1998 Ford Windstar Complaint Log

REPORTING DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION IN 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. *BF *NM

CONSUMER HAS A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE 1998 FORD WINDSTAR CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WILL BE RECALLED.*MR

1998 WINDSTAR HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY CLOUDED MAKING LOW BEAMS USELESS. *TS THE HEADLIGHT ARE CLOUDY ON THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE AND CANNOT BE POLISHED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. *NM

DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER BRAKE CALIPER DISCONNECTED, JUST FELL OFF. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

SUSPENSION SYSTEM POOR STABILITY, FEELS AS IF IT WILL TURN OVER ON OCCASIONS.

WHEN KEYS WERE REMOVED FROM IGNITION AND VEHICLE PLACED IN PARK, VEHICLE THEN ROLLED DOWN HILL WITHOUT WARNING. PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE INTERMITTENT. *AK

VEHICLE UNSTABLE WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD.

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BRAKE LOSS, AND EVENTUALLY THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL OFF. *AK

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AFTER 2,000 MILES. DEALER IS REPLACING TRANSMISSION. *AK

VEHICLE STALLS USUALLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS ON TURNS OR COMING TO A STOP.

VEHICLE STEERING BEGINS TO VIBRATE AT APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH.

MISSING OR IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED LUG NUTS ARE A FACTORY PROBLEM ON 1998 UNITS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA.

SEAT BELTS IN SECOND ROW/MIDDLE SEAT DO NOT ALLOW OCCUPANT TO LEAN FORWARD. SEAT BELTS ARE TOO TIGHT. POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW. *AK

FORD ADVERTISED THAT INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT BELTS ACCOMODATE CHILDREN TO 60 POUNDS. HOWEVER, CONSUMER'S CHILD WEIGHING 43 POUNDS CANNOT FIT INTO SEAT BELT.

BRAKES HAS LITTLE RESISTANCE AND ARE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER CANNOT SEEM TO RESOLVE.

SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T RETURN TO ZERO UPON STOPPING VEHICLE AND STAYS AT A PARTICULAR SPEED, EVEN IF YOU BRAKE OR ACCELERATE. (QCAW)

AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED.

MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION FAILURES.

WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FUEL GAUGE READS INACCURATLY. THE FUEL GAUGE READS EMPTY EVEN WHEN THERE IS STILL 1/4 TANK OR MORE FUEL.

TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING FROM PART TO REVERSE.

THE BRAKE PEDAK GOES TO THE FLOOR AND IS VERY MUSHY. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE 4 TIMES AND CLAIMS THE PROBLEM IS FIXED. BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS, NOW THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL CONDITION IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE AND DOES NOT POSE A PROBLEM, AS A POLICE OFFICER AND AN ACCIDEND INVESTIGATOR I AM CONVINCED THAT AT ANYTHING CLOSE TO MAXIMUM LOADING THOSE BRAKES WILL FAIL.

UPON ACCELERATING THE SEAT TRACK RELEASES FROM THE SET POSITION, CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE TO THE REAR. *AK CONSUMER FEELS UNSATISFIED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT FULL SPEED, NEARLY RESULTING IN A COLLISION,CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DESIGN OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ALLOWS THE VEHICLE T0 ROLL BACKWARD , ON INCLINE, WHILE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE.

PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD VEHICLE, EVEN ON SLIGHT INCLINE. BRAKE DOES NOT MEET FMVSS TEST FOR EFFECTIVENESS. BRAKE CABLE HAS BEEN ADJUSTED BY DEALER FOR MINIMUM SLACK, AND FOOT BRAKE IS FULLY APPLIED BEFORE SETTING HAND BRAKE, BUT PARKING BRAKE STILL DOES NOT HOLD VEHICLE. *AK

BRAKE PADS ARE BEING CHEWED OFF BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE ROTORS. THE DEALER HAS CUT THE ROTORS, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES INOPERABLE. YH

HEAD REST MALFUNCTIONS. YH

SEAT CONTROL (LATCH / SWITCH) FAILED, RESULTING IN LOOSE SEAT. *YC

POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. YH

VEHICLE HAS NOISY FAN BELT. YH

AUTO LOCK FAILED. YH

TRANSMISSION TR SENSOR FAILED. *YC

BRAKE ROTORS FAILED. YH

ENGINE STOPED WHEN COMING TO STOP OR MAKING TURNS, DUE TO FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. YH

EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED. YH

AIR LOCK ON FILLING GAS TANK, AFTER REPAIR ATTEMPTS STILL CONTINUES. NLM

TRANSMISSION FAILED. MJS

BRAKES FAILED. *YC

DRIVER'S 3-POINT SEAT BELT FASTENER FAILURE. *YC

WHILE DECELERATING ENGINE WOULD STALL WITHOUT INDICATIONS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE PULLS TO EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS RELEASED FOR ONE SECOND. IT PULLS SO BADLY THAT WHILE DRIVING IT WANDERS INTO OTHER LANES. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WANDER.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PARK TO REVERSE FAILURE. *YC

VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES FOR THE SAME HARD SHIFTING, TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SINCE NEW. PROBLEM IS BETTER ,BUT I EXPECT FAILURE BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THE TRANSMISSION HAS A HARD 1-2 SHIFT SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW ON 13 JAN 98. THE LEMON LAW CAUSED FIRM TO OFFER ME AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 5 YEARS/75,000 MILES INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM. I'M VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AND DEALERSHIP SERVICE SHOP'S PERFORMANCE. RECENTLY, THE BRAKES HAVE DEVELOPED A VIBRATION AND THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STALLS AT SLOW SPEEDS. I TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY 5 APRIL 99 FOR THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND THE TWO NEW PROBLEMS. THE LAST SEVERAL NEW VEHICLES I'VE PURCHASED HAVE BEEN FORDS. MY NEXT VEHICLE PROBABLY WON'T BE A FORD. *AK

DEALERSHIP INSTALLED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AT 7,000 MILES BECAUSE OF OUR REPEATED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BUCKING SENSATION/THE VEHICLE IS STILL BUCKING/OTHER PROBLEMS DEVELOPED SUCH AS THE LUNCHING FORWARD IN SECOND GEAR, SHIFTING INTO GEAR BEGAN TO PRODUCE A GRINDING NOISEAND A VERY OBVIOUS VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL HAS DEVELOPED/FORD KEEPS IGNORING US AFTER OUR REPEATEDLY CONTACTING THEM/WE HAVE NOW FILED UNDER THE LEMON LAW IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT/ WE HAVE BEEN TREATED VERY SHABBILY BY FORD !

WHEN STARTING OUT VEHICLE WILL PULSATE. FEELS LIKE IT WILL NOT CATCH GEARS. *AK

GREASE IN THE FRONT BALL JOINTS HAS DRIED UP, CAUSING THE BALL JOINTS TO MALFUNCTION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

SLOWING DOWN FOR TRAFFIC VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE GRINDING NOISES. PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. ALSO, ,ABS SYSTEM COMPLETELY LOCKED UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME TOTALLY INOPERATIVE, WILL NOT MOVE. *AK