Overview & Reviews

Ford widens the driver door as a stop-gap measure until the 1999 Windstar arrives with a fourth door. Subtle styling revisions and a new Limited model round out the changes for 1998.

• Powerful engines and roomy interior.

• Offensive shape, lack of suspension refinement.

User Reviews:

Showing 21 through 30 of 118.00

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  Kid Hauler - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Tov - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has been to the shop much more than my previous Fords. An A/C leak the dealer cant find has required multiple recharge visits. Weird electronic lock "cycling" while driving has been fixed once but still happens occasionally. Transmission seems a little clumsy, but acceleration unsurpassed. Rear bench seat weighs too much, difficult to take in/out. The 2nd row captains chairs also heavier than they should be. Dual A/C awesome even in Florida summer. Just wish dealers could find the leak.

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  Yuck - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By scbrenna23 - April 11 - 12:10 am

  I bought this car from a owner dealership because my former car had been in an accident. Im a poor college student (how many are there that arent, lol) and needed something to get around town. I was looking for cheap and safe. Well, I got the cheap part! This van has been nothing but trouble now that its about 10 years old. The ABS computer system is malfunctioning which is supposedly supposed to cost 1500 dollars at least! The head gasket is leaking and soon to break. My oil leaks constantly regardless of attempts to fix it. The side sliding door doesnt shut and causes the indoor lights to stay on, (you have to pull the fuse to reset it). It just has issues. I hate this van!

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  1998 Ford Windstar 3.0 L Passenger Van - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Barry Riordan - March 15 - 10:49 pm

  This van was my company van since new and its been a very reliable vehicle. I bought the vehicle from the company at 148,000 miles and havent regreted it.The only thing major that went wrong was the fuel tank went bad. The vehicle now has 194,000 miles on it and has the original motor and tranny in it. I change the ATF fluid on a regular basis and also regular oil changes. Motor does not use a drop of oil between changes. Original front brake rotors did have to be replaced at 75,000 miles. We have taken numerous trips in the summer from PA to South Carolina with no problems whatsoever.

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  Good bye, Ford - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Steve - March 15 - 8:49 am

  Purchased new. Even though it only has 100,000 miles, its on its 4th set of tires. Its noisy, the front end clanks, and has since new. The door ajar problem has existed since it ran out of warranty, along with various and sundry check engine lights. The transmission is on its way out now, so its time to get rid of the thing. The passenger seats are nice. The front buckets are terrible. Im glad to see it go away.

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  I have been lucky - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Lucky - March 5 - 3:18 pm

  Bought Windstar new in Nov 07. Initially - few problems. Air idle control valve - replaced, the fuel delivery - remapped, and a loose motor mount - fixed under waranty. I considered gettting rid of it but didnt. Today - 205,792 miles - highest mileage and most reliable vehicle ever owned (25 cars and 20 motorcycles). Have symptoms of head gasket failure (coolant is disappearing) for 50,000 miles. Waiting for head gasket(s) to fail - will consider replacing myself with new gaskets, head bolts, etc. I change the oil every 5K (Pennzoil) and the trans fluid every 25K. Replaced alternator once, power steering pump twice, brakes and battery thrice. Just normal maintenance. We were lucky.

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  One in a Million? - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By One in a Million? - December 19 - 9:43 am

  Reading some of the other reviews I think I may have that one in a million -- this van has been very solid. Besides the hubcaps being poorly designed (they wont stay on) and the door ajar warning (with annoying dinging below 15 mph), this van has had only the expected repairs - - transmission rebuilt at 167,000, tie rods recently replaced, wheel bearing, suspension, brakes, radiator hose -- not bad since it has almost 240,000 miles on it!! I have kept it well maintained. All I know is that this van has been very reliable.

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  One in a Million? - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By One in a Million? - December 12 - 9:49 am

  It has been very reliable. Bought it with 49,000 miles and have put 187,000 miles on it. Transmission rebuilt at 167,000. The most annoying thing haas been the door ajar warning and the incessant dinging until it reaches 15 mph! Other than that I have kept it well maintained and normal repairs have been done -- like tie rods, suspension, ignition coil pack, radiator hose, brakes, wheel alignment. My children say that maybe we were fortunate and got that "one in a million" good Windstars. I dont know. I just know it has been solid!

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  Pleasantly surprised! - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By cashewfeni - August 23 - 11:29 pm

  This has been our first American car. We bought 2 years ago When it had >100K miles. We have had only minor annoyances but no major problems. The engine runs strong, we got good gas mileage, the ride is comfortable, the braking is good...it has been an awesome buy! The biggest issue is that it has just 3 doors. This is bad for a family with 2 small kids as it is really difficult to place an infant/toddler behind the driver. Considering the fact that a minivan is supposed to be a family car, I find a 3-door design just absurd. Sometimes, the car wrongly thinks that a door is open and the interior lights stay on - there is no way to manually turn them off!

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  Transmission bucks when shifting gears - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Felicia - June 15 - 11:40 am

  I dont recommend a Ford windstar van, at least not a 1998. When I first got the vehicle the transmission was bucking and when I went to have it replaced with a new trainny, it did the same thing, and they told me this was normal for 98 Windstar vans. Visiblilty is not great on highway. I had to replace the whole ABS system costing me over $1100 and nearly everything else except the engine has had to be replaced. On a more positive, it is a very comfortable car to drive, and it rides very smooth with a quiet engine. Safe car to drive if you do well with poor visibility on the highway. I would not get a Ford Windstar van again, and may not even get a Ford again.

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  Ripped Off! - 1998 Ford Windstar
  By Ripped Off - June 8 - 4:40 pm

  We bought our Windstar as an upgrade from a Honda Accord, only because thats all that we could get financed for, unfortunately! From day one, the "door ajar" arlam constantly goes off and the dome lights dont turn off. No mechanic can seem to figure out how to fix the door ajar problem. Weve had a "clunk" sound coming from the front end since day one as well, we cant find the problem. The AC cuts out all the time, our brakes squeel even when brand new....We paid a little over $9200 for this vehicle and will never buy another Ford again!This is the worst vehicle Ive ever owned!