Seat complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Driverside seat replaced for the second time. Both seat back and seat cushion failed. This is unacceptable! I am a large man 325 lbs. And I owned a 1998 Windstar which I did not have this issue in the years that I owned it. This seat and vehicle is a piece of junk. I don't understand how a seat on a 2003 Windstar could fail stucturally twice in such a short time. I purchase this van in nov of 2003. I have had problems with this seat starting two weeks after purchase and for is unwilling to do correct the problems. They make repairs but the don't hold up and correct the problem once and for all. A new vehicle is a new vehicle if I wanted problems I could have purchased a used vehicle and then this would be somewhat acceptable.
My husband and I were driving our 2003 Ford Windstar when it was hit by another vehicle traveling at a high speed. The impact was on the passage side back wheel and caused our van to roll over. However, the passenger side aid bag did not deploy. Also, the latches that connect the rear seats to the floor released from the two seats at the middle row. Seven days later Ford recalled 257,119 Windstar minivans because the latches that connect the rear seats to the floor could release in an accident......Ford Windstar is a very unsafe car, specially if you use it with children!!
2002 Windstar recall I was driving down the road one day to find out all off all the shifters but neutral the van suddenly had stopped going we could not go in drive reverse or anything find out stuck in middle of intersection with cars coming our way this problem is still unknown
2002 Ford Windstar struck broadside by a old ciera on right side. Right side of car was lifted up, then car came back down. Either collision or near-overturning popped the left center seat (captain style seat) loose from floor. Injuries in crash were not related to seat failure. Seat was not occupied.
During inspection inspecter 38573 reported a diagnostic fault as airbag control module. After failed inspection. I looked for part with the avail. Current part on vehicle is 1f2a-14b321-ee. I cannot find a part number matching. I took it to a second mechanic to verify if he infact was right. And I looked at the diagnostic and the airbag did not show up however what did show up after airbag light came on after a full memory clear was code b234 which points to driver safety belt buckle switch short circuit to ground. Or in lames terms safety belt buckle switch. This should never in a cars life ever happen. If this happened before a accident this could cause death to the consumer. Im the second owner of this vehicle I believe so im not sure if there's a recall for this particular issue as I do know there's one similar. My reinspection is due within 6 days. …
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving 30 MPH, the contact crashed the front bumper of the vehicle into another vehicle. The middle seats detached from the base while being occupied by two passengers. One of the passengers was a baby sitting in his car seat. The baby received injuries to the nose and face. The other passenger received injuries to the legs. The washington state police report number was 080297419. The failure and current mileages were 120,000.
Tl- the contact owns a 2000 Ford Windstar. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the vehicle had caught on fire from the coal heater under the driver side seat. The contact continued to see smoke, which caused her to disconnect the battery. The dealer had been contacted, but offered no assistance. The manufacturer had been contacted, who stated that they would repair the damages if they were related to a recall. The contact was not sure what the diagnosis was. No repairs had been made at this time. The current and failure mileage was 139,000.
Our 2000 Ford Windstar was rear-ended on i40 08/10/2000. Traffic slowed suddenly, cars were following too closely, struck the left side of the rear of our van at speed. The force of the collision caused the seat back to give way, pinning the legs of my 4 year old son between the seat and his car seat. He was uninjured, however, I suffered severe soft tissue injuries when the seat back collapsed. This could have been a very serious situation had my head struck my son.
Related recalls (2)
Seats › Mid/rear assembly
Certain minivans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." during testing, a third row bench floor-to-seat latch released before the strength requirement was met. Identical latches are used in the second row of seats.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat-to-floor latches on the second and third row of seats. Owner notification began on November 21, 2003. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seats
The four fasteners securing the driver's seat to the floorpan were not torqued to proper specifications.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat fasteners and retorque to proper specifications.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Windstar years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (15), 2001 (15), 1998 (14), 1995 (11) and 2000 (10) model years. Seat complaints make up 1% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Ford Windstar seat problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 03V-459 (mid/rear assembly, Nov 6, 2003); 96V-114 (seats, Jul 1, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Windstar seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles; 45% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front assembly › recliner (14 mentions), followed by the mid/rear assembly (12).
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.