Faults:

Tie-rods were replaced under warranty.

Fuel gauge was inaccurate.

General Comments:

Very comfortable highway cruiser and people hauler. Does not have the latest bells and whistles, like a 2nd sliding door and disappearing rear seat, but good value so far.

This was one of the last 98's made and I think that they got most of the bugs out.

So I'm completely satisfied thus far. Only question mark is long term reliability/durability. Time will tell.

Faults:

Cracks in the vinyl driver's side arm-rest.

Driver's side floor-mat carpet has the telltale bare heel spot.

Replaced a cracked front windshield at about 50,000 miles.

Replaced the tires at about 50,000 miles.

General Comments:

I read all of the reviews for the '98 Windstar and was shocked at the bad luck people have had. I've had nothing but the opposite. My Windstar has been every bit as reliable as my old Previa was, but has much more power and acceleration. I have yet to have a problem with it.

The ride and quietness are adequate making it a comfortable vehicle for long trips with the family.

Faults:

Since I bought the van I didn't experience anything beside changing a tie rod end.

General Comments:

There is a noise in the back, I need to change the shocks so I'm told.

Yes the transmission shifts abruptly from 1st to second gear when you drive slow.

I do get good mileage per gallon, it's comfy but too much road noise.

Faults:

Tie rods gone, 30,000.

Idle arm assembly gone.

IAC valve replaced.

Brake problems.

Cv joints replaced.

Seat belt assembly broke.

Seat trim warped.

Complete transmission failure, $3,400.00.

General Comments:

The 98 Windstar has many problems. Ford knows the problems exist, but won't do anything about it. I will never buy a Ford product again. I will spread the word to others, never to buy this product again.

Faults:

Let's see.. It started with a rattle in the rear. The shocks were changed, and at first it was better. After a couple of months the rattle was back. The shocks were changed again.

The radio has had an electrical whine that varied with engine RPM; they replaced the antenna cable.

The tie-rod end ball joints failed at 15K miles.

The valve covers have a slight oil leak that you smell in hot weather. They retorqued the fasteners, but it still leaks.

The power door locks went nuts one day, going up and down at random. The only way in or out of the vehicle was to use the key and open the door before it locked you in/out. They never found a problem.

The engine emits a whistling noise when hot, they say it's normal, although I have found that only half of the 3.8L vans have a whistling noise, mine is the worst.

The transmission will shift harshly from first to second gear at slow vehicle speeds.

It is difficult to shift from PARK with a very mild incline.

If the climate controls are set for heat in the vent (upper) position for about 10 minutes you cannot turn-off the vent position. If you go to the defrost only position the vent also stays on. If you go to the floor only position the vent also stays on. If you turn the heat off for about 3 minutes, there will be a thump noise and the vent position will not be stuck on.

It has a intermittent engine miss when the transmission shifts into overdrive.

General Comments:

Best gas mileage I've ever gotten was 20.5 mpg with straight highway, no A/C, 65-70 mph speeds. The front door handles have a cheap feel and sound.

I hate being a critical part of Ford's R&D team.

Faults:

Basically none. We have had it for over a year. It has 31,000 miles. This minivan is extremely well-built, however, the radio buttons are fading after too much kid's use.

General Comments:

I think is the best minivan, up to this point.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong to date, but I have had only one year. My only complaint is that it seems a little soft in the curves and recovery from a tight turn. Other than that, we love it.