There are 24 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 1998 Ford Windstarin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
LIGHT WILL NOT RESET EVEN AFTER REPLACING PART. *TR
1998 FORD WINDSTAR - FAILURE OF BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH; CAUSED ALL BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT OF MASTER CYLINDER, AND SUBSEQUENT BRAKE FAILURE. NO ACCIDENT CAUSED (FORTUNATELY), COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS OR FATAL. WIFE NOTICED THAT SHE COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE FREEWAY; USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP AND DRIVE THE WINDSTAR HOME. I DISCOVERED MASSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED ONTO THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND THE #30 FUSE FOR CRUISE CONTROL, AND ABS HAD BLOWN. *JB
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
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
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
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
HEADLIGHT POWER REDUCED DUE TO HAZY LEN'S. *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
DOME LIGHT WILL AUTOMATICALLY STAY ON EVEN AFTER DOORS ARE CLOSED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. 10 SECONDS LATER THEY WILL COME BACK ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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
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
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
THE INTERIOR COURTESY LAMPS DO NOT GO OUT WHEN DOORS ARE CLOSED. DOOR AJAR LIGHT COMES ON. FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND ITS A SAFETY ISSUE AS DRIVER CANNOT SEE DURING NIGHT DRIVING UNLESS FUSE IS PULLED. INTERIOR LIGHTS CANNOT BE SHUT OFF WITH THE DIMMER SWITCH!!.. DEALERS PLAY DUMB WHEN YOU DISCUSS THIS ISSUE. THREE NEIGHBORS HAVE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!*AK
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
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.
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.
TAIL LIGHTS AND GASKET.
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
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
Showing 1–20 of 24 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026