1996 Ford Windstar Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,855 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Ford Windstar, alongside 9 recall campaigns and 13 defect investigations. It scores 41/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 79,000 miles.
Below average
Where 1996 sits among all Windstar years
What owners report
“Head gasket has gone out a couple of times. Consumer has had some oil leakage. Contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
“Defective transmission, causing vehicle to roll backwards while in the park position/ accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
“Pads and rotors replaced twice in 36,000 miles, emergency brake requires adjustment monthly. Abs light has been reset once.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
“Vehicle has been in for repair of the front end suspension several times without remedy of the failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
“Outer hood panel separated from body of vehicle prior to recall (97v-180). In addition, replaced front electric door latch/multifunctioned wiper switch/windshield wiper switch/engine cylinder head gaskets due to coolant leak, and differential seal.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
“The electrical abs anti-lock brake light keeps coming on and the engine check light also comes on. Please describe.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Windstar
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 277 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 85,550 miles. Half of those reports fall between 66,712 and 114,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (9)
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…
Fix: 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…
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE LINE FOR CORROSION AND CLEARANCE CONDITIONS. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS NOT CORRODED WILL BE REPOSITIONED. A BRAKE LINE THAT IS CORRODED OR LEAKING WILL BE REPLACED WITH A…
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1995-1998 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVANS. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE DUE TO CORROSION.…
Fix: FORD IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR FRONT COIL SPRING REPLACEMENT TO A TOTAL OF 10 YEARS OF SERVICE FROM THE WARRANTY START DATE, WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. THIS COVERAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS, LIGHT PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OFF LEASE CANADIAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHICH MEET CANADIAN REQUIREMENTS AND NOT THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL BE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE THE RUNNING LIGHT FUNCTION AND TO COMPLETE ANY OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON THESE VEHICLES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS. THE BRAKE FLUID MASTER CYLINDER IS RECESSED AND ORIENTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WARNING STATEMENT EMBOSSED ON BOTH THE TOP OF THE FILLER CAP AND THE SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR BODY ARE NOT ENTIRELY…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW LABELS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS. TEARING OF THE BOND BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER HOOD PANELS DURING MINOR FRONT END COLLISIONS CAN RESULT IN A GAP AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. AIR FORCED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PANELS CAN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HOOD AREA FOR ANY DAMAGE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HOOD. IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF BOND SEPARATION, THE HOOD WILL BE REPLACED. IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BOND…
THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET HAS A SHARP EDGE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PARKING PAWL TO HANG UP AND NOT ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PARK PAWL ABUTMENT BRACKET.
THE FOUR FASTENERS SECURING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE FLOORPAN WERE NOT TORQUED TO PROPER SPECIFICATIONS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DRIVER'S SEAT FASTENERS AND RETORQUE TO PROPER SPECIFICATIONS.
THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WAS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED WHEN THE ROLL PIN THAT RETAINS IT WAS INSTALLED DURING TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. IF THE SHAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED, THE ROLL PIN MAY NOT HAVE LINED UP WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SHAFT AND HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PARK PAWL SHAFT ROLL PIN. IF THE ROLL PIN IS DAMAGED, BOTH THE ROLL PIN AND THE PARK PAWL SHAFT WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, OWNERS WILL BE REMINDED TO FULLY APPLY THE…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V399000.
Led to recall campaign 99V309000.
Led to recall campaign 01I007000.
Led to recall campaign 99V309000.
Led to recall campaign 97V180000.
Led to recall campaign 96V086000.
Technical service bulletins
177 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1996 Ford Windstar. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Windstar TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Ford Windstar reliable?
The 1996 Ford Windstar drew 1,855 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 41/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).
What are the most common 1996 Ford Windstar problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Ford Windstar are engine (527 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (341), and brakes & stability (266).
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Windstar problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Ford Windstar problems around 85,550 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 66,712 and 114,500 miles.
Does the 1996 Ford Windstar have recalls?
9 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Ford Windstar. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.