1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

HAD THE RECALL FOR THE CRUISE,A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD, THE RECALL WAS DONE ON 11/25/2009, RECALL # 09S09, AFTER 11 DAY AND ONLY 146 MILES THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

ON JULY 6, 2009, MY FORD WINDSTAR MINIVAN BURNED UP. I WAS DRIVING TO PICK UP SUPPER WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. I WENT ON, PICKED UP SUPPER, AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN. IMMEDIATELY SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING. I PULLED AROUND THE CORNER IN THE PARKING LOT, PARKED AGAIN, AND POPPED THE HOOD. THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE IN THE ALTERNATOR AREA. I TOOK MY TODDLER OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN INTO A STORE TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE, THE CAR WAS DESTROYED AND A TOTAL LOSS. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED AND GIVEN TO MCDONALD'S TOWING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT, BUT THAT IT LOOKED LIKE POSSIBLE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE PARKING HE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR, AND THEN SAW FLAMES INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND HE WAS ADVISED TO CALL NHTSA BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 184,347.

THE BRAKE FLUID CONTINUES TO LEAK, TODAY I WAS DRIVING AND HAD NO BRAKE FLUID, I HAVE NOTICED SOME SMOKING UNDER MY VAN AFTER THE VAN IS TURNED OFF. I HAD TO REMOVE A FUSE DUE TO LIGHTS NOT TURNING OFF ALSO, THE CHILD BUILT IN RESTRAINTS PLASTIC IS BROKEN, (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=1998, MAKE=FORD, MODEL=WINDSTAR). *TR

WE HAVE FINALLY GOT FORD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES ON THE 1990-2000"S FORD WINDSTARS I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR ( EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY MY LOCAL DEALER THAT THEY WILL ONLY BE PUTTING ON THE HARNESS FOR THE SWITCH WHEN I TOLD THEM I HAD ALREADY HAD MY SWITCHED REPLACED ABOUT A YEAR AGO FOR A BRAKE FLUID LEAK THEY INFORMED ME THEY WOULD NOT CHECK MY ABS SYSTEM FOR DAMAGE UNLESS I PAID FOR THEM FOR THE SERVICE. THE SERVICE TECH SAID "QUOTE" ( HOLD ON NOW WE ARE ONLY PUTTING ON THE HARNESS ANYTHING ELSE WILL COST EXTRA) ALL THERE GOING TO DO IS PUT IN THE HARNESS I GUESS ANY OTHER DAMAGE DONE BY THESE SYSTEMS WILL JUST HAVE TO BE JUST SHOVED UP OUR TAIL PIPES !!!! EVEN THOUGH THE CCDS SYSTEM IS THE CAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS...THIS SEEMS TO BE THE WAY OF DOING BUSINESS FOR FORD I HAVE ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE ALSO WITH THIS VAN LIKE ,DOOR LIGHTS SIGNAL ALWAYS ON EVEN IF THE DOORS ARE SHUT THE DOOM AND INSIDE DOOR LIGHTS STAY ON ALL THE TIME....WHEN I TURN ON THE AIR IT PUTS OUT COLD AIR ONLY THOUGH THE DEFROST SWITCH AND THEN UNDER THE BACK SEAT IT BLOWS HOT AIR INSTEAD ..WHEN I DRIVE FOR A FEW MILES AND TURN THE VAN OFF IT SOUNDS LIKE A POPPING NOISE FROM THE BACK AROUND THE MUFFLER MY MEC. SAYS THAT THE MUFFLER TAIL PIPE SYSTEM ON THIS MODEL IS NOT WORTH A FLIP HE SAYS YOU COULD NOT GIVE HIM ONE OF THESE VAN"S THERE A PIECE OF JUNK THE DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THERE OWN COME ON PEOPLE LOOK AT ALL THE SIGNS ABOUT THE FORD WINDSTARS LIKE MY DADDY USE TO SAY THIS IS A FIRE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AGAIN'''''. *TR

OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINI VAN REAR AXLE BROKE. WE WERE RETURNING HOME. WHEN WE RETURNED I WENT ONLINE TO CHECK HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPAIR AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THIS VAN WAS NOT THE ONLY 98 TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM.*TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR VAN 2 MONTHS AGO I HAD A LEAK OF FLUID THAT CAUSED SOME WIRES TO BURN INTO UNDER THE HOOD THAT CAUSED WIRING TO MY HEAD LIGHT AND OVERHEAD LIGHT TO BLOW MY MECHANIC HAD TO DIRECT WIRE ONE SIDE OF MY HEAD LIGHT AND MY CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED AS HE SAID IT WOULD CAUSE MY VAN TO CATCH FIRE. MY ABS AND BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT STAYS ON NOW AS SOON AS THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE FAULTY PART I STARTED EXPERIENCING ALL THE FOLLOWING THINGS,,,I HAVE LOSE OF POWER . THE VAN STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND ALSO AS I'M TAKING OFF FROM A STOP AFTER PUTTING THE VAN IN GEAR...WHEN I PUT ON THE GAS IT MAKES A BAD RATTLING SOUND LIKE A LIFTER OR VALVE TAPPING BUT ONLY WHEN THE GAS PEDDLE IS ENGAGED. THE GEAR SHIFT FEELS LIKE IT GETS STUCK IN PARK AND I HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING IT TO RELEASE OUT OF PARK BEFORE THIS PROBLEM MY VAN DROVE GREAT I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS COULD YOU PLEASE FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS THANK YOU *TR

I HAVE A 98 FOR WINDSTAR GL. ON OCT 9TH I WAS COMING BACK FROM WORK AND THE REAR OF THE CAR KEPT FISH TAILING / SLIPPING TO ONESIDE AND AS WELL AS THAT NIGHT WHEN I HAD TO TAKE MY SON TO THE HOSPITAL AND BACK. ALMOST LOST CONTROL COMING BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL. I DID NOT GET IN THE CAR AT ALL THAT 10TH CAUSE OF THAT. ON OCT 11TH 2009 I WAS BACKING OUT FROM MY PARKING SPOT IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. AS I BACKED UP AND AS I PUT IT IN DRIVE I HEARD A LOUD BANG LIKE I BACKED UP INTO A CAR. GOT OUT TO SEE MY BACK TIRES BENT IN. I PULLED UP SLOWLY AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH IT AND SAW THAT MY REAR AXEL ASSY SPLIT IN HALF. MY MECHANIC NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE IT. I SEARCHED THE WEB TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS BUT THERE WASN'T ANY BUT FOUND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM FROM 98 TO 02 WINDSTARS ESP. WHILE DRIVING. SO MY VAN STILL SITS. I THINK THEIR SHOULD BE A RECALL THE REAR AXEL ASSY SPLIT IN HALF. NOTHING WAS DONE YET PART IS GOING TO COST 400 DOLLAR AND TO GET IT INSTALLED WILL COST AS MUCH. PART WAS AVAILABLE THROUGH FORD. BUT LOOKING FOR PART IN JUNK YARD FOR THE VAN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WIND STAR. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE VEHICLE SPEED CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED AT 52 MPH THE RPMS INCREASED TO FOUR. SHE DEACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE, THEN THERE WAS AN UNDER-HOOD FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CENTER WHERE AN INVESTIGATOR FROM THE CITY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. HE SPECULATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE VEHICLE SPEED CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. SHE WILL RECEIVE A REPORT IN TEN DAYS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED BECAUSE IT WAS A CRUISE CONTROL FIRE THE MANUFACTURE WAS RESPONSIBLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

ON JUNE 13TH, 2009, MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR VAN CAUGHT FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A RECALL OF THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL RELATING TO ELECTRICAL FIRES UNDER THE HOOD. I WANT FORD TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE AND THE LOSS OF MY VEHICLE. ABOUT 5500 HUNDRED DOLLARS. *TR