Most common 1996 Ford Windstar problems
Share of the 1,386 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Windstar complaints by model year
Best Windstar years: 2004, 1997. Years to avoid: 1995, 1996, 1998. Compare all years →
1996 Ford Windstar recalls (8)
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain minivans originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake line for corrosion and clearance conditions. A brake line that is not corroded will be repositioned.
Exterior lighting
Vehicle description: Mini vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of FMVSS 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to Ford, the vehicles were…
Remedy: Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Vehicle description: minivans. The brake fluid master cylinder is recessed and oriented in the engine compartment so that the brake fluid warning statement embossed on both the top of the filler cap and the side of the reservoir body are not entirely visible by direct view.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with new labels and installation instructions.
Structure › Body › Hood
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and Mini vans. Tearing of the bond between the inner and outer hood panels during minor front end collisions can result in a gap at the leading edge of the hood. Air forced between the inner and outer panels can produce enough pressure to force the outer panel upward.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the hood area for any damage along the leading edge of the hood. If there is any evidence of bond separation, the hood will be replaced.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
The park pawl abutment bracket has a sharp edge which can cause the parking pawl to hang up and not engage the park gear. This would allow the vehicle to move even though the gear shift indicator shows that the vehicle is in park.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the park pawl abutment bracket.
Show 2 more recalls
Seats
The four fasteners securing the driver's seat to the floorpan were not torqued to proper specifications.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat fasteners and retorque to proper specifications.
Power train › Automatic transmission
The park pawl shaft was improperly positioned when the roll pin that retains it was installed during transmission assembly. If the shaft was not properly positioned, the roll pin May not have lined up with the groove in the shaft and have been crushed at assembly. Also, a burr could have been raised on the shaft.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park pawl shaft roll pin. If the roll pin is damaged, both the roll pin and the park pawl shaft will be replaced.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 13 possible defects involving the 1996 Ford Windstar:
Hydraulic brake line failure
On April 4, 2002, Ford motor company notified odi of a defect condition that could result in extended stopping distances in approximately 250 thousand model year (my) 1995 and 1996 windstar minivans sold or registered in salt belt states (recall 02v-101).according to Ford, improper brake line routing in vehicles manufactured at the oakville assembly plant from January 14, 1994 through May 21, 1996 resulted in some…
Fuel tank fatigue cracking
See attached report.
Rear axle trailing arm
There is no summary currently available
Outer hood panel detachment
The office of defects investigation has received 6 reports indicating the outer hood panel separated from the vehicles as they were being driven.Ford has provide 39 additional reports that are consistent with odi reports.Ford indicates that the likely cause is prior collision damage.this investigation is being upgraded to further study this issue.
Brake pedal fade/extended stopping
Odi has received sixty-eight (68) consumer reports of alleged failures or malfunctions in the brake system on certain 1995 and 1996 Ford windstars, which resulted in brake pedal fade and in extended stopping distances during brakingthese alleged failures or malfunctions are reported to have caused twelve (12) accidents that resulted from vehicle loss of braking.the conplainants report that the loss of braking…
Failure of auto trans park lock system
The manufacturer has notified NHTSA that the subject vehicles will be recalled to correct a safety related defect identified under the scope of this investigation.the defect affects certain 1996 model year windstar, Ford taurus, and Mercury sable vehicles equipped with Ford ax4s model automatic transmissions.the safety recall action has been identified as NHTSA no. 96v-086.
Engine compartment fires
Odi has received 134 consumer complaints, 285 manufacturer complaints, and 137 manufacturer warranty claims alleging incidents of engine compartment fire in model year (my) 1995 thru 2003 Ford windstar vehicles.two of the odi complaints allege the fires caused structural damage to the complainant's home.of the 134 odi complaints, 36 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, 72 allege the fire occurred…
Suspension coil spring breakage
There is no summary currently available
Fuel tank cracks
There is no summary currently available
Outer hood panel detachment
There is no summary currently available
Brake pedal fade/extended stop distance
There is no summary currently available
Engine compartment fires
Ea08-021 is closed with Ford's actions in recall 09v-399 recalling approximately 4.5 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).with this recall Ford has now recalled all of the approximate 16 million Ford model vehicles that were manufactured from my 1992 through 2003 with a texas instruments scds.NHTSA will continue to monitor the recalled vehicles to ensure…
Suspension coil spring breakage
There is no summary currently available
What 1996 Ford Windstar owners say
Engine & cooling all 472 →
I went to go to the store May 26th, 2010 6:30 - 7:00 pm, I got in my vehicle with my two year old daughter and I proceeded to go down my driveway which its a long driveway and I started to smell a faint smell of plastic burning and I got to the road and I started to go and I decided I should maybe pull over to see if I could see anything on the outside of vehicle causing smell then when got back in car saw the steam coming from hood and I decided to turn around and have my boyfriend take a look before I left. When got to house saw little steam but nothing big, turned off van and got my daughter from car seat and walked inside home not but 5 minutes later my other daughter ran screaming out her room, mom the vans on fire. …
My 1996 Ford Windstar caught fire in the engine compartment while driving and burned up within 10 minutes. I did not know about the fire danger recall until I heard about it on the new a few days after the event. The only accessory that was on was the airconditioning which was working properly. I noticed a smell followed by smoke from under the hood. I pulled over to investigate and the smoke intensified followed by flames. By the time the fire department arrived (5 minutes) flames were pouring out from under the hood and thick black smoke had filled the passenger compartment. The fire had completely destroyed the engine and had begun to burn into the passenger compartment. The dashboard has melted along with parts of the roof as far back as the middle seats. Up to the event the car had been running normally with no problems. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 322 →
There was no crash. There was no warning what so ever. I was driving a client home from a picnic and pulled into a parking lot to park and smoke started rolling out of the engine compartment. I got my passenger who was in a wheelchair to safety and opened the hood to find flames coming from the top of the transaxles. I put out the fire. The "transaxles range sensor" and plug just forward of the range sensor were the cause of the fire. The wiring harness above coming out of the black box(fuse box) was also burnt. This problem has not been repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 Ford Windstar. While at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. The service brake warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Brakes all 229 →
Consumer complained about a brake problem. The brake line ruptured, causing the vehicle to crash into a tree. A recall was issued on this make, model and year. But the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall.
My 1996 Ford Windstar was parked "in park" in my driveway, without the keys in the ignition, and just rolled downed the driveway and crashed into a stone wall. There is significant undercarriage damage to the car and wall damage.
1996 Ford Windstar engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Ford Windstar a good car?
Based on 1,386 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Windstar rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Windstar at the same age. It is one of the Windstar years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Ford Windstar?
The engine & cooling — 472 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (322) and brakes (229).
How many recalls does the 1996 Ford Windstar have?
There are 8 recalls for the 1996 Ford Windstar, the most recent from October 13, 2009 (vehicle speed control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Windstar?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995, 1996 and 1998. See the full Ford Windstar years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Windstar problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 86,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.