1998 Ford Windstar Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/12/2026

255Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

17.8%Of all 1,433 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION255 · 17.8%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE110 · 7.7%

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS86 · 6%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP79 · 5.5%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL57 · 4%

Share of the 1,433 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Ford Windstar overview page.

What owners report

“DEALERSHIP INSTALLED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AT 7,000 MILES BECAUSE OF OUR REPEATED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BUCKING SENSATION/THE VEHICLE IS STILL BUCKING/OTHER PROBLEMS DEVELOPED SUCH AS THE…”NHTSA complaint 706141 — filed 04/30/1999

“IN DECEMBER 98, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION BEING IN NEUTRAL CONDITION AFTER COMING TO A STOP. DEALER COULD NOT DUPPLICATE PROBLEM. ALSO, ON APRIL 19, 99…”NHTSA complaint 836911 — filed 04/20/1999

“WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF TURN VEHICLE JERKS REAL HARD AND STALLS. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.”NHTSA complaint 836361 — filed 04/01/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Ford Windstar have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 1998 Ford Windstar: 255 of 1,433 complaints on file (17.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Ford Windstar have in total?

1,433 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 54 involved a crash, 65 involved a fire, 59 reported injuries, and 3 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.