIL SPRING BROKE, ONCE MECHANIC CHECKED THERE WAS RUSTOVER HALF OF THE SPRING, ON 1/4 OF AN IN. WAS LEFT.

WE PURCHASED AN OPTIONAL 25 GALLON FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE POINTER BOTTOMS OUT AT "E" AND THE "LOW FUEL" LIGHT COMES ON, WE FILL THE TANK AND ARE ONLY ABLE TO PUT APPROXIMATELY 18 GALLONS IN THE THE TANK (ON A REGULAR BASIS). THE OWNER'S GUIDE SAYS THAT THE LIGHT SHOULD COME ON WHEN THERE IS 1/16 OF A TANK (1.5-2 GALLONS) LEFT AS A RESERVE. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN INTO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR A TOTAL OF 8 TIMES BUT THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE SENDER ASSEMBLY TWICE, THE FUEL GAUGE ASSEMBLY AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY TWICE. THE DEALERS STATE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO; THEY HAVE DONE ALL THAT FORD HAS AUTHORIZED. FORD SAYS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE DEALERS SHOULD HANDLE. WE FEEL THAT IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN TO TRAVEL IN A VEHICLE THAT MAY RUN OUT OF GAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY (POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT) OR IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE(LEAVING THEM STRANDED AND UNSAFE). WE FEEL THAT A GAUGE AS IMPORTANT AS A FUEL GAUGE SHOULD BE ACCURATE AND CONSISTENT. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. WENT TO DEALER & HAD THE WHEELS CHANGED 5 DIFFERENT TIMES. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE, BUT VEHICLE WAS CONTROLABLE. THERE WOULD BE CLUNKING NOISE GOING INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE STARTS TO PICKUP SPEED AFTER MAKING A TURN, IT WOULD HAVE A STRONG JERKING MOTION, LIKE HAVING A TOW CHAIN ATTACHED. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL BECAME STIFF AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN. HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES, ONCE RESULTING IN A CRASH. ALSO HAPPENED IN REVERSE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 3 TIMES, AND THOUGH IT WAS THE LEAKING BATTERY ACID WHICH WAS CAUSING CAUSING THE DEFECT. *AK

WHILE MAKING A LEFT/RIGHT OR U TURN ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE AT A STOP. IN THIS INSTANCE, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 M.P.H., CAUSING DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD ON A STATE ROUTE. *AK

TIE RODS FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS. MJS

THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS STONGLY WHEN ACCELERATING AND BREAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS, HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE. BOTH TIMES THEY SAY IT DRIVES FINE BUT THAT FORD KNOWS OF PROBLEM ON WINDSTAR TRANSMISSIONS AND ARE WORKING ON A SOLUTION. I ASKED DEALER WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE MEANTIME AND HE SAID WAIT. I AM CONCERNED WITH SAFETY, AND THAT THIS JUMPING WILL CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE ENGINE. I TOLD SERVICE MANAGER THIS AT DEALER AND HE SAID HOPEFULLY FORD WILL RECALL BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS TO MY ENGINE. *AK

REAR AXLE BROKE, WITH 4 REPAIR ATTEMPTS TO THE POWERTRAIN. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK BROKE AND CAUSED DRIVER'S SEAT TO MOVE UPWARD UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION LUNGES FORWARD AT LOW SPEEDS.*AK

SLOWING DOWN FOR TRAFFIC VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE GRINDING NOISES. PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. ALSO, ,ABS SYSTEM COMPLETELY LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME TOTALLY INOPERATIVE, WILL NOT MOVE. *AK

GREASE IN THE FRONT BALL JOINTS HAS DRIED UP, CAUSING THE BALL JOINTS TO MALFUNCTION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHEN STARTING OUT VEHICLE WILL PULSATE. FEELS LIKE IT WILL NOT CATCH GEARS. *AK

LUG NUTS BROKE OFF OF RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND HUB OF WHEEL/BRAKE DRUM, RESULTING IN TIRE FALLING OFF OF VEHICLE AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). MJS