1996 Ford Windstar Steering Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 85,550 miles. The words owners use most often: “tie rod” (22% of reports).
- 50steering complaints
- 85,550median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Tie rod: mentioned in 11 of 50 complaints (22%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 3 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Windstar steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Windstar | 40 | 3% | 97,332 |
| 2002 Windstar | 35 | 3% | 105,000 |
| 2001 Windstar | 70 | 4% | 121,938 |
| 2000 Windstar | 72 | 4% | 113,000 |
| 1999 Windstar | 184 | 12% | 67,922 |
| 1998 Windstar | 143 | 10% | 71,734 |
| 1997 Windstar | 13 | 7% | 75,172 |
| 1996 Windstar | 50 | 4% | 85,550 |
| 1995 Windstar | 75 | 2% | 70,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 1996 Ford Windstar. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I brought my 1996 ford windstar in for an oil change, and was told tie rods failed and needed to be replaced. , then, next day, they phoned and advised me that transmission was defective because the pan was full of shavings, also, power steering rack was leaking, and intake gasket needed…
The vehicle's door locks locked and unlocked on their own. *nm there were problems with the front driver side wheel and the engine light and the abs light was intermittent. The consumer experienced an accident which may be due to the brake lines. Refer to recall#02v101000. *sc the sway bar rattled…
Vehicle has been loosing coolant for many years. *la the vehicle was taken in for a routine oil change but ended up having major repairs. Approximately eight months after the repair, the engine quit and the consumer was informed by two dealers that the vehicle needed a short block installed. There…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Windstars have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about steering for the 1996 Ford Windstar (4% of the 1,386 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Ford Windstar steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 85,550 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “tie rod”, in 11 of 50 complaints.
Other 1996 Ford Windstar problems
See all 1996 Ford Windstar problems or steering problems across all Windstar years.