1998 Ford Windstar Electrical System Problems

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.

MY MINI VAN LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER WHILE I'M DRIVING AND EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE STARTER IN THE CAR, IT STILL TURNS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THERE'S RUST COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR, I SMELL A BURNT SMELL WHEN I'M DRIVING. 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 FLICKER. 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, FRONT BRAKE ROTORS IS CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO SHIMMY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. NOW WHEN I TURN MY WHEEL TO THE LEFT, IT MAKES THIS LOUD NOSE. WHAT IS THAT?!

MY MINI VAN LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER WHILE I'M DRIVING AND EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE STARTER IN THE CAR, IT STILL TURNS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THERE'S RUST COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR, I SMELL A BURNT SMELL WHEN I'M DRIVING. I DON'T KNOW HOW MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T PART OF THE RECALL, SO MANY THINGS IS WRONG WITH THE VAN, ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.. PLEASE HELP ME

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

THERE'S AN ELECTRIC SHORTAGE THATS STOPPING MY VAN FROM FULLY STARTING

ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER PARKING AND TURNING OFF MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. LATER CAR WOULD NOT START FROM KEYSWITCH. *TR

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 FORD WINDSTAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED AT DENTIST. FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AND THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. *TR

1998 WINDSTAR VAN WAS PARKED IN THE FRONT YARD KEY OUT OF IT I WAS INSIDE I HEARD A NOISE LOOKED OUT THE ENGINE PART WAS ON FIRE I WAS MOVING MY PERSONAL THINGS I LOST EVERYTHING I OWN I LEFT EVERYTHING IN THE VAN INCLUDING MY PURSE W/ MY MONEY AND ID INSIDE. *TR

DINGING FROM FAULTY SWITCH WHILE DRIVING - INTERFERES WITH DRIVERS CONCENTRATION AND EMERGENCY WARNING SIRENS AND HORNS. *TR

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SENSOR ON THE SLIDING DOOR OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BEEPING SOUND DOES NOT TURN OFF. IN ADDITION, THE DOOR AJAR INDICATOR AND DOME LIGHT DO NOT DIM. THERE IS A SWITCH THAT NEEDS TO BE BYPASSED OR REWIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THESE FAILURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES OCCUR EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. SHE HAS RESEARCHED OTHER CONSUMERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE TRACKING LIGHT HAVE AUTOMATICALLY LIT UP, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 FORD WINDSTAR NORTHWOODS EDITION FROM THE SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT ON 12-24-06 WHEN THE VAN BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE SMOKE CAME INTO THE CAR AS I TURNED ON THE HEATER. I PULLED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED 911. WITHIN MINUTES THE CAR WAS FULLY ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE RIGHT FRONT NEAR THE DASHBOARD,THE FIRE CAME THROUGH THE FIREWALL AT THAT POINT, AND THAT IS WHERE THE SMOKE STARTED AND THE FLAME FIRST CAME OUT AND WHERE THE MOST INTENSE DAMAGE IS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR IS TOTALED AND WE ARE NOW WITHOUT A MUCH NEEDED VEHICLE. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR STATED THIS WAS THE THIRD FORD WINDSTAR IN THIS AREA TO BURN LIKE THIS.

THURSDAY OCT. 5, 2006 AT 7:00 PM, MY VAN WAS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT AT MY SON'S HIGH SCHOOL WHERE IT CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY WINDSTAR VAN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT WAITED FOR THE FIRE TO EXTINGUISH ITSELF, AND THEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. *AK

DT: THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DOORS LOCKED, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE RUNNING ON THEIR OWN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND HAD TO CUT THE BATTERY CABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE KEYS WERE LEFT INSIDE THE VEHICLE ON THE CONSOLE IN BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATED THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY REPORTS OF FIRES ON WINDSTARS. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND CALLER FILED A COMPLAINT. THEY WILL GET BACK TO HIM. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, AND IT WAS TOWED AWAY. THE CALLER DID NOT KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE.*AK *NM

DT: WHILE PARKED ON THE STREET, SOMEHOW IN THE NIGHT, AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IGNITED ON THE LEFT PASSENGER SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT LOCATED AT THE SECOND ELECTRICAL OUTLET. IT WAS SO HOT IT MELTED THE CAR SEAT AND PANELING NEAR THE ARMREST. THE GLASS DIDN'T BREAK BUT PAINT TO OUTSIDE OF CAR IS PEELING OFF. CENTER AND CONSOLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE WENT OUT SOMEWHERE NEAR THE FRONT. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *TT

I PURCHASED MY VAN FROM MY GRANDFATHER'S ESTATE. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. I WAS TRAVELING FROM A SCHOOL FUNCTION WHERE I TEACH WITH MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VAN. MY VAN SEEMED TO HAVE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 183 HEADING NORTH TOWARD CEDAR PARK WHERE I LIVE. I COULDN'T MAKE THE LIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF 620 TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT, SO I WENT PAST THE LIGHT AND TURNED INTO THE CONSTRUCTION AREA JUST NORTH OF THAT INTERSECTION. I HAD ALREADY CALLED MY HUSBAND TO MEET ME BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE VAN. WHEN I PULLED IN, I POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW SMALL FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SECTION UNDER THE HOOD. I DROPPED THE HOOD AND GRABBED MY DAUGHTER FROM THE CAR. I THEN CALLED 911 AND THEY DISPATCHED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHILE I WAITED, I PULLED A BOTTLE OF WATER FROM THE VAN, POPPED THE HOOD AND SPRINKLED WATER ON THE FLAMES. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUND ME, THE FIRE WAS SMALLER. THEY FINISHED PUTTING OUT THE FIRE AND TOLD ME THAT I PROBABLY SAVED MY VAN BY SPRINKLING WATER ON IT. IT APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL AND NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS LOCATED. I WAS IN TEARS BY THE TIME MY HUSBAND ARRIVED AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED, BUT AM FURIOUS THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED MY VAN. I DID HAVE IT REPAIRED AT COMPUTER AGE AUTOMOTIVE IN CEDAR PARK AND MY INSURANCE AGENT IS RYAN WITH STATE FARM WHOM I DID SUBMIT THE CLAIM. I WAS TOLD THAT STATE FARM DOES NOT HAVE PLANS TO PURSUE FORD. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER FAMILY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A EXTREMELY BAD SITUATION.

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VENTS AND FROM THE HOOD. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER, LIFTED UP THE HOOD, AND SAW FLAMES. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK