2001 Ford Windstar problems
The 2001 Ford Windstar has 2,297 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (25%) concerns brakes. Next are suspension (18%) and body & structure (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 2,297 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 91 and 79
- Injuries and deaths
- 77 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 107,000 miles 1,802 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 42 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 49 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 123 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 235 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 342 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 291 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 284 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 203 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 117 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 63 |
| 200k+ miles | 53 |
What the data shows
Of the 1,802 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 107,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 100,000 miles (469 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 91 complaints mention a crash; 79 complaints mention a fire; 77 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2001 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 11 model years of the Ford Windstar with enough data (446 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 15 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
FOIA request any reports, notices complaints/ information, mfg violations, warning/ regulatory ltrs re electrical and/or air bag fires in 2004-2004 ford windstar minivans. The consumers daughter died and the son was injured when their vehicle caught on fire.
I was driving on a snow/ice covered road on my way home from work. The road was not plowed. I lost my brakes and started to slide sideways down a hill. I tried to steer the 2001 ford windstar to the side of the road. I was not going very fast. I was petrified. I finally came to a stop my bumper hit a drain pipe. All axles were bent. Smoke was coming from the hood. The windstar was totaled. I received 18 stitches in my mouth. My top teeth bit through my bottom lip. I have a scar. The airbags did not deploy.
The #10 fuse kept blowing. We figured out that the switch was our problem and replaced that. Then we lost radio and other electrical components. Finally tracked wires to underneath seat to ABS module to find that it was burnt up and had brake fluid on it. Not sure what we are going to do at this point since whole harness has to be replaced and is very expensive.
I bought the van from someone drove from a hour fourtyfive min away from home got almost home and the brake light came on bk light on right went out seats stop working they electrical and the heat mess up very unpleased cause I have kids I drive to school everyday