Ford Windstar Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 14,152 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the Ford Windstar (1985–2004) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 3,326. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (3,419 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Windstar years →
All Windstar model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 24 | 123,500 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 2003 | 1,510 | 98,035 | 8 | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 1,353 | 103,000 | 8 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 1,686 | 108,000 | 15 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 1,675 | 104,000 | 15 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 1,522 | 105,000 | 11 | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 1,433 | 94,000 | 11 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 192 | 88,890 | 5 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 1,386 | 86,000 | 8 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 3,326 | 99,500 | 6 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 23 | 119,500 | 0 | 1 | — | Stable |
| 1993 | 11 | 97,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1990 | 6 | 150,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1985 | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes3,419 23%
- Engine cooling2,690 18%
- Transmission and drivetrain2,607 17%
- Suspension2,049 14%
- Electrical system1,569 10%
- Body and structure1,240 8.2%
- Vehicle speed control892 5.9%
- Steering683 4.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2003: “I was driving on a city street going about 30 miles an hour the van filled with smoke when I came to a stop I looked under the car and the back axle was broke I had it towed to the Ford dealership and they said it would cost $3200 to fix it they said it didn't fall under the recall they had for the back axle breaking”
NHTSA complaint #11412778, filed 2021-04, 147,000 miles2001: “On my 2001 Ford Windstar Ford installed these brackets on rear suspension subframe and almost 2 years later my axle has split from one side all the way around to the other and any tiny bump you hit the van jumps all over the roadway. They won't repair the axle because the brackets were installed properly .”
NHTSA complaint #11388306, filed 2021-01, 170,100 miles1999: “This was my mothers . Now mine the speed odometer just goes every where sometimes it doesn't move at all. And it does it does show the right speed all the instrument panel does the same . And when that started the windows stop working too. Any more nor the radio. They said its a main control molecule. I just don't know I got a ticket cause it said I was going 89 in 65 wow.. Help”
NHTSA complaint #11349136, filed 2020-08, 1 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaintsFord Expedition
9,385 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology