Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
I brought my 1996 Ford Windstar in for an oil change, and was told tie rods failed and needed to be replaced. , then, next day, they phoned and advised me that transmission was defective because the pan was full of shavings, also, power steering rack was leaking, and intake gasket needed replacement. , a total of $5000 to fix this vehicle. I bought it at 118,000 miles, and this happened shortly after owning it for one year. Currently, it has 134,000 miles, and cannot be driven. I parked vehicle then started it after being parked for a week. Heard a noise from front, and then white smoke came out of the tail pipe. I do believe that paul cornies, the dealer that I purchased vehicle knew that they were selling me a lemon. It has caused me a lot of hardship as I no longer work due to health reasons. …
Vehicle has been loosing coolant for many years. The vehicle was taken in for a routine oil change but ended up having major repairs. Approximately eight months after the repair, the engine quit and the consumer was informed by two dealers that the vehicle needed a short block installed. There was also noise in the steering and a coolant leak. The intake upper and lower manifold gaskets were also replaced.
The vehicle's door locks locked and unlocked on their own. There were problems with the front driver side wheel and the engine light and the ABS light was intermittent. The consumer experienced an accident which May be due to the brake lines. Refer to recall#02V101000. The sway bar rattled, the tie rods were replaced.
Replaced rack and pinion for the second time 8/01 ( by dealership) and 5/03. Also replaced front end bearing in 1999 and transmission. Wiring harness in 2000. Rear A/C does not work and that's only the items I can remeber.
I had my front brakes replaced January 7 , 2000 . I recently heard a loud " tumping " noise in the right front wheel / axle assembly. I took the van back to the dealer for repairs. They replace the " sway bar / tie rods on the right side and did a suspension adjustment and assured me the problem was fixed. I took the van out of the parking lot only to return immediatly. I then took the " expert " front end mechanic for a test drive . He heard the noise for the " first " time and told me I now needed struts. This he said would solve my problem . I am scheduled to have this repair done on July 23 , 2000. I do not believe this to be my problem . Also I am concerned that my dealer as well as Ford will not cover any of these repairs because the 36 months on my warranty has expired but not my 36,000 miles ( I am at 33,900 miles ) . …
My aunt and uncle have had problems with there Ford Windstar since 1995. They brought there first in 1995 and the power steering pump needed to be fixed after 6 months, and again after 18 months. Then the transmittion failed after two 2 years. After this crystal Ford of silver spring, md. Decided to give them a new 1997 model. With this vehicle, the transmission went out after 18 months and now it's in the shop for the power steering pump. This really doesn't make since. Obviously, there is a problem with this vehicle because I have seen numerous website's complaining about this minivan. Someone needs to make the Ford motor company aware of the severity of this complaints. If you have any questions please contact lawrence and alice brown at [phone].
Vehicle bought in 3/99 throttle body linkage broke repaire bill $500.00 shortly thereafter sensor went out (fuel)bill 256.00 later noticed squeking in front end advised it was tie rod ends not fixed yet this thing has broke me have had many occurences with speed odometer going crazy after 45mph recently noticed popping when turning steering or appling the brakes but before I could get it fixed transmission begin to either not shift upward ,slip at 45mph and has downshifted after reaching speeds of 45mph (on I-85) has jerked several times ..was told anywhere from 100.00-2000.00 ? Seems I have not been alone in my disquest with Ford...only problem not encountered head gasket thank god please help us working folks against this big boy on the block thanks
In the past two weeks the transmission has slipped twice. When at a complete stop and accelerating the vehicle has to be put into park and then back into drive. This is very dangerous. There is only 56000 on vehicle. Battery light continually comes on this can be very nerve wracking when in heavy traffic. . Speedometer fluctuates and flops around after 40mph, sometime sticks at 50mph. Rear wipers work when they want. We have just returned from serving 8 years overseas, this is our only vehicle and from the research we have just been able to start this Windstar is headaches with the same problems. I would like to be able to take my family to see relatives they have not seen in over 8 years but this vehicle is unsafe.
The right rear speed sensor quit working and was determined as needing replacement by joe mahan Ford in paris, tn. The cost is approximately $100, but I feel this is a safety concern because without it working, the anti-lock brakes will not work. Also, the speedometer is broken. While driving over 30mph, the needle jumps around to 80 or more and the correct speed cannot be determined. Again, this should be a safety concern because speed should be known at all times. I contacted Ford customer relations department, but they stated that they could be of no assistance. I really need these items fixed, but the combined cost is greater than $400 and I feel Ford should at least share in the cost.
While driving down the interstate the vehicles needle started to hum. Then next, the speedometer needle started to fly back and forth between 40-110mph. I did some further research about this problem on the internet and found that about 20 other individuals with this same problem were having to replace this component with less than 40,000 miles usage between replacements. Up to two or three were being replaced within the vehicles. Now if there were 20 reports on one website about this concern then there are probably hundreds more not being reported. An investigation is warranted. This is a major safety concern for all drivers on the roads with this problem.
Steering complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the steering of the 1996 Ford Windstar, 4% of the model year's 1,386 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Windstar steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 2 fires and 3 injuries to steering 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.