1998 Ford Windstar door lock problems

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. IT FIRST STARTED WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH CATCHING ON FIRE AND CAUSING WIRES UNDER MY HOOD TO BURN... NOW FOR THE LAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR..THE SENSOR ON THE DASH WOULD SHOW THAT THE DOOR WAS AJAR(NOT CLOSED) I COULD TAKE THE BATTERY CABLE OFF FOR A WHILE AND THE DOOR LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. NOW I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE ALL THE BULBS IN THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE VAN TO KEEP MY BATTERY FROM RUNNING DOWN THIS MORNING I GET UP AND MY BATTERY IS DEAD AND ACID FROM THE BATTERY IS ALL OVER THE POST AND CABLE WIRES. I TALK TO MY MECHANIC HE SAYS THIS IS DUE TO SOME PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HE SAID HE HAS HAD TO WORK ON SEVERAL WINDSTARS FOR THE SAME PROBLEMSOME KIND OF SENSOR FAULT DEFECT.

NHTSA complaint #10332084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT HOOD UNLATCHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH. THE HOOD BLEW OFF, AND WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD NEARLY CAUSING INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint #10170565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

ELECTRONICS-DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON SPECIFICALLY WHEN WEATHER IS DAMP OR MILD. THIS CAUSES DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, ALSO DOOR CHIME KEEPS CHIMMING. BATTERY LOOSES POWER BECAUSE DOME LAMP STAYS ON FOR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT WORK IF ILLUMINATED DOOR AJAR WARNING IS CAUSED BY OPENING OR CLOSING REAR LIFTGATE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO DRIVER DOOR SWITCH AT THE COST OF $100 PARTS AND LABOR, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER DOOR, SIDE SLIDER AND REAR LIFTGATE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IM NOT SURE IF DOORS ARE REALLY CLOSED OR NOT. SINCE THE DOORS WONT STAY LOCKED, I BELIEVE THIS POSES AS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ALL PASSENGERS. MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINI VANS.

NHTSA complaint #10149622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

INTERIOR LIGHTS AND DOOR LOCKS OPERATING ERRATICALLY WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION

NHTSA complaint #10118544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

DOOR AJAR LIGHTS COME ON EVEN WHEN ALL DOORS ARE SECURELY CLOSED. THE LIGHTS CONTINUE EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. EVENTUALLY, SOMETIMES AFTER A DAY, THE LIGHTS GO OUT ON THEIR OWN.

NHTSA complaint #10066133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

I OWN A 1998 FORD WINSTAR. I BOUGHT IT TWO YEARS AGO AND A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT GOES ON WHEN I OPEN THE SLIDER OR THE TRUNK AND IT WON'T GO OUT THEREFORE MY DOME LIGHT STAYS ON AND IF I DON'T PULL THE FUSE I RISK THE CHANCE OF LOOSING MY BATTERYAND WHEN THE FUSE IS OUT I CAN'T OPEN MY WINDOWS.

NHTSA complaint #10065815 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

WE HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR, THE DOOR SWITCH, IS A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN THE DOORS ARE SHUT, THE LIGHT SHOWING THE DOOR OPEN, THE DOOR LOCKS WILL UNLOCK, AND THE IN SIDE LIGHTS WILL STAY ON. I HAD NEW REAR DOOR LOCKS REPLACED, MY WIFE SAFETY IS A FACTOR IF YOU LEAVE THE INSIDE LIGHTS ON, THE BATTERY WILL FAIL, IF YOU TAKE THE FUSE OUT, THEN THE WINDOWS WILL NOT WORK.

NHTSA complaint #10062494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

CONSUMER STATED WHILE PARKING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED STEERING FITTING WAS RUSTED WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEEERING FLUID TO LEAK. THE HOOD WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN. THE DEALER LUBED THE LATCH. *AK *TS *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10039738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS AND LOCKS BECAUSE OF THE DOOR AJAR MONITOR. HAVE TO USE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO ENTER BECAUSE DRIVERS DOOR NORMALLY SETS IT OFF, AND HAVE TO UNPLUG BATTERY TO LET SYSTEM RESET, SO BATTERY DOES NOT GO DEAD WHICH NORMALLY TAKES A COUPLE OF DAYS. LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN WHILE DRIVING. DOOR AJAR WILL ALSO ACTIVATE WITH THE OTHER DOORS ON ITS OWN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. EVERYTIME I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, IT WOULD STOP AND THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING UNLESS IT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10020759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK

THE HYDRAULIC LIFTS WERE HELD IN PLACE BY A SCREW ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TAILGATE. THE SCREW ON THE LEFT SIDE BROKE. AS A RESULT THE TAILGATE RELEASED AND SLAMMED DOWN VERY HARD.

NHTSA complaint #10017905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

I HAVE A 98 FORD WINDSTAR FAMILY VAN VIN# [XXX] I PURCHASED THE VAN IN JUNE OF 2002 IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD A FULL INSPECTION BY THE SERVICE DEPT ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN PURCHASED, I WAS DRIVING BY MYSELF ON A SUNDAY RETURNING FROM VISITING MY ELDERLY PARENTS AND AS I WAS DRIVING THE INTERSTATE A HUGE NOISE SCARED ME AND I LOOKED TO THE REAR OF THE VAN AND A WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR VENT WINDOW WAS GONE, THE TEMP WAS VERY COLD AND NO ONE WAS AROUND IT THANK GOODNESS, IT COULD HAVE AT A DIFFERENT TIME COST A MOTORCYCLE RIDER OR ANYONE IT COULD OF HIT THEIR LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY, I TOOK THE VAN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED FOR THEM TO REPORT AND ALSO EXPLAINED I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, I HAD TO PAY FOR IT AND CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR CO THREE TIMES AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE, IT WAS A ELECTRIC WINDOW LATCH THAT MOVES THE WINDOW IN AND OUT AS A VENT THAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BROKE, IT IS ALSO THE ONLY THING THAT HOLDS IT IN. I BELIEVE I COULD NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS TO HAPPEN AND IT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECT AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED AND SOME NOW THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED ME SO MUCH AGGRAVATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #10005004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK IS INOPERATIVE, CAUSES INTERIOR LIGHTS TO STAY ON AT ALL TIMES.*AK

NHTSA complaint #8006646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

AJAR BELL KEEPS RINGING, DASH LIGHT IS ON, AND LIGHTS UP. DOOR IS NOT OPEN, BUT BELL CONTINUES TO RING.

NHTSA complaint #888888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK

REAR HATCH LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND WON'T GO OFF. WHEN BACKING OUT AFTER DARK IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO BE DRIVING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SWITCH AND THE HATCH LOCK LIGHT COMES ON, AND THE DOOR DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT IS LOCKED.

NHTSA complaint #829854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.