1995 Ford Windstar Problems: 3,325 Complaints, 6 Recalls

What is wrong: 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.
Remedy: 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.

Recall number 09V399000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported April 4, 2002 · 250,283 vehicles affected

What is wrong: On certain minivans originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. During assembly, some brake lines were installed in a twisted position, causing contact with the dash panel insulator above the catalytic converter. This contact could abrade the brake line corrosion protection, consequently, salt or water absorbed in the dash panel insulator would promote corrosion. This corrosion could ultimately lead to a leak in the brake line.
Risk: Leakage of brake fluid will result in brake light activation. Extended stopping distance could also result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake line for corrosion and clearance conditions. A brake line that is not corroded will be repositioned. A brake line that is corroded or leaking will be replaced with a nylon coated brake line and secured using three retaining clips to assure clearance from the insulator. Owner notification began may 10, 2002. 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.

Recall number 02V101000 · Recall details

Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assemblyReported November 2, 1999 · 70,116 vehicles affected

What is wrong: Vehicle description: minivans which were originally sold or currently registered in the following hot weather states: alabama, arizona, arkansas, california (10 southern counties), florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada (clark county only), oklahoma, south carolina and texas, can develop cracks in the fuel tank in the forward strap area of the standard 20 gallon tank due to a combination of factors that are present in certain very hot areas of the country.
Risk: These cracks could result in fuel leakage if they propagate through the wall of the tank.
Remedy: Dealers will install a brace assembly at the strap bolt hole location and replace the tank strap with a revised, longer strap. Dealers will also inspect the tanks for leaks. If a leak exists and is the result of a crack in the fuel tank, the tank will be replaced in addition to the installation of a spacer and longer strap.

Recall number 99V309000 · Recall details

Structure: body: hoodReported October 20, 1997 · 769,000 vehicles affected

What is wrong: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini vans. Tearing of the bond between the inner and outer hood panels during minor front end collisions can result in a gap at the leading edge of the hood. Air forced between the inner and outer panels can produce enough pressure to force the outer panel upward.
Risk: This condition can result in total separation of the outer hood panel.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the hood area for any damage along the leading edge of the hood. If there is any evidence of bond separation, the hood will be replaced. If there is no evidence of bond separation, additional adhesive will be applied between the inner and outer hood panels.

Recall number 97V180000 · Recall details

Electrical system: wiring: front underhoodReported November 4, 1994 · 72,000 vehicles affected

What is wrong: The wiring harness insulation can abrade on a brace that runs from the instrument panel to the cowl.
Risk: This condition can result in an electrical short and possibly a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a shield on the instrument panel to cowl brace, and installation of a piece of convolute wrap material on one of the adjacent harnesses.

Recall number 94V222000 · Recall details

Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulatorReported November 4, 1994 · 112,000 vehicles affected

What is wrong: The alternator output wire was not connected tightly to the power distribution box.
Risk: This can result in overheating of the connection and a possible vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the connection. Vehicles with visible damage to the plastic power distribution box housing will have the the underhood harness, including the power distribution box, replaced.

Recall number 94V223000 · Recall details

See all 6 recalls for the 1995 Ford Windstar

Defect investigations

Engine compartment firesOpened September 17, 2008, closed October 14, 2009

Ea08-021 is closed with ford's actions in recall 09v‑399 recalling approximately 4.5 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).with this recall ford has now recalled all of the approximate 16 million ford model vehicles that were manufactured from my 1992 through 2003 with a texas instruments scds.the federal safety agency will continue to monitor the recalled vehicles to ensure remedies installed by ford tomitigate the potential for scds related fires are effective.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for further details.

EA08021

Engine compartment firesOpened May 13, 2008, closed September 17, 2008

Odi has received 134 consumer complaints, 285 manufacturer complaints, and 137 manufacturer warranty claims alleging incidents of engine compartment fire in model year (my) 1995 thru 2003 ford windstar vehicles.two of the odi complaints allege the fires caused structural damage to the complainant's home.of the 134 odi complaints, 36 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, 72 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was running and 26 of the complaints do not specify if the vehicle was running or not.further review of the odi complaints shows that 72 allege that the speed control deactivation switch (scds) caused the fire and 10 allege that the scds leaked brake fluid on to the ABS module resulting in the fire.there were 52 that did not identify a cause or that identified miscellaneous other causes.odi has also received 89 complaints ( not counted in this resume) alleging that the scds developed a brake fluid leak.thirteen of these complaints say that the leak at the scds resulted in braked fluid reaching the ABS module.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to further evaluate the cause of the fires and assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequences of the alleged defect.

PE08035

Hydraulic brake line failureOpened May 27, 2004, closed October 7, 2004

On april 4, 2002, ford motor company notified odi of a defect condition that could result in extended stopping distances in approximately 250 thousand model year (my) 1995 and 1996 windstar minivans sold or registered in salt belt states (recall 02v‑101).according to ford, improper brake line routing in vehicles manufactured at the oakville assembly plant from january 14, 1994 through may 21, 1996 resulted in some vehicles with mis-positioned brake lines that could contact a dash panel insulator.such contact could abrade the brake line protection coating and result in corrosive failure of the brake lines. Odi opened rq04-003 to investigate complaints of brake line failure in windstar vehicles that were:(1) located outside the recall region; or (2) built after the recall range.regarding the latter group, ford changed the assembly process after may 21, 1996 to eliminate the mis-build problem.the failure rates in the my 1996 windstar vehicles built after the process change are relatively low in both the salt-belt states. With respect to the my 1995 and 1996 vehicles built during the period of concern that were not sold or registered in salt belt states, the failure rate is also low.the related brake line warranty claim rate for those vehicles is also low. Accordingly, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified in the my 1995-96 windstar vehicles that were not included in recall 02v‑101.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

RQ04003

Fuel tank fatigue crackingOpened August 29, 2002, closed March 14, 2003

See attached report.

RQ02011

Suspension coil spring breakageOpened December 8, 2000, closed July 31, 2001