1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING LEFT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT LEFT FRONT SPRING BREAKING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THE SPRING WAS REPLACED, BUT DEALER REFUSED TO CHANGE THE OTHER ONES UNLESS THEY BROKE. DID NOT FEEL THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO BE DRIVING AGAIN.*AK

OUR '98 FORD WINDSTAR (3.8L) HAS JUST EXPERIENCED A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM; IT DRIVES ALONG JUST FINE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 M.P.H. AND THEN BANG -- THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM OVER DRIVE INTO SECOND (OR FIRST!) GEAR. THIS SENDS THE ENGINE FROM A CASUAL 1,500 R.P.M. TO A DANGEROUS 5,500 R.P.M., AND MAKES FOR SCARY AND DANGEROUS HIGHWAY DRIVING. FORD (KACHEL FORD IN SHILLINGTON, PA) SAYS THAT THE VALVE BODY OR POSSIBLY THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE BAD, BUT I HAVE UNCOVERED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY SAME, AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM WITH THE FORD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEING USED IN THE WINDSTAR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS IMMEDIATELY. CONTACT ME AT ONCE IF YOU WOULD LIKE FULL COOPERATION -- I AM WILLING. *NLM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE, RACK AN PINION STEERING LOCKING.*AK

WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER HAS CALLED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS TO HAVE FOUR RECALLS DONE AND THEY WERE REFUSING TO HONOR THEM. RECALL # 01V199 CONCERNING FRONT SPRINGS:COIL SPRING/ 99V147 000 CONCERNING BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/ 00E11 FORD'S ADDITIONAL WARRANTY FOR FRONT SPRINGS:COIL SPRING CORROSION, AND 01M 03.*AK

WHEN TILTING THE STEERING WHEEL WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND NO WARNING FRONT LEFT SPRING COIL CRACKED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FALL TO THE GROUND. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL CAME OFF. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK

CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS AND LOCKS BECAUSE OF THE DOOR AJAR MONITOR. HAVE TO USE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO ENTER BECAUSE DRIVERS DOOR NORMALLY SETS IT OFF, AND HAVE TO UNPLUG BATTERY TO LET SYSTEM RESET, SO BATTERY DOES NOT GO DEAD WHICH NORMALLY TAKES A COUPLE OF DAYS. LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN WHILE DRIVING. DOOR AJAR WILL ALSO ACTIVATE WITH THE OTHER DOORS ON ITS OWN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. EVERYTIME I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, IT WOULD STOP AND THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING UNLESS IT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME. *AK