DODGE CARAVAN vs FORD WINDSTAR

The DODGE CARAVAN (1984–2020, 37 model years) carries 14,266 NHTSA consumer complaints and 76 safety recalls, while the FORD WINDSTAR (1985–2005, 17 model years) carries 19,456 complaints and 50 recalls. Severity indicators for the pair split as follows: 922 vs 712 crashes, 335 vs 561 fires, and 49 vs 15 reported fatalities.

Raw complaint counts favor whichever nameplate has fewer vehicles on the road, so the cleaner lens is components: which specific part families concentrate each model's filings? For the DODGE CARAVAN, the leading complaint category is power train:automatic transmission (1029 filings), followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip and air bags. For the FORD WINDSTAR, it is engine and engine cooling:engine (1685), ahead of power train:automatic transmission and electrical system. When the two vehicles cluster around the same component, the problem is likely a shared supplier or a shared federal standard under stress; when they diverge, each nameplate has its own defect signature independent of the other.

Average NCAP crash-test scores are not uniformly available for both nameplates in this dataset, which typically means one or both pre-date the 2011 rating methodology refresh. Use the side-by-side table below as your scorecard, but do not treat it as a verdict. Recall counts tell you how many defects the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy; complaint counts tell you what owners are still flagging today; and safety ratings tell you how the vehicle performs in standardized barrier tests — three different lenses on the same underlying question. The "also compare" links at the bottom of this page let you triangulate against neighboring nameplates in each model's competitive set.