1999 Ford Windstar Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 1999 Ford Windstar, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 87,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield wiper” (25% of reports).
- 60visibility complaints
- 87,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 47%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.
- Windshield wiper: mentioned in 15 of 60 complaints (25%)
- Blend door: mentioned in 5 of 60 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 25 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 60 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Ford Windstar visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Windstar | 18 | 1% | 91,640 |
| 2002 Windstar | 24 | 2% | 75,000 |
| 2001 Windstar | 38 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2000 Windstar | 67 | 4% | 74,000 |
| 1999 Windstar | 60 | 4% | 87,000 |
| 1998 Windstar | 44 | 3% | 58,250 |
| 1997 Windstar | 4 | 2% | 140,000 |
| 1996 Windstar | 38 | 3% | 69,500 |
| 1995 Windstar | 104 | 3% | 101,415 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans. Contaminants such as water, salt, and windshield washer solution can enter the wiper motor cover assembly through pinholes on the exterior of the cover that are used in the molding process. In addition, on certain of the vehicles built between february and august 2000, a switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat. Either of these conditions could potentially result in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, smoke, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Contaminant entry could also result in unintended wiper motor operation.
Risk: Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new wiper cover with improved sealing and water resistance. Owner notification begain august 27, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar lx. The partial havoc bosch which was a part of the heat in the vehicle failed. The vehicle was taken to a radiator mechanic who informed him the partial havoc bosch fail and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified…
The brake deactivation switch located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) develops a leaking and "abs" light turn on in the dashboard in my 1999 windstar se van since on sept. 29, 2009, therefore mph is not working on speed-o-meter and mileage gets blank likes "---------". Also heat &…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford windstar. The contact stated that the front windshield wiper motor burned three times within the last three years. In 2001, the vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 01v261000; however, it did not correct the failure. Ford stated that the recall…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Ford Windstars have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 60 owner complaints about visibility for the 1999 Ford Windstar (4% of the 1,522 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 1999 Ford Windstar visibility?
Yes: 1 safety recall list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 87,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 1999 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield wiper”, in 15 of 60 complaints, followed by “blend door” (5).
Other 1999 Ford Windstar problems
See all 1999 Ford Windstar problems or visibility problems across all Windstar years.