Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 4/12/02 59,173 miles. Windstar had ABS & brake light on. Disc brakes replaced and rotors machined. 2/26/04 82,240 miles all ABS sensors,disc brakes,brake fluid reservoir/float assembly replaced,rotors machined. 95,487 miles brake light on. 3/05 cruise control on and off. ABS light flicker on & off. Dealer said not worth money to fix. 9/04/05 fire under battery tray. Van off 2 to 3 minutes. Dealer said cruise control module ignited fire. Brake fluid leaked into it. The ABS pump overheated wire caused leak. Our van is now at chapman Ford awaiting our approval to repair problems at a cost of $2200.00. We are now without a vehicle and don't want to approve repairs without talking to someone from your office. Please respond and let us know what our next step should be. We are a one income family so getting a new vehicle is not an option. Your prompt attention would be greatly appreciated. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford wind star. While driving with the vehicle speed cruise control activated at 52 MPH the rpms increased to four. She deactivated the cruise control, but then all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. The vehicle began to decelerate, then there was an under-hood fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was towed to a center where an investigator from the city inspected the vehicle. He speculated that the cause of the failure was the vehicle speed cruise control switch. She will receive a report in ten days. The insurance company stated because it was a cruise control fire the manufacture was responsible. The manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 95,000.
On July 6, 2009, my Ford Windstar minivan burned up. I was driving to pick up supper when the cruise control stopped working. I went on, picked up supper, and started the car again. Immediately smoke started billowing. I pulled around the corner in the parking lot, parked again, and popped the hood. There was a small fire in the alternator area. I took my toddler out of the car and ran into a store to call the fire department. By the time they got there, the car was destroyed and a total loss. We had the car towed and given to mcdonald's towing. The fire department didn't know what caused it, but that it looked like possible leaking brake fluid.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. The contact noticed a burning plastic odor coming from the engine. He exited the vehicle and noticed that the speed control pressure switch was melting and smoking underneath the hood. The vehicle was able to be driven, but he had to disconnect the speed control pressure switch. The contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer will be notified. The failure and current mileages were 99,000.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. While driving 55 MPH, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle surged forward and crashed. The vehicle was destroyed. The police and ambulance arrived at the scene and one person was injured. The contact stated that the night before the crash, the cruise control activated on its own. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for inspection. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were approximately 96,000.
I have a 1998 Ford Windstar van 2 months ago I had a leak of fluid that caused some wires to burn into under the hood that caused wiring to my head light and overhead light to blow my mechanic had to direct wire one side of my head light and my cruise control system had to be disconnected as he said it would cause my van to catch fire. My ABS and brake system light stays on now as soon as the mechanic repaired the faulty part I started experiencing all the following things,,,I have lose of power . The van stalls in traffic and also as I'm taking off from a stop after putting the van in gear...when I put on the gas it makes a bad rattling sound like a lifter or valve tapping but only when the gas peddle is engaged. …
As I was driving home, my car accelerated without my stepping on the gas. When I stepped on the brake, it continued to accelerate. I managed to get off the very busy road I was on and since I could not stop the car, I decided to hit a tree, hoping the car would stop. It did not. It went over a cliff, after knocking the tree down. I was very badly injured and remain disabled. The car was a Ford Windstar 1998. I was told that there has been many accidents like this with the Ford Windstar but Ford never did a recall. I have since been told that Ford and Toyota use the same manufacturer for some of their parts. My car still exists if it needs to be examined.
I have a 1998 Ford Windstar that I have owned since new, and the cruise control stopped functioning. I determined that the brake switch on the master cylinder failed and was causing the loss of cruise control. I have followed that Ford has a major recall on these switches on many of their vehicles do to engine fires. My car is not on the recall, but fluid is leaking into the switch. I have unplugged the switch to prevent the potential fire, but Ford says that these switches do not have the problem of earlier switches, I disagree as there is the same indication of failure and leaking fluid. They are just waiting for more fires before they act....
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. On two occasions when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle dramatically accelerated. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The risk of serious injury and a crash were significantly increased. The dealer could not duplicate the failure and no error codes were provided from the diagnostic tests. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer for assistance. The failure and current mileages were 130,000. Updated 03-06-09 updated 03/09/09
Cruise control malfunctioned & turned on causing vehicle to begin to speed up. I was in the wal-mart parking lot, when my van suddenly revved up & raced towards 2 pedestrians. I first tried the regular brake - no luck, so I threw the van in park & turned the ignition off. When I would turn the van on again the rpms would jump up immediately to 4000+. I had to be towed in. I did not have the cruise control on at all during the trip so I (as well as the repair shop) was surprised that the cruise control module was the culprit.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Acceleration complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1998 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 73 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1998 Ford Windstar, 5% of the model year's 1,433 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Windstar acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-399 (vehicle speed control, Oct 13, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Windstar acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 8 fires and 6 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.