Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated that while in park, the steering wheel seized. As a result, the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine cradle had corroded and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also stated that the cradle was previously glued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
2003 Ford Windstar: engine failure
6 of the 1,510 complaints about the 2003 Ford Windstar describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 0%
- typical mileage
- 99,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 6 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, there was a loud squeaking noise. The contact stopped the vehicle and noticed that there were black tires marks on the road and that the rear driver side brakes seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician could not determine the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,568.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact attempted to start the ignition repeatedly however, the engine failed to operate. And the battery required a jump start. The failure recurred numerous times on separate occasions. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. There was a technical service bulletin pertaining to the defect under the federal safety agency item number: 636000(electrical system:battery). The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Transmission doesn't turn, it's seized.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, all of the lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle stalled and the steering wheel also seized. The contact was unable to maneuver to the shoulder so the vehicle was stopped in the middle of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The dealer stated that the electrical system was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced some unknown electrical components, but it did not remedy the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. The contact started the ignition and the engine failed to operate. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the fuel pump was replaced. The failure recurred and resulted in the fuel pump being replaced two additional times. The failure mileage was 30,206. Updated 05/03/11*lj updated 2/8/12
Service bulletins that may apply
- Spark knock on acceleration - vehicles equipped with 3.8L engine only. tt
- Ticking/tapping noise with the engine warmed up and the transmission in gear at idle. 2003 E150 included. tt
- Check engine light on and lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) P0171/P0174 (system too lean bank 1 or 2)...
- Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on / no start / erratic shifting. tt
- Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation...
- Cooling system-motorcraft premium gold engine coolant-serivce tips. mj
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2003 Ford Windstar engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
6 of 1,510 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Windstar (0%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 1995.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Ford Windstar?
There are 0 recalls and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Ford Windstar
ABS 700Transmission failure 68Adaptive cruise 56Check engine light 44Fire or smoke 34Door locks 31Stalling 30Ball joint 24Grinding brakes 24Headlights 16Wipers 14Loss of power 13Brake failure 12Harsh shifting 12Won't shift 12Jerking 11Coil spring 10Won't start 10Tire blowout 9Warning lights 8No deployment 6Hesitation 6Power steering loss 6Slipping 6Airbag light 5Fuel gauge 5Misfire 5Steering noise 5Pulling 5Sudden acceleration 5
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