Which is cheaper to maintain, the Ford Windstar or the Ford Windstar?

Based on 5-year routine maintenance labor at a $150/hr indie shop rate, the Ford Windstar is cheaper to maintain — about $533 less over 60,000 miles. Parts cost is not included.

What's the labor difference between the 3.8L Essex V6 and the 3.0L V6?

Across 38 common maintenance jobs, hours vary by drivetrain and engine layout. See the side-by-side table on this page for each job's labor hours and estimated cost.

Are there any active recalls on the Ford Windstar or Ford Windstar?

The Ford Windstar has 9 open NHTSA recalls. The Ford Windstar has 16 open recalls. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer.

2002 Ford Windstar vs 2000 Ford Windstar — Labor Times, Costs & Recalls

Specifications

Year

2002

2000

Engine

3.8L Essex V6

3.0L V6

Drivetrain

FWD

Transmission

automatic

Fuel

gas

Powertrain

Engine output, acceleration, top speed, handling, braking — and Nürburgring if either car ran one.

Horsepower

—hp

150hp

Torque

—lb-ft

170lb-ft

0–60 mph

—

11.8s

Quarter Mile

—

18.3s @ 76 mph

Top Speed

—

110 mph

Skidpad

—

60–0 Braking

—

70–0 Braking

—

Curb Weight

—

3,810 lb

Max Towing

—

3,500 lb

Max Payload

—

1,450 lb

Performance specs synthesized from manufacturer figures and instrumented magazine tests (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track). MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Numbers flagged as "low confidence" by AI generation are conservative estimates from related platforms.

Cost of Ownership

5-Year Maintenance

$13,577

0.23 $/mi

★ WINNER

5-Year Maintenance

$13,044

0.22 $/mi

🏆

ADVANTAGEFord Windstar — Saves you $533 over 5 years (4% less in routine maintenance labor)

Routine maintenance only. Cost = labor hours × $150/hr × estimated 5-yr frequency. Parts cost not included.

Maintenance Breakdown

Hours per common service. Lower is faster (and cheaper) at the shop.

3.8L V6 Head Gasket Failure (Both Banks)

— hrs$2,275 / 5yr

— hrs

AX4N/AX4S Transmission Failure

— hrs

— hrs$2,275 / 5yr

Oil & filter change

0.3 hrs$1,020 / 5yr

AX4N/AX4S Automatic Transmission Failure

— hrs$1,950 / 5yr

— hrs

Head Gasket Failure (3.8L V6)

— hrs

— hrs$1,950 / 5yr

Rear Axle Mounting Bracket Rust-Through

— hrs

— hrs$1,203 / 5yr

Tire rotation

0.5 hrs$600 / 5yr

Differential fluid

1.5 hrs$530 / 5yr

Front brake pads

1.0 hrs$460 / 5yr

Rear brake pads

1.0 hrs$440 / 5yr

Spark plugs

1.5 hrs$305 / 5yr

Intake Manifold Gasket Leaks (3.8L)

— hrs$569 / 5yr

— hrs

Rear Axle Beam Corrosion and Fracture

— hrs$560 / 5yr

— hrs

Brake fluid flush

0.8 hrs$270 / 5yr

12V battery

0.3 hrs$245 / 5yr

Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Failure

— hrs$488 / 5yr

— hrs

Wiper blades

0.2 hrs$240 / 5yr

Timing belt service

5.0 hrs$460 / 5yr

— hrs

Intake manifold gasket

4.5 hrs$230 / 5yr

Cabin air filter

0.3 hrs$210 / 5yr

Fuel filter

0.5 hrs$210 / 5yr

Valve cover gasket

2.5 hrs$174 / 5yr

Water pump

2.5 hrs$173 / 5yr

Coolant flush

0.8 hrs$170 / 5yr

Oil pan gasket

3.5 hrs$144 / 5yr

Lower Intake Manifold Gasket Leak (3.8L)

— hrs

— hrs$271 / 5yr

Fuel Pump and Sender Failure

— hrs

— hrs$245 / 5yr

Engine air filter

0.2 hrs$120 / 5yr

Alternator

1.2 hrs$120 / 5yr

Fuel Pump and Sender Unit Failure

— hrs$236 / 5yr

— hrs

Front Coil Spring Fracture

— hrs

— hrs$227 / 5yr

Serpentine belt

0.5 hrs$110 / 5yr

Power steering flush

0.5 hrs$95 / 5yr

Starter motor

1.5 hrs$85 / 5yr

Harmonic Balancer Separation

— hrs$166 / 5yr

— hrs

Ignition coil

0.8 hrs$80 / 5yr

Thermostat

1.2 hrs$77 / 5yr

PCV valve

0.3 hrs$65 / 5yr

Active Recalls

★ WINNER

Open NHTSA Recalls

9 open

Open NHTSA Recalls

16 open

🏆

ADVANTAGEFord Windstar — 7 fewer open recalls from the NHTSA

Fluid Capacities

Ford Windstar

ac_refrigerant · R-134a

brake0.75 qt · FMVSS 116 DOT 3

coolant12.50 qt · WSS-M97B51-A1

engine_oil4.50 qt · API SJ or higher

power_steering1.70 qt · Mercon

transmission_auto13.00 qt · Mercon V

washer4.50 qt · Windshield washer fluid concentrate or premix

Ford Windstar

ac_refrigerant · R-134a

brake · FMVSS 116 DOT 3

coolant12.10 qt · Ford WSS-M97B44-D

engine_oil4.50 qt · API SJ

power_steering2.00 qt · Mercon V

transmission_auto13.50 qt · Mercon V

washer4.00 qt · Windshield washer fluid

The Verdict

🏆

THE WINNER

2002 Ford Windstar

3.8L Essex V6

Ford Windstar has 7 fewer open NHTSA recalls

Based on objective maintenance and recall data. Driving feel, looks, brand loyalty, and ownership experience are separate (and very valid) considerations.

Open the full dashboard for either truck

Labor times, torque specs, fluid capacities, DTC codes, repair procedures, recalls, common platform problems.