225 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Windstar cite power train, 15% of all 1,510 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“On May 23rd 2022 I was driving on interstate 45 the speed limit through where I was driving was 75 all of a sudden with no warning no engine light on my transmission stopped working and I could not break I was able to safely get over thank goodness but there is a recall on my transmission which almost killed me that needs to be replaced”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTOR, FILTER, AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 172,000.”
“PURCHASED USED 2003 FORD WINDSTAR..IN 2005 ..WITH 30,000 MILES ..NOW HAS 107,000 MILES...AROUND TOWN DRIVING...GOT RECALLS..BROUGHT VEHICLE IN TO DEALER FOR REAR AXLE FIX.INSPECTED TWICE..AFTER ......BRACKETS INSTALLED TO STABILIZE AXLE WERE INITIALLY INSTALLED TOLD IF AXLE WAS BAD , FORD WOULD REPLACE..DID NOT REPLACE. BENTELER AXLE WHOLE PROBLEM FROM START.WEAK METAL SUBJECT TO FATIGUE .BRACKETS WERE A BAND-AID.ACTUALLY MAY HAVE MADE PROBLEM WORSE.......AXLE SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING AST LOW SPEED..AND WHILE TURNING........”
“TRANSMISSION SLOW TO ENGAGE AFTER SITTING. THIS IS NOT ONLY A REPEAT PROBLEM AFTER BEING REPAIRED, BUT ALSO AFTER BEING TOTALLY REPLACED BY FORD DEALER. ABS NEVER RECALLED FOR SCDS 09S09. CONSTANTLY RESETTING AND DISENGAGING. AFTER 15 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, I HAVE YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF OR HAD ANYTHING REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION QUIT WORKING, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ( WHEN THE RPM'S WENT UP AND THE TRANSMISSION QUIT PULLING) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, NO PLACE TO GO. NEARLY CAUSING A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. WITH THE ABS PROBLEM, ANYTHING INDICATING A BRAKE FAILURE, POSSIBLE ONBOARD FIRE, OR LOSS OF CONTROL, LEAVES YOU WITH A HUGE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE.”
“TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN 60K MILE INTERVAL WHILE FOLLOWING THE 30K TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH. A FLASHING O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL DIE OUT OF NOWHERE AND THE PAST FEW TIMES IT HAS BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 75 MPH WITH NO WARNING, SMOKE, LIGHTS, ETC. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION START SMOKING FROM THE ENGINE BAY EVEN THOUGH THE FLUID WAS CHANGED. NOW THERE IS A MASSIVE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WHO REPORT A BAD DESIGN OF THE FORD WINDSTAR 2003 TRANSMISSION AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THE FORD FREESTAR WAS RECALLED FOR THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE, BUT THE WINDSTAR WASN'T. WHY NOT? BOTH MODELS USE THE SAME TRANSMISSION. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD IS NOT WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE AND RECALL THE VEHICLE TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM.”
“2003 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR VEHICLE REPAIR. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SAFETY RECALL 15S27 WAS IMPROPERLY COMPLETED. THE AXLE CRACKED, THE INSTALLED BRACKET AND AXLE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. *JS”
Showing 6 of 225 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1997, THROUGH JULY 3, 2003, AND CURRENTLY REGISTERED OR ORIGINALLY SOLD IN VIRGINIA. OVER TIME, CORROSION CAN WEAKEN THE REAR AXLE MAKING IT SUSCEPTIBLE TO TORSIONAL STRESS. CORROSION AND STRESS CAN LEAD TO CRACKS WHICH, IF UNDETECTED, CAN INCREASE AND RESULT IN A COMPLETE FRACTURE OF THE AXLE.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.