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Selling a junk Ford Windstar

Any Windstar sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Ford Windstar

NHTSA has 19,399 owner complaints on file for the Ford Windstar, model years 1995 to 2005, the 15th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are brakes (3,259, 17%), engine and cooling (3,012, 16%), transmission and drivetrain (2,716, 14%). 708 complaints involved a crash, 557 a fire, and 128 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 101,000 miles. The 1995 model year has the most complaints (4,799). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is brakes, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to deciding whether to repair or junk: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Ford Windstar by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19954,799Engine and cooling17966899,000
19961,855Engine and cooling7153985,550
1997249Transmission and drivetrain611688,890
19981,949Transmission and drivetrain84901490,000
19992,040Transmission and drivetrain648613102,000
20002,191Suspension876616107,000
20012,297Brakes917916108,000
20021,928Brakes72739102,000
20032,057Brakes54319100,000
200433Suspension020129,000
20051Engine000—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Ford Windstar recalls

NHTSA lists 38 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for suspension (6), transmission and drivetrain (4), brakes (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 1998 model year, suspension (campaign 15V608000, Sep 2015): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 1998-2003 Windstar vehicles manufactured September 2, 1997, to July 3, 2003. The affected vehicles were previously remedied to safeguard against the rear axle cra…
  • 1998 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 12V193000, May 2012): FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1997, THROUGH JULY 3, 2003, AND CURRENTLY REGISTERED OR ORIGINALLY SOLD IN VIRGINIA. OVER TIME, CORROSION CAN WEAKEN THE REA…
  • 1998 model year, suspension (campaign 12V195000, May 2012): FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1997, THROUGH JULY 3, 2003, REGISTERED IN PUERTO RICO. DUE TO INCREASED STRESSES CAUSED BY HIGH CYCLES OF TORSIONAL LOADING,…
  • 1999 model year, suspension (campaign 12V194000, May 2012): FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. CORROSION-RELATED FRACTURES OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKETS AND…
  • 1999 model year, body and structure (campaign 11V030000, Jan 2011): FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARY…

What a Ford Windstar is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Windstar on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Ford Windstar worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Windstar gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Ford Windstar that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford Windstar?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Ford Windstar numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.