2002 FORD WINDSTAR — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,338 complaints · 9 recalls
Most-reported system: SERVICE BRAKES (467 complaints · 34.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 43
  • Fires 48
  • Injuries 51
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2001 →
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 SERVICE BRAKES appears in 467 of 1,338 owner complaints (34.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. SERVICE BRAKES: 467 complaints, 34.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 467 · 34.9% · 5 crash reports 14 fire reports SUSPENSION: 237 complaints, 17.7% of reports SUSPENSION 237 · 17.7% · 3 crash reports 7 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 158 complaints, 11.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 158 · 11.8% · 2 crash reports 12 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 94 complaints, 7.0% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 94 · 7.0% · 4 crash reports 11 fire reports STRUCTURE: 73 complaints, 5.5% of reports STRUCTURE 73 · 5.5% · 3 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 69 complaints, 5.2% of reports POWER TRAIN 69 · 5.2% · 5 crash reports 1 fire reports AIR BAGS: 29 complaints, 2.2% of reports AIR BAGS 29 · 2.2% · 14 crash reports ENGINE: 24 complaints, 1.8% of reports ENGINE 24 · 1.8% · 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 22 complaints, 1.6% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 22 · 1.6% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 689 complaints, 51.5% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 689 · 51.5% · 24 crash reports 23 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)
SERVICE BRAKES 467 34.9% 5 crashes · 14 fires
SUSPENSION 237 17.7% 3 crashes · 7 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 158 11.8% 2 crashes · 12 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 94 7.0% 4 crashes · 11 fires
STRUCTURE 73 5.5% 3 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 69 5.2% 5 crashes · 1 fires
AIR BAGS 29 2.2% 14 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 24 1.8% 0 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 22 1.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 689 51.5% 24 crashes · 23 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 Jan 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2003. 2002-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2003-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2007-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2007-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2008-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2008-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2008-Q3: 49 owner reports 49 2008-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2009-Q1: 25 owner reports 25 2009-Q2: 37 owner reports 37 2009-Q3: 62 owner reports 62 2009-Q4: 41 owner reports 41 2010-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2010-Q2: 66 owner reports 66 2010-Q3: 121 owner reports 121 2010-Q4: 57 owner reports 57 2011-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2011-Q2: 38 owner reports 38 2011-Q3: 28 owner reports 28 2011-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2012-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2012-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2012-Q3: 63 owner reports 63 2012-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2013-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2013-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2013-Q3: 31 owner reports 31 2013-Q4: 24 owner reports 24 2014-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2014-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 2014-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2015-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2015-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2015-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2015-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2016-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2016-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2018-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2002 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 03V459000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V459000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 09V399000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V399000 Recall campaign 10V385000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V385000 Recall campaign 11V030000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V030000 Recall campaign 12V193000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V193000 Recall campaign 12V194000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V194000 Recall campaign 12V195000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V195000 Recall campaign 15V608000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V608000 Investigation PE04022 ● Investigation PE04022 Investigation PE08035 ● Investigation PE08035 Investigation EA08021 ● Investigation EA08021 Investigation PE10016 ● Investigation PE10016 Investigation PE10026 ● Investigation PE10026 Investigation EA10007 ● Investigation EA10007
  • Campaign 03V459000 was reported 624 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V385000 was reported 1,837 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V030000 was reported 3,222 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V193000 was reported 3,725 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V194000 was reported 2,453 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V195000 was reported 2,453 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 15V608000 was reported 3,697 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q2 Owner reports 2
2002-Q3 Owner reports 8
2002-Q4 Owner reports 7
2003-Q1 Owner reports 4
2003-Q2 Owner reports 6
2003-Q3 Owner reports 8
2003-Q4 Owner reports 14
2004-Q1 Owner reports 8
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 8
2004-Q4 Owner reports 7
2005-Q1 Owner reports 5
2005-Q2 Owner reports 5
2005-Q3 Owner reports 4
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q1 Owner reports 5
2006-Q2 Owner reports 3
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 4
2007-Q1 Owner reports 4
2007-Q2 Owner reports 7
2007-Q3 Owner reports 14
2007-Q4 Owner reports 9
2008-Q1 Owner reports 13
2008-Q2 Owner reports 28
2008-Q3 Owner reports 49
2008-Q4 Owner reports 25
2009-Q1 Owner reports 25
2009-Q2 Owner reports 37
2009-Q3 Owner reports 62
2009-Q4 Owner reports 41
2010-Q1 Owner reports 23
2010-Q2 Owner reports 66
2010-Q3 Owner reports 121
2010-Q4 Owner reports 57
2011-Q1 Owner reports 30
2011-Q2 Owner reports 38
2011-Q3 Owner reports 28
2011-Q4 Owner reports 19
2012-Q1 Owner reports 19
2012-Q2 Owner reports 16
2012-Q3 Owner reports 63
2012-Q4 Owner reports 23
2013-Q1 Owner reports 12
2013-Q2 Owner reports 17
2013-Q3 Owner reports 31
2013-Q4 Owner reports 24
2014-Q1 Owner reports 15
2014-Q2 Owner reports 32
2014-Q3 Owner reports 43
2014-Q4 Owner reports 19
2015-Q1 Owner reports 21
2015-Q2 Owner reports 19
2015-Q3 Owner reports 14
2015-Q4 Owner reports 12
2016-Q1 Owner reports 8
2016-Q2 Owner reports 12
2016-Q3 Owner reports 9
2016-Q4 Owner reports 8
2017-Q1 Owner reports 10
2017-Q2 Owner reports 6
2017-Q3 Owner reports 10
2017-Q4 Owner reports 5
2018-Q1 Owner reports 9
2018-Q2 Owner reports 13
2018-Q3 Owner reports 7
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 4
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 9
2019-Q4 Owner reports 4
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 7
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 4
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 03V459000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 09V399000
Recall campaign 1 10V385000
Recall campaign 1 11V030000
Recall campaign 1 12V193000
Recall campaign 1 12V194000
Recall campaign 1 12V195000
Recall campaign 1 15V608000
Defect investigation 1 PE04022
Defect investigation 1 PE08035
Defect investigation 1 EA08021
Defect investigation 1 PE10016
Defect investigation 1 PE10026
Defect investigation 1 EA10007
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 03V459000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    Consequence:
    IF THE LATCHES ON TH4E SECOND OR THIRD ROW SEATS OF THE VEHICLE RELEASE IN A CRASH, THE POTENTIAL FOR OCCUPANT INJURY IS INCREASED.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT-TO-FLOOR LATCHES ON THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW OF SEATS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 21, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E056000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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 →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V385000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    A FRACTURED AXLE CAN AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    AS PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE, DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY INSTALL THE REAR AXLE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS FREE OF CHARGE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11V030000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED STEERING CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKETS, AND BOTH BODY MOUNT ATTACHMENTS AT THE REAR OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME, AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. IF REPAIRS CANNOT BE MADE TO A VEHICLE, FORD WILL OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 21, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V193000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    A FRACTURED AXLE CAN AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL REAR AXLE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS, OR REPLACE THE AXLES, AS NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V194000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    A SEPARATION OF A FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKET MAY RESULT IN A LOWER CONTROL ARM SEPARATION. A SEPARATION OF BOTH FRONT SUBFRAME REAR BODY MOUNTS MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKETS AND BOTH BODY MOUNT ATTACHMENTS AT THE REAR OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 18, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V195000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    A FRACTURED AXLE MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET ON THE REAR AXLE OR REPLACE THE AXLES, AS NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 1, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V608000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    If the brackets were not installed properly, the rear axle may fracture, affecting the vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brackets to verify their proper installation. If a bracket is found to have been misinstalled, the rear axle will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The began on October 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S27.
    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 1338 complaints · page 1 of 54

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