Check a VIN

1996 Ford Windstar electrical problems

83 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 91,623. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
83
of this car's complaints
6%
typical mileage
91,623
crashes
1
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Ignition
    15
  • Wiring: front underhood
    11
  • Ignition: module
    10
  • Wiring
    6
  • Wiring: interior/under dash
    5
  • Ignition: switch
    4
  • 12v/24v/48v battery
    4
  • Alternator/generator/regulator
    2

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford Windstar electrical problems in other years

19901995199619971998199920002001200220032004

Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Ford Windstar electrical

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Fire or smoke 41

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related 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

What 1996 Ford Windstar owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jul 3, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 58,958 miles · GA

This is a second call for help ford corporate will not email me back. Will not verify if PCM has been updated. The van only has under 59,000 miles on it . It should not break this bad this soon makes me tell anyone on social media and our local news media and clark howards team. I do not want to call ford unless it is agreed the phone will be recorded for court purposes. I even asked is the would let me use the updater. I sure do not want don rich ford in villa rica ever again. They stripped the screw. That set min clearance on throttle plate. No shifts funny and sputters and terrible noise in oil pan area. Rod s knocking. Internet has tons of complaints of pistons exiting engine oil pan.

Filed Dec 21, 2010 · Acceleration, Brakes · 100,000 miles · KS

Ford windstar brake, ABS brake, cruise control, and speedometer/odometer electrical problems rear axle cracks!

Filed Oct 10, 2010 · Electrical · OH

My ABS light stays its been on for 6 months now, my cruise control wont work, and my speedometer goes crazy, no lights in my dash and got told there was a recall on several of these items and I want to know how to get past recalls on my van I've have seen all kinds of recalls and never sent nothing.

Filed Jan 26, 2009 · Electrical · 80,004 miles · FL

Brake pressure differential deactivation switch located under the master cylinder leaks, causing a short which activates the ABS light on the dash. This short creates a severe fire risk. This switch also interacts with and can cause problems with the cruise control, speedometer and odometer.

Filed May 5, 2008 · Electrical · 153,000 miles · OR · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford windstar. He heard the horn blowing while he was inside his home and the dashboard was on fire. There were no injuries. The police was not notified and there are no photos available. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 153000.

Filed Mar 5, 2008 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · MO · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford windstar. The vehicle caught fire after being parked for an hour. There were no prior warnings or failures. The fire originated in the front end of the vehicle and was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was towed. The cause of the failure was unknown. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.

Filed Nov 3, 2006 · Electrical · 85,000 miles · TX

Dt*: the contact stated while parked in a driveway, the vehicle was started up, and smoke was noticed coming from under the hood. The vehicle was shut off, the hood was opened, and the contact noticed the wires located below the master cylinder had melted. There were no lights illuminated on the instrument panel and no warnings prior to the incident. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the vehicle should have been part of a recall. There were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact planned to contact the manufacturer after filing a complaint with the federal safety agency.

Filed Jun 7, 2006 · Electrical · 109,000 miles · IA

We own a 1996 ford windstar. In december of 2005 the van was parked in our driveway with the engine off. While my wife and I worked in the front yard, the van spontaneously started. I got in, put it in gear and it died. It ran fine for a time after that. We spoke to our independent mechanic who had never heard of such a thing. We basically forgot about it until may 30, 2006. This time it happened in the garage with all of the doors shut. My daughter came in the house asking why the van was running. We did the same thing to again make it stop. The garage was filled with exhaust and a black exhaust stain on the floor. This time we brought it to our local ford dealer. He diagnosed it as a faulty transmission range switch. Charge for the repair for parts and labor was $175. The dealership would not help because there had not been a recall of the item and it was no longer under warranty. I called ford's customer service department and they would not help citing the same excuse as the dealer. I feel this is a significant safety issue. Had we not caught it in time we could have experienced significant carbon monoxide poisoning or even death of our pets in the garage or family members in the house. We've been very disappointed with ford through the years. We have had gasket problems with our van, yet the recall for that item extends only through 1995 and they have not stood behind the 96's.

Filed May 8, 2006 · Electrical · 141,000 miles · WV

Speedometer failure speedometer fluctuates erratically starting at speeds of 35 MPH gauge jumps in increments of 5-10-50 speedometer shows 65-85 when actually going 45-50 hazardous to driver and all occupants in vehicle and other drivers on road way.

Filed Apr 22, 2006 · Electrical · NJ

Lemon car.

Questions about the 1996 Ford Windstar electrical

Does the 1996 Ford Windstar have electrical problems?

Owners have filed 83 complaints about the electrical of the 1996 Ford Windstar, 6% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 1996 Ford Windstar electrical problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 91,623 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1996 Ford Windstar electrical?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Windstar have the most electrical problems?

The Ford Windstar model years with the most electrical complaints are 2003 (280 complaints), 2002 (261 complaints) and 2001 (223 complaints).

Other 1996 Ford Windstar problems

Engine 472Transmission 322Brakes 229Suspension 111Acceleration 82Fuel system 53Steering 50Wheels 42Visibility 38Body 37Airbags 25Lights 21Tires 20Seat belts 18Locks 10Seats 6Driver assistance 1

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 1996 Ford Windstar?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history