There are 11 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2001 Ford Windstarin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND GAS GAUGE IS SHOWING EMPTY WHEN THERE IS 10 GALLONS OF GAS IN THE TANK. I HAVE TRIED TO RESET IT BUT THAT DOESN'T WORK. PLEASE RECALL THIS AND FIX THEM. I DO A LOT OF TRAVELING AND I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF RUNNING OUT OF GAS.
FUEL FILLER VENT IS CLOGGED, RESULTING IN FUEL OVERFLOWING WHEN FILLING WITH GASOLINE. IT CAN TAKE UP TO 30 MINUTES TO FILL THE TANK. *TR
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, CODES READ P0171 (LEAN BANK 1). FOLLOWED REPAIR PROCEDURE PER FORD TSB 03-16-1 (REPLACE ISOLATOR BOLTS AND PORT SEALS UNDER UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD). ALSO REPLACED VACUUM LINE FROM FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR TO INTAKE MANIFOLD. *JB
CAR EMISSIONS LIGHT CAME ON. THEN WHEN FILLING UP, GAS BACKS UP AND SPEWS OUT PAST NOZZLE. CAN'T GET CAR TO ACCEPT GAS. *JB
SMELLED GASOLINE AND FOUND BOTH FUEL LINES SPRAYING GAS AT FRONT OF ENGINE. FUEL LINES APPEARED TO HAVE DISINTEGRATED. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALERSHIP - DON CHALMERS IN RIO RANCHO, NM. DEALER REPLACED FUEL LINES FROM TANK TO ENGINE - HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM MICHIGAN. TOTAL COST $667.03 DEALER RETAINED PARTS. *JB
WHILE FILLING THE GAS TANK, THE NOZZLE TURNS OFF, THE GAS BACKS UP AND LEAKS OUT. IT CAN TAKE UP TO A HALF HOUR TO FILL THE TANK.*AK
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD THE VAN IN BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR BUT NOW THEY SAY IT IS A CRACKED SEAL IN THE FUEL TANK. WHEN I ASKED THE PART'S GUY WHEN I COULD EXPECT THE PART IN HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A "NATIONAL BACKORDER" ON THE FUEL TANK BECAUSE FORD HAS HAD TO REPLACE A LOT OF THEM.
THIS FORM WAS FILLED OUT TWO DAYS AGO AND I COULDN'T GET THE FORM TO DO WHAT I WANTED. THE FIRST REPORT ON THIS VEHICLE INVOLVED A CRAKED CERAMIC FITTING AT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. THIS REPORT INVOLVES A SUDDEN AND RAPID LOSS OF FUEL TO WHICH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE AND A SUBSEQUENT EXPLOSION. PLEASE REFER TO MY REPORT OF TWO DAYS AGO. THANK YOU.*AK
THIS VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON 7/12 AND ON THE WAY HOME THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR CORRECTION. FINALLY DETERMINED THAT A CERAMIC PLUG AT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK HAD CRACKED. NEEDED TO REPLACE ENTIRE TANK AND IT WAS. TWO WEEKS LATER DRIVING AND A BIG TIME GAS LEAK DEVELOPED-FIRE DEPT CALLED AND VEHICLE TOWED FOR REPAIR. FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT WE WERE LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT A FIRE AND ENSUING EXPLOSION. THERE WAS ANOTHER WINDSTAR AT THE DEALER AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK
REPEATED FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INCLUDING WIPER MOTOR, REAR WIPER MOTOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL PUMP FUSES, ALTERNATOR, REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF BATTERY, REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LIGHTS AND LIGHT SOCKETS AND BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, REPEATED FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS, REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF COIL WIRE, REPLACEMENT OF EGR VALVE. CONSTANT STALLING OF VEHICLE IN RAIN OR HUMID WEATHER. VEHICLE STALL WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS IN USE. ROUGH IDLE AND STALLING WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND ENGINE IS RUNNING. ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN CONSTANT AND ONGOING DESPITE REPEATED REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SINCE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2000. *TR
FAILURE IN GAS TANK WHICH LED CONSUMER TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A DESIGN FAILURE. *LA THE FUEL PUMP/FUEL FILTER ASSEMBLY RUBBED ON THE GAS TANK FROM THE INSIDE WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL, WHICH CAUSED THE GAS TANK TO HAVE A PIN HOLE LEAK, WITH THE LEAK THE SYSTEM WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE, WHICH CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. *JB
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