Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Intermitten the speedometor does not work at all or does not show the correct speed, over drive light blink constantly, cruise does not work at ll. Happen in city and highway. Hitting a bump sometime correct speedometer or driving on highway this contnues to happen on a daily bases
Tl contacts owns a 2004 Ford Windstar. While driving 30 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle would not accelerate when the contact depressed the accelerator pedal. The mechanic stated that the oxygen sensor caused the failure and they made the replacement, however, the failure continued to occur. The mechanic stated that the gasket was the cause of failure. As of August 31, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 86,000 and current mileage was 90,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ABS and Brake warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, there was smoke, and a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that the ABS fluid had leaked from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that fluid had leaked from the Speed Control Deactivations Switch causing damage to the ABS Control Module connector. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V399000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 250,000.
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.
The gauges are acting crazy which causes the engine to jerk or the transmission and then it starts making the lights flicker in the interior and the gauges start sticking. It seems to make the overflow on the radiator to empty more because it is causing the sensors in the electrical for the parts to go crazy and run hot. Sometimes it only does it every so often but after getting the reserve hose on the power steering that connects to the reservoir to the coolant the battery was drained. Then going after getting it charged down the highway it caused the interior lights radio and seat and turn signals not to work when coming to a complete stop and it was idling the dashboard and all the lights were coming back on once given a guess it winded up not working again causing the battery to become hot or warm and acid you can smell in the air like rotten eggs. …
Manufacture Recall # 09S09 NHTSA Recall # 09V399000 Instrument cluster has become faulty. Details listed below. Overdrive (O/D) light will randomly start flashing for no reason ABS will randomly engage Parking brake light will randomly turn on Speedometer with become sporadic Transmission has trouble shifting gears due to tachometer becoming sporadic Vehicle will randomly try to die/stall out at a prolonged stop or while coming to a stop, even after all charging components have been replaces i.e. battery, alternator, drive belt, and cables.
ABS light, brake light came on. The seatbelt unhooks while I'm driving, I was told I had a cracked axle, the wheel bearing was very noisy, I've paid a lot of money to get things fixed. The labor was at a ridiculous amount on $25 parts. I'm wondering if I've paid to have parts fixed that were under recall. I fix one thing and then there's another issue. Oil is leaking under the hood and I'm afraid it will catch fire so I'm scared to drive.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving 55 MPH with the cruise control activated and attempting to make a turn, the vehicle proceeded to drive forward without warning. The vehicle caught fire and a fire report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Related recalls (2)
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…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Windstar years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (147), 2000 (138), 2001 (127), 1995 (116) and 1999 (99) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Ford Windstar acceleration problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 09V-399 (vehicle speed control, Oct 13, 2009); 01V-207 (accelerator pedal, Jun 22, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Windstar acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 101,000 miles; 9% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (107 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (50).
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.