Owners filed 23 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Rear | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Wheel Bearing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Door | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats › Front Assembly › Head Restraint | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Manual Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Axle Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 15 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD, UNUSUAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE SUSPENSION WAS CRACKED. THE TECHNICIAN MADE REPAIRS TO THE SUSPENSION ACCORDINGLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.
THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY IT'S HAPPENING. ALSO, THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS ARE LEAKING. ALSO, THE BRAKE HOSES WERE REPLACED. OWNER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THESE BRAKE PROBLEMS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT KNOW ONE CAN SEEM TO REPAIR THE PROBLEMS. *NM THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP AT TIMES. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES A FEW TIMES. REFER TO RECALL CAMPAIGN #02V101000. WHEN THE VAN WAS STARTED FOR A 5TH OR 6TH TIME, IT WOULD SPUDDER/BUBBLE AND ON OCCASION, WOULD NOT START UP. THE SPARK PLUGS, PLUG WIRES AND EGR VALVE HAD BEEN REPLACED. THERE WERE ALSO ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT WHEEL PULLING TO THE RIGHT. *SC *JB
BAD STRESS POINTS WITH 4 TO 6 INCH FRACTURES IN THE METAL. (NAR) *PH FORD WINDSTARS MADE FROM 1994 - 2000. *CB
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
WHEN VEHICLE IS AT A COMPLETE STOP OR IDLING AND GAS IS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, THEN LAUNCHES FORWARD WHEN ACCELERATOR ENGAGES. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF A FAULTY PISTON IN THE TRANSMISSION, AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD RUN ROUGH AND LOSES COOLANT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKETS ON THEIR 3.8L V6 ENGINE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL, RESULTING IN A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING OVER 35 MPH WITHOUT WARNING THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL MOVE BACK AND FOURTH EXTREMELY FAST RESULTING IN THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE NOT TO REGISTER.*JB
A BLOWN HEAD GASKET REOCCURRED AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE FOUR YES AGO. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED SERVICE PROGRAM 00M09 REGARDING HEAD GASKET FAILURE, CONSUMER WENT TO A LOCAL DEALER STATING THAT NO FAILURES HAD OCCURRED AND DEALER STATED ACTION WAS NOT NECESSARY, HOWEVER NOW THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED AND CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED FOR THE SERVICE PROGRAM, CONSUMER IS NOW LEFT HAVING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *SLC
WHEN GOING TO PARK INTO REVERSE CONSUMER WILL HEAR A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
PUSH THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE SLIDING DOOR AND IT DIDN'T CLOSE ALL THE WAY. ANOTHER TIME, THE LIGHT CAME ON TO INDICATE DOOR AJAR, AND THE DOOR WAS AJAR WHILE DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER CHECKED THE DOOR AND REGREASED. THE SECOND TIME THEY ORDERED A PART. THE THIRD AT THE DEALER THEY READJUSTED THE DOOR. THE FOURTH TIME THE DOOR WAS REALIGNED. THE FIFTH TIME THEY PUT A NEW CONTROLLER.*AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAVE FAILED PREMATURELY. DEALER HAS NO REASON. *AK
THIS FAILURE CAUSES VEHICLE TO LOSE DRIVE POWER AT INTERSECTIONS AND IS VERY UNSAFE, WHEN I CONTACTED FORD THEY SAID NO RECALL HAD BEEN ORDERED AND THEY WOULD DO NOTHING UNTIL A RECALL IS ORDERED. THIS IS EXTREMLY UNSAFE TO LOSE POWER IN AN INTERSECTION, FORD HAS REDESIGNED THIS PART ON LATER MODELS BECAUSE OF FAILURE BUT THEY ARE NOT REPLACING PARTS ALREADY INSTALLED ON EXISTING VEHICLES. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE AN ORDER FROM NHTSA WOULD YOU PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT AND ORDER A RECALL, WHILE I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT THIS FAULTLY CLUCTH IS UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN!
WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S SIDE/PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
THE GAS FUMES ENTER IN THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING HEALTH PROBLEMS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITHOUT REAR SEAT PASSENGERS' HEAD RESTRAINT SYSTEM. PROBABLE CAUSE: SEVERE HEAD OR NECK INJURIES UPON A CRASH. *SLC
TRANSMISSION ENGAGES SLOWELY WHEN HOT, FALLS INTO NEUTRAL SLIPS ON START, AND A LOUD THUMP IS HEARD WHILE DRIVING, THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED FOWARD CLUTCH PISTON AND 3RD CLUTCH PISTON ALUMINUM CRACKED.*JB
TRANSMISSION FAILED - VEHICLE DRIFTED BACKWARDS SEVERAL FEET, THEN SURGE FORWARD.
20 of 23 complaints, reproduced as filed.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 1,510 | 9 | 27 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2002 | 1,353 | 9 | 48 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2001 | 1,686 | 16 | 62 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2000 | 1,675 | 16 | 55 | 3 | Fatalities reported |
| 1999 | 1,522 | 13 | 61 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1998 | 1,433 | 14 | 65 | 3 | Fatalities reported |
| 1997 | 192 | 6 | 9 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 | 1,386 | 9 | 45 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1995 | 3,326 | 8 | 50 | 2 | Fatalities reported |
| 1994 — this page | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1990 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.