1996 FORD WINDSTAR — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,379 complaints · 9 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (385 complaints · 27.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 59
  • Fires 45
  • Injuries 52
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 1995 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 385 of 1,379 owner complaints (27.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 385 complaints, 27.9% of reports ENGINE 385 · 27.9% · 4 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 280 complaints, 20.3% of reports POWER TRAIN 280 · 20.3% · 6 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 178 complaints, 12.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 178 · 12.9% · 15 crash reports 6 fire reports SUSPENSION: 100 complaints, 7.3% of reports SUSPENSION 100 · 7.3% · 1 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 64 complaints, 4.6% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 64 · 4.6% · 5 crash reports 15 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 53 complaints, 3.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 53 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports 14 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 45 complaints, 3.3% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 45 · 3.3% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports WHEELS: 35 complaints, 2.5% of reports WHEELS 35 · 2.5% · 1 crash reports STEERING: 30 complaints, 2.2% of reports STEERING 30 · 2.2% · 2 crash reports 2 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 858 complaints, 62.2% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 858 · 62.2% · 48 crash reports 25 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 385 27.9% 0 crashes · 4 fires
POWER TRAIN 280 20.3% 6 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 178 12.9% 15 crashes · 6 fires
SUSPENSION 100 7.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 64 4.6% 5 crashes · 15 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 53 3.8% 1 crashes · 14 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 45 3.3% 1 crashes · 1 fires
WHEELS 35 2.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 30 2.2% 2 crashes · 2 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 858 62.2% 48 crashes · 25 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1995; the first recall shown was reported in May 1996. 1995-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 1996-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 1996-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 1996-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 1997-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 1997-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 1997-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 1997-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 1998-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 1998-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 1998-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 1998-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 1999-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 1999-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 1999-Q3: 65 owner reports 65 1999-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 2000-Q1: 68 owner reports 68 2000-Q2: 65 owner reports 65 2000-Q3: 53 owner reports 53 2000-Q4: 57 owner reports 57 2001-Q1: 93 owner reports 93 2001-Q2: 72 owner reports 72 2001-Q3: 54 owner reports 54 2001-Q4: 41 owner reports 41 2002-Q1: 49 owner reports 49 2002-Q2: 56 owner reports 56 2002-Q3: 49 owner reports 49 2002-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2003-Q1: 47 owner reports 47 2003-Q2: 38 owner reports 38 2003-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2003-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 2004-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2004-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2004-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2005-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2005-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2005-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1995 Oct 2015 Recall campaign 96V086000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V086000 Recall campaign 96V114000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V114000 Recall campaign 96V166000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V166000 Recall campaign 97V180000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V180000 Recall campaign 99V147000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V147000 Recall campaign 00V168000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V168000 Recall campaign 01I007000 ◆ Recall campaign 01I007000 Recall campaign 02V101000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V101000 Recall campaign 09V399000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V399000 Investigation PE96015 ● Investigation PE96015 Investigation PE96042 ● Investigation PE96042 Investigation EA96026 ● Investigation EA96026 Investigation PE97011 ● Investigation PE97011 Investigation EA97018 ● Investigation EA97018 Investigation PE98056 ● Investigation PE98056 Investigation EA99020 ● Investigation EA99020 Investigation PE00024 ● Investigation PE00024 Investigation EA00027 ● Investigation EA00027 Investigation RQ02011 ● Investigation RQ02011 Investigation RQ04003 ● Investigation RQ04003 Investigation PE08035 ● Investigation PE08035 Investigation EA08021 ● Investigation EA08021
  • Campaign 96V086000 was reported 92 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 96V166000 was reported 206 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 97V180000 was reported 228 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 99V147000 was reported 1,120 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 01I007000 was reported 1,444 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 02V101000 was reported 2,145 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q4 Owner reports 1
1996-Q1 Owner reports 4
1996-Q2 Owner reports 5
1996-Q3 Owner reports 20
1996-Q4 Owner reports 14
1997-Q1 Owner reports 20
1997-Q2 Owner reports 15
1997-Q3 Owner reports 23
1997-Q4 Owner reports 32
1998-Q1 Owner reports 19
1998-Q2 Owner reports 25
1998-Q3 Owner reports 24
1998-Q4 Owner reports 22
1999-Q1 Owner reports 36
1999-Q2 Owner reports 23
1999-Q3 Owner reports 65
1999-Q4 Owner reports 32
2000-Q1 Owner reports 68
2000-Q2 Owner reports 65
2000-Q3 Owner reports 53
2000-Q4 Owner reports 57
2001-Q1 Owner reports 93
2001-Q2 Owner reports 72
2001-Q3 Owner reports 54
2001-Q4 Owner reports 41
2002-Q1 Owner reports 49
2002-Q2 Owner reports 56
2002-Q3 Owner reports 49
2002-Q4 Owner reports 25
2003-Q1 Owner reports 47
2003-Q2 Owner reports 38
2003-Q3 Owner reports 22
2003-Q4 Owner reports 22
2004-Q1 Owner reports 36
2004-Q2 Owner reports 13
2004-Q3 Owner reports 10
2004-Q4 Owner reports 11
2005-Q1 Owner reports 9
2005-Q2 Owner reports 13
2005-Q3 Owner reports 13
2005-Q4 Owner reports 6
2006-Q1 Owner reports 6
2006-Q2 Owner reports 8
2006-Q3 Owner reports 7
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 5
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 4
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 5
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 96V086000
Recall campaign 1 96V114000
Recall campaign 1 96V166000
Recall campaign 1 97V180000
Recall campaign 1 99V147000
Recall campaign 1 00V168000
Recall campaign 1 01I007000
Recall campaign 1 02V101000
Recall campaign 1 09V399000
Defect investigation 1 PE96015
Defect investigation 1 PE96042
Defect investigation 1 EA96026
Defect investigation 1 PE97011
Defect investigation 1 EA97018
Defect investigation 1 PE98056
Defect investigation 1 EA99020
Defect investigation 1 PE00024
Defect investigation 1 EA00027
Defect investigation 1 RQ02011
Defect investigation 1 RQ04003
Defect investigation 1 PE08035
Defect investigation 1 EA08021
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (9)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V168000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THE LIGHT GIVEN OFF FROM THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS BRIGHTER THAN ALLOWED BY U.S. STANDARDS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL BE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE THE RUNNING LIGHT FUNCTION AND TO COMPLETE ANY OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON THESE VEHICLES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01I007000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    SOME TIRES HAVE DEFLATED DUE TO CONTACT WITH A BROKEN SPRING.
    Remedy:
    FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR FRONT COIL SPRING REPLACEMENT TO A TOTAL OF 10 YEARS OF SERVICE FROM THE WARRANTY START DATE, WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. THIS COVERAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO SUBSEQUENT OWNERS AT NO CHARGE. IF EITHER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES DURING THE COVERAGE PERIOD NOTED ABOVE, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02V101000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    LEAKAGE OF BRAKE FLUID WILL RESULT IN BRAKE LIGHT ACTIVATION. EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE COULD ALSO RESULT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE LINE FOR CORROSION AND CLEARANCE CONDITIONS. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS NOT CORRODED WILL BE REPOSITIONED. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS CORRODED OR LEAKING WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NYLON COATED BRAKE LINE AND SECURED USING THREE RETAINING CLIPS TO ASSURE CLEARANCE FROM THE INSULATOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 10, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09V399000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
    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 AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 96V086000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PARK PAWL OCCASIONALLY NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AS IF IN NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR DOES NOT APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PARK PAWL SHAFT ROLL PIN. IF THE ROLL PIN IS DAMAGED, BOTH THE ROLL PIN AND THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, OWNERS WILL BE REMINDED TO FULLY APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE, IN ADDITION TO PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 96V114000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THE DRIVER'S SEAT MAY NOT PROPERLY HOLD IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DRIVER'S SEAT FASTENERS AND RETORQUE TO PROPER SPECIFICATIONS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 96V166000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    UNINTENDED AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V180000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN TOTAL SEPARATION OF THE OUTER HOOD PANEL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HOOD AREA FOR ANY DAMAGE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, THE HOOD WILL BE REPLACED. IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, ADDITIONAL ADHESIVE WILL BE APPLIED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V147000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    Not available in the source record
    Remedy:
    OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW LABELS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1,379 complaints · page 1 of 56

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources