I have a '98 that recently had a recall on the cruise control cable. Is it safe to use it or should I not? Also my back wiper does not work. Any info on this will be great. Thanks Dennis R

Check to see if the back glass is latched. If the glass is not closed all the way the wiper will not work. I was about to tear the door apart before I realized what the problem was on mine.

If the back window was cracked then the door jar light would stay on all the time. On the newer models anyway.

I also have a 98xlt, I rec'd the recall notice and contacted my local Ford dealer, they said to not use it at all, that is until they either check it out and say it is ok, or replace it with a newer cable (I guess they don't have them yet, so they tell everybody to not use it)
As far as the wiper, my back motor is fine, but my front one went out at only 1100 miles, that was frustrating, they did replace it no problem, but it was an inconvenience (ford did send me a card to say sorry, so that made up for it, ha ha).

I have a 98XLT and received the recall in the mail after reading about it on a BB. The cable will be available mid-May. Mine seems to work fine, but why chance it. I'll get mine replaced when the new cables are available.
Regarding the rear wiper, mine stopped working. I had tried it once about a month before I wanted to use it. One rainy day, I turned the know and nothing happened. Ford replaced the motor and said it had an internal short. I asked the obvious question, "What could cause that?" They did not know. "Could it be from closing the full door too hard?" They stuck with their answer, "We don't know". After they replaced the motor, the wiper is noticably positioned better on its support when it is in its parked position. After I took delivery, I noticed that the wiper rubber was always in contact with the door. I took it to Ford and they said it was like others on the lot. They did put a rubber vacuum plug on the wiper arm post so that the rubber was off the door. Needless to say, I removed the rubber after they replaced the motor. The motor replacement was done at a different Ford dealer. So far the wiper is working fine. I used it this weekend on a rainy trip, and it worked flawlessly. Sounds to me like they used less than par motors when assemling the vehicle. Mine was built in June of 98 in Louisville. Was your built around the same time? Just curious. Hope this info helps.

Here's a couple of sites regarding the recall:
http://www.ownerconnection.com
http://www.recall.ford.com

[This message has been edited by Jim F (edited 04-12-99).]