Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. 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. 57 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.
The 25 most recent of 57, in the owner's own words
We woke up this morning to the driver's side completely burned and melted. It had been parked sinced Monday. Fire inspector said it was definitely an electrical issue coming from the seat.
I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. IT FIRST STARTED WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH CATCHING ON FIRE AND CAUSING WIRES UNDER MY HOOD TO BURN... NOW FOR THE LAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR..THE SENSOR ON THE DASH WOULD SHOW THAT THE DOOR WAS AJAR(NOT CLOSED) I COULD TAKE THE BATTERY CABLE OFF FOR A WHILE AND THE DOOR LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. NOW I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE ALL THE BULBS IN THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE VAN TO KEEP MY BATTERY FROM RUNNING DOWN THIS MORNING I GET UP AND MY BATTERY IS DEAD AND ACID FROM THE BATTERY IS ALL OVER THE POST AND CABLE WIRES. I TALK TO MY MECHANIC HE SAYS THIS IS DUE TO SOME PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HE SAID HE HAS HAD TO WORK ON SEVERAL WINDSTARS FOR THE SAME PROBLEMSOME KIND OF SENSOR FAULT DEFECT. *TR
INTERIOR LIGHT AS WELL AS BEEPING NOISE RINGING NONSTOP WHILE ALL DOORS ARE SHUT CORRECTLY. DASH LIGHT ALSO STAYS ON COMPUTER ISSUE WITH SYSTEM. *TR
TWO WEEKS AGO OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVAN, WITH 220,000 MILES ON IT, CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE PARKED, AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. WE HAD BEEN CAREFULLY FOLLOWING THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. DURING THE WEEK BEFORE THE FIRE, WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT ALWAYS TURNING OFF WHEN WE EXITED THE VAN. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT HOOD UNLATCHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH. THE HOOD BLEW OFF, AND WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD NEARLY CAUSING INJURIES.
ELECTRONICS-DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON SPECIFICALLY WHEN WEATHER IS DAMP OR MILD. THIS CAUSES DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, ALSO DOOR CHIME KEEPS CHIMMING. BATTERY LOOSES POWER BECAUSE DOME LAMP STAYS ON FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT WORK IF ILLUMINATED DOOR AJAR WARNING IS CAUSED BY OPENING OR CLOSING REAR LIFTGATE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO DRIVER DOOR SWITCH AT THE COST OF $100 PARTS AND LABOR, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER DOOR, SIDE SLIDER AND REAR LIFTGATE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IM NOT SURE IF DOORS ARE REALLY CLOSED OR NOT. SINCE THE DOORS WONT STAY LOCKED, I BELIEVE THIS POSES AS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ALL PASSENGERS. MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINI VANS. *NM
INTERIOR LIGHTS AND DOOR LOCKS OPERATING ERRATICALLY WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION
I HAVE A 98 WINDSTAR MINI VAN . AFTER THE MINIVAN HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR AWHILE AND YOU GO TO STOP IT WILL GO DEAD OR WHAT YOU CALL STALLS. SO AFTER I CRANK IT BACK UP AND TRY TO TAKE OFF AGAIN IT WILL STALL AGAIN. SO THEREFORE I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO TRAFFIC COMING,BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME CLOSE CALLS OF ME AND MY CHILDREN GETTING INTO A WRECK DUE TO THIS PIECE OF $#*$.THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF, SO MY HUSBAND HAD TO TAKE THE LIGHT BULBS OUT: ALSO THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN OR UP. THIS THING IS SO BAD I WISH JIMM SKINNER FORD WOULD HAVE JUST KEPT THE PIECE OF $#*$. *NM
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH OCCUPANTS STARTED SMELLING SMOKE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. WITHIN SECONDS OF PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE MARSHALL COULDN'T FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE BECAUSE THE FRONT OF THE VAN WAS SEVERELY BURNT. *AK....*AK
THE DOOR OPEN/CLOSE INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED ON. *AK SOMETIMES THE LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR ABOUT A YEAR. *NM
DOOR ACTUATORS FAILED IN THIS MINIVAN IN 2000. IN 2001 THE RELAY SWITCHES WERE REPLACED AND IN 2002. NOW IN 2004 THEY SAY I NEED TO REPLACE THE DOOR ACTUATORS AGAIN. AS A RESULT THE DOORS DO NOT LOCK AUTOMATICALLY EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE MANUALLY. *NM
CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS AND LOCKS BECAUSE OF THE DOOR AJAR MONITOR. ALL DOORS ARE CLOSED AND DOOR ALARM MONITOR REMAINS ON WHICH CAUSES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES. HAVE TO REMOVE #29 FUSE JUST TO GET INTERIOR AND DOME LIGHTS TO SHUT OFF, EVEN AFTER IGNITION IS OFF AND KEY REMOVED. OTHERWISE BATTERY WILL DIE AS LIGHTS DO NOT GO OFF AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. DRIVING WITH DOME LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ON IS A VERY BIG SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. HOWEVER REMOVING THIS FUSE ALSO RESULTS IN LOSS OF ELECTRIC WINDOW FUNCTION WHICH SHOULD ALSO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AT LEAST FOUR YEARS. EVERYTIME I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, IT WOULD STOP FOR A SHORT WHILE AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY ACT UP AGAIN. I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND PURCHASED IT NEW IN 1998. I FEEL THESE PARTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE CORRECTLY TO BEGIN WITH AND/OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED TO BE REPAIRED. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS SAFETY HAZARD.*AK
DOOR AJAR LIGHTS COME ON EVEN WHEN ALL DOORS ARE SECURELY CLOSED. THE LIGHTS CONTINUE EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. EVENTUALLY, SOMETIMES AFTER A DAY, THE LIGHTS GO OUT ON THEIR OWN.
I OWN A 1998 FORD WINSTAR. I BOUGHT IT TWO YEARS AGO AND A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT GOES ON WHEN I OPEN THE SLIDER OR THE TRUNK AND IT WON'T GO OUT THEREFORE MY DOME LIGHT STAYS ON AND IF I DON'T PULL THE FUSE I RISK THE CHANCE OF LOOSING MY BATTERYAND WHEN THE FUSE IS OUT I CAN'T OPEN MY WINDOWS.*AK
PASSENGER MIRROR GLASS JUST FELL OUT. INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT SHUT OFF WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN GEAR.*AK
HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR VAN AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY INTERIOR LIGHTS AND SENSOR SHOWING THAT YOUR DOOR IS OPEN DOES NOT TURN OFF. EVEN ALL THE DOOR ARE CLOSED. SOMETIMES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS GO OFF BUT THE BEEPING NOISE DOES NOT STOP.*AK
WE HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR, THE DOOR SWITCH, IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN THE DOORS ARE SHUT, THE LIGHT SHOWING THE DOOR OPEN, THE DOOR LOCKS WILL UNLOCK, AND THE IN SIDE LIGHTS WILL STAY ON. I HAD NEW REAR DOOR LOCKS REPLACED, MY WIFE SAFETY IS A FACTOR IF YOU LEAVE THE INSIDE LIGHTS ON, THE BATTERY WILL FAIL, IF YOU TAKE THE FUSE OUT, THEN THE WINDOWS WILL NOT WORK.*AK
CONSUMER STATED WHILE PARKING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED STEERING FITTING WAS RUSTED WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEEERING FLUID TO LEAK. THE HOOD WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN. THE DEALER LUBED THE LATCH. *AK *TS *NLM
CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS AND LOCKS BECAUSE OF THE DOOR AJAR MONITOR. HAVE TO USE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO ENTER BECAUSE DRIVERS DOOR NORMALLY SETS IT OFF, AND HAVE TO UNPLUG BATTERY TO LET SYSTEM RESET, SO BATTERY DOES NOT GO DEAD WHICH NORMALLY TAKES A COUPLE OF DAYS. LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN WHILE DRIVING. DOOR AJAR WILL ALSO ACTIVATE WITH THE OTHER DOORS ON ITS OWN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. EVERYTIME I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, IT WOULD STOP AND THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING UNLESS IT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME. *AK
THE HYDRAULIC LIFTS WERE HELD IN PLACE BY A SCREW ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TAILGATE. THE SCREW ON THE LEFT SIDE BROKE. AS A RESULT THE TAILGATE RELEASED AND SLAMMED DOWN VERY HARD. *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
INTERIOR DOME LIGHT STAYS ON UNTIL 15-20MPH IS REACHED. DASH LIGHT INDICATOR SAYS DOOR IS OPEN. ISOLATED PROBLEM TO SLIDING DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. TAKE TO FORD DEALERSHIPS ON 3 SEPERATE OCASSIONS AND ALL 3 TIMES THE PROBLEM MYSTERIOUSLY WENT AWAY. ALSO WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE REAR WIPER DOESN'T WORK ALL THE TIME.
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
LIGHT THAT INDICATES DOOR IS OPEN STAYS ILLUMINATED. LIGHT GETS SO HOT THAT IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE. *AK THE SWITCHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE FORD COMPANY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND DOESN'T WANT TO FIX UNLESS CONSUMER PAYS OUT OF POCKET. THE SLIDING DOOR WAS REPLACED. *JG
VEHICLE WAS STRUCK WHILE PARKED CAUSING SLIDING DOOR TO CLOSE ONTO CHILD'S HEAD WHILE GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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.
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