1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

REPETITIVELY FAILING ABS BY CRACKED ABS RINGS(FOUR TIMES) OR FAULTY ABS SENSOR *JB

CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACE 3 TIMES. AGAIN IT IS SHOT. THIS CAUSES THE VAN TO STALL AND HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH IDLE. CAUSES TO STALL USUALLY WHILE STOPPED, SOMETIMES HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION. ALSO: HAD TO PULL ABS FUSE DUE TO PEDAL NOT DEPRESSING. WORKS EXCELLENT WITHOUT ABS. ALSO:TRANSMISSION DOESN'T UPSHIFT WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH SPEEDS/RPM'S. HAVE TO LET OFF GAS AND REPRESS FOR VAN TO SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR THAT I HAVE OWNED SINCE NEW, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED FUNCTIONING. I DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH ON THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED AND WAS CAUSING THE LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE FOLLOWED THAT FORD HAS A MAJOR RECALL ON THESE SWITCHES ON MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES DO TO ENGINE FIRES. MY CAR IS NOT ON THE RECALL, BUT FLUID IS LEAKING INTO THE SWITCH. I HAVE UNPLUGGED THE SWITCH TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL FIRE, BUT FORD SAYS THAT THESE SWITCHES DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM OF EARLIER SWITCHES, I DISAGREE AS THERE IS THE SAME INDICATION OF FAILURE AND LEAKING FLUID. THEY ARE JUST WAITING FOR MORE FIRES BEFORE THEY ACT....*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKS BRAKE FLUID, WHICH CAUSES HIM TO CONSTANTLY ADD MORE FLUID IN THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT OPERATE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CRUISE CONTROL RECALL. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 02-01-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUSES BLEW OUT IN THE CRUISE CONTROL. UPDATED

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE TREAD OF TIRE OF MY TIRE CAME OFF DOWN THE BELTS, THE TIRE MADE THE VEHICLE HARD TO DRIVE AND COULD OF CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY @ 55 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRE. *JB

FORD WINDSTAR THROWING PERSISTENT SES LIGHT P0740. THIS WAS COMMON WITH ALMOST MOST WINDSTARS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE MANIFOLDS/GASKET. ROUGH RIDE AND STALLING AT DANGEROUS POINTS. *AK

1998 FORD WINDSTAR - FAILURE OF BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH; CAUSED ALL BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT OF MASTER CYLINDER, AND SUBSEQUENT BRAKE FAILURE. NO ACCIDENT CAUSED (FORTUNATELY), COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS OR FATAL. WIFE NOTICED THAT SHE COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE FREEWAY; USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP AND DRIVE THE WINDSTAR HOME. I DISCOVERED MASSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED ONTO THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND THE #30 FUSE FOR CRUISE CONTROL, AND ABS HAD BLOWN. *JB

1998 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. FRONT PASSENGER LUG BOLTS. ALL FIVE LUG BOLT FAILED WITH NO WARNING. VEHICLE MILEAGE 33300. NO NOTICE BEFORE FAILURE. NO SHAKING OR VIBRATIONS. 60 MPH AT TIME OF INCIDENT. ALL PARTS SAVED. REPLACED 5 LUG BOLTS, 5 LUG NUTS, ROTOR. *TR

THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DIMLY AND STAYED ON. I TOOK THE 1998 WINDSTAR TO A MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS BRAKE FLUID IN THE ABS MODULE THAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS SITUATION COULD CAUSE A FIRE. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY MECHANIC AND THE FORD SERVICE TECHNICIANS AT TWO FORD SERVICE CENTERS THE ABS SYSTEM VALVES WHICH CONTAINED BRAKE FLUID SAT ON TOP OF THE ABS MODULE AND WERE SOMEHOW CONNECTED. THIS DESIGN, APPARENTLY COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FLUID GETTING INTO THE ABS MODULE. I HAVE ASKED FORD REPEATEDLY IF THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE ABS MODULE COULD CAUSE A FIRE, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM THEM. MY CONCERN WAS THAT THIS SITUATION COULD CAUSE A FIRE SHOULDN'T IT BE MADE KNOWN TO OWNERS OF THE FORD WINDSTARS OR ANY VEHICLE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ABS SYTSEM DESIGN? *AK

FRONT STABILIZER BAR BROKE IN HALF INSIDE BUSHING NONE OF THE AUTO TECHS COULD FIND THE PROBLEM FOR THE PART 2 YEARS (NOT EVEN DURING NY STATE INSPECTIONS) SO THEY PAST THE VAN ANYWAYS UNTILL FINALLY ONE GAVE A TUG ON THE PASSANGERS SIDE OF THE BAR AND IT CAME OUT OF THE BUSHING IN THEIR HANDS THE TECH SAID HE NEVER SAW A BAR BREAK LIKE THAT BEFORE AND THAT WAS THE CAUSE FOR HAVING TO GET THE WHEEL HUBS LOWERBALL JOINTS &TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED TWICE IN ONE YEAR ALONG WITH THE TIRES ON THE FRONT OF THE VAN SO THE VAN SITS IN THE DRIVE WAY UNTILL IT CAN GET FIXED (FINDING THE BAR IS THE HARD PART)DEALER SAID HE COULD NOT LOCATE ONE NOW WHAT???? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APRESHIATED ALSO THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANNY 4 TIMES ONCE ABOUT EVERY 12000-17000 MILES AND ONE OF THE TRANNYS ONLY LASTED FOR 325 MILES BEFORE THE VAN DIED ON THE NY STATE THRUWAY ON OUR WAY TO CANADA FROM SYRACUSE,N.Y. THEN IT TOOK THE 5 WEEKS TO FIX THE VAN AND GET IT BACK TO ME SO HOW COULD I BE SURE THAT THE BREAKING OF THE SAWY BAR WAS NOT CAUSED FROM THE TECHS REMOVING THE UNIT X AMOUNT OF TIMES???????????ALONG WITH THE TIE RODS,WHEEL HUBS,ECT.*AK