Problems · by component
2001 Ford Windstar electrical system problems
229 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Windstar cite electrical system, 13% of all 1,717 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
229
13% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
23
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MOST IMPORTANT IS THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN CHANGED AND CHECKED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE BRAKES HAVE JUST FAILED AND I WOULD PUMP THEM ENOUGH JUST TO GET IN A SAFE LOCATION. AAA HAS HAD TO PICK ME UP AND WHEN THE BRAKES WHERE CHECKED THEY WERE FIND AND THE FLUID FULL. ALSO THE REAR JUST FELL BUT I HAD THAT REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPUTABLE SHOP ON CANDLER RD, DECATUR/ THERE IS A RESIDUE ALL AROUND WHERE I PUT THE GAS IN. I'VE HAD THE SAME MECHANIC FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND HE SAYS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MAY BE FAULTY. THE BRAKE AND ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT EVEN WHEN REPAIRS ARE MADE ACCORDING TO THE CODES THAT COME UP. THE SCARIEST TIME WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON UNIVERSITY AVE IN ATLANTA AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AT THE LIGHT AT A NORMALLY BUSY INTERSECTION. I BEGAN BLOWING THE HORN AND THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS AHEAD OF ME. AAA TOOK THEIR SWEET TIME COMING AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE THE PEDAL WAS BACK UP BUT I HAD THEM TO TOW ME HOME ANYWAYS. MY MECHANIC CHECKED IT AND ALL WAS FIND BUT HE WAS CONCERNED AND SO WAS I. I DID NOT CONTACT FORD BUT IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AS I STARTED IT YESTERDAY MORNING AND THE BRAKES WERE ON THE FLOOR. THIS IS JUST TOO DANGEROUS. I…”
“BRAKES CONTINUALLY HAVE FAILED CAUSING ACCIDENTS. PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE AND AFTER NEW BRAKE PADS AND BRING BLED.THROTTLE IDLE SENSOR CAUSES VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. NOW THEY JUST STAY ON. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT,IF ANY RECALLS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR ANY OPTIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE.”
“OVER DRIVE FLASHING OFF AND ON WILL NOT GO OFF. FUSES BLOW OUT RIGHT AFTER YOU START UP THE VAN. IT STARTED WHEN I MADE A TURN AT A GREEN LIGHT. ON THE BACK ROADS.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN INTERNAL FIRE ERUPTED NEAR THE REAR AUXILIARY AIR CONDITIONING. THE CONTROLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WIRES AND THE COVERING WERE MELTED. THE CONTACT SMELLED STRONG PLASTIC FUMES IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE COVER AND WIRES MELTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V608000 (SUSPENSION), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,390.”
“THIS VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES. DURING THE LATEST EVENT WHICH OCCURRED WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE MINIVAN JUST SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS NOT A STALLING WARNING OR ANYTHING. ALL LIGHTS APPEAR ON THE DASH AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VAN WHEN IT HAPPENS. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO RESTART YOU HAVE TO TURN IT OFF WITH THE KEY AND THEN START IT UP AGAIN. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIS. I'M VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BE MADE. WITH MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS I'VE SEEN ONLINE MANY OF THE MECHANICS DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IT'S SCARY TO SEE THAT MANY OF US ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME THING. DURING SOME OF THE OTHER INCIDENTS IT ALSO SEEMED TO HAPPEN DURING LOWER SPEEDS SUCH AS 5 OR 10 MPH HOWEVER TWICE IT HAPPENED GOING HIGHER SPEEDS, ONCE AT 25 MPH AND THE OTHER AT 30 MPH. THANK YOU FOR CHECKING INTO THIS. *TR”
“MY 2001 FORD WINDSTAR VAN STARTED LIGHTING UP ON THE DASH WHILE DRIVING THEN WOULD GO OUT, KEPT GETTING WORSE. NOW THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME, ALSO MY LOW TIRE LIGHT AND THERE IS THE PROPER IN AIR IN TIRE. IN APRIL 17TH 2015, MY SPEEDOMETER STARTED ACTING UP, WOULD NOT REGISTER THE SPEED I WAS TRAVELLING. I WOULD SHUT DOWN THE MOTOR AND WHEN I RESTARTED MOVING AGAIN THE NEEDLE WOULD JUMP AND START REGISTERING THE PROPER SPEED. WHEN I STOPPED AGAIN IT WOULD DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. I COULD PUT THE CRUISE ON AND GUESS WHAT SPEED I WAS AT, I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT GET STOPPED FOR GOING TO FAST. LATELY, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SET THE CRUISE. TODAY THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT WORK, THEN IT CAME ON. IT IS FRUSTRATING NOT KNOWING WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELLING. I NEED MY VEHICLE TO GET TO DOCTOR APP'TS AND GROCERY SHOPPING. THIS IS MY COMPLAINT, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.”
Showing 6 of 229 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.