1998 Ford Windstar: adaptive cruise control problems

Filed Jul 29, 2013 · Wheels · 166,000 miles · NJ

While driving my mini van the right rear wheel (the complete wheel) fell off! Upon safely parking the van, I came to realize the entire rear axel had sheared in half! By a stroke of luck I found out there was a recall for this and also for the cruise control. I am having it replaced/fixed at dealers cost. Since this vehicle was bought used off a used dealers lot, I would like to make the following suggestion...there should be some type of mandatory law that all dealers, new and used, should have access to this website and be legally forced to check each and every vehicle prior to being sold.

Filed Aug 31, 2010 · Airbags · 106,000 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. The contact was traveling 35 MPH when the airbag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 106,000 and the current mileage was 107,000. Updated 12/01/10. *lj the consumer stated the cruise control and air bag also failed. The consumer believed they were all connected through the steering column through wiring. Updated 12/09/10

Filed May 24, 2010 · Body, Electrical · MS

I have a 1998 ford windstar. It first started with my cruise control switch catching on fire and causing wires under my hood to burn... Now for the last year I have been having problems with my passenger sliding door..the sensor on the dash would show that the door was ajar(not closed) I could take the battery cable off for a while and the door light would go off. Now I have had to remove all the bulbs in the lights inside the van to keep my battery from running down this morning I get up and my battery is dead and acid from the battery is all over the post and cable wires. I talk to my mechanic he says this is due to some problem in the electrical system he said he has had to work on several windstars for the same problemsome kind of sensor fault defect.

Filed May 4, 2010 · Acceleration · 96,000 miles · NY · crash · 1 injury

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. While driving 55 MPH, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle surged forward and crashed. The vehicle was destroyed. The police and ambulance arrived at the scene and one person was injured. The contact stated that the night before the crash, the cruise control activated on its own. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for inspection. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were approximately 96,000.

Filed Nov 30, 2009 · Acceleration · 110,000 miles · MI · fire

On july 6, 2009, my ford windstar minivan burned up. I was driving to pick up supper when the cruise control stopped working. I went on, picked up supper, and started the car again. Immediately smoke started billowing. I pulled around the corner in the parking lot, parked again, and popped the hood. There was a small fire in the alternator area. I took my toddler out of the car and ran into a store to call the fire department. By the time they got there, the car was destroyed and a total loss. We had the car towed and given to mcdonald's towing. The fire department didn't know what caused it, but that it looked like possible leaking brake fluid.

Filed Oct 19, 2009 · Brakes · MS

We have finally got ford to do something about the cruise control switches on the 1990-2000"s ford windstars I have a 1998 ford windstar ( even though I have been informed by my local dealer that they will only be putting on the harness for the switch when I told them I had already had my switched replaced about a year ago for a brake fluid leak they informed me they would not check my ABS system for damage unless I paid for them for the service. The service tech said "quote" ( hold on now we are only putting on the harness anything else will cost extra) all there going to do is put in the harness I guess any other damage done by these systems will just have to be just shoved up our tail pipes !!!! Even though the ccds system is the cause of all the problems...this seems to be the way of doing business for ford I have all kinds of trouble also with this van like ,door lights signal always on even if the doors are shut the doom and inside door lights stay on all the time....when I turn on the air it puts out cold air only though the defrost switch and then under the back seat it blows hot air instead ..when I drive for a few miles and turn the van off it sounds like a popping noise from the back around the muffler my mec. Says that the muffler tail pipe system on this model is not worth a flip he says you could not give him one of these van"s there a piece of junk the doors lock and unlock on there own come on people look at all the signs about the ford windstars like my daddy use to say this is a fire looking for a place to happen I will never buy another ford again'''''.

Filed Oct 18, 2009 · Acceleration, Brakes · MS · fire

I have a 1998 ford windstar van 2 months ago I had a leak of fluid that caused some wires to burn into under the hood that caused wiring to my head light and overhead light to blow my mechanic had to direct wire one side of my head light and my cruise control system had to be disconnected as he said it would cause my van to catch fire. My ABS and brake system light stays on now as soon as the mechanic repaired the faulty part I started experiencing all the following things,,,I have lose of power . The van stalls in traffic and also as I'm taking off from a stop after putting the van in gear...when I put on the gas it makes a bad rattling sound like a lifter or valve tapping but only when the gas peddle is engaged. The gear shift feels like it gets stuck in park and I have a hard time getting it to release out of park before this problem my van drove great I never had any problems could you please find what the problem is thank you

Filed Oct 15, 2009 · Acceleration · 95,000 miles · TX · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford wind star. While driving with the vehicle speed cruise control activated at 52 MPH the rpms increased to four. She deactivated the cruise control, but then all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. The vehicle began to decelerate, then there was an under-hood fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was towed to a center where an investigator from the city inspected the vehicle. He speculated that the cause of the failure was the vehicle speed cruise control switch. She will receive a report in ten days. The insurance company stated because it was a cruise control fire the manufacture was responsible. The manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 95,000.

Filed Jul 16, 2009 · Acceleration · 125,000 miles · NJ

1998 ford windstar cruise control deactivation switch is leaking brake fluid onto connectors below causing a fire and safety hazard.

Filed Jan 21, 2009 · Brakes, Electrical · 138,000 miles · CA

Brake fluid leaking from cruise control reset switch, fluid dripping on wiring and controller switch for transmission. I am very concerned about fire potential with the brake fluid dripping on electrical wires and contacts that have constant 12 volt source. This same design has caused deaths do to fires.....

Filed Aug 28, 2008 · Acceleration, Brakes · TX

Abs fault light and brake light. Cruise control inop.

Filed Jul 13, 2008 · Brakes · 106,000 miles · GA

Brake fluid leaking from the speed control pressure switch caused the ABS and cruise control to stop working.