2003 Ford Windstar Structure Problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 116,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear axle” (35% of reports).
- 127structure complaints
- 116,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 20%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.
- Rear axle: mentioned in 45 of 127 complaints (35%)
- Structure frame members: mentioned in 12 of 127 complaints (9%)
- Underbody shields: mentioned in 9 of 127 complaints (7%)
- Front subframe: mentioned in 7 of 127 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 96 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 127 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford Windstar structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Windstar | 1 | 4% | 138,869 |
| 2003 Windstar | 127 | 8% | 116,000 |
| 2002 Windstar | 101 | 7% | 115,678 |
| 2001 Windstar | 293 | 17% | 116,000 |
| 2000 Windstar | 216 | 13% | 119,235 |
| 1999 Windstar | 276 | 18% | 120,500 |
| 1998 Windstar | 81 | 6% | 95,800 |
| 1997 Windstar | 8 | 4% | 49,000 |
| 1996 Windstar | 37 | 3% | 96,000 |
| 1995 Windstar | 99 | 3% | 125,199 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:frame and members:underbody shields
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 1999-2003 windstar vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, utah, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin. A separation of a front lower control arm rear attaching bracket may result in a lower control arm separation. A separation of both front subframe rear body mounts may result in separation of the steering intermediate shaft.
Risk: This could result in reduced steering control increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect both front lower control arm rear attaching brackets, and both body mount attachments at the rear of the front subframe, and make the necessary repairs free of charge. If repairs cannot be made to a vehicle, ford will offer to repurchase the vehicle. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before february 21, 2011. Owners may 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-20 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V030000 (Structure). The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact…
The contactâs son owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V030000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent…
The rear axle on my vehicle snapped while I was driving causing me to lose control and leave the roadway. I contacted Ford who told me there was a recall for the rear axle of my vehicle and that I would have no out of pocket expenses for the repairs and the towing of the vehicle to the service…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Windstars have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 127 owner complaints about structure for the 2003 Ford Windstar (8% 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 structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 116,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “rear axle”, in 45 of 127 complaints, followed by “structure frame members” (12).
Other 2003 Ford Windstar problems
See all 2003 Ford Windstar problems or structure problems across all Windstar years.