I have been told by the dealership that these problems are identical on all models coming in, including the expedition. The horn does not work and they "cannot fix it."
1999 Ford Windstar electrical complaints
Page 8 of 8: complaints 191 to 208 of 208, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Rear dome lamp failed. Nlm
Horn is very hard to deploy; sweet spot too small and requires excessive effort. Cannot be used quickly. Ford corporate refused to respond to my worries about this. Also seatback lever springs middle seats back so hard I have been whacked in the head so hard I saw stars.
Horn very hard to activate. Very hard to locate "sweet spot" without looking down at steering wheel, causing dangerous situation.
Horn requires extreme force to operate. Pass rear sliding door, inside panel rubs against rear fender scratching surface.
Ongoing problem with the design of horn which has a delayed reaction when needed. Confirmed this in two diffeerent vehicles ( same model and year). Seeking the federal safety agency help in this matter or provide additional information. *ak * mjs
Seatback spring is too strong. The seatback swings forward when handle is pulled. Dealer aware of problem. Cannot remedy the problem., and problem still exists.also, horn in center of steering wheel, censor in horn is too small, causing difficulty in use of horn. Proviide further information.
The horn does sound easily when pushing on the center of the steering wheel. Often the horn fails to sound. The technicians at my ford dealer said that it is like the other windstars. Also the design is dangerous requiring moving the hand from the rim of the steering wheel to the center. If only one hand is available for use, most of the control is lost when attempting to sound the horn. Also if the airbag were to deploy, then a dislocated shoulder or broken arm is lilely to result. On the ford taurus the horn can be reliably sounded with a thumb without moving the hand from the outer rim of the wheel. This also leaves the hand and arm out of the way in the event the airbag should deploy. The design of the horn control on the windstar is poor and dangerous.
Consumer has been experiencing ongoing problems with following parts: 1. Automatic transmission slipping in lower speed; 2. Steering would make a popping noise only in wet conditions, and 3. Starter woud grind when starting vehicle. Dealer/manufacturer notified.
Horn is difficult to activate. Must press hard in just the right spot.
Horn takes excessive effort to activate and is hard to find. Nlm
Horn hard to actvate in an emergency situation requires to much down force and to spacific an area to depress, horn once acivated continues to sound for about 2 seconds after activation
Horn does not operate properly. Consumer says that the cover is very thick, and may be the cause of the problem. Dealer has been contacted, and they say that the horn works as it was designed. *ak
Consumer must hit the horn at exact spot with extreme force before horn will blow which could cause an accident. Also, driver's and passenger's power windows, at freezing point under 30 degrees with dry frost, will not operate. Consumer must wait until the vehicle is completely warmed up.
Other windstar owners are stopping and asking me if my horn works. Apparently many owners of 1999 windstars are experiencing horn failures. It is almost impossible to sound the horn. The demmer ford rep. (phil) said he called the oakville assembly plant and they are aware of the problem. He said a fix might be in the works in another 90 days--unacceptable!
Problem with "pulsating" of both exterior and interior lights when engine is running. In for repairs at dealer on 2-5-99, but not fixed. Been told problem is with voltage regulator. Invoice of repairs shows 'repaired' wiring at alternator.
Horn functions if correct spot on wheel is hit, but the "sweet spot" is small. More often than not, pressing most areas of the steering wheel does not cause the horn to sound -a major potential problem.
There are two problems with the horn in the 1999 windstar. First, the horn requires extraordinary pressure in order to get it to sound. This is very dangerous in an emergency situation where one needs a quick sounding of the horn. Second, a large area of the steering wheel where one would expect to be able to sound the horn does not sound it. Specifically, the area most likely pressed in an emergency, the upper portion of the center of the wheel, has no horn action. The part of the wheel to which I am referring is top of the center "hub area" which faces the driver. I took the windstar to campus ford, okemos, michigan. The service department told me that there was nothing they could do because "they all work that way." in my opinion, the horn problem, especially the areas of the steering wheel hub that have no horn action, represent a safety hazard to vehicle owners.
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