2003 Ford Windstar Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 94,472 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (29% of reports).
- 85vehicle speed control complaints
- 94,472median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 45%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.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 25 of 85 complaints (29%)
- ABS brake: mentioned in 19 of 85 complaints (22%)
- Deactivation switch: mentioned in 6 of 85 complaints (7%)
- Speedometer odometer: mentioned in 5 of 85 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 67 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 85 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford Windstar vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Windstar | 4 | 17% | 145,500 |
| 2003 Windstar | 85 | 6% | 94,472 |
| 2002 Windstar | 147 | 11% | 92,500 |
| 2001 Windstar | 127 | 8% | 99,808 |
| 2000 Windstar | 138 | 8% | 100,000 |
| 1999 Windstar | 99 | 7% | 120,000 |
| 1998 Windstar | 73 | 5% | 99,000 |
| 1997 Windstar | 21 | 11% | 90,051 |
| 1996 Windstar | 82 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1995 Windstar | 116 | 3% | 128,573 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
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.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ABS and Brake warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, there was smoke, and a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that the ABS fluid had leaked from the…
Driver was stalking a pedestrian.
Was on the street driving, lights started flashing on dashboard van shut off in the middle of the street battery, alternator, blew out, was driving again van was ilde up really bad and while my feet was on the brakes it started moving on its own and ran into someone else vehicle, and also van was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Windstars have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 85 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2003 Ford Windstar (6% 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 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 94,472 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 25 of 85 complaints, followed by “abs brake” (19).
Other 2003 Ford Windstar problems
See all 2003 Ford Windstar problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Windstar years.