The Lemon IndexFord Windstar reliability.
Is it reliable? Not really. 1.2× the average car's complaints.
Worse than average · 2000–2003
What owners say on YouTube
1995–1998 Windstar · 199 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Before you buy, watch
1999–2003 Windstar · 200 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors459K views
- Fuel pump, filter & tank266K views
- Windows, doors & mirrors206K views
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Fewest complaints
2002.
Only 4 Ford Windstar years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2002 drew a bit over half as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 5 older years (1995–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 9 Ford Windstar years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
Embed this chart
Put this chart on your site, blog or forum. Free, with the credit line built in.
<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/ford-windstar/" title="Ford Windstar reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="307" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/ford-windstar/">Lemon Index</a> (Ford Windstar reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 395 YouTube videos about the Ford Windstar, 1995 to 2003, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 1995. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Ford Windstar.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Ford Windstar reliable?
Not really. It draws 1.2× the average car's complaints, and YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2002.
Is the Ford Windstar a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2003: Lemon Index 116; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2002 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.
What are the best Ford Windstar years to buy?
Only 4 Ford Windstar years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2002 drew the fewest complaints (a bit over half as many complaints as the average car).
What Ford Windstar years should you stay away from?
Only 4 Ford Windstar years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Ford Windstar have?
50 safety recalls across the 4 model years we track. Most: 2000 (16), 2001 (16), 2002 (9). Each year's page lists them, and every Ford Windstar recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Ford Windstar problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name transmission & drivetrain, body structure and visibility most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 154 | about one and a half times the average car's complaints | 378 | transmission & drivetrain (24%) | 16 | — | 17–18 |
| 2001 | 106 | about average | 201 | body structure (18%) | 16 | — | 18 |
| 2002 | 61 | a bit over half as many complaints as the average car | 93 | airbags (19%) | 9 | — | 18 |
| 2003 | 123 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 114 | speed control (14%) | 9 | — | 18 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
Know someone shopping for a used car?
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data