Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

1998 Ford Windstar vs 1998 Mercury Mountaineer

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric1998 Ford Windstar1998 Mercury Mountaineer
NHTSA complaints1,433236
Recall campaigns72
Service bulletins (TSBs)236282
Investigations87
Crash reports5422
Fire reports6523
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)18–1914–16
Median reported incident mileage95,000 mi85,500 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord WindstarMercury Mountaineer
Power Train3329
Suspension22911
Engine and Engine Cooling19620
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1774
Tires5795
Steering1434
Electrical System11121
Vehicle Speed Control7336

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling13214
Rust / corrosion800
Vibration / shaking495
Hesitation / surging246
Clunking / rattling230
Shifting problems190
Brake problems190
Check engine light135
1998 Mercury Mountaineer

Compare all Ford Windstar vs Mercury Mountaineer years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.