1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND ONE PERSON WAS INJURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE CRASH, THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 96,000.

VEHICLE IS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER,SEAT BELT,AND DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHTS FLASH ON AND OFF. WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING THE WIPER BLADES STOP WORKING,POWER WINDOWS WILL NOT OPERATE AND ON A FEW OCCASIONS THE HEADLIGHTS WILL BLINK WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN OLD VEHICLE BUT I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. NOT JUST RESTRICTED TO THIS YEAR. IT IS ALSO AN ISSUE THAT HAPPENS JUST AFTER A FEW YEARS OF SERVICE. I WOULD THINK THAT WIPER BLADES MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH. WHEN THE CONTACT LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AXLE BROKE ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 135,000.

VAN HAS BEEN SWAYING WHEN DRIVING LIKE A TIRE WAS LOW ON AIR, KEPT CHECKING WITH NO TIRE PROBLEMS BUT WHEN BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE AT WORK I HEARD A DRAGGING NOISE. WHEN I GOT OUT I FOUND MY REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE LEANING IN. I JACKED UP MY VAN TO FIND THE REAR AXLE IS BROKEN ABOUT A FOOT OR SO IN FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE. I TRAVEL WITH 4 CHILDREN AND IF THIS WOULD HAVE BROKEN WITH THEM ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL, THERE IS NO OBVIOUS RUST ON THE AXLE. I FOUND A FORD WEBSITE THAT HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE AXLE BREAKING AND I FEEL THIS NEEDS INVESTIGATED. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME, MY CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY STEPPING ON THE GAS. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I MANAGED TO GET OFF THE VERY BUSY ROAD I WAS ON AND SINCE I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR, I DECIDED TO HIT A TREE, HOPING THE CAR WOULD STOP. IT DID NOT. IT WENT OVER A CLIFF, AFTER KNOCKING THE TREE DOWN. I WAS VERY BADLY INJURED AND REMAIN DISABLED. THE CAR WAS A FORD WINDSTAR 1998. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAS BEEN MANY ACCIDENTS LIKE THIS WITH THE FORD WINDSTAR BUT FORD NEVER DID A RECALL. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD THAT FORD AND TOYOTA USE THE SAME MANUFACTURER FOR SOME OF THEIR PARTS. MY CAR STILL EXISTS IF IT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING NORMAL AND BEGAN TO MAKE NOISES IN THE FRONT END. I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AT A SERVICE GARAGE AND TOLD THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS ARE FRACTURED. *TR

HORN & AIR BAG, MY HORN WILL NOT BLOW AND THE AIR BAG WILL LIGHT IS ON AND IT STAY`S ON WHICH MEANS IT IS NOT WORKING . THE HORN I TRIED TO HAVE SOME ONE LOCATE THE PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED . *TR

I NOTICED MY VAN WAS 'FEELING WEIRD' WHEN I DROVE IT-ALMOST LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON A SLIPPERY ROAD AND THE BACK END WAS SLIDING. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS. I HAD TO DRIVE MY SON TO VISIT HIS FATHER ON AN EXTREMELY SNOWY DAY. THE ROADS WERE DRIVABLE BUT DID HAVE SOME SNOW ON THEM. WHEN I PROCEEDED DOWN THE HILL I LIVE ON, THE SLIDING SENSATION WAS EXTREMELY EXAGGERATED. THE FURTHER I DROVE, THE WORSE IT GOT. I HAD TO DRIVE IN 1ST GEAR GOING LESS THAN 20 M.P.H. WITH THE BACK END OF MY VAN FISHTAILING. I THOUGHT FOR SURE WE WERE GOING TO ROLL OVER. THANK GOD I WAS PASSING THE MECHANIC'S GARAGE I USE, AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL IN. I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THE REAR AXLE HAS SNAPPED AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. UPON SEARCHING FOR HOW MUCH A REAR AXLE IS GOING TO COST, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A SITE WHERE PEOPLE LIST THE PROBLEMS THEY'VE HAD WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL THING TO HAVE OCCUR!!!! PEOPLE COULD VERY EASILY BE KILLED WHEN THIS BREAKS. IT WAS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WE DIDN'T WRECK. FORD NEEDS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS AND PUT A RECALL ON THE REAR AXLE. *TR

ON DECEMBER 16TH 2009. I WAS DRIVING DOWN WEST 117TH TOWARDS MADISON/LAKEWOOD IN CLEVELAND, OHIO AND WAS TRYING TO COME TO A STOP (SLOW DOWN AND STOP) TO ALLOW AN AMBULANCE TO PASS (THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT OF ME THAT WAS ALSO SLOWING DOWNA ND THAT CAME TO A STOP AT THE STREET LOT)THIS IS ON A MAJOR STREET NEAR AN HIGHWAY INTERSECTION. I PUT MY FOOT ON MY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND COME TO A STOP BUT IT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. THE BRAKE HAD WENT OUT. I ENDED UP HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HARD (AN SUV) AND DOING QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THE OTHER DRIVER VEHICLE WAS SO FAR AS I COULD TELL UNDAMAGED. ON MY VEHICLE THE FRONT LIGHT IS BROKEN, MY BUMPER IS DAMAGED, AND MY HOOD IS DAMAGED. I, MYSELF AND THE DRIVER I HIT COULD HAVE GOTTEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. SO FAR WE ARE BOTHFINE AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED. HOWEVER HE MAY TURN AROUND AND COME AFTER ME IF HE DECIDES TO. AND I NOW CAN NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY VEHICLE BRAKE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AROUND EARLY NOVEMBER. MAYBE IN END OF OCTOBER. THE VERY DAY OF MY ACCIDENT (HAPPENED AROUND 12:15 NOON) I WAS GOING TO GO HOME AND CALL FORD ABOUT THE RECALL. THERE IS A WORLDWIDE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE MODEL AND MANY OTHERS. AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE HAD TO MAKE NUMEROUS REPAIRS ON IT AND STILL HAD PROBLEMS AND THIS ACCIDENT. FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND SHOULD COMPENSATE ME WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE IN GOOD CONDITION ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY INTO REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THIS WINDSTAR. OR GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR SOMETHING. I'M GLAD MY KIDS WERE NOT WITH ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND THAT THE MAN I HIT WAS ALSO ALONE AND IS OK. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS SINCE I GOT THIS VEHICLE: O2 SENSORS (BOTH), ALTERNATOR, BELT, WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE, AND MAKE BACK BLADES DON'T WORK AT ALL, THE TRANSMISSION, THE STEERING COLUMN BOX, DOOR HANDLE AND COMPONENTS INSIDE AND MORE!

1998 FORD WINDSTAR, 3.8 ENGINE. I HAVE PROBLEMS IT STARTED STALLING WHEN I STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP, SUDDENLY THE CAR STOPPED. ALSO WHEN IT WAS IN THE PARKING . MECHANIC MADE THE TUNE-UP BUT STILL DOING SO, NOW IT IS DOING A WHITE CLOUD OF STEAM, IF I ACCEL, IT COMES WORST, SHOULD I WAIT FOR A RECALL OR IT'S A NORMAL PROBLEM? *TR