Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On August 20th, while in a repair shop having the motors replaced in the windows of my Ford Windstar 1997, there was a fire under the hood while the car was off. The mechanic put the fire out and I took it to my mechanic the same day. The cruise control mechanism was what caught fire. After seeing my mechanic I called the Ford hotline and asked about recall information. They said they would get back ahold of me in two days, and they did not. Today, August 30th, while in wal-mart with my children I was paged to the parking lot. My car had caught fire again, while off and with no key in the ignition. The engine was destroyed, and luckily the fire department arrived in time to put the fire out before the interior of the car was destroyed (car seats, strollers, etc.).
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated constantly, and the overdrive light located on the gearshift illuminated intermittently. This was accompanied by a strong smell of something electrical burning. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where it was determined that the sensor on the master cylinder had caught on fire, and also burned the wiring harness between the master cylinder and the transmission. The mechanic replaced the sensor on the master cylinder, on the transmission, and the wiring harness, which corrected the problem. There was a NHTSA recall # 05V388000, which pertains to the vehicle speed control. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Our 1997 Ford Windstar minivan that is currently subjected to the recall for the faulty cruise control switch burned to the ground on feb 21, 2007 as the result from a fire that started in the engine area.
My Windstar gl wouldn't start. I replaced the range selector switch. When I restarted the vehicle I forgot the reconnect the brake pressure sensor wiring connector and the ABS light came on. I tried to get the code cleared but no-one could access the code. I took the van to the dealer for a recall notice on the speed control system and had them look into why the ABS light was on. I was told the ABS module had quit and needed replaced. The module is $1500.00 and $300.00 to install. That's more than the van is worth. I searched online and found out many other Windstar owners are having the same problems. The cruise control system has also quit and the dealer rep. Tells me that the cruise control also goes through this module. With the possibility of fire it seems rather irresponsible for Ford to do nothing more than install a fusible link as a safety measure. …
Noticed that I was leaking some brake fluid for the last couple of months on my 1997 Ford Windstar but very little at that. About the same time the cruise control quit working. One day while driving I noticed a lot of smoke coming from under the hood. Raised the hood but the smoke had quit. Got back home and noticed this again when I was stopped in the driveway. Checked under the hood again and found that the cruise control deactivation switch was smoking and very hot. Went to the Ford dealer to check if there was a recall on this and there was not . Installed the replacement part with plug adaptor and this fixed the problem with smoking and the cruise started working again. Noticed on the net this same part that is in my Windstar is also in other vehicles that has been recalled. Why is this? …
When I exceed 50 MPH my speedometer fails to keep accurate speed and it "waves" wildly from 20 - 110 MPH. When I contacted my Ford dealership they "had never heard of that before", but when I did a little more research I found at least 50 more complaints. I contacted the Ford motor company directly to see why there had not been a recall on what appears to be a manufacturing defect because all problems of this nature involved only the 96-98 Ford Windstar models. They informed me they knew of the problem but only the NHTSA could initiate a recall. I had never heard of this and I doubt other owners of these vehicles do, either or there would be more complaints. This is a serious problem.
My Windstar accelerated from a complete stop and smashed through our garage door vehicle stopped when we hit the front wall of the garage. I don't know if the vehicle was in park or drive when this happened. I had stopped to look for the garage door opener. I could not stop the verhicle as it took off and do not know how fast we were going except it was very fast and there are big skid marks on the garage floor. My two kids were in their car seats in the back and I was driving. I broke my hand & had some bruises. The kids were fine. We don't yet have a mechanic's report so I can't be sure what part failed. It May not be the engine as indicated above.
Dt: the contact states has been having several problems with vehicle since 2002. On April 28, 2004 the speedometer was not providing an accurate speed reading. On December 9, 2004 the sliding door would not unlock or slide properly. The dealer replaced the door lock actuator and determined that the slide wheels were dry. The dealership replaced the door latch, and now it needed replacement again. On February 5, 2005 the engine was replaced at 75, 172 miles, and on November 21, 2005 the power steering failed and was replaced. All repairs have been done at contact's expense.
Driving on interstate with speed limit of 70 MPH... Was driving about 77 MPH at the time... Vehicle's factory installed cruise control was in use... Speedometer began to fluctuate wildly between about 60 MPH and maximum (over 120 MPH)... Vehicle's speed remained constant - trouble was just with the speedometer... Vehicle has 90,000 miles on the odometer... 1997 Ford Windstar... Speedometer doesn't fluctuate wildly at most speeds over 30 MPH... From checking on web this has happened to other owners of Ford windstars - this is a safety issue.
I own a 1997 Ford Windstar gl with 53,000 on the odometer. The speedometer has failed to operate properly. At speeds of 40 MPH and above the speedometer fluctuates erratically ranging in shown speeds of 60 to 110 MPH. I have done much research and have become aware of thousands of consumer complaints. This is unconscious that Ford is aware of this problem and making a mint off of the consumer out of pocket expense of repair. This should be an immediate safety recall or TSB.
Related recalls
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…
Acceleration complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Ford Windstar, 11% of the model year's 192 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Windstar acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-399 (vehicle speed control, Oct 13, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Windstar acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.