Problems · by component

2000 Ford Windstar steering problems

72 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2000 Ford Windstar cite steering, 4% of all 1,675 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
72
4% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the steering

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THE STEERING STARTED TO FAIL TO RETURN TO NORMAL POSITION. I HAD THE ORIGINAL RECALL BRACKET PUT ON MY VEHICLE AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE PHOTO BUT THIS DID NOT ACTUALLY MAKE THE STEERING ARM ANY BETTER AND PROBABLY MADE IT WORSE BY ALLOWING THE BRACKET TO COLLECT ROAD SALT. FORD AS BEEN EVASIVE TOWARD PROVIDING ANY HELP. I BELIEVE THAT FORD'S EVASIVENESS IS RESULT OF THE PREVIOUS ATTEMPTED FIX WHICH WAS UNPRODUCTIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENGINEERED TO HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF THE STEERING ARM. I BELIEVE RECALLS EA10007 AND PE10026 MAY PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE. I AM AWAITING ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO WITH MY VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND PROBABLY NOT COST WORTHY TO FIX.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 2, 2019SteeringODI 11286339
“I WATCHED LAST NIGHT AS MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE COMING HOME ON THE PARKWAY, THE REAR AXEL SNAPPED IN. TWO AND BOTH TIRES JUST DANGELING BASICALLY,WE HAD A BLOW OUT ALSO MANAGED TO GET THE2000 FORD WINDSTAR LX OFF OF THE MAIN ROAD WHERE I HAD TO CALL SEVERAL TO COMPANIES AND NO ONE WITH A WRECKER WAS ABLE TO HELP, SO I CALLED A TOE COMPANY WITH A ROLL BACK, TO GET OUR VAN HOME THEN I FOUND OUT ABT THE COMPLAINT HOTLINE AND THE RECALLS AFTER MY WIFE AND KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, THE VEHICLE WAS GOING STRAIGHT,AND THE SPEEDLIMET WICH WAS 45 MPH, WHEN THE AXEL JUST SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES, AND OUT OF CONTROL SHE MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN, MY KIDS ARE 1 AND 2, WE WANT REINBURSEMENT FOR THE VAN AND THE TOW BILL AS THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2017Steering, Suspension, WheelsODI 11002599
“TOOK MY VAN TO FORD BECAUSE A RADIATOR HOSE CAME OFF, $350 FOR PART OF A HOSE CLAMP. WHILE THERE HAD THE 3RD REAR AXLE SAFETY RECALL INSPECTION, I DON'T THINK THEY DID IT, TOLD ME MY VAN WAS A 16 YEAR OLD JUNKER NOT WORTH FIXING. REPLACEMENT OF NON-STRUCTURAL STEEL REAR AXLE WAS AGAIN OFFERED FOR $300. I WANT THE AXLE I PAID FOR WHEN I BOUGHT THE VAN NEW, STRUCTURAL STEEL THAT MEETS SAFETY AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, INSTALLED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. HOW IS IT LEGAL TO ALLOW THESE UNSAFE AXLES? YOUR SITE INFO IS INCORRECT ON THIS, THE "SAFETY BRACKETS" DO NOT KEEP THE DEFECTIVE AXLES FROM BREAKING, THEY ARE TO KEEP THE WHEELS, WHEN THE AXLE DOES CRACK, FROM CANTERING OUT AND JAMMING IN THE WHEEL WELLS, CAUSING ABSOLUTE TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. NOT ACCEPTABLE. REPLACE AXLE. A NUMBER OF RECALLS LISTED HERE WERE NOT SENT OR PERFORMED. IN ADDITION, AFTER THE FIRST AXLE RECALL 6-8 YEARS AGO, I TRIED TO TRADE THE FORD CREDIT PURCHASED VEHICLE IN ON A NEW 40K FORD SUV, THEY OFFERED ME HALF OF BLUEBOOK VALUE, INDICATING FORD'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEHICLES DEFECTS, AND POOR VALUE. THIS RECALL, DEALER TOLD ME MY 16 YEAR OLD VAN WAS JUNK AND NOT WORTH FIXING, CHARGED $350…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2016Steering, SuspensionODI 10915296
“TAKATA RECALL - AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. PROBLEMS WITH TURNING OF STEERING WHEEL. COULD NOT PERFORM COMPLETE TURNS. STEERING WILL STOP HALFWAY DURING TURNS. AFTER REVIEW IT APPEARS THAT THE AIRBAG IS COMING THROUGH STEERING COLUMN. VAN CURRENTLY NOT DRIVABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2016Steering, Air bagsODI 10887921
“MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER VAN WHEN SHE HEARD A CLUNK. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT 25MPH ON A STATE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION WE FOUND THE FRONT SUBFRAME BROKE WHERE THE FRONT SWAY BAR CONNECTS. RESEARCH FOUND A RECALL, BUT MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF IT. FORD CORPORATE TOLD ME I WAS ON MY OWN TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. THEY SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. WHAT DO I DO NEXT?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 31, 2015Steering, Suspension, StructureODI 10787415
“WHINING, GRUNTING AND SHUTTER FROM UNDER HOOD WHEN TURNING LEFT. WITHIN 4 DAYS NOISE OCCURRED WHEN TURNING RIGHT ALSO. BY DAY 6 A LEAK OCCURRED FROM THE BOOT ON LEFT END OF STEERING RACK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2014SteeringODI 10640685

Showing 6 of 72 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.