1998 Ford Windstar Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 196 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (21% of reports).
- 196engine and engine cooling complaints
- 84,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 19%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 41 of 196 complaints (21%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Ford Windstar at $3,050, and half of them between $2,650 and $7,400.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2006), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 52 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 196 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 28 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford Windstar engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Windstar | 1 | 4% | 86,000 |
| 2003 Windstar | 47 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 2002 Windstar | 27 | 2% | 70,000 |
| 2001 Windstar | 66 | 4% | 83,500 |
| 2000 Windstar | 92 | 5% | 52,147 |
| 1999 Windstar | 129 | 8% | 74,750 |
| 1998 Windstar | 196 | 14% | 84,000 |
| 1997 Windstar | 38 | 20% | 77,000 |
| 1996 Windstar | 470 | 34% | 80,000 |
| 1995 Windstar | 1,610 | 48% | 80,540 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Windstar. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. The contact stated that after having repairs performed on the vehicle under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v385000 (suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assembly), the vehicle would start jerking violently from the rear to the front when driving at speeds…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. The contact smelled a burning odor while driving approximately 40 mph. The contact stopped the vehicle and inspected under the hood. The contact noticed a flame coming from the alternator. The contact used water to extinguish the flame. The fire department…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. The contact was driving 35 mph and attempted to engage the brakes but the pedal was depressed into the floorboard abnormally with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The contact also mentioned that once he turned on the heater, the vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Windstars have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 196 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Windstar (14% of the 1,433 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Windstar engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,050 (half paid between $2,650 and $7,400), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 41 of 196 complaints.
Other 1998 Ford Windstar problems
- Power Train problems (332)
- Suspension problems (229)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (177)
- Steering problems (143)
- Electrical System problems (111)
- Wheels problems (83)
- Structure problems (81)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (73)
See all 1998 Ford Windstar problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Windstar years.