Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. 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. 19 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
I NEEDED THE STARTER REPLACED, MY BRAKES, I'M HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES, MY CAR STOPS WHEN IT WANTS TO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY,.. IT MAKES NOISES WHEN I'M TURNING, I HAVE RUST COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS FLICKERS
LIGHT WILL NOT RESET EVEN AFTER REPLACING PART. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION OF THE SUB FRAME WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE CORRODED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SUB FRAME FAILURE AND DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. THE SUB FRAME WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000. THE TIE RODS, FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AND BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE ADJUSTERS, SPRING KIT, DRUMS, ROTORS, SHOES, AND PADS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNAL LEVEL STOPPED WORKING FOR THE LEFT SIDE. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THEN PULSATED BACK UP, AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 02/01/12
VEHICLE IS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER,SEAT BELT,AND DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHTS FLASH ON AND OFF. WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING THE WIPER BLADES STOP WORKING,POWER WINDOWS WILL NOT OPERATE AND ON A FEW OCCASIONS THE HEADLIGHTS WILL BLINK WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN OLD VEHICLE BUT I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. NOT JUST RESTRICTED TO THIS YEAR. IT IS ALSO AN ISSUE THAT HAPPENS JUST AFTER A FEW YEARS OF SERVICE. I WOULD THINK THAT WIPER BLADES MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR
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
HEADLIGHT POWER REDUCED DUE TO HAZY LEN'S. *JB
HEADLIGHT COVERS TURNED CLOUDY. CONSUMER FIRST NOTICED THIS IN 2001. EVEN WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE SWITCHED TO BRIGHT THEY DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY ENOUGH TO SAFELY SEE AT NIGHT.*AK
CONSUMER STATEED BOTH FRONT TIE RODS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED, ALSO THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED.*YH
HEADLIGHTS OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED. AT NIGHT DIMMER LIGHTS HAVE VERY POOR VISIBILTY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK DEALER ADVISED THAT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TT
WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. 10 SECONDS LATER THEY WILL COME BACK ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE CURVING ROAD WITH THE BRIGHTS ON. WITHOUT WARNING THE LIGHTS WENT COMPLETLY OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE SWITCH BACK TO THE REGULAR POSITION AND THEY LUCKILY THEY CAME BACK ON. I WAS UNABLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT ON SATURDAY BECAUSE THE DEALER WAS DOING INVENTORY. THE SWITCH ALSO FAILED SEVERAL OTHER TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE REGULAR HEADLIGHTS AS WELL. I CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT SWITCH AND ASKED HIM IF THEY HAD BEEN REPLACING MANY OF THESE AND HE TOLD ME YES. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL HIM HOW IT TRIED TO KILL ME AND MY FAMILY. I HAVE METERED THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH AND IT SHOWS READINGS ALL OVER THE PLACE AS FAR AS RESISTANCE, IN EXCESS OF 400,000 OHMS AT TIMES. IT NEVER WOULD STAY COMPLETLY OPEN. I JUST WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THAT THIS INTERMITTANT PROBLEM MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.*AK
MY PROBLEM IS WITH NHTSA DEFINITION OF A PROBLEM (DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TOO BRIGHT IN THE DAYTIME) AND FORD'S FIX OF THE PROBLEM(DISABLE THE LIGHTS).
CONSUMER WAS ISSUED RECALL 00V168000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 00S14 FOR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. VEHICLE WAS MADE IN ACCORDING TO CANADIAN STANDARDS. FORD WANTED CONSUMER TO SIGN A STATEMENT SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT NOT DISCONNECTING VEHICLE, IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE. CONSUMER JUST WANTED IT REPAIRED.*AK CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT LIGHTS BE FIXED AND NOT BLOCKED. *SLC
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYING ON WHILE ALL DOORS ARE PROPERLY CLOSED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE. *AK *JB
THE CONSUMER DOES NOT WANT THE VEHICLE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP DISABLE PER RECALL NOTICE 00V-168 BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THEY ARE A SAFETY FEATURE, THE RECALL STATES THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS IMPORTED FROM CANADA ERRONEOUSLY, THE LAMPS ARE TOO BRIGHT AND DO NOT MEET U.S. STANDARDS. NLM
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER HOOD IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 04-1243-985. *SLC
VEHICLES DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP ARE BEING RECALLED (00V-168) AND DISCONNECTED BECAUSE THE LIGHT IS BRIGHTER THAN ALLOWED U.S. STANDARDS, THE CONSUMER DOES NOT WANT THEM DISCONNECTED BUT REPLACED TO MEET U.S. STANDARD. NLM
TAIL LIGHTS AND GASKET.
TRAVELING AT NIGHT WITH LIGHTS ON. ACTIVATING RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CAUSED HEADLIGHTS TO TURN OFF (PARKING LIGHTS STAYED ON). TURNING LIGHT SWTICH OFF THEN BACK ON AGAIN DID NOT CORRECT. HAD TO FLASH HIGHBEAMS FOR HEADLIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON. TESTING RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AGAIN SHUT OFF HEALIGHTS. AGAIN, ONLY WAY TO GET THEM BACK ON WAS TO FLASH AND RELEASE HI-BEAMS.
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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