1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

SERVICE BULLETIN #01205 OR NHTSA #625715 I HAVE A FORD WINDSTAR GL 1998 I ONLY HAD IT TURN OVER TO 70,000 AND MY ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND I'M GETTING TROUBLE CODE PO 171 AND I'M ALSO NOTICE THAT FUEL GAGE DON'T NOT GO TO THE FULL MARK AND I HAD TO HAVE ALL 4 H2O SENCER REPLACE AND NOW MY ODEMETER AND TRIP METER QUIT WORKING AND I ONLY HAVE 72,000 ON MY VAN IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN DO WITH THESE VECHILE PROBLEMS THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE WITH SUCH LOW MILES I JUST BOUGHT THE VAN IN AUG 2004 WITH ONLY 56,000 ARE ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS ON THE RECALL LIST . PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP REPAIRING MY VAN THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL PROBLEM.THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME

FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING UP A LOW GRADE AND COMING TO A STOP. VAN STARTED ROLLING BACKWARD AFTER REMOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE AND WHEN IT FINALLY MOVED FORWARD THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND NO SPEEDOMETER. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR. MOST RECENT INCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER PASSING A SEMI ON THE FREEWAY. PASSED DOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH AND WHEN PULLING BACK INTO RIGHT LANE VAN LOST ALL FORWARD POWER AND SPEED. SPEEDOMETER ONCE AGAIN DROPPED TO 0. WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT AS YET HAVE NOT HAD IT LOOKED AT BY DEALER. SAID TO BRING IT BACK ON THE WEEKEND.

WE WERE ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME ON OUR RETURN TRIP FROM OHIO TO IOWA WHEN, WHILE ACCELERATING OUT OF A REST AREA, STEERING COLUMN BEGAN SHAKING VIGOROUSLY. WE BEGAN TO SLOW FROM 60-65MPH AND MERGED INTO THE RIGHT LANE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING AROUND 50MPH THE RIGHT FRONT END DROPPED AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BOUNCED OFF INTO A FIELD. WE RETAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER WITHOUT INJURY. UPON EXAMINATION, THE TIRE STUDS HAD ALL BROKEN CLEAN OFF. ALL EXCEPT TWO WERE LOST. THE TWO HAD A LOCKING MECHANISM. THE DAMAGE DUE TO THE COLLISION WITH THE ROAD AFTER THE WHEEL FELL OFF WAS COVERED BY OUR INSURANCE, THOUGH TECHNICALLY THE INITAIL MECHANICAL FAILURE DID WAS NOT, THOUGH SINCE THE STUDS WERE PART OF THE ROTOR WHICH WAS DAMAGED THEY WERE REPLACED WITH THE ROTOR. THE PARTS DAMAGED AND REPLACED INCLUDE THE ROTOR, FRONT BRAKES, CONTROL/STABILIZING ARM, RIGHT FENDER AND PASSENGER DOOR.

I HAD THREE OF THE FOUR SUBJECT TIRES SEPARATE ON THREE DIFFERENT INCIDENTS. THE FIRST TORE OUT THE FRONT END OF THE CAR CAUSING $950 DAMAGE (JULY 2004). AT THIS POINT WE REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES. THE SECOND (LEFT REAR SEPARATED AT HIGHWAY SPEED) JULY 1, 2005. AND THE THIRD SEPARATED A WEEK LATER ON THE RETURN TRIP HOME (JULY 9, 2005). THE TIRES WERE MASTERCRAFT P794 205-70-15 SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE TREADS WERE BRAND NEW AND NO VISUAL WARNING SIGNS WERE AVAILABLE. NO YEAR GIVEN MASTERCRAFT P22575R15 - TIRES:TREAD/BELT : HTTP://RECALLS.JUSTIA.COM/AUTO-CONTENT-5303.HTML

DT: CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT AND THE FUEL PUMP HARNESS MELTED. DEALER TOLD CONTACT SHE WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLE DID NOT BLOW UP ON HER. THIS HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP.*AK

MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE. THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING INSIDE. I TOOK IT TO A LES SWABB TIRE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE REASON FOR THE NOISE WAS A CRACKED RIM, ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG. THEY SAID THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, VERY DANGEROUS. IT COSTED ME $45.00 TO REPLACE THE RIM. THEY SUGGESTED TO LOOK INTO OTHER REPORTS. ON YOUR WEB SITE I FOUND SEVERAL REPORTS OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, SOME HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 RIMS. THEY SAID IF THIS CRACKED ALL AROUND MY TIRE WOULD OF FELL OFF. SCARY THOUGHT FOR MY FAMILY AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAYS,ETC. I CALLED FORD TO REPORT THIS AND REQUESTED THEM TO REPLACE ALL 4 RIMS. THEY REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONCIBILITY FOR THIS. TRIED TO BLAME IT ON MY TIRES AND MY DRIVING. TIRES ARE ALL NEW AND DRIVING SHOULDN'T CRACK THE RIM LIKE IT DID. I THINK IT IS SAD THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED NOR CARE THIS COULD CAUSE A FATAL CRASH. I AM GOING TO CALL KING 5 NEWS. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY VAN NOW. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, DANGEROUS. PLEASE MAKE FORD TAKE RESPONCIBILITY FOR THIS, BEFORE A FATAL CRASH IF HAS NOT HAPPENED ALREADY.

1998 FORD WINDSTAR 3.8L ENGINE, HEAD BOLTS STRETCHED CAUSING COOLANT LEAK INTO ENGINE, HEAD GASKET WAS NOT BLOWN SO WYNN'S SERVICE CONTRACT WILL NOT PAY FOR $1800 REPAIR. THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR EXPENSE, I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT 80,000 MILES.

I PURCHASED MY VAN FROM MY GRANDFATHER'S ESTATE. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. I WAS TRAVELING FROM A SCHOOL FUNCTION WHERE I TEACH WITH MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VAN. MY VAN SEEMED TO HAVE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 183 HEADING NORTH TOWARD CEDAR PARK WHERE I LIVE. I COULDN'T MAKE THE LIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF 620 TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT, SO I WENT PAST THE LIGHT AND TURNED INTO THE CONSTRUCTION AREA JUST NORTH OF THAT INTERSECTION. I HAD ALREADY CALLED MY HUSBAND TO MEET ME BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE VAN. WHEN I PULLED IN, I POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW SMALL FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SECTION UNDER THE HOOD. I DROPPED THE HOOD AND GRABBED MY DAUGHTER FROM THE CAR. I THEN CALLED 911 AND THEY DISPATCHED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHILE I WAITED, I PULLED A BOTTLE OF WATER FROM THE VAN, POPPED THE HOOD AND SPRINKLED WATER ON THE FLAMES. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUND ME, THE FIRE WAS SMALLER. THEY FINISHED PUTTING OUT THE FIRE AND TOLD ME THAT I PROBABLY SAVED MY VAN BY SPRINKLING WATER ON IT. IT APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL AND NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS LOCATED. I WAS IN TEARS BY THE TIME MY HUSBAND ARRIVED AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED, BUT AM FURIOUS THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED MY VAN. I DID HAVE IT REPAIRED AT COMPUTER AGE AUTOMOTIVE IN CEDAR PARK AND MY INSURANCE AGENT IS RYAN WITH STATE FARM WHOM I DID SUBMIT THE CLAIM. I WAS TOLD THAT STATE FARM DOES NOT HAVE PLANS TO PURSUE FORD. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER FAMILY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A EXTREMELY BAD SITUATION.

THE REAR BRAKE LINE ABOVE THE SPARE TIRE WAS RUSTED AND BLEW APART WHEN MY WIFE HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW FOR A TURNING VEHICLE. THIS LINE IS IN A VERY BAD SPOT. IT IS NOT VISIBLE AND THERE IS THE GREATEST CHANCE TO HOLD MOISTURE THERE. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT ONLY HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT.

VAN WILL STALL WHEN DECELERATING INTO A TURN, OCURRS 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 84,000 MILES COSTNG $1,700 TO REPAIR. VAN WOULD VIBRATE AND STUTTER WHEN ACEELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. HAD VAN TO DEALER 3-4 TIMES FOR STALLING PROBLEM, THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG.