1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ENGINE LOCKED UP WITHOUT WARNING , LEAVING THE CONSUMER WITHOUT POWER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM. *AK

WHEN A TURN WAS MADE OR THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING NOISE. THE LOCATION OF THE NOISE WAS UNKNOWN, THEREFORE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB

WE OWN A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE A FRAYED SEAT BELT REPAIRED. I HAVE THE PAPERWORK FOR THIS REPAIR. WE THEN HAD A BABY AND INSTALLED A FIVE POINT HARNESS CAR SEAT IN THAT SEAT POSITION. THE CAR SEAT REMAINED THERE FOR FOUR YEARS, (REMOVED ONLY WHEN SO FILTHY IT HAD TO BE CLEANED), THUS THE SEAT BELT REMAINED LOCKED IN POSITION AND WAS NOT PULLED OUT OR RETRACTED DURING THAT TIME. THAT BABY IS NOW OLD ENOUGH TO NEED A BOOSTER SEAT (WHICH UTILIZES THE SEAT BELT DIRECTLY). WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF STARTING TO USE THE BOOSTER SEAT DAILY WE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS ONCE AGAIN FRAYING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND HE TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL REPAIR PLACE (WITH THE PAPERWORK FROM THE FIRST REPAIR) AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THEY TOLD US THAT SINCE THE FIRST REPAIR WAS AT 7138 MILES AND THE VAN NOW HAS 89,123 MILES ON IT THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NLM

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BREAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP AND THE SPRINGS WERE REPLACED BUT THE SHIELDS FOR THE SPRING WERE NOT REPLACED. THE CONSUMER DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE SAME PROBLEM MAY OCCUR. *NLM

RELIABILITY ISSUE: 1998 FORD WINDSTAR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 33,000 MI, THEN THEIR REPLACEMENT FAILED AFTER ANOTHER 65,000 MI, THEN THE $2700 REBUILD FAILED AFTER ANOTHER 29,000 MILES. THIS IS GARBAGE!!! *NLM

DOOR AJAR BELL AND LIGHTS DO NOT GO OUT, LOCKS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY IN PASSENGER REAR DOOR. DOORS CLOSE FINE BUT BELL AND LIGHTS PERSIST AT ALL TIMES. FUSE HAD TO BE REMOVED FOR NIGHT DRIVING AND TO PREVENT A DEAD BATTERY. I CANT HEAR THINGS AROUND ME OUTSIDE DUE TO DOOR AJAR BELL. BELL TONE IS LOUD AND CAUSING HEADACHES. *JB

DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. CHIMES STAY ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED UNTIL THE SPEED REACHES AROUND 15 MPH. BUT AS SOON AS I SLOW DOWN AND STOP, THE CHIMES COME ON AGAIN. *JB

NAR 03/05/2003 THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH MOVING THE COLUMN SHIFT FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER. *CB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 97 V 165 000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB

ABS SYSTEM IS CONSTANTLY MALFUNCTIONING, BRAKES GIVE OUT, TRACTION CONTROL IS TURNING OFF AND ON. DRIVERS SIDE LOCK DOES NOT WORK WITH ALARM REMOTE.*JB