Overview & Reviews

This year the Windstar has been totally redesigned. The biggest news for '99, in addition to the completely new exterior and interior styling, is a left-hand sliding door. The second- and third-row seats are now on rollers for easier removal/interchangeability and the instrument panel has been redesigned for improved ergonomics. There's also a more powerful and cleaner-burning 3.8-liter V6 plus upgraded suspension, transmission, brakes and air conditioning components. New options include side airbags and a trick reverse sensing system.

• As the most recent minivan to undergo a major redesign, the Windstar is now king of safety and high-tech features.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 148.00

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  So Many Problems Over the Years - Big and Small - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By KP - December 13 - 12:39 pm

  I bought this vehicle used (the 3.6L model) with fairly low mileage. After just a couple years of owning it, the transmission failed. So I ended up having to spend $1,700 on having the transmission rebuilt. Just a couple days ago it wouldnt start and it wasnt a battery issue. I had to have it towed to the shop and found out it was done...I would need a new engine. So I ended up having to salvage it. After all that was done I wrote down a list of the problems I experienced over the years with it. Its a long list: 1. Had to have the transmission rebuilt at less than 70,000. It might have been 50K but I cant remember. 2. ABS lights would come on and off for no apparent reason 3. Dashboard gauges would constantly flicker and youd have to bang on the dashboard to get them to display properly, but that only worked occasionally. Most of the time the fluttering happened every day. This was an issue for years. 4. Power locks would fail/not be consistent and constantly would have to unlock/lock manually 5. Sliding doors for backseat wouldnt easily open. Heavy lubrication would help for a while but then the problem would recur 6. Air conditioner failed several years ago and was too expensive to fix 7. In the winter, the heat would not come on until at least 15 or 20 minutes of driving and even then it wasnt always consistent 8. The air/heat would suddenly come on in the back even when the back vents were turned off 9. The windshield wiper fluid reservoir sprung a leak so no windshield wiper fluid would stay in it 10. The rear axle had to be replaced in a Ford recall 11. The body, especially the undercarriage and the lower part of the drivers and passengers side sliding doors started to rust and corrode 12. Would constantly go out of alignment, wearing tires out. 13. The drivers side tire, in particular, would lose air and even when I would replace it, whatever new tire Id put on it would start losing air over the course of the next months. I never could figure that one out. 15. The power windows on both the drivers and passengers side doors had to have their motors replaced more than once. After the motor went out on the passenger side window, I just gave up and dealt with it. 16. One of the power windows in the rear stopped working years ago. I also didnt bother to get it fixed. 17. I had to have a new exhaust flex pipe put on it, which cost several hundred dollars. 16. There were issues with the struts and suspension but I didnt bother to get them fixed. 17. The engine hydrolocked/seized and we found out the head gasket blew, meaning the engine needed to be replaced. It was then that I decided to get rid of it. If I had gotten every broken item on the aforementioned list fixed, I would have spent thousands of dollars more on the van than what I originally paid. I wont buy another Ford.

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  Wouldnt buy another 99 Windstar! - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Rachelle - January 5 - 4:04 pm

  Bought the van from an elderly couple with only 128k. Seemed great at the time. The blinker for some reason whenever youd turn on the left one would flash a light on the dash like a bulb was out (it wasnt). No mechanics could figure out the problem. The heater fan quit working. Developed some electrical problem with the dome lights so when your driving at night theyd just randomly come on and stay on or sometimes theyd strobe. The back passenger door quit opening from the inside and would only unlock whenever it decided to. When the door wouldnt unlock you could not do it manually so the kids would have to climb through. Then around 140k the head gasket started leaking and between 140k and 150k the tranny just blew. I am a Ford lover all the way but they totally FAILED with this vehicle!

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  Dont waste your money - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By toomanyfords - March 26 - 8:05 am

  Purchased a used 99 in 2010 with about 100 k miles on it. Within a year the transmission went out. Had it rebuilt and it did fine after that. Bought it with a small oil leak and it burned more and more oil over the next 4 1/2 years until one day the engine seized out of nowhere at 145k miles. I have to say the engine held up for a long time with obvious issues before it finally quit. But... it did have the issues in the first place. Other than that, never had any other problems with it ( lol). My overall impression of this van... well its not worth the couple thousand they go for used. Save your money.

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  MONEY PIT! PLEASE DONT BUY! - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By chicmama004 - January 30 - 12:58 am

  My husband and I bought this car at 90k miles. We have had nothing but trouble! This car was well maintained with records but around 100k the engine light came on and would not go off no matter what the mechanic fixed. We had to replace the water pump, timing belt and then 5k miles later another water pump. It drains batteries very fast. The worst thing is that the automatic doors jammed and now wont open its to much money to replace them so my kids climb over the front seats to get in the back. The horn quit working also the power locks. Now my mechanic is telling be the freeze plugs need to be replaced and the engine will have to be pulled out. 800 dollars for 49 cent plugs. Horrid!

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  Transmission Nightmare! - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By alkouv - January 29 - 9:33 pm

  We bought this van with 66,000 miles on it. Once it hit 100,000 miles, it went to pot! We knew the air intake manifold was bad when we bought it, but the dealership gave us the runaround saying they didnt make them anymore so we couldnt get it replaced. Finally found someone to do it years later. It left us stranded in another state when tranny went out around 110,000 miles. B/t tranny and engine work, we spent over $3,000....and then less than a year later....it threw a rod! So to the junkyard it went. I was warned about these before buying them, and I wish I had listened. Please stay far away from these vans!

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  Stay away - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By carboy6 - March 3 - 10:13 pm

  Transmission went out at 60k. Mechanic said he replaces a lot of ,particularly Windstar, trannys. Have spent thousands on repairs. Got this car for free with only 12k on it. At first we didnt have any problems but that only lasted about 2 months. Had I known the quality of this model I would have bought my own car. Do not buy this van unless you like feeding mechanics families.

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  Windstar Woes - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Don Huck - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Transmission failure at 54,000 miles...problems prior to failure. Eng frequently will not idle after start. Valve(?) noise when engine is cold. Door seals poor with resultant loud road and wind noise. On board computer for system information malfunctioned after one year. 2nd Windstar...will not purchase another and probably will not purchase another Ford product!

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  Repairs, Repairs & More Repairs - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Brucel - September 20 - 2:00 am

  The transmission went out at 30,000. It was then rebuilt. It went out again @ 54,000. Ford will not take full responsibility for this hunk of junk. There have been many other repais as well as numerous recalls. I am unable to get in touch with the District Manager for Northeast Illinois. No one will give me that information,. Who does Ford think they are? This is my first and last Ford. I had bought it for its safety features. The transmission has gone out twice in traffic--really safe!

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  A dangerous vehicle to own. - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By Former Ford Man - September 10 - 4:18 pm

  This van started off serving us well but quickly became a nightmare. At 75k mi. the transmission failed requiring rebuild. At 85k mi, the speed control deactivation switch caused a fire at the ABS module while the vehicle was off and parked in the driveway. Along the way, electrical system issues caused the power windows, power door locks and horn to stop working. This vehicle has major electrical system flaws causing a dangerous safety issue!

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  Wont Make Same Mistake Again - 1999 Ford Windstar
  By bill davis - February 3 - 5:56 pm

  While the exterior design is very good and the interior is adequate the overall quality of this van is horrible. Shortly after purchasing it the transmission went out. It is extremely noisy on the road and in town. Idles rough, the service engine light and the ABS light stays on. The "door open" light stays on and the automatic locking system works intermittently. I wanted to but a Toyota or Honda but I let my wife talk me into this Ford because she liked the exterior better than than the Toyota/Honda. She agrees now that tis Ford has really lived up to its name "Found on road dead". Cant make this mistake again since the Windstar is no longer made which is a GOOD thing.