2003 Ford Windstar problems & reliability
1,510 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Windstar, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
28 complaints report injuries (35 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles were involved in 26 fatal crashes with 19 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 296 | 20% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 282 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 280 | 19% |
| Suspension | 254 | 17% |
| Power Train | 225 | 15% |
| Structure | 127 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 85 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 69 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 47 | 3% |
| Steering | 40 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 99,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,380 and 130,415 miles), based on 1,268 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-20 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V030000 (Structure). The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that after…”
Structure · filed Jul 27, 2026
“The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving over a railroad track at 40 MPH, the rear axle snapped. The wheel hub to the axle was barely connected. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number:15V608000 (SUSPENSION); however, the contact had not received the recall notification. The…”
Suspension · filed Apr 3, 2026
“The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while attempting to reverse, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that steering wheel became difficult to turn. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was inspected, and the…”
Suspension · filed Jul 1, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Front Subframe Corrosion Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10007 · opened Dec 20, 2010 · closed Mar 17, 2011 · led to recall 11V030000
- Rear Axle Fracture Recall Scope
Defect Petition DP10005 · opened Dec 15, 2010 · closed Dec 21, 2010
- Front Subframe Corrosion Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE10026 · opened Jul 20, 2010 · closed Dec 20, 2010 · led to recall 11V030000
- Rear Axle Cracking
Preliminary Evaluation PE10016 · opened May 13, 2010 · closed Sep 22, 2010 · led to recall 10V385000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA08021 · opened Sep 17, 2008 · closed Oct 14, 2009 · led to recall 09V399000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE08035 · opened May 13, 2008 · closed Sep 17, 2008
Technical service bulletins
68 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Windstar. The 10 most recent:
For 1999-2003 Windstar vehicles Safety Recall 11S16 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where a front subframe lower control arm (LCA) rear attaching flange or…
16-0065 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2020
Safety recall 10S13 - Rear axle corrosion - requests for recall service action
TSB160070 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
For 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles Safety Recall 10S13 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the rear axle could potentially fracture. If the rear axle should…
16-0070 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
Safety recall 11s16 - LCA rear attaching flanges or rear subframe body mount corrosion - requests for recall service action
TSB160065 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2016
Summary to be provided on a future date.
CSP-15-N-02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2015
Ford: safety recall on front subframe lower control arm (lca) rear attaching flange or rear body mount that can separate from subframe if vehicle is operated, for extended period, in high corrosion areas. Model 1999-03…
TSB-14-0168 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2014
Ford: safety recall concerning rear axle fracturing if vehicle is operated in high corrosion areas for and extended period. Model 1998-03 windstar. *pe
TSB-14-0167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2014
Ford: on some minivans, rear axle will fracture, in high corrosion area, after operating for an extended time period, and vehicle handling ability will be affected. Model 1998-2003 windstar. *pe
TSB-14-0146 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2014
Ford: a safety recall has been issued on minivans where lower control arm (lca) of front subframe attaching rear flange or rear body mount can separate due to corrosion. Model 1999-2003 windstar. *pe
TSB-14-0145 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2014
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Ford Windstar has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Ford Windstar?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 99,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.