Owner-reported complaints naming the heating or air-conditioning system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Ford Windstar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
UPON BEING IN A PARKING LOT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANISM UNDER THE SEAT. CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *AK
LOSS OF FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WHILE DRIVING.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SEPARATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THE WHEEL IN QUESTION SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF INAPPROPRIATE CLAMPING FORCE TO THE ASSEMBLY. IT ALSO APPEARED THAT THE LACK OF CLAMPING FORCE WAS THE RESULT OF AN UNDER TORQUED WHEEL OR A WHEEL AND A BRAKE ROTOR COMBINATION THE WAS INAPPROPRIATELY SEATED. THE REAR WIPERS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INOPERATIVE. *NLM *JB
REAR AIR WILL NOT WORK. *JB
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THERE WAS A BAD ODOR COMING FROM VENT AREA. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATES AFTER TURNING ON THE AIR CONDITION OR OPENING THE VENT CONTROL THERE IS AN ODOR
CONSUMER STATEED BOTH FRONT TIE RODS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED, ALSO THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED.*YH
POWER STEERING LINE MALFUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER, DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT COOLING, THERE WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION AT COMPRESSOR, THE DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK, THE POWER DOOR ACTUATOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE DOORS NOT WORKING, WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO DOWN BECAUSE OF A BAD WINDOW MOTOR.*JB
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
1. TRANSMISSION: THE VEHICLE WOULD ACT AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL AFTER COMING TO A STOP. SOMETIMES THIS WOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AS I PULLED INTO AN INTERSECTION, LEAVING ME IN THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER. 2. A/C: THE CONTROL MODULE FAILED TO ENGAGE THE A/C BUT STILL CYCLED THE IDLE SPEED. THIS WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE BRAKING REQUIRED TO HOLD THE VEHICLE AT A STOP WAS INSUFFICIENT WHEN THE IDLE RANDOMLY SURGED TO HIGH. BOTH FAILURES HAD POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ACCIDENT BUT WERE REPAIRED BEFORE ANY INCIDENT OCCURRED.
THE IGNITION STOPPED AND THIS IS LATER THAN THE REPORTED IGNITION PROBLEMS REPORTED IN THE DETROIT FREE PRESS ON 9-14-00. WHEN THE CAR WENT IN FOR WARRANTY WORK, FORD CLAIMED THAT IT WAS JUST A "COMPUTER PROBLEM." WHEN DRIVING A NEW CAR, I DON'T ENJOY HAVING THE CAR STOP FOR NO REASON, ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC. THIS IGNITION PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING IN LATER MODEL CARS AS MY WINDSTAR IS A 1998. I ALSO HAVE A DISGUSTING SMELL THAT EMANATES FROM THE HEATER/AIRCONDITIONER WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAS NOT EVER BEEN REPAIRED. THEY PUT IN DEODORIZER, BUT THE SMELL STILL REEKS WHEN THE HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONING IS PUT ON AT ANY LEVEL. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE LEADING TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE (FOR REAR COOLING) RUBBED AGAINST THE POWER STEERING LINE, CAUSING THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE TO RUPTURE. IF THIS HAD CAUSED THE RUPTURE OF THE POWER STEERING LINE, SIGNIFICANT SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE LOSS OF THE TOTAL COOLANT DUE TO THE RUPTURED AIR CONDITIONING LINE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. WE BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLE AND ONE THAT WARRANTS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD.
6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VAN'S PROBLEM WITH STALLING OUT WHEN STOPPING AND THEN PROCEEDING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS. IT HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ONCE IN ROANOKE (MAJIC CITY FORD)_ AND AGAIN IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA WITH NO PROBLEMS FOUND. THE CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT AND CAN'T BE STARTED UNTIL PUT IN PARK AND THEN STARTED. ALSO, AS ODD AS IT SEEMS, IT ONLY OCCURS WHEN TURNING 'LEFT'. THE AIR CONDITIONING WHEN STARTED (MAX AC- AC- DEFROST SETTINGS) MAKE A BANG NOISE ATT THE RIGHT FRONT UNDERSIDE OF THE VAN. IT OCCURS A FEW TIMES IN A ROW AND THEN STOPS ONLY TO BEGIN WEEKS LATER. THE VAN HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO BRADY-BUSHEY FOR THIS WITH NO REPAIR WORK PERFORMED BECAUSE IT DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN THEY TESTED IT. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. BUT THEN, WHEN IT STOPS MAKING THE NOISE HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO PROVE THIS NOISE?
ENGINE. AIR CONDITIONING.
FUEL PUMP FAILED.
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSOR. TH WHEN TURNING ON AIR CONDITIONER, IT GIVES OFF A FOUL ODOR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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