1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

FOR SEVERAL YEARS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE TRACKING LIGHT HAVE AUTOMATICALLY LIT UP, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. *TR

I HAVE REPLACED THE REAR AXLE NOW FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE FIRST TIME IT BROKE IN HALF COMING INTO MY HOME DRIVEWAY. THE SECOND TIME I HEARD A THUMPING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VAN AND LOOKED TO FIND A CRACK IN THE AXLE,I REPLACED IT YET AGAIN. THIS LAST TIME THE SAME THING HAPPENED,CLUNKING NOISE TO FIND YET ANOTHER CRACK. THE VAN HAS 130,000 MILES HAS SOME BODY RUST,BUT NO REASON FOR SOMETHING CRITICAL LIKE THIS TO BE HAPPENING. *TR

READING ON-LINE BECAUSE MY MECHANIC'S PUZZLED ABOUT THE NOISES, I FIND THAT IT'S NOT ONLY THE 1999+ WINDSTARS THAT HAVE HAD A PROBLEM, BUT -- IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT #2 AND #3 HERE AT THIS LINK: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/1998/FORD/WINDSTAR/SUSPENSION IT'S APPARENT THAT THIS AXLE BREAKAGE HAS OCCURRED IN 1998'S AS WELL. THAT IS WHAT I HAVE, IN WHICH I'M HEARING SIMILAR NOISES. LIVING IN A SALT-BELT STATE, THIS IS SCARY; DON'T EVEN DARE TAKE IT ON THE FREEWAY! HARD TO GET OUT OF TOWN (SUCH AS TO A GRADUATION THIS WEEKEND) WITHOUT FREEWAYS. VERY SAD ... & HARD TO REPLACE IT, TOO, WHILE ON ONLY SOCIAL SECURITY. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO INCLUDE 1998S (SEE LINK ABOVE) IN THIS INVESTIGATION, TOO, IT APPEARS. I DIDN'T PAY NEARLY $4000 TO ONLY DRIVE A VEHICLE IN TOWN, AND NOT BE ABLE TO GO ANYPLACE! :O( [XXX] PS * DIDN'T GIVE "DAY" B/C THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND FINALLY ASKED THE MECHANIC LAST MONTH, ONCE I WAS DRIVING MORE AGAIN (IN WINTER DON'T DO MUCH, AND THEN AT OTHER TIMES DRIVE MA'S CAR TAKING HER PLACES). WELL, IT INSISTS ON A DATE, AFTER ALL, SO WILL PUT ON THERE, ARBITRARILY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE REAR AXLE ON MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR CRACKED. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH IT BEFORE IT COMPLETELY BROKE IN HALF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE REAR AXLE BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP BUT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 156,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SWAYING EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED INTO TWO. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 101,000. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ

THE REAR AXLE IS CRACKED AND ALMOST SEPARATED. DON'T KNOW WHEN OR HOW IT HAPPENED. HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *TR

WHILE ENTERING THE MERGE RAMP OF THE NORTHERN STATE PARKWAY REAR AXLE SNAPPED IN TWO. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. IT FIRST STARTED WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH CATCHING ON FIRE AND CAUSING WIRES UNDER MY HOOD TO BURN... NOW FOR THE LAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR..THE SENSOR ON THE DASH WOULD SHOW THAT THE DOOR WAS AJAR(NOT CLOSED) I COULD TAKE THE BATTERY CABLE OFF FOR A WHILE AND THE DOOR LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. NOW I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE ALL THE BULBS IN THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE VAN TO KEEP MY BATTERY FROM RUNNING DOWN THIS MORNING I GET UP AND MY BATTERY IS DEAD AND ACID FROM THE BATTERY IS ALL OVER THE POST AND CABLE WIRES. I TALK TO MY MECHANIC HE SAYS THIS IS DUE TO SOME PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HE SAID HE HAS HAD TO WORK ON SEVERAL WINDSTARS FOR THE SAME PROBLEMSOME KIND OF SENSOR FAULT DEFECT. *TR

THE REAR AXLE OF OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR GL, WITH ONLY 99,630 MILES, BROKE WHILE GOING DOWN A ROAD GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. I HIT SMALL POTHOLE, HEARD A CLUNK AND THEN NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HANDLING PROPERLY. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG AND SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME, I DROVE IT HOME AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND NOTED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS SPLIT ABOUT 75% THROUGH. THE REAR WHEELS WERE SITTING TILTED TOWARD THE VEHICLE. WE HAD A TOW TRUCK TAKE THE VAN TO HAVE IT FIXED. *TR