1996 Ford Windstar Vehicle Speed Control Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 14, 2015 · 82 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 105,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (18% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Cruise control: mentioned in 15 of 82 complaints (18%)
  • Master cylinder: mentioned in 6 of 82 complaints (7%)
  • Caught fire: mentioned in 6 of 82 complaints (7%)

At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?

Based on 29 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles2 · 7%
10k–25k miles0 · 0%
25k–50k miles2 · 7%
50k–75k miles2 · 7%
75k–100k miles5 · 17%
100k–150k miles13 · 45%
150k+ miles5 · 17%

How serious are the reports?

Of 82 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 17 a fire, 4 an injury.

Ford Windstar vehicle speed control complaints by model year

Peak: 2002, with 147 complaints
1995: 11619951161996: 821996821997: 211997211998: 731998731999: 991999992000: 13820001382001: 12720011272002: 14720021472003: 852003852004: 420044

n = 892 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearVehicle Speed Control complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2004 Windstar417%145,500
2003 Windstar856%94,472
2002 Windstar14711%92,500
2001 Windstar1278%99,808
2000 Windstar1388%100,000
1999 Windstar997%120,000
1998 Windstar735%99,000
1997 Windstar2111%90,051
1996 Windstar826%105,000
1995 Windstar1163%128,573

When owners reported it

Peak: 2003, with 14 complaints
1996: 1199611997: 551998: 1199811999: 11112000: 122000122001: 992002: 5200252003: 14142004: 2200422005: 882006: 2200622007: 332008: 3200832009: 222010: 2201022012: 112013: 120131

n = 82 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Vehicle speed controlOct 13, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V399000 · 4,500,000 vehicles

Problem: 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 deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.

Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.

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 connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Ford recall letter dated december 2011 recall number 09 s 09 speed control system modification. I recently took my ford windstar on janurary 3, 2013 for a recall. About a month later i drove over railroad tracks and now the vehicle is slow and won't pick up speed it makes a put put sound and has…

Received Mar 26, 2013 · NHTSA complaint 10504616

My van was in great shape and great condition. I was driving to work on may 6th 2012 about 45-50 mph entered the i-215 collector, started to smell a burned rubber smell, i looked at the temp gauge and it was normal, the van started to sputter like running out of gas, the van was not out of gas…

Received May 28, 2012 · NHTSA complaint 10459815

Ford windstar brake, abs brake, cruise control, and speedometer/odometer electrical problems rear axle cracks! *tr

Received Dec 21, 2010 · NHTSA complaint 10371989
Ford Windstar
Ford Windstar photographed in College Park, Maryland , USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 1996 Ford Windstars have vehicle speed control problems?

No. NHTSA has 82 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 1996 Ford Windstar (6% 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 vehicle speed control?

Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?

The median reported mileage is 105,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 1996 Ford Windstar?

The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 15 of 82 complaints, followed by “master cylinder” (6).

Other 1996 Ford Windstar problems

See all 1996 Ford Windstar problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Windstar years.