There are 17 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 1996 Ford Windstarin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DT: WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS HIT BY A TURKEY AND THE TURKEY CAME IN THE CAB OF VAN. CALLER WAS INJURED. WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AND GLASS WENT EVERYWHERE. THE TURKEY CAME IN THROUGH A BIG HOLE. CALLER WANTED TO KNOW IF WINDSHIELD WAS MADE OF SAFETY GLASS. INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK THE VAN, AND CALLER HAD NOT YET HEARD FROM INSURANCE COMPANY. CALLER HAS NOT TALKED TO DEALER OR MANUFACTURER.*AK *SB *NM
PROBLEM WITH WATER SEEPING IN AND SOAKING THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR PADDING AND CARPET.
ALL WINDOWS CAN'T BE PUT DOWN SINCE ALL FOUR MOTORS ARE NOT WORKING. DEALER WILL REPLACE AT $365.00 EACH MOTORS. *AK
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE OR NOT. BUT I PAID THE FORD DEALER SHIP $60.00 TO TELL ME WHY MY POWER WINDOW WOULD ONLY WORK PART OF THE TIME, AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY MOTOR WHICH THEY WANTED $353.00 FOR. SO I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SO I WENT HOME AND WORKED ON IT MYSELF AND FOUND OUT IT WAS ONLY STICKING AT THE TOP. I WENT BACK ON THE 24TH OF MARCH TO TRY TO GET MY MONEY BACK, BECAUSE TO ME THIS IS COMPLETE FRAUD ON THEIR PART. WELL, I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER (MARK KISCH) AND HE WAS VERY RUDE, AND REFUSED TO RETURN MY MONEY. HE EVEN LAUGHED WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO REPORT HIM. IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM THAT HE HAS BAD PEOPLE WORKING THERE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING. *JB
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON A MAIN STREET AND TURNED ON HEAT. VENTS WERE BLOWING OUT COLD AIR,AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS NOT LEAKING ANY FLUIDS. THERMOSTAT WAS ON HOT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
DOOR TO DEFROSTER HAS BROKEN OFF. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE IT STOPS DEFROSTER FROM CLEARING WINDOWS, VISION BECOMES IMPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHEN TURNING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THE WIPERS DON'T WORK,UPON TURNING ON THE WASHERS THEY WORK. *AK
REAR WINDOW EXPLODED INWARD. HIT CONSUMER IN FACE NEXT TO LEFT EYE. ALSO BABY WAS REAR FACING IN VEHICLE WHEN INCIDENT OCCURED. , BABY DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. MANUFACTURER / DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY 90% OF REPLACMENT COST. *AK
WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, ALL THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD STILL MOVE UP AND DOWN. WILL BE TAKING TO DEALER TO HAVE THEM CHECKED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT ARM NUT BECAME LOOSE WHILE IN USE. WIPER FELL TO LEFT OFF OF WINDSHIELD.
FRONT WINDSHIELD FAILED.
POWER WINDOW FAILED.
THE FRONT WINDSHIELD THE BOTTOM PART IN COLD WEATHER AND WINDSHIELD BLADE WOULDN'T DEFROST . TT
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK WHEN THERE IS A LITTLE SNOW OR RAIN. VISIBILITY IS VERY POO/BLADES ICE UP AND BECOME COATED WITH SNOW AND WILL NOT FUNCTRION PROPERLY.WINDSHIELD WIPER AND DEFROSTER DON'T SEEM TO WORK. *AK
WINDSHIELD FAILED RESULTING IN CRACK.
OWNER STATES THAT HIS REAR WIPER DOES NOT CLEAR WINDOW EFFECTIVELY AND THAT WASHER PUMP DOES NOT OPERATE, HE ALSO NOTES THAT HE HAS A HARD TIME OF SEEING OUT REAR WINDOW. *AK
REAR VENT WINDOW FELL OUT ONTO THE STREET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026