Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Ford Windstar, most frequently naming the transmission, brakes and electrical categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 1996 | 2 | 2 |
| Mar 1998 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 1998 | 1 | 4 |
| Nov 1998 | 1 | 5 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WE ARE EXPERIANCING ERATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS DURING SHIFTING SOMETIMES CAUSING STALLING, AND A HIGH R.P.M AT HIGH SPEEDS. THIS WORRIES ME IN THE SAFETY OF DRIVING. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE FIVE STAR SAFETY RATING BECAUSE OF HAVING A CHILDCARE BUSINESS(FOR THE SAFETY OF TRANSPORTING LITTLE ONES). THANK YOU JON BRADLEY
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD BECAME APART OR LOOSE . ALSO COOLANT ON CYLINDER HEAD BECAME LOOSE. THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING FOR A FEW MINUTES. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
POWER STEERING RACK FELL OFF. (FIRST VEHICLE ON 601396) *DSH
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2.5L DURATEC ENGINE EXCHANGES NO LONGER INCLUDE FRONT END ACCESSORY DRIVE COMPONENT, OIL LEVEL INDICATOR, WATER PUMP BELT/TENSIONER, EGR TUBE, LINKSHAFT BRACKET OR EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 |
| 2003 | 1,510 | 9 | 6 | 59.7 |
| 2002 | 1,353 | 9 | 6 | 62.2 |
| 2001 | 1,686 | 16 | 8 | 62.9 |
| 2000 | 1,675 | 16 | 8 | 62.1 |
| 1999 | 1,522 | 13 | 8 | 62.2 |
| 1998 | 1,433 | 14 | 10 | 63.1 |
| 1997 | 192 | 6 | 6 | 60.8 |
| 1996 | 1,386 | 9 | 13 | 62.8 |
| 1995 | 3,326 | 8 | 14 | 61.6 |
| 1994 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 41.6 |
| 1993 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 38.9 |
| 1992 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1985Viewing | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.