Let's see.. It started with a rattle in the rear. The shocks were changed, and at first it was better. After a couple of months the rattle was back. The shocks were changed again.
The radio has had an electrical whine that varied with engine RPM; they replaced the antenna cable.
The tie-rod end ball joints failed at 15K miles.
The valve covers have a slight oil leak that you smell in hot weather. They retorqued the fasteners, but it still leaks.
The power door locks went nuts one day, going up and down at random. The only way in or out of the vehicle was to use the key and open the door before it locked you in/out. They never found a problem.
The engine emits a whistling noise when hot, they say it's normal, although I have found that only half of the 3.8L vans have a whistling noise, mine is the worst.
The transmission will shift harshly from first to second gear at slow vehicle speeds.
It is difficult to shift from PARK with a very mild incline.
If the climate controls are set for heat in the vent (upper) position for about 10 minutes you cannot turn-off the vent position. If you go to the defrost only position the vent also stays on. If you go to the floor only position the vent also stays on. If you turn the heat off for about 3 minutes, there will be a thump noise and the vent position will not be stuck on.
It has a intermittent engine miss when the transmission shifts into overdrive.
Best gas mileage I've ever gotten was 20.5 mpg with straight highway, no A/C, 65-70 mph speeds. The front door handles have a cheap feel and sound.
I hate being a critical part of Ford's R&D team.
Does anyone know of a problem with the Ford Windstar and an electrical problem in which the battery dies?
I would appreciate anything!
Crafterdi@aol.com
Our 98 Windstar GL had tie-rod ends replaced at 22,000km. At 44,000km a clunking noise appeared when accelerating from a stop. This turned out to be broken sub-frame inserts. They were re-welded & have now broken again at 62,000km. These are parts that shouldn't break or wear out! The windshield wipers, when set on any of the intermittent speeds operate inconsistently, speeding up & slowing down at will. Although it is a comfortable ride we wouldn't buy a Ford again because of these structural defects.
WE have a 1998 Ford Windstar that has all of the same problems as listed by most other people on this site. We bought it used with only 18,000 miles. We have replaced all of the power lock sensors in the car. We have replaced two sets of tie rod ends and the rack and pinion. We have replaced power steering pump. We had a reoccurring problem with the traction control light going on and not being able to turn it off, that was for the first six months that we owned the car. They had a tough time solving the problem. The car makes an awful wheel noise due to the hub caps. Now we are also having a problem with the transmission slipping. I have also complained of the awful clunk the car makes when going from first to second gear. We are dropping the car off at the dealership today. We had to replace the ignition. The key would not turn if the wheel was not straight and the e-brake wasn't on. For about 18 months the dealer told me that would happen and that I needed to be sure the wheel was straight when I parked the car. That is not normal. I have been so disappointed with this car. If we hadn't purchased the extended warranty I really don't know what we would have done. This is our main source of transportation, and it has been a total failure. I haven't even listed all of the problems because the list is too long. We are buying a new car this week, this car only has 2000 miles left on the extended warranty (52,500 miles now), and it will not be a Ford. I was told years ago that Ford stood for Found On Road Dead. You decide...
Well, we purchased our Windstar in 2001 used with only 24,000 miles and I was so happy. It has been a great van until about 2 months ago. The power steering went out completely. It started with a high whining and tight feeling and the next day no play in the wheel at all. My arms and shoulders ached from the effort to steer. We took it in and had the lines replaced and the pump which had failed.
Today I took my daughter to school and the same thing happened. I came home to discover a puddle of fluid on the driveway and a dripping from the engine. The smell was terrible. I'll be taking it in soon and praying. I do not recommend this van if you will need it for major transport. You just can't rely on it.
We have a 2000 Windstar and have had the radio replaced twice and the electronic driver seat fixed once both while under warranty. Recently we have had to have new brakes on front and rear (at less than 50K miles). The newest thing was a squealing when we turned the steering wheel. This meant new tie rods. Then the engine light came on resulting in new o rings - not under warranty. The van had 56000 miles at that point. I will say to Ford's credit that this is probably the 10th Ford we've owned and this is the first time we've had this type of problem. Also the Ford dealer was able to cover the o rings because he said 3 other vans had the same problem the day before and he reduced the charge on the tie rods so our $800 bill went down to $275.
I have a 1998 Ford Windstar that I bought used. It had been in an accident by hitting a deer. Everything seems to work OK except for the door ajar lite comes on periodically and stays on. Seems to be the sliding door. I've heard many people have had this problem. Is there an inexpensive fix that I can do myself other than taking out the fuse?
Neil P.
My husband and I recently purchased a 1998 Ford Wind star and exactly one day after the purchase the Check Engine Soon Light came on. We called the dealership that sold the vehicle to us and they recommended a automotive shop. There we were told that the torque converter and the solenoid sensor needed to be replaced. I got the van back and it started making a high pitched whining coming from the rear end. I was then told it was the fuel pump. I took it to a local Ford Dealership for a diagnostic and I was told there is nothing wrong with the van, one day later the Check Engine Soon Light was back on. The van has died on 2 occasions while driving down the road. I can't imagine what it could be. Does anyone have an idea??
I have a 98 Windstar we already replaced the transmission. I had the door switches replaced. Now I have this high pitched noise from the rear at 40 mph. Also I suffer from the windstar clunk from stop to go.
Jim N Branford Ct.
I purchased a 96 Windstar with 146,000 miles on it. Rides great and was in excellent shape. But, the problems soon arose. The first was wheel bearings and new spindles, then the head gasket and water pump, then transmission is out. Now the strut bearings are bad, along with all of the other windstar problems. We have had the vehicle for 7 months now, and we only have driven it 2100 miles. I drive 20 miles each way to work, so you can do the math as to how many miles I should have on this van. I would recommend to never purchase any windstar.
If your van dies suddenly while idling you may have a vacuum leak. In my case, the mysterious vacuum leak was caused by a bad intake manifold runner control (IMRC). There are two IMRC's on the Windstar and, yes, they are very expensive ($180-$250). The IMRC's are fairly easy to replace so it can be done quickly by most do-it-yourselfers.
I have a Windstar 1998 with 150k, my main problem is the Sensor IMRC, I need replace one, the price is very expensive for this part about $220. I had noise very strong in the belt motor and I don't have any idea. I am sad, because I going to stop my car and review every component in the belt motor.
1998 Ford Windstar GL, 98,000 miles on it with the 3.8 L motor, so far have not been able to completely get the door ajar to quick long term even though I drilled out both of the riveted door switches on the slider and replaced them with 2 new ones. Still from time to time the dome light will stay on, but nothing like it was doing. Any suggestions?
Also just recently had the vehicle scanned at Autozone and had the following 2 codes, P0174 System Lean Bank 2 and P1538 Idle Speed Stuck Open Bank 2, ended up being the IMRC which was easy to replace, but the cost of 260.00 at the dealer for the part was crazy!
Also still having a brake problem with this van, when comming to a slow stop it seems like there is a bumping in the pedal like the ABS, have so far replaced the front two ABS sensors and the 1 back rear sensor.
OK, the top two causes of door ajar light in the Ford Windstar are:
1) Switches in back door hatch need lubrication. Use WD-40 to fix this problem. For some reason Ford dealers seem clueless about this issue.
2) Dirty contacts on side sliding door. Clean with electrical contact cleaner. I have never had any problems with the sliding door on my Windstar.
I found out that Ford's IMRCs don't last too long. If you have already replaced one IMRC you should be ready to replace the second one soon. Both of the IMRC's in my Windstar failed after less than 5 years of ownership.
NEIL P. This might help, cause I didn't run into a deer. Right after I bought my new windstar the door open light would come on when they were closed and it would beep and beep. So what I tried was I got a screw driver and pushed in the door latch of the door I thought it was, my driver door, and it worked. Hope it helps.
...from another windstar owner, FORD- Found.
On the Road Dead.
What do you expect from a bankrupt corporation!
As far as failing parts, the quote on them in most cases is 30.000 miles... stop wasting your $$$$, let them die.