Menu

1998 Ford WindstarProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,433 owner complaints about the 1998 Ford Windstar, most often about the power train. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-608 the manufacturer reports only 23% of affected cars repaired.

50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Windstar median · #5 of 10 years by complaints
Safety recalls11Lowest repair rate 23%Owner complaints1,433156 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage89kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 31, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Ford Windstar has problems

1,433 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train33219
Suspension2298
Engine and engine cooling19630
Service brakes, hydraulic17717
Steering1437
Electrical system11125
Wheels837
Structure814
Vehicle speed control7319
23 other systems36439

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

11 recalls

1998 Ford Windstar recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

23%repaired · 2017 Q1

Axle: non-powered axle assembly

Recall 15V-608 · Sep 29, 2015 · 283,413 vehicles · 64,282 repaired

Risk. If the brackets were not installed properly, the rear axle may fracture, affecting the vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Axle: non-powered axle assembly

Recall 12V-195 · May 3, 2012 · 9,192 vehicles

Risk. A FRACTURED AXLE MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Axle: non-powered axle assembly

Recall 10V-385 · Aug 26, 2010 · 492,650 vehicles

Risk. A FRACTURED AXLE CAN AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 7 more recalls
–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 97V-097 · Jun 9, 1997 · 100,000 vehicles

Risk. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TEMPERATURE MAY BE HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Child seat

Recall 97V-051 · Apr 1, 1997 · 202 vehicles

Risk. AS A RESULT OF THE HEADREST BEING IN THE "UP" POSITION, A CHILD SEATED IN THE ICS WOULD RECEIVE LESS THAN THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE CHILD HEAD AREA IN THE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

89kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 81 power train complaints. 60% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 27% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles49under 100k miles32100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Power train

19 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $1,750 – $2,750

Service brakes, hydraulic

11 owners mentioned a cost

$562median

Middle half: $527 – $1,090

Engine and engine cooling

10 owners mentioned a cost

$2,750median

Middle half: $1,500 – $4,725

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1998 vs. every other Windstar year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Windstar median. How we score

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1998 Ford Windstar safety ratings

1998 Ford Windstar in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Ford Windstar frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
10 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 Ford Windstar, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SUSPENSION COIL SPRING BREAKAGEEA00027 · closed Jul 31, 2001
    Led to recall 01V-199
  2. WHEEL STUD FRACTUREEA03004 · closed Aug 30, 2004
    No recall
  3. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA08021 · closed Oct 14, 2009
    Led to recall 09V-399
  4. MISSING/LOOSE FRONT BRAKEEA98008 · closed Jun 30, 1998
    Led to recall 98I003000
  5. SUSPENSION COIL SPRING BREAKAGEPE00024 · closed Dec 8, 2000
    No recall
  6. WHEEL STUD FRACTUREPE02085 · closed Apr 10, 2003
    No recall
  7. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE08035 · closed Sep 17, 2008
    No recall
  8. Rear Axle CrackingPE10016 · closed Sep 22, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-385
  9. MISSING/LOOSE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER ANCHORPE97048 · closed Apr 30, 1998
    No recall
  10. OVERHEAD CONSOLE LOOSE OR HANGS DOWNSQ99001 · still open
    Led to recall 66V-002
In owners' words

What Windstar owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

10/16/15 BOUGHT VAN. 10/30/15 STOP HAD TOWED HOME.CALL DEALERSHIP HAD TOWED TO THERE PLACE. THEY RAN A RED WIRE FROM FUSE RELAY TO INSIDE OF DASHBOARD TOOK OVER A WEEK GOT IT BACK. NOT IN EVEN WEEK LATER TRANSMISSION START MESSING UP TOLD THEM WOULDN'T CHANGE GEARS. IT WENT OUT. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO…
Complaint 10954533 · Feb 14, 2017 · 144,448 miles
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE…
Complaint 10682592 · Feb 10, 2015 · 182,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD BANGING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE SERVO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE…
Complaint 10595770 · Jun 3, 2014 · 250,000 miles

Own a 1998 Windstar?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.