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1998 Ford Ford Truck

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →
25Owner complaints

Model-year median: 2

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
21
199518
199634
199725
199833
199925
200020
2001
Compare all Ford Truck years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tires
11Engine And Engine Cooling
4Structure
3Electrical System
2Unknown Or Other
2
All reported categories
Power Train
1Seat Belts
1Seats
1Vehicle Speed Control
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 7 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Tires. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports

Power Train complaints

1 reports
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77,345 miles · Mar 30, 2005
Power Train

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2005, I WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC WHEN MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR BEGAN TO LEAK OIL AND SLOW DOWN. AFTER SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I INSTRUCTED EVERYONE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SMOKEY SMELL. I THEN CALLED KEYSTONE AAA MID-ATLANTIC M…

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ON FEBRUARY 25, 2005, I WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC WHEN MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR BEGAN TO LEAK OIL AND SLOW DOWN. AFTER SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I INSTRUCTED EVERYONE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SMOKEY SMELL. I THEN CALLED KEYSTONE AAA MID-ATLANTIC MY EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICE. NEXT, THE KEYSTONE AAA MID-ATLANTIC TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AND HE COMMENTED ON THE NUMBER OF FORD WINDSTARS THAT HE PICKS UP ON A DAILY BASIS. AFTER OBSERVING MY VEHICLE, HE STATED THAT IT IS PROBABLY A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IT COULD NOT BE THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I JUST GOT A BRAND ?NEW TRANSMISSION? TWO YEARS AGO. HE THEN TOWED MY VEHICLE TO SPRINGFIELD FORD IN SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA (6 MILES AWAY). ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2005, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SOMEONE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF SPRINGFIELD FORD AND I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND I WAS LUCKY THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT CATCH FIRE BECAUSE OF THE LEAKING OIL. INDEED, IF SPRINGFIELD FORD INSTALLED A ?NEW TRANSMISSION? TWO- YEARS AGO AND I NOW NEED ANOTHER ?NEW TRANSMISSION?, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR THE 1998 FORD WINDSTARS ARE DEFECTIVE. MOREOVER, I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN THIS SECOND MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10116074

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.