1998 Ford Windstar Structure Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 95,800 miles. The words owners use most often: “sub frame” (14% of reports).
- 81structure complaints
- 95,800median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 6%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.
- Sub frame: mentioned in 11 of 81 complaints (14%)
- Rear axle: mentioned in 7 of 81 complaints (9%)
- Sliding door: mentioned in 6 of 81 complaints (7%)
- Front subframe: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 36 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford Windstar structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Windstar | 1 | 4% | 138,869 |
| 2003 Windstar | 127 | 8% | 116,000 |
| 2002 Windstar | 101 | 7% | 115,678 |
| 2001 Windstar | 293 | 17% | 116,000 |
| 2000 Windstar | 216 | 13% | 119,235 |
| 1999 Windstar | 276 | 18% | 120,500 |
| 1998 Windstar | 81 | 6% | 95,800 |
| 1997 Windstar | 8 | 4% | 49,000 |
| 1996 Windstar | 37 | 3% | 96,000 |
| 1995 Windstar | 99 | 3% | 125,199 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
Subframe rusted on left front passenger side. 1998 ford windstar. I had a popping noise when i made a left turn and loud crunching noise and steering wheel pulled to left. I had taken it to a auto shop and they replaced struts.sway bars and brakes . No one told me about the rust issue with the sub…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED DUE TO…
Rear axel broke in half while driving down a flat road. Ford dealerships telling me it will take at least a month to fix. No talk of providing a rental vehicle. They were even saying they might or might not pay for fixing it. I called ford customer service who said i would get a day car rental and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Windstars have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about structure for the 1998 Ford Windstar (6% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 95,800 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “sub frame”, in 11 of 81 complaints, followed by “rear axle” (7).
Other 1998 Ford Windstar problems
See all 1998 Ford Windstar problems or structure problems across all Windstar years.