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 2001 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While the vehicle was in motion, an internal fire erupted near the rear auxiliary air conditioning. The controls associated with the wires and the covering were melted. The contact smelled strong plastic fumes in the rear of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over and discovered that the cover and wires melted without warning. The contact was not notified of NHTSA campaign number: 15V608000 (suspension), but the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 106,390.
Brakes continually have failed causing accidents. Pedal goes all the way to the floor before and after new brake pads and bring bled.throttle idle sensor causes vehicle to stall while driving. ABS light and brake light and check engine light keeps coming on. Now they just stay on. I need to know what,if any recalls have been repaired or any options that May be available.
On May 2, 2007 we detected an odor of burning plastic in the house. After searching the house I opened the garage and a large amount of smoke filled the house. The occupants left through the front door, and I proceeded to open the garage door and went out with phone in hand. While I was standing outside a friend's son indicated that there were flames under the van. I went back into the house, got the keys and made an attempt of pushing the van out of the garage. As I took the vehicle out or park I noticed flames coming from the engine compartment at the windshield. I decided that I was not going to be a hero, and I got out of the van and garage. We were afraid of an explosion since the gas tank was filled that day. I called the fire department which extinguished the fire before it spread to the house. …
Drove from albany, new york to virginia beach on August 15-16, 2009. As we pulled into our destination, ABS light and brake light went on, o/d light flashed, speedometer and odometer readings went to --------, and we smelled smoke. Was able to drive car to beach Ford in virginia beach where we were told that brake deactivation switch was leaking fluid damaging wiring harness and many other components. Was told that wiring harness part needed was obsolete. Husband was shown burned up wiring harness and ABS unit by mechanic. The wiring harness plug was melted into the ABS unit. These parts remain in the car, unplugged. We have been told by Ford that there is no such recall for our vehicle, although we have researched on the internet and believe this to be untrue. …
This vehicle has shut off on me while driving several times. During the latest event which occurred while going approximately 30 MPH and the minivan just shuts off without warning. There is not a stalling warning or anything. All lights appear on the dash and it is very difficult to steer the van when it happens. In order to get the vehicle to restart you have to turn it off with the key and then start it up again. I have investigated this problem online and there are many, many people complaining of this. I'm very surprised to see that a recall has not be made. With most of the complaints I've seen online many of the mechanics do not seem to know what the problem is. It's scary to see that many of us are complaining of the same thing. …
At approximately 16:45 after driving 6 miles that day, the Windstar van was stopped and the ignition key turned off. The delivery driver went inside his destination for about 5 minutes. While loading his cargo, he smelled smoke. Looking up, he noticed flames coming out of the engine compartment between the hood and the windshield wiper plastic shielding. Using an onboard 5 lb fire extinguisher, he attempted to extinguish the flames but to no avail. He dialled 9-1-1 on his phone. Employees at his destination also noticed the fire, and contacted the local fire department as well. The fire department extinguished the flames with severe damage to the rear portion of the engine, the fire wall, brake cylinder and glass windshield. The ambient temperature that day was in the 70 degrees range, windows were down in the van, and the A/C system was not in use.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact noticed smoke and sparks underneath the hood and from the doors of the vehicle. She stated that the smoke and electrical sparks occurred once on May 31, 2008. The failure occurred after driving 40 MPH, at which time the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The weather was dry and sunny. On June 3, 2008, the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that there was circuit failure. Ford is aware of the failure, but will not provide assistance. The contact left the vehicle at the dealer and is waiting on Ford to issue a recall so that her vehicle can be remedied. The current and failure mileages were 109,000. Updated 07/09/08
Fire - speed control pressure switch the ABS and emergency brake indicators have been illuminating on the dash off and on, but no problems have been found with either system. Yesterday, while driving less than a mile, I was stopped by a neighbor who had noticed smoke coming from underneath my hood. The lights were not on at that time. When we opened the hood, a small fire had started but extinguished itself rather quickly, resulting in the scps completely separating from the brake fluid reservoir. The car has not been repaired as of yet, as the part is a special order item. The car has not been driven since the incident.
I have a2001 Ford Windstar lx ,I went to the store and parked my car was in the store aprox 40 mins when I came out there was smoke coming from under the drivers side, car was taken to united car care my all time car repair place , ABS had burn the connector harness .van not usable I am a 77 year old widow now without transport for my medical appoints, and no money to get van fixed or buy another car Ford needs to repair this as many others have had this happen the van should have been recalled please make Ford fix this , I was lucky I could have been driving and been hurt thank you x
Tl* - the contact called regarding the 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated when he started the vehicle the contact began to smell wires burning. The contact stated that he saw smoke coming out from under the driver's front seat and exited the vehicle. The engine was located under the driver's front seat. The failure mileage was 138,000. The fire went out by itself. The contact did not take the vehicle to dealer for repairs. The vehicle was drivable. There were no warning indicators. The failure and current mileages were 138000.
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 2001 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 223 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Ford Windstar, 13% of the model year's 1,686 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Windstar electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2001 Ford Windstar, though it has 15 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 2001 Ford Windstar electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 22 fires and 3 injuries and 1 death 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.