Faults:

Check engine light, power window motor passenger side and side mirror fell off.

General Comments:

Great van, and excellent gas mileage for its size.

Reliable daily driver, and excellent for hauling large items when the 3rd row seat is removed.

Never had any major problems, drives well in snow and will probably own this van for a few more years.

I use synthetic oil. Just replaced the original battery. Van was stored for 4 years and still drives like when we first bought it as second hand with 27,000 miles on it.

I recommend buying a used 1998 Windstar, 3.0L with low mileage. You will get your money's worth compare to overpriced older Honda and Toyota vans with over 100K miles. I almost bought another Windstar with 60K miles for only $3,500.

Faults:

One of the worst vans I have ever owned. Too many maintenance items.

1st transmission replaced at 80k, $3500 all my cost, while on vacation trip.

Second trans replaced at 120k, but was covered under warranty.

CV joints replaced 30k, front disc replaced 35k, blown radiator at 67k, head gasket, manifold gasket replaced for oil in radiator.

Front end steering components all replaced at 150k.

This van was a big money pit. Ford should be ashamed of themselves for selling such a piece of junk. Shame on you Ford. Forget about me buying another Ford, and I tell everyone I know how Ford put this unreliable garbage out on the market. They should have went bankrupt since they don't know how to design cars.

Has anyone replaced the 3 spark plugs by the firewall? Have to lay on the engine to reach back and replace plugs by feel. The auto engineers should work on the cars they design. They would not do this design again.

Faults:

I had the transmission rebuilt at about 168,000, and I have had quite a bit of front suspension work done on this van and brakes as well, but it has been the best vehicle ever. I love it, and wish they still made them.

It still gets around 20 miles to the gallon on gas, it never overheats, the air has never been recharged and still blows really cold air, and it still very quiet.

All of you who work for Ford, please take a bow!

Faults:

We had to have some work done on the brakes at about 150,000 miles.

General Comments:

This vehicle has been phenomenal for us! We have driven it many miles, and it is so great I am almost emotional attached to it. (Lucky for me, as I bought the van at an auction without planning to, and without my husband's knowledge)

We have used it to pull our camper, and it has performed the task faithfully.

As a mom, this has been my "headquarters" as I hauled the kids around here and there.

I do wish it had a driver's side rear door, and I am sure the newer minivans have easier and better ways to move the seats around, but I am sticking with this one as long as I can.

Faults:

I am also being driven crazy by the interior lights and chiming!! Just last night my interior light switch broke off, so I had to remove all the interior bulbs. I am trying to find a cure for the chiming problem and a new lightswitch.

I have also had the head gaskets blow, replaced the alternator, and I have had a problem with the AC not blowing through the front vents. I actually fixed that problem with a slightly larger piece of vacuum line to reconnect the broken one. I inserted each broken end into the larger line, and it now works perfectly. The rear air doesn't work still. Can't seem to crack that nut.

Transmission TIP!!! I also had a 95 Windstar and had the same tranny trouble. The vehicle acted as if it would not shift into the higher gears. After numerous mechanics told us that we would have to replace the tranny, I finally bumped into a friend that is an ace mechanic and he told me it was the neutral safety switch, located on the top of the transmission. We've replaced this switch on both vehicles, and the problem abated. It seems that there are crooked mechanics out there that will tell someone not knowing much about autos that their tranny is in need of replacement, knowing full well it is a simple to fix $100.00 problem. Both times we had the van fixed, it cost around the same, and took less than 15 minutes to do the work. The last time, my cousin fixed it while I stood there and watched. I could have done it myself. Be careful NOT to take the word of the first mechanic you go to.