Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving, a sudden engine fire occurred in a 1996 Windstar. The Ford dealer (sound Ford, renton wa) states that the fire originated in the cruise control cutout switch. It is clear from the burn pattern that this was indeed the cause. The single occupant was able to exit the vehicle, and the fire was extinguished using a dry chemical fire extinguisher from a local merchant (westmarine, seattle, wa). The Ford dealer has been unable so far to repair the vehicle (it's been over three weeks).
Dt: 1996 Ford Windstar was parked when an explosion occurred. The consumer discovered the vehicle was on fire. The fire dept was called. The consumer felt the air bag May have exploded. The insurance investigator checked the vehicle to cover expenses. The vehicle was totaled. Consumer contacted Ford about this problem. Ford investigators picked up the vehicle. The consumer has not heard from the investigators.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Windstar. The vehicle caught fire after being parked for an hour. There were no prior warnings or failures. The fire originated in the front end of the vehicle and was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was towed. The cause of the failure was unknown. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Windstar. He heard the horn blowing while he was inside his home and the dashboard was on fire. There were no injuries. The police was not notified and there are no photos available. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 153000.
Vehicle caught on fire while stopping at a stop sign. Consumer smelled rubber burning ,then smoke started coming from under the hood. Speed control linkages were completely burned. A recall was issued for speed control linkages, but this vehicle was not included due to VIN.
Dt*: the contact stated after exiting the driveway, smoke was observed coming from under the hood. Upon further inspection, under the hood a fire was also observed and extinguished. The vehicle as then parked and has not been inspected by a mechanic.
Engine dies after either very short (1 second or less) or no misfire. Always on hot afternoon after long period highway driving, typically interstate with speed in the 70's. Only once on a secondary road speeds of 45 - 50. All times in the rolling hills of utah, wyoming, and western north dakota. All six incidents occurred during a cross country trip in July, 2005 with odometer readings in the 70,000's. Typically, when it happens, the engine speed and throttle are continually adjusting to maintain speed across the hills. First indication often is simply the car slowing down rather that cruising along. All other electrical (air, radio, windows, etc) not affected. This is very dangerous. Other than sometimes a one second misfire, there is no warning. The car May be passing a truck, in a middle freeway lane, on on a road with no shoulder when it happens. …
We own a 1996 Ford Windstar. In December of 2005 the van was parked in our driveway with the engine off. While my wife and I worked in the front yard, the van spontaneously started. I got in, put it in gear and it died. It ran fine for a time after that. We spoke to our independent mechanic who had never heard of such a thing. We basically forgot about it until May 30, 2006. This time it happened in the garage with all of the doors shut. My daughter came in the house asking why the van was running. We did the same thing to again make it stop. The garage was filled with exhaust and a black exhaust stain on the floor. This time we brought it to our local Ford dealer. He diagnosed it as a faulty transmission range switch. Charge for the repair for parts and labor was $175. The dealership would not help because there had not been a recall of the item and it was no longer under warranty. …
Since we drove this car off the lot, it has been plagued with electrical problems. As soon as our warranty ran out, the transmission failed at 44,400. Two adults and 4 children were on our way to a 4th of July celebration when the transmission stalled at an intersection. Lucky for us all traffic was stopped and no major accident occurred. We took it to our dealer and asked for assistance since there was a TSB out on the transmission in Ford Windstar's. We were denied assistance. Our problem was the aluminum piston that were reported in the TSB. In May 2001, the check engine light came on and we took it to a Ford dealer. They replaced the irmc value. Cost $1000. Recently, the check engine light came on again and smoke was coming out of the tail pipe. We took it to crossroads Ford, the dealer we bought the car from. They once again denied to help us with the cost. …
The 1996 Ford Windstar continues to have defective head gaskets as in 1994 and 1995 models. This lead to engine failure at 78,000 miles! The cost to replace the engine per miller Ford was 4,778.00. We paid 19,000 for this vehicle and refuse to pay for a new engine! The nasa has stated the head gasket should last at least 120,000 miles or the life of the vehicle. We have had this Ford Windstar with a blown engine due to head gasket failure since last December, but continue to make monthly payments on this dead Ford Windstar. We pay taxes, insurance, and montly payments to Ford credit for the next 18 months or so. We just discontinued registration fees as the dmv told us we could do this. Ford refuses to acknowledge this problem and is not standing up to it's committment of quality care to it's customers. I urge anyone who is considering buying a Ford to do their research. …
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Electrical complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the electrical system of the 1996 Ford Windstar, 6% of the model year's 1,386 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Windstar electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1996 Ford Windstar, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Windstar electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 19 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.