2003 Ford Windstar Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 280 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “abs brake” (32% of reports).
- 280electrical system complaints
- 100,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%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.
- ABS brake: mentioned in 90 of 280 complaints (32%)
- Come off: mentioned in 14 of 280 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 2003 Ford Windstar at $1,200, and half of them between $810 and $1,400.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 229 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 280 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Windstar electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Windstar | 3 | 13% | 140,500 |
| 2003 Windstar | 280 | 19% | 100,000 |
| 2002 Windstar | 261 | 19% | 100,000 |
| 2001 Windstar | 223 | 13% | 98,000 |
| 2000 Windstar | 222 | 13% | 111,009 |
| 1999 Windstar | 209 | 14% | 101,000 |
| 1998 Windstar | 111 | 8% | 82,409 |
| 1997 Windstar | 7 | 4% | 135,000 |
| 1996 Windstar | 83 | 6% | 91,623 |
| 1995 Windstar | 168 | 5% | 137,145 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2003 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.
It has an electrical problem. Needs wiring harness, needs front and real axle replacement. Dangerous. Alarm goes off at random. Won't hold charge. Steering wheel bearings are shot. *tr
Started having wiper issues (intermittent did not work) randomly for a couple weeks, then headlights went out on highway at night with no other cars, first for a couple seconds off then on then off for good after a few more seconds. After another 10 min or so they went back on and stayed on. Also…
While highway driving, the speedometer, gas gauge, temperature gauge and instrument lighting became erratic and failed. A short time later the situation normalized. Several months prior the tachometer malfunctioned and became inoperable.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Windstars have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 280 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2003 Ford Windstar (19% of the 1,510 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 2003 Ford Windstar electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $810 and $1,400), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “abs brake”, in 90 of 280 complaints, followed by “come off” (14).
Other 2003 Ford Windstar problems
See all 2003 Ford Windstar problems or electrical system problems across all Windstar years.