Most common 2000 Ford Windstar problems
Share of the 1,675 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 →
2000 Ford Windstar recalls (15)
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles manufactured September 2, 1997, to July 3, 2003. The affected vehicles were previously remedied to safeguard against the rear axle cracking from corrosion, however, the remedy brackets may have been misinstalled.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brackets to verify their proper installation. If a bracket is found to have been misinstalled, the rear axle will be replaced.
Power train › Axle assembly
Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from September 1, 1997, through July 3, 2003, and currently registered or originally sold in virginia. Over time, corrosion can weaken the rear axle making it susceptible to torsional stress.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install rear axle reinforcement brackets, or replace the axles, as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 19, 2012.
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from September 1, 1997, through July 3, 2003, registered in puerto rico. Due to increased stresses caused by high cycles of torsional loading, specific to this market, the rear axle can crack.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install a reinforcement bracket on the rear axle or replace the axles, as necessary. This service will be provided free of charge. The recall began on June 1, 2012.
Suspension › Front › Control arm
Ford is recalling certain model year 1999-2003 windstar vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the state of virginia. Corrosion-related fractures of the front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments May occur.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and both body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe and make the necessary repairs free of charge.
Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Ford is recalling certain model year 1999-2003 windstar vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm rear attaching brackets, and both body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe, and make the necessary repairs free of charge.
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
Ford is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 windstar vehicles manufactured from September 1, 1997 through February 28, 2003 and currently registered or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new…
Remedy: As parts become available, dealers will inspect and if necessary install the rear axle reinforcement brackets free of charge. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on October 20, 2010.
Show 9 more 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…
Trailer hitches
In some minivans, water and other contaminants (dirt, salt, etc.) can enter into the right rear passenger compartment due to a missing body sealer.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the electrical connector and surrounding area for absence of body sealing and corrosion. If corrosion is present, dealers will service the body gaps, repair corroded connectors, and apply a…
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Vehicle description: Mini vans. Contaminants such as water, salt, and windshield washer solution can enter the wiper motor cover assembly through pinholes on the exterior of the cover that are used in the molding process.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new wiper cover with improved sealing and water resistance. Owner notification begain August 27, 2001.
Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
Vehicle description: Mini vans equipped with auxiliary rear air-conditioning. If the auxiliary air-conditioning blower motor stops turning while in the medium-low blower speed setting, there is the potential that the resistor May become hot and smoke.
Remedy: Dealers will install a jumper wire that will ensure that the medium-low blower speed setting is protected by the thermal limiter. Owner notification began augsut 27, 2001.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Vehicle description: minivans equipped with an adjustable pedal option. The driver floor mat could interfere with the accelerator pedal.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both front driver and passenger side floor mats in the vehicle. Owner notification began July 6, 2001.
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Vehicle description: minivans built with instrument clusters without the message center, fail to comply with the requirements of standard no. 118, "power-operated window, partition, and roof panel systems." the power windows May be operable after the ignition has been turned to the "off" position and the front doors are opened.
Remedy: Dealers will reconfigure the vehicle front end electronic module.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began October 26, 2000.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery
Vehicle description: Mini vans. These vehicles May have incorrectly fuel line end forms which could result in a lower than specified pull apart force for the installed fuel line connection.
Remedy: Dealers will install a redundant fuel line clip on the fuel supply and return line connections at the rear of the chassis fuel line bundle.
Visibility › Glass, side/rear
Vehicle description: Mini vans. These vehicles May have been built with incorrect urethane, resulting in an adhesive bond rather than the intended molecular bond for the front windshield and rear liftgate glass.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the windshield and liftgate glass.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 8 possible defects involving the 2000 Ford Windstar:
Front Subframe Corrosion Failures
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has identified 346 complaints to ODI and Ford alleging fracture, cracking and or excessive corrosion of the front subframes in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles.Approximately 97 percent of these complaints (334) involve vehicles that have been operated in Salt Belt states, which make up approximately 60 percent of the subject vehicle sales in the…
Rear Axle Cracking
In a letter dated August 26, 2010, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report notifying NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 10V-385) to address a rear axle defect in model year (MY) 1998 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles built at the Oakville assembly plant from September 1, 1997 through February 28, 2003 and either sold or currently registered in high corrosion…
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…
Power sliding door opening
The subject vehicles are equipped with single or dual power sliding doors (psd).approximately 111,000 vehicles have dual power sliding doors.the psd is opened by any of 5 methods, the inside or outside manual door handle, the key fob, the overhead console switch and the b-pillar switch.the door May be opened only under these conditions: ignition key is in off/accessories/on/start position, gear selector in park,…
Wheel stud fracture
Analysis of odi and Ford data has identified 1619 incidents of wheel stud fracture in my 1998 through 2000 Ford windstar vehicles, including 69 wheel separations and 11 crashes.Ford has not been able to identify any design or manufacturing defects in its analyzis of the problem.Ford maintains that the failures are caused by either:(1) inadvertent overtorquing of lug nuts during removal or installation; or (2)…
Front Subframe Corrosion Failures
In a January 26, 2011 Defect Information Report, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will conduct a safety recall to address corrosion related fractures in the front lower control arm rear attaching brackets and body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe in approximately 425,288 model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles…
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…
Wheel stud fracture
The subject vehicles range in age from 4?7 years in service, with average mileages estimated to range from 50 to 100 thousand miles.at these mileages, the subject wheels are likely to have been removed and reinstalled multiple times for various service procedures.odi is concerned about the high wheel separation rates in the my 1997-98 windstar vehicles equipped with aluminum alloy wheels.however, analysis of failure…
What 2000 Ford Windstar owners say
Brakes all 384 →
Back in 2008 I was involved in a fender bender (about $6,000 in damages) when my ABS failed causing me to slide into another car. At first I thought it was minor issue, but have since been told it's a major issue with many owners. I've found that the recall (09s09) does not address all the underlying issues and the Ford dealer will not fix all of the issues. Additionally I was told by my local Ford dealer that there were no open items on my van for ABS. When I inquired what that meant, they said that there was nothing on recall for ABS on my vehicle. I had never had anything done to the ABS, so it was not because it was already fixed. A week ago, I was almost involved in an accident because of the failure of the ABS system; I was only going 40 MPH. I constantly have my brakes checked because I have to press them hard to work. …
In June of 2012 the ABS light began to intermittently come on. Repair shop replaced the relays and the light stayed off until October 2012. Repair shop replaced the ABS control unit. Again this fixed the intermittent light, however, within a few months the light was coming on this time shortly after the car was started and staying on. It currently comes on when I start the car and stays on. I don't know if the ABS breaking system is actually working. The breaks do work, but there are so many other issues with this vehicle that as long as I can stop the car I ignore the ABS light. I now want to know if there is a recall for this. The car only has 97500 miles on it and has been garaged kept for the last 77500 miles. I got this as a company car at 19000 miles and purchased it from my company at 75000 miles.
Suspension all 356 →
The contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while reversing at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal booming sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the front spring had fractured and punctured the passenger's side front tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The rear axle broke for the second time on a Ford Windstar, after already breaking prior to a recall in 2010. It appears to have broken where a clamp was attached. This caused the rear wheels to fall into, and grind against the wheel well. This happened on a side street near my house. Had it happened at highway speeds, the rear wheels could have locked up or perhaps broken free causing loss of control. The axle problem has been known to Ford, but it is concerning that this is the second one to fail. I have not yet contacted ford or a a repair facility to evaluate. There were no warning lamps or other indication. The axle simply broke abruptly. I thought it was a tire blow out until I saw the wheels tilted in. The vehicle is older, but I maintain it well.
Transmission & drivetrain all 271 →
11s16 example template, front lower control arm: see suspension and structure of vehicle. I do not see a recall that visibly includes california as a recall state. I have definitely experienced this or a similar issue. There appears to be a large scale recall and buyback program. My vehicle was positively identified for the cruise control/speed control recall and serviced at gosch Ford in hemet, ca. I experienced more issues than only that, or even than that and the above. Contact for more information. Not limited to only this recall, vehicle experienced several issues, many of which were attended to with out of pocket funds, either to prevent, or due to, mechanical breakdown/failure. Please also consider axle recall, and additional for this vehicle. …
My grandson(4year old)and I was driving home from bank on 15 April 2017,then suddenly on puritan ave the drivers side rear tire started to rub frame and smoke entered vehicle ,I got out to check and notice the rear axle on drivers side was cracked and tire was leaning in and rubbing frame because of cracked axle. I was 2 blocks from home, so I drove home very slowly ,once home I made online appointment to take car to dealership which was for 17april 2017 at suburban Ford of ferndale 21600 woodward ave ferndale,mi 48220 tel: [phone]. I had to call aaa michigan and have van towed to dealership and once there the service personell told me that I would have to pay to have van repaired because the recall had expired in 2015 they did'nt even inspect to see what was wrong just assumed ,so I showed him the recall letter which he said it don't matter so I had to have van towed back home where it …
2000 Ford Windstar engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Ford Windstar a good car?
Based on 1,675 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Windstar rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Windstar at the same age. 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 2000 Ford Windstar?
The brakes — 384 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the suspension (356) and transmission & drivetrain (271).
How many recalls does the 2000 Ford Windstar have?
There are 15 recalls for the 2000 Ford Windstar, the most recent from September 29, 2015 (non-powered axle assembly). 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 2000 Ford Windstar problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 104,000 miles; 12% 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.