1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

REAR ENDED CAUSING A FRONT-END COLLISION AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

I HAVE A 98 FORD WINDSTAR FAMILY VAN VIN# [XXX] I PURCHASED THE VAN IN JUNE OF 2002 IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD A FULL INSPECTION BY THE SERVICE DEPT ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN PURCHASED, I WAS DRIVING BY MYSELF ON A SUNDAY RETURNING FROM VISITING MY ELDERLY PARENTS AND AS I WAS DRIVING THE INTERSTATE A HUGE NOISE SCARED ME AND I LOOKED TO THE REAR OF THE VAN AND A WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR VENT WINDOW WAS GONE, THE TEMP WAS VERY COLD AND NO ONE WAS AROUND IT THANK GOODNESS, IT COULD HAVE AT A DIFFERENT TIME COST A MOTORCYCLE RIDER OR ANYONE IT COULD OF HIT THEIR LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY, I TOOK THE VAN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED FOR THEM TO REPORT AND ALSO EXPLAINED I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, I HAD TO PAY FOR IT AND CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR CO THREE TIMES AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE, IT WAS A ELECTRIC WINDOW LATCH THAT MOVES THE WINDOW IN AND OUT AS A VENT THAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BROKE, IT IS ALSO THE ONLY THING THAT HOLDS IT IN. I BELIEVE I COULD NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS TO HAPPEN AND IT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECT AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED AND SOME NOW THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED ME SO MUCH AGGRAVATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP, STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM AND RACK DEFECTIVE HAS TO BE REPLCED, RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED ALREADY WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES

DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH IN MODERATE TRAFFIC, ENGINE SLOWED, OIL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A SPUTTERING SOUND AND WHITE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE TAIL PIPE. VEHICLE DECREASED SPEED RAPIDLY, ENDANGERING THREE CHILDREN. ENGINE DIAGNOSITC PROVED BLOWN HEAD GASKET.

ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND RED BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY. WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING, THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL NOT SHUT OFF, AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK. THE CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON. THE TURN SIGNALS ARE BLINKING RAPIDLY OR NOT WORKING ON SOME OCCASIONS. MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AS OF LAST YEAR. THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REBUILT AND WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHTS NOT GOING OFF AND THE DOOR LOCK MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE AT FIRST THEY WERE LOCKING ON THEIR OWN REPEATEDLY. I FEEL LIKE THESE WERE ALL A RESULT OF WIRING PROBLEMS, BUT WE HAD SUCH A HARD TIME GETTING ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS REPAIRED THAT I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A LEMON THE WHOLE TIME WE HAVE OWNED IT.

I HAVE MAINTAINED MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR VERY WELL - HAVING ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENACE PERFORMED. IT HAS ONLY 80,000 MILES ON IT AND THE HEAD GASKET NOW HAS A LEAK. COOLANT HAS LEAKED INTO THE #4 CYLINDER. THE DEALER WANTS $3500-4500 TO PUT A NEW ENGINE IN IT. THE HEAD GASKET LEAKING IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH WINDSTARS. FORD HAS HAS A PROGRAM FOR EARLIER MODELS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. BUT FORD HAS YET TO APPLY THE PROGRAM TO THE 1998 MODELS. I EXPECT A FORD VEHICLE TO GET AT LEAST 180,000 MILES WHEN THE OWNER HAS ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE COMPLETED. I WANT FORD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE! I WAS TO PUT ANOTHER 100,000 MILES ON THAT VAN.

CONSUMER STATEDTHERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. PH

TIRES ARE GOODYEAR INTEGRITY. CONSUMER HAD ALL FOUR TIRES FAIL ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. *JG *JB *NLM

THERE IS RUST LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES AND THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE RUST WASN'T VISIBLE UNDER THE MOLDING UNTIL REPLACEMENT HAD BEGUN. *JG *JB *NLM

DRIVER FRONT SEATBELT MALFUNCTIONING, PERSISTENT VIBRATION IN RT FRONT END AT 60-65MPH NOT CURED BY NEW STRUTS, SWAY BAR LINKS, SPRINGS ALIGNMENT, MULTIPLE WHEEL BALANCE. TS