1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, TORQUE, POWER STEERING, AND FRONT END STABLE RODS & ARMS. *MR THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE, THE POWER STEERING ONCE, THE FONT END STABLE RODS AND ARMS TWICE AND REMAINED BAD. THE BATTERY LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE IDLER PULLEY WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CREAKING/CRACKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL AND THE OUTER TIE RODS WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE TOE BEING RESET, THERE WAS A CLUNK WHEN GOING OVER THE BUMPS, THERE WAS A VIBRATION UNDERNEATH DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION, THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF AND SEEMED LIKE THE SHIFTS WERE ERRATIC, THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED BADLY, AND ON SOME OCCASIONS THE STARTER DID NOT ENGAGE. *SCC *JB

1998 WINDSTAR BRAKE LINE FAILURE OVER CATALYTIC CONVERTER SIMILAR TO 1996 FORD WINDSTAR RECALL 4/3/02 02V101000. LOCAL MECHANIC WITH KNOWLEDGE RECALL ON 1996 WINDSTAR CONTACTED BROCKPORT FORD (CLOSEST DEALER) FOR INFORMATION ON REPAIR AND IF ANY SPECIAL MATERIALS WERE AVAILABLE TO REPAIR. THE MECHANIC WAS TOLD THERE WANSN'T ANYTHING AVAILABLE. THROUG MY OWN RESEARCH ON YOUR WEBSITE AFTER REPAIR ON 9/3/3, 1996 RECALL DESCRIBES SPECIFIC REPAIR FOR THE 1996. ARE AND FORD SURE THE SAME RECALL ISN'T NECESSARY ON OTHER MODEL YEARS? UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS, OUR FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN DEVESTATING TO MY WIFE AND 4 CHILDREN!!!!*AK

MY WINDSTAR VAN, AT 58,000 MILES, HAD A PREMATURE CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY I-84 EAST. THIS EVENT PUT MY YOUNG CHILDREN AND MYSELF IN DANGER ON THE SIDE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY DUE TO THE SMOKE AND STEAM COMING FROM THE VEHICLE THAT WE HAD TO RAPIDLY EVACUATE. MY VAN WAS OUT OF MY SERVICE FOR OVER ONE FULL WEEK AND HAS A REPAIR PRICE TAG OF JUST UNDER $2,800. I HAVE REQUESTED FORD TO PAY THE FULL COST OF THIS REPAIR THROUGH ONE OF THEIR "SPECIAL" PROGRAMS. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECTS OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS (I AM GLAD I DON'T OWN A 1995 WINDSTAR!) AND MUST BE MADE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR NOT USING QUALITY TRANSMISSION UNITS ON THESE VEHICLES. *AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT FRONT BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE BRAKES SQUEAKED FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL THEY WERE REPLACED. ALSO, FRONT COIL SPRING PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND A TERRIBLE NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. SHE STOPPED, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. DEALER DID AN ALIGNMENT, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT FRONT COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THEN, VEHICLE STARTED TO DECELERATE, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. CONSUMER HAD MADE CONTACT WITH DEALER. *AK

1998 WINDSTAR'S FRONT RIGHT WHEELS LUG BOLTS SHEERED OFF CAUSING WHEEL TO FLY OFF WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. *NLM

THERE IS PEELING PAINT ON MOST OF THE TOPMOST SURFACES OF THIS VEHICLE, INCLUDING THE LIFT GATE, ABOVE AND AROUND THE TOP OF THE SIDE SLIDING DOOR, AND ALONG THE LUGGAGE RACK. THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE PRIMER LAYER.*AK

I AM SEEKING ACTION TO ALLEVIATE THE COST OF MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH MY 1998 3.8L V6 FORD WINDSTAR GL. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, MY WINDSTAR HAS DISPLAYED REOCCURRING AND EXTENSIVE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FRONT END, BRAKES, AND ENGINE THAT HAVE RESULTED INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME AND MONEY SPENT ON REPAIRS. FROM RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT OUR DIFFICULTIES ARE NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT, AND ARE IN FACT A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 1998 WINDSTAR, AND ARE THE SAME PROBLEMS FOUND IN THE 1995 WINDSTAR. THE MOST RECENT EVENT WAS THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER PROVIDED THIS SERVICE WHICH COST $1500.00 IN PARTS AND LABOR. UPON COMPLETION OF THE REPAIRS THE VAN WAS NOT ROADWORTHY, A NEW SHORT BLOCK WAS NEEDED DUE TO DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FAULTY HEAD GASKET. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED OVER $6000.00 FOR THIS JOB. IN ADDITION TO THE MOUNTING REPAIR COSTS, I AM FORCED TO RENT A CAR SO THAT WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION WHILE WE CONSIDER OPTIONS WITH OUR WINDSTAR. MY WINDSTAR HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON THESE DAYS TO HAVE VEHICLES OPERATE THIS LONG BEFORE REQUIRING THE FIRST TUNE-UP. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THIS VAN, I HAVE SPENT THE TIME I HAVE OWNWD THIS VEHICLE AND A LOT OF MONEY TAKING MY WINDSTAR INTO SERVICE CENTERS TO HAVE INFERIOR PARTS, SUCH AS THE PLASTIC TIE-ROD ENDS AND BRAKES, REPLACED MANY TIMES. I HAVE ALSO SPENT A FORTUNE ON RENTAL CARS WHILE OUR WINDSTAR SAT UNSERVICEABLE. WE HAVE BORN THIS COST WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT INVESTING MONEY IN REPAIR WOULD RESULT IN SAFE, RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR FAMILY. WITH THIS MAJOR REPAIR, THE MONTHS OF EXHAUSTIVE DIAGNOSIS AND TRIAL REPAIR JOBS TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT ARRISE, THE MULTIPLE TIE ROD END REPLACEMENTS, AND BRAKE SYSTEM REPAIRS, I FEEL THAT I AM ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION FROM THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *AK

POWERTRAIN FAILURE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT DROPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN WOULD NOT RESPOND. FAMILY MECHANIC INSPECTED VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP..$2000. LATER TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED..IF THIS IS SUCH A "KNOWN ISSUE" WITH THESE VEHICLES WHY DOESNT FORD DO SOMETHING TO COMPENSATE THEIR CUSTOMERS? I USED TO BE A FORD GAL BUT NOT ANYMORE!!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE STARTED IDLING HIGH AND RUNNING ROUGH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK