1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

CURRENT MILEAGE APPROX. 55,800. . ON A RECENT TRIP TO CAPE MAY, NJ (APPROX. 150 MILES FROM OUR HOME IN BAYSIDE, NY ),THE ENGINE SEIZED AND THE CAR DIED ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER/ SERVICE STATION, CHAPMAN FORD (JUNE 31,2003), WHERE IT IS BEING SERVICED CURRENTLY. THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT EVALUATE THE DAMAGE UNTIL JULY 2,2003, WHERE HE STATED THAT A ROD BROKE CAUSING A PUNCTURE IN THE OIL PAN THEREFORE CAUSING A LOSS OF FLUID AND A SEIZE OF THE ENGINE. AT LEASE INCEPTION, WE TOOK AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH FORD HEMPSTEAD WITH INTERSTATE WARRANTY SERVICES. THIS WARRANTY COMPANY ORDERED A COMPLETE TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE TO FIND OUT WHY THE ROD BROKE, WE AGREED KNOWING THAT IT WAS DUE TO NO NEGLECT ON OUR PART, THE TEAR DOWN DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL JULY 10TH AND WAS EXAMINED ON JULY 11TH BY AN INSPECTOR HIRED BY INTERSTATE. THE CLAIM IS NOW BEING DENIED, EVEN THOUGH WE SUPPLIED THEM WITH ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THEY REQUESTED ON THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CAR. THEIR CLAIM IS THAT THE LAST MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGE, FILTER AND LUBRICANTS) WERE NOT DONE. WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THAT MONAHAN FORD, FLUSHING, NY DID THIS MAINTENANCE ALONG WITH OTHER WORK IN JANUARY. ALSO, HEMPSTEAD FORD, HEMPSTEAD, NY, DID SERVICE ON THE CAR APRIL 2003 FOR THE EXACT HESITATION IN ACCELERATION THAT WE EXPERIENCED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE ENGINE SEIZED. UNFORTUNATELY MONAHAN FORD WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT OUR CAR WAS NOT KEPT IN GOOD CONDITION WHEN DOCUMENTATION PROVES IT WAS IN TWO SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS WITHIN A SIXTH MONTH PERIOD. I NOW AM FACED WITH A $5000.00+ BILL TO REPAIR A CAR THAT WAS KEPT WELL AND HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM BEING FORCED TO FILE SUIT WITH MONAHAN FORD FOR FRAUDULENT SERVICE AND FILE SUIT WITH HEMPSTEAD FORD FOR FAILURE TO CORRECTLY ANALYZE THE CAR'S PROBLEM.

CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT SUSPENSION AT 32,000 MILE DUE TO WORNOUT BUSHING. THEN AT 74,000 MILES NOISE WAS DUE TO RADIUS ARM SOCKETS THAT NEEDED TO BE WELDED. THE PROBLEM STARTED AT 74,000 MILES BUT WAS NOT FOUND AND FIXED UNITL 82,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS. I FEEL THIS VEHICLES FRONT SUSPENSION IS DEFECTIVE BASE ON REPAIRS NEEDED IN 80,000 MILES OF HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING. FORD HAS BRUSHED ME OFF WORKING THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CHANNELS! I AM THE ORIGIONAL OWNER.

WHILE IN MOTION, THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. SIZE P215/70R14, DOT 30913URBW16895-1, ORIGINAL TIRES WITH 10,000-15000 MILES ON THEM. *AK THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD EXPLODED. THE CONSUMER WAS PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE LEFT PASSING LANE WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND SAW THE TIRE WAS NOT DEFLATED AND THE TREAD WAS TIGHTLY WRAPPED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE BROUGHT TO HIS ATTENTION, THE OTHER BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE TIRES. ONE HAD BLOWN OUT THROUGH THE TREAD AND THE SECOND TIRE DEVELOPED A BULGED THAT CAUSED A WOBBLE IN THE STEERING. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT PAINT IS PEELING OFF. CONSUMER FEELS THE INTERIOR MAY EVENTUALLY FALL AND PAINT CHIPS MAY GET INTO PASSENGERS EYES. *AK

FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, JANUARY 2002, BRAKES AND ABS SYSTEM HAS FAILED ,PEYTON-CRAMER FORD HAS CHARGED US TO REPLACE AN ABS RING, 2 SENSORS AND A TIRE. AFTER ALL OF THESE REPAIRS PEYTON-CRAMER FORD HAS FAILED TO CORRECT THE BRAKING PROBLEM AND NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE $1,300 FOR A NEW ABS SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 40K MILES. THE TRANSMISSION HAS CURRENTLY GONE OUT AS WELL WITHIN THE PAST WEEK. I FEEL THAT THIS MATTER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THIS VEHICLE IS A LEMON DUE TO THE LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AND BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. PEYTON CRAMER FORD IS UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH THE CURRENT ABS PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE COVERED BECAUSE I CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE ABS IS NOT COVERED BY MY CURRENT EXTENDED WARRANTY AND FORD MOTOR IS UNWILLING TO OFFER ANY GOODWILL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. *AK

LOSS OF FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WHILE DRIVING.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SEPARATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THE WHEEL IN QUESTION SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF INAPPROPRIATE CLAMPING FORCE TO THE ASSEMBLY. IT ALSO APPEARED THAT THE LACK OF CLAMPING FORCE WAS THE RESULT OF AN UNDER TORQUED WHEEL OR A WHEEL AND A BRAKE ROTOR COMBINATION THE WAS INAPPROPRIATELY SEATED. THE REAR WIPERS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INOPERATIVE. *NLM *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT VACUUM MOTOR SWITCH FAILS. HE ALSO STATES THAT THE RUBBER DIAPHRAM FAILS ALL THE TIME. THIS PART OF THE AUTO IS SUPPOSE TO BE WORKING IN RELATIONS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 1998 WINDSTAR WITH ONLY 61,000 MILES ON VEHICLE.FORD REFUSED TO GIVE US ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION. AFTER SEARCHING THIS DATABASE, IT SEEMS BAD TRANSMISSIONS ARE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH WINDSTARS.*AK

CONSUMER STATES HAS A POWER TRAIN PROBLEM FROM THE TRANSAXLES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUED, NUMBER #98-15-19. *AK

1998 FORD WINDSTAR I HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED TWICE WITH ONLY 47K MILES. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND TALKING TO REPAIR GARAGES THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH WINDSTAR VANS. *NLM