1998 Ford Windstar Visibility & Wipers Problems

1998 WINDSTAR DEFROSTER BLEND DOOR FAILURE, WHICH CAUSES THE WINDSHIELD TO ICE UP AND WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE. IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM AND FORD WANTS $1000 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEATING UNIT.*JB

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

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

I OWN TWO 1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVANS, BOTH OF THEM HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SLIDING DOOR CAUSING THE PANEL LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE CAR INTERIOR LIGHTS TO STAY ON FOR UP TO TWO HOURS AFTER YOU HAVE EXITED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE READ IN A REPORT THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE A SISTER THAT ALSO OWNS A WINDSTAR AND A BROTHER THAT JUST TRADED HIS IN. THEY HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM TO MY KNOWLEDGE. WHAT IS CAUSING THIS AND HOW IS THE PROBLEM FIXED? THE DEALER'S MECHANIC WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM TOLD ME THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS, BUT I KNOW IT IS NOT. 12 SECOND DELAY IS NORMAL NOT TWO HOURS. I THINK HE WAS JUST AS STUMPED AS MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS PROBLEM. AGAIN PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN AND HOW IT CAN BE REPAIRED.

I OWE 3 WINDSTARS ALL THREE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH POWER WINDOWS NOT GOING DOWN.

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH PASSENGER TOOK A MAGAZINE AND GENTLY SWATTED AT A MOSQUITO ON WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD SHATTERED, OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 50. NO INJURIES. *AK

I AM A LETTER CARRIER FOR THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE IN WHITESTONE, NY. WE HAVE 33 1998 FORD WINDSTARS IN OUR FLEET. I HAVE NOTICED 3 RECURRENT PROBLEMS IN OUR VANS, IN THE THREE YEARS THAT WE HAVE HAD THEM. FIRST, THE VEHICLES HAVE MANUAL CRANK WINDOWS, NOT POWER WINDOWS. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR HAS FAILED ON SEVERAL VEHICLES, PERHAPS 6 OF THEM, AND ON A FEW OF THEM, FAILED MORE THAN ONCE. THERE HAS GOT TO BE BETTER MATERIAL USED IN THESE WINDOW REGULATORS FOR THE FUTURE. THE FAILURE RATE IS REALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT I HAVE NOTICED, IS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. I HAVE HEARD THIS ON MANY VEHICLES SO IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS ALSO AN ENGINEERING DEFECT. THE THIRD RECURRENT PROBLEM IS A STRANGE ONE. WHEN THE WEATHER GETS WARM, THE COMPUTER READS THAT THERE IS AN OPEN DOOR, YET ALL OF THE DOORS ARE SECURELY LOCKED. THE REMINDER CHIMES WILL DING, THE ICON WILL APPEAR ON THE DASH, AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON. STRANGELY ENOUGH, WHEN THE SPEED IS OVER 15MPH, THE CHIMES WILL STOP DINGING, BUT THE DASHBOARD ICON WILL STAY LIT. ONE OF OUR VEHICLES HAS BEEN TO THE SHOP 8 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS! IF I SEE THESE RECURRENT PROBLEMS ON A SMALL SAMPLE OF 32 VEHICLES, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM MUST HAPPEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHEREVER WINDSTARS ARE BEING USED. SOMEBODY IN AUTHORITY, PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS! THANKS.

REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WIPER (PASS) DOES NOT SEEM TO FIT CORRECTLY-NONE OF THE WIPERS IN DEALER STOCK FITS WITH SAME POSITIVE LOCKING ACTION AS THE ORGINAL WIPER BLADE. APPEARS THAT WIPE BLADE ASSY CAN POP OFF UNDER SOME CONDITIONS

DRIVER SIDE WIPER FAILED DURING A MAJOR DOWNPOUR IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VISIBILITY WAS NEXT TO ZERO. MANAGED TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN CHECKING WIPER ARM I FOUND THE NUT ATTACHING THE WIPER ARM TO THE WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY HAD COME LOSE. BECAUSE OF THE LOOSE CONDITION, WIPER ARM WOULD NOT MOVE MORE THAN 1-2 INCHES. A SIMPLE WASHER OR LOCK WASHER UNDER THE NUT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FAILURE.

REAR WINDSHIELD EXPLODED FROM INSIDE WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. COMMON PROBLEM. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ELECTRIC WINDOW MOTOR FAILED. MJS

PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN. NLM

THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO A BLEND DOOR WHICH BLENDS HEATED AIR WITH A/C. THE DOOR APPARENTLY DOES NOT POSITION PROPERLY AND SO A COLD MIXTURE IS DELIVERED O THE FRONT COMPARTMENT. THE REAR VENTILATION CONTROLS WORK PERFECTLY (THIS IS THE EXTRA CAPACITY HEAT & A/C OPTION). REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED IN SEVERN VISITS TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. ALTHOUGH THE BLEND HAS BEEN REPLACED THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. THE DEALER INDICATES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT FORD NEEDS TO FIX. FORD HAS NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM TO DATE AND I AM WITHOUT HEAT IN THE FRONT COMPARTMENT.

FRONT RIGHT WINDOW FELL OUT. *YC

FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFECTIVE, CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO MAKE WHISTLING NOISES. *YC

YOU CAN CALL ME TO GET DETAILS OR FORD CAN CALL. BOTH WIPER AND SEAT WERE SAFETY ITEMS AND CAUSED US TO DRIVE THIS NEW VAN IN A VERY UNSAFE MANNOR . THE WIPER MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED FIRST THEN SOME MODULE. TOOK ABOUT ONE WEEK TO GET THE WIPERS FIXED. THE DRIVER SEAT TILTS AND SLIDES FORWARD SO PEOPLE CAN GET IN AND OUT THE BACK. THE RETAINING NUT FELL OFF THE STUD THAT HOLDS THE CABLE ON. SINCE TWO PUSH NUTS WERE UNDER THE SEAT AND BOTH WOULD NOT STAY ON THE STUD I THINK THE STUDS ARE UNDERSIZED. ONCE THE CABLE POPS OFF THE SEAT TILTS FORWARD AND THE SLIDE IS FREE TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACK BUT NO WAY TO LOCK THE SLIDE OR TIP THE SEAT BACK. I HAD TO DRIVE LIKE THIS TO GET HOME. FACE ABOUT 2 - 3 INCHES FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. CALL FOR MORE DETAILS IF YOU WANT.

THERE IS RUST LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES AND THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE RUST WASN'T VISIBLE UNDER THE MOLDING UNTIL REPLACEMENT HAD BEGUN. *JG *JB *NLM