Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Windstar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On May 24 while backing out of the driveway I was a passenger in my sons car when it suddenly accelerated at a tremendous rate of speed and with a loud noise and crashed into the vehicle in front, which was pushed into our shed. I sustained injuries of 6 broken ribs, bruised lung and contusions to my chest. If not for the car and shed in front we would have ended at the bottom of the hill behind our home. The insurance company, 21st century, did not send a claim form and is fighting paying for this accident.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. While driving 45 MPH, the contact crashed into the passenger side of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. As of November 26, 2007, the insurance company was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The driver sustained a back injury and the front passenger suffered bruises to her shoulder and chest. The rear seat passengers sustained bruises to their chests and shoulders. The current and failure mileages were 46,000. *updated 12/12/2007 updated 12/12/07
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the rear axle on the driver side fractured. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and it flipped multiple times. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 10V385000 (suspension). The failure mileage was 158,000.
My husband was proceeding in a southbound direction in our 2003 Ford Windstar when he struck a vehicle (GMC truck) that failed to stop at a stop sign. That vehicle was moving westbound. The impact first occurred with the Windstar striking the truck on the passenger front fender, which then resulted in the Windstar then striking a curb, immediately followed by the Windstar striking a telephone pole. These impacts were all made from the front, however no airbag deployed on the Windstar.
Yesterday ( July 5, 2016) when my son arrived at home, placed the 2003 Windstar in park, turned off, took the key out of the ignition, took out the seat belt, opened the door and when closed the door the front airbags (driver & driver side) deployed suddenly. My wife call the dealer and the dealer said that there is no recall for our Windstar VIN number and they can quote for the repair. Failure millage aprox. 133,251 and the Windstar was stationary.
Swerved to avoid collision and the brakes locked causing car to lose control on the wet road. The van hit a tree, flipped on its side and smashed into a light pole. The airbags did not deploy even though there was front end damage. The ABS and brake lights were illuminated prior to the crash. Also noticed the speedometer started acting up over the prior weeks (not moving until after a few minutes of driving.)
A vehicle turned left infront of me. Having no time to apply my brakes, my vehicle front end struck the right side of the other vehicle at approximately 45-50mph. It was a direct frontal impact to my vehicle of such force it killed the other driver. Neither of my airbags deployed.
I was in an accident on Monday, April 5th while driving down the expressway at 60 MPH when a 3x5 metal structure flew off a flat bed and struck my front and front end of my vehicle. (4000K worth of damage) and my airbad only deployed a small amount not all the way.
Driving east bound at 35 MPH when a vehicle turned in front of me and I had a direct hit on the right side of his vehicle. I hit the steering wheel with my chest. The seat belt did not hold me back and neither air bag deployed.
While driving on smooth highway at 35 MPH max, the right side airbag deployed and the button on the door post that operates the passenger side sliding door shot out. The vehicle had collided with nothing; nobody in the vehicle felt a bump. There was no visible evidence of collision found by the insurance adjuster, the Ford repair facility, or by an expert third party. Only the shop's computer showed the reason for deployment as "collision." so the insurance adjuster listed "collision'' as the cause in his report. Result: we pay the deductible, our insurance rate increases, and our driving profile now includes an accident that didn't happen. There was no collision or accident. Two passengers were visibly bruised, one requiring medical attention as she was hit by the above mentioned button. …
Airbag complaints in other Windstar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Ford Windstar, 2% of the model year's 1,510 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Windstar airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2003 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 2003 Ford Windstar airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 0 fires and 20 injuries and 1 death to air bags 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.