1999 Ford Windstar Air Bags & Restraints Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON AND WILL NOT CLEAR WITH A SCAN TOOL. THERE ARE 11 CODES SHOWING, ALL TO DO WITH ABS/TRACTION CONTROL. NORMAL BRAKING SEEMS FINE, NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH A SKID OR LOSS OF TRACTION IN ICE OR SNOW. I AM TOLD THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VAN. DO I NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE WARNING LIGHTS? *TR

MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE THE FRONT OF MY VAN HIT ANOTHER CAR. FRONT END DAMAGE WAS FAIRLY EXTENSIVE, IT WAS A FENDER BENDER. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AS I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ON THESE VANS? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED A PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE CHEST AND ABDOMEN. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A DISLOCATED HIP ON HER RIGHT SIDE AND BRUISING FROM THE SEAT BELT ON HER LEFT SHOULDER AND CHEST AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HER ATTORNEY ADVISED HER NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH FORD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 69,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT AND THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK. FORD STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND ADVISED HER THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 169,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SEATED IN THE DRIVER SEAT WITH THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT INCURRED MUSCULAR BACK INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 01/19/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOTICED THE BLACK CLIP ON THE SEATBELT OF THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT WAS FRACTURED CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO BE INOPERABLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENTIRE SEATBELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED IMMEDIATELY THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE IS PARKED BECAUSE THE CONTACT IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP.*AK UPDATED 2/28/2006 - *NM

AVOID THE DEER AND SLID OFF ROAD AND HIT A TREES. THE AIR BAGS ON BOTH SIDES DID NOT RELEASE. THE SPEED THAT THIS HAPPEN WAS AT 40MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS $8600 DAMAGE TO IT. THE SEATBELT WAS BEING USED, BUT THE AIR BAGS I BELIEVE SHOULD OF STILL WORKED.

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE SIDE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS INJURED. *AK

SEATBELT ON PASSENGER SIDE (FRONT SEAT) OF 1999 FORD WINDSTAR RUBBED PLASTIC SLEEVE (WHERE SEATBELT RETRACTS DOWN INTO DOORPOST COVER) CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE PLASTICS EDGE CAUSING IT TO BE ROUGH AND JAGGED, WHICH CAUSED 1/4" OF FRAYING INTO THE EDGE OF THE SEATBELT WHICH CONTINUES TO CUT INTO THE BELT WITH EACH USE. THERE SEEMS TO MAYBE BE SOME KIND OF DEFECT WITH THE DESIGN. THE DRIVERS SIDE HAS A WARPED (NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT) PLASTIC PIECE ABOVE THE BELT WHICH PUSHES THE BELT AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE SLEEVE (HARD TO DESCRIBE), MAKING IT NOT RUB AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE SLEEVE, SO NO PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT HAS DEVELOPED.*AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE.*AK

A MULTIPLE OF TIMES (APPROX 4) HAVE TAKEN MY FORD WINDSTAR INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION REPAIRED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CONTINUING TO GLOW. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE FIRST INCIDENT WHEN I TOOK IT INTO FUTURE FORD OF ROSEVILLE BUT IT HAS BEEN AT LEAST 4 YEARS AGO. *TR

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS GET LIGHTLY PINCHED BETWEEN THE INTERIOR DOOR PANELS LOWER STORAGE BIN AND THE CARPET ON THE FLOOR. THIS CAN CAUSE SOMEONE TO THINK THAT THEIR SEAT BELT IS ON CORRECTLY WHEN IN FACT IT IS NOT PROVIDING THEM ANY PROTECTION AT ALL. THE 12-18" OF EXCESS SLACK THAT IS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL AND THE CARPET COULD ALLOW A PERSON TO NOT BE SECURED TIGHTLY IN PLACE DURING AN ACCIDENT.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED ABOUT THREE DAYS AGO THAT THE RIGHT SEAT BELT ON THE MIDDLE BENCH SEAT DID NOT LATCH. THE CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK THE SEAT BELT DID NOT ALWAYS LATCH. THE CONSUMER DID NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO SIT IN THE SEAT. *SCC *JB

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE MIDDLE ROW SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND PARTICLES FROM THE BAG CAUSED INJURIES TO THE CHILD OCCUPANT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES. THEN, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WENT INTO DITCH AND ROLLED. REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT LATCH PLATE BROKE, AND PASSENGER SUFFERED 11 FRACTURES/ DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK IT APPEARS THE SEAT BELT ON THE SECOND ROW CAPTAINS CHAIR DID HOLD DURING PART OF THE ROLLOVER BECAUSE OCCUPANT HAD MARKS FROM THE SEAT BELT *YH

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70-72 MPH, BOTH AIR BAGS DEPOLYED AFTER RUNNING OVER A PIECE OF TIRE TREAD. DEALER AND MANFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE BUCKLE HARNESS HAS BROKEN WITH NORMAL USE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, IMPACT SPEED OVER 40 MPH IN WHICH NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING INJURIES TO THREE OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLE. *AK