1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. ONCE STOPPED, AIR BEGAN TO SEEP OUT. WHEEL WELD ALONG WITH THE BRAKE LINE WERE SEVERED. CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF NHTSA RECALL 00T011000,CONCERNING THIN LINER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HEAD GASKET FAILED . AS A RESULT, A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCED. *AK *SC *JB

WITHOUT WARNING, THE SPEEDOMETER WENT FLAT AND THE ENGINE STAYED IN LOW GEAR AND THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON WHEN I WAS TRYING TO DRIVE UP A STEEP HILL. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE PUT A LITTLE EXTRA TRANSMISSION FLUID IN IT. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. WE TOOK IT THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR A OIL & AIR FILTER CHANGE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH. WE ONLY MADE IT A FEW MILES UNTIL IT BROKE DOWN AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. WHEN WE HAD IT CHECKED AT THE SHOP, WE WERE TOLD IT ALSO HAS A BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT. WE CALLED A "TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST" AND WERE TOLD BY THE DESCRIPTION, IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SPEED SENSOR HAD GONE OUT. WE HAD THIS VAN CUSTOM-BUILT, NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER OWNED IT. IT CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 94,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS HAD REGULAR MAINENTENCE AND HAS NEVER BEEN IINVOLVED IN A COLLISION. HAS FORD RECALLED ANY OF THIS, IT SEEMS MORE THAN THE REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR?*AK

I HAD A METALIC GRINDING NOISE WHEN I STEERED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. I TOOK IT TO MY FORD DEALER FOR REPAIR AND FOUND THAT THE RIGHT AND LEFT TIE ROD ENDS WERE BINDING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY VAN LUBRICATED AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THESE TIE RODS HAVE NO GREASE FITTING FOR LUBRICATION. I VIEW THIS AS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF LEFT UNATTENDED.*AK

THE DOOR OPEN/CLOSE INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED ON. *AK SOMETIMES THE LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR ABOUT A YEAR. *NM

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. *LA

THREE (3) ABS SENSORS HAVE GONE BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE OWNERSHIP. EACH SENSOR COST $175.00 WITH LABOR TO REPLACE AND VEHICLE IS OUT OF SERVICE FOR 1/2 DAY. *LA

HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE VERY LITTLE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. AN ACCIDENT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. THE COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS IN EXCESS OF $1,500. *LA

BOTH FRONT TIE-RODS TOTALLY FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 50,000 MILES. *LA

RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I STARTED HAVING PROBLEM WITH IT. I ADDRESSED THE SELLER, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NO WARRANTY, AND SO THAT I SHOULD JUST TAKE THE VEHICLE AND TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM BY MYSELF. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, I FEEL I WAS USED BECAUSE I AM POOR, AND WAS DESPERATE FOR A VEHICLE. OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM THEM HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN TO CORRECT THE MATTER ANY LONGER. I HAVEN'T GIVEN A PAYMENT FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS, BECAUSE I HAVE HAD TO FIX THE VEHICLE. MAINLY TRANSMISSION AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I HAVE ALSO HAD STEERING WHEEL PROBLEMS, AND TIRE PROBLEMS. *LA