1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BECAME STUCK IN OVERDRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE MAIN CONTROL VALVE WAS DEFECTIVE; IT WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT LATER BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AS THEY LOCKED UP WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED THEM TO AVOID A DEER. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE WOODS AS A RESULT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS TONE RING SEAL HAD CRACKED; IT WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE TONE RING AND SENSOR. MONTHS LATER, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO GRAB. THE ENTIRE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES. FURTHERMORE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE SWITCH ASSIST IN ALL DOORS WAS REPLACED IN 2005. IN 2011, THE CONTACT HAD THE SAME FAILURE WITH THE SWITCH FOR THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SWITCH ON THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR AND CHECKED THE LATCHES ON THE DOORS BECAUSE THE DOOR LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED ALL THE SENSOR ASSISTS FOR THE DOORS. THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT RUST WITHIN THE FRONT SUBFRAME AREA. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT FOR HIS VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 1999-2003 MODEL YEARS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V030000 (STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 165,000. UPDATED 03/02/11 *BF UPDATED 03/08/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE REAR AXLE BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPAIRED THE REAR AXLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 10V385000 (SUSPENSION: REAR: AXLE: NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY) BUT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE AND SOME F THE REPAIR COST.

MY FAMILY OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVAN WHICH IS ALREADY SUBJECT TO THE AXLE RECALL AND WHICH DID SUFFER A COMPLETELY CRACKED AXLE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE FORD DEALER THAT HAS POSSESSION OF OUR VEHICLE THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING HAS FRACTURED. THIS IS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SUBJECT TO A RECALL THAT PLACED A COVER OVER THE COIL SPRING. THAT RECALL ONLY PROTECTED FORD FOR REPLACEMENT FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS WHICH HAS EXPIRED. ALSO, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING VERY HARD STEERING AND A FRONT END CLUNKING NOISE BUT NO CAUSE HAS BEEN FOUND. WE FEEL THE LATEST 1999 AND BEYOND RECALL OF BRACKETS SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR AS IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME EXACT VEHICLE. WE FEAR THAT THE CLUNKING AND HARD STEERING COULD BE FROM CORRODED BRACKETS WHICH IS NOT BEING RELAYED TO US. *TR

1998 FORD WINDSTAR HAS RUSTED ENGINE SUBFRAME, WHICH, IF LETS GO WOULD CAUSE SIDE AXLE AND FRONT TIRE TO SEPARATE FROM VAN AND CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL,LOSS OF BRAKING, AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE VAN WAS ON RAMP FOR OIL CHANGE . RECEIVED RECALL ON REAR AXLE CRACKING AND RECALL WAS DONE TODAY BY FORD. BROUGHT SUBFRAME PROBLEM TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND THEY STATED THAT FORD WAS FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE FORD HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS TIME. THE SERVICE STATION OWNER WHICH DID MY OIL CHANGE EXPRESSED AN OPINION THAT HE FELT THAT THE FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTING WAS INDEED MUCH MORE OF A CONCERN THAN THE CRACKING OF THE REAR AXLE WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED BY FORD. AT PRESENT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY WINDSTAR WITH THIS STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND I FEEL FORD SHOULD REMEDY THIS DEFECT IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THEY DID WITH THE CRACKING REAR AXLE. *TR

1998 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER STATES ISSUES WITH REPAIRS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE GAS HE PUT IN HIS VEHICLE, TURNED OUT TO BE BAD, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE SHAKE. (CONSUMERS HANDWRITING IS EXTREMELY ILLEGIBLE. ) *JB

1998 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH REAR AXLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HER HUSBAND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EXITING A GARAGE, WHEN SUDDENLY THE REAR AXLE COMPLETELY BROKE IN HALF. HE THEN DISCOVERED THE AXLE WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO IT BEING SEVERELY CORRODED IN THE MIDDLE. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND IS NOW REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *JB THE CONSUMER IS ONLY SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PART, BECAUSE THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY A NON-FORD REPAIR FACILITY. UPDATED 02/10/11*JB UPDATED 04/16/13

FAILED COMPONENT IS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD ARRIVED IN MID-DECEMBER, OVER A MONTH AFTER FIRE OCCURRED, STATING THAT THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM NEEDED MODIFICATION. ADDITIONAL RECALL INFORMATION ACCESSED ONLINE STATES THAT THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE. ON NOVEMBER 3, 2010, THE VAN BEGAN TO SMOKE, DRIVER PARKED IT, TURNED ENGINE OFF AND OPENED HOOD. HE SAW SMALL FIRE NEAR THE WINDSHIELD AREA OF ENGINE, RAN TO GET HELP AND WITHIN 2 MINUTES RETURNED TO FIND ENGINE FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN JUNKED (PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTICE) BECAUSE FIBERGLASS HOOD MELTED INTO ENGINE AND WATER DAMAGE CAUSED FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TOTALLED THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01I007000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS) AND BELEIVED THE REAR SUSPENSION HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 222,000.

THE REAR AXLE BROKE INTO TWO SEPARATE PIECES WHILE COMING TO A STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE REAR WHEELS WERE CANTED IN AT THE TOP AS A RESULT, COMPLETELY DISABLING THE CAR. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED FOR REPAIRS AND A NEW REAR AXLE FROM FORD MOTOR CO WAS INSTALLED. FOMOCO HAS DENIED MY CLAIM FOR REPAIR BECAUSE DENVER, CO IS NOT IN THE RECALL AREA ISSUED 8-26-2010 AND EXPANDED ON 11-30-2010. "VIN NOT IDENTIFIED FOR THIS FIELD SERVICE ACTION." I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE DRIVEN DAILY. (GS FOR DENNIS DOLAN)