1998 Ford Windstar Air Bags & Restraints Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000. UPDATED 12/01/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND AIR BAG ALSO FAILED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THEY WERE ALL CONNECTED THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN THROUGH WIRING. UPDATED 12/09/10

WE COLLIDED WITH A 1989 CHEVROLET TRUCK DRIVEN BY AN INTOXICATED DRIVER WHO PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF US IN A 45 MPH SPEED ZONE. WE WERE IN OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. OUR CHILDREN, AGES 18 AND 13 WERE SEATED IN THE QUAD SEATS BEHIND THE FRONT SEATS, AND ON IMPACT, BOTH SEAT BELTS FOR THEIR SEATS CAME UNDONE. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT STRAPS ARE RIPPING APART. TWO OF THE STRAPS HAVE COMPLETELY RIPPED. ONE OF THE STRAPS IS FRAYING. EACH OF THE SEAT BELTS IS LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT ROW. TWO OF THE SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN SHE MADE A SUDDEN STOP, HER 5 YEAR OLD CHILD'S SAFETY SEAT CAME FLYING TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. SHE STATED THAT THE SAFETY SEAT ACTUALLY CAME LOOSE FROM THE SEAT BELT. THAT THE CHILD SUSTAIN SOME MINOR INJURIES (2 BUMPS ON THE HEAD) BUT NEVER CAME OUT OF THE GRACO SEAT BECAUSE IT REMAINED FASTENED. *NM THE SEAT WAS ORIGINALLY POSITION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THIRD ROW BENCH SEAT. *NM

I WAS A PASSENGER IN MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR VAN WHEN WE STRUCK A DEER GOING 55 MPH. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES TO MY RIGHT EYE, INCLUDING A TRAUMA INDUCED CATARACT. SO FAR VISION HAS NOT RETURNED AND I'M WORRIED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. *LA

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RELEASE FROM THE RETRACTOR. *AK

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

HOWEVER, WE ARE CURRENTLY VERY UPSET WITH OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER OVER A SIMPLE SEAT BELT. 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. I ASKED FOR A LETTER STATING THIS FACT (THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY) AND THEY REFUSE. *NLM

INVOLVED IN COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLE - FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF OTHER VEHICLE HIT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF MY VEHICLE - BOTH MY WIFE (FRONT PASSENGER) AND MYSELF HAD OUR SEAT BELTS ON. AT IMPACT MY WIFES SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER UPPER BODY BACK CAUSING HER UPPER BODY TO GO FORWARD AND STRIKE HER FOREHEAD WITH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. ALSO AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELTS AT TIMES DON'T TIGHTEN ACROSS THE UPPER BODY.*AK

SEAT BELT ALARM,LIGHT, AND COURTESY LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.*AK

DRIVERSIDE SEATBELT FELL APART IN MY HAND! THEN AFTER FURTHUR CHECKING , THE MIDDLE PASS SIDE BELT WAS STARTING TO FRAY. AFTER 20 DAYS OF NOT HAVING A SEATBELT THEY ARE FINALLY BEING REPLACED. VERY DISSAPOINTED IN FORD TAKING ITS SWEET TIME WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF ITS OWNERS AND THERE FAMILIES.*AK

7- YEAR OLD CHILD WAS SITTING ON PASSENGER'S SIDE BACKROW AND ENDED UP GETTING TANGLED UP WITH SHOUDLER BELT. WHEN SHE COULDN'T BREATHE, SHE ASKED FOR HELP. ANOTHER PASSENGER UNBUCKLED SEATBELT, BUT SEATBELT WAS IN RETRACTING MODE, SO IT CONTINUED TO STRANGLE 7-YEAR OLD CHILD. SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT OFF IN ORDER TO ALLOW CHILD TO BREATHE. CONSUMER FELT THERE SHOULD BE RELEASE BUTTON TO DEACTIVATE RETRACTING MODE.*AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON, THE FUSE, WIRING HARNESS AND BRAKE WIRES WERE FIXED AS POSSIBLE CAUSE BUT THE LIGHT KEEPS ON COMING. *YH

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN WHICH VEHICLE FLIPPED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BENCH SEAT BROKE, CAUSING CHILD AND INFANT SEAT TO BE THROWN TO THE FLOOR. *AK VEHICLE DID NOT FLIP, IT HIT WATER AND SPUN. *YH THE BUCKLE SHATTERED AND THE PLASTIC HOUSING AND SPRINGS INTERNAL TO THE MECHANISM BROKE APART. *TT

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A DEER AND DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID DEPLOYED, BUT IT DID NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY, WHICH SEEMED AS IF AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ALL THE WAY. OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

IN A FRONTAL IMPACT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY TO THE SIDE, AND CAUSING INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. ALSO, PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND EXPLODED, CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO BE BLIND. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUS EOF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN FIRST PURCHASED VEHICLE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SEATBELT WAS INOPERATIVE. *AK

DRIVER'S SEATBELT DOES NOT RETRACT, WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. DEALER WILL REPLACE DRIVER'S SEATBELT. PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

CHILD GOT TRAPPED IN THE REAR SEAT BELT SYSTEM. THE SEATBELT WAS UNLOCKED, BUT DID NOT RELEASE AND BECAME TIGHTER AS THE CHILD STRUGGLED WITH IT. IT WAS FINALLY CUT TO BE REMOVED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

ALL REAR SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LOKING PROPERLY. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK