Windstar questions...

So it looks like I'll be getting an 02 Windstar in the next week as a replacement for my Durango that a giant tree fell on.

I've read just about every Windstar thread I could find, but I just have a couple questions...

First, do the belts lock at the retractor? That would be a fantastic thing for our kids, although we can live without them. I'm very used to lightweight locking latchplates now, but it would just be nice for Faith who is a horrible booster rider, but too tall for every harnessed seat.

Second, has anyone had any incompatibility with the Windstar and any of the following seats: TF (rf & ff), Radian (rf & ff), Apex in harnessed mode, Nautilus, Parkway, highback Turbo booster, no back turbo booster, Monterey.

This will be a Windstar with the second row bench. The plan is as follows:
Third row: Highback Turbo or Monterey, empty, Parkway or Monterey.
Second Row: Nautilus, FF True Fit.

Eventually it will be:
Third Row: Booster, FF Radian, Booster
Second Row: rf infant seat or Radian, FF True Fit or Nautilus.

I don't want to tell DH that our seats will work the way we need them to if they're not going to.

Lastly, does anyone know when the transmissions tend to go on these things? I know they are notorious for that, and this one has 90,000 kms (55,000 miles)

Scatterbunny? Judi? Any other current or former Windstar owners? TIA.

Wow, you even mention me! lol

The belts have locking latch plates. The belt stalks are like embedded in the seat, very nice!

I have installed RF & FF Radian, RF & FF MA, TB, Regent and Apex and have had no issues. I have done most with latch and seat belt.

As far as transmission. I here there are some issues. Now mine, I bought it in 2001, in was a 2000. Had 20,000 miles on it. I stopped driving it 6 months ago, at 167,000 miles. I think the transmission is going. I feel I got a lot of use out of it.

We have had no problems with the TF FF, although RF the latchplate interferes with the built-in lockoff so I always used LATCh with a RF'ing TF install. The Nautilus installs very well.

Thank you and thank you! I get so nervous about seats not working!

I don't plan on driving it to 167,000 MILES! That is A LOT of use before the Transmission went!

Seriously, I used my second row seat as my demo seat at work for a couple years. I have installed basically everything Baby Depot carried on it!

Oh, and look for the tether on the front passenger seat. Great for RF tethering, in the future...

How do we feel about three across in the third row (two boosters and a Radian)?

In my friend's Windstar I have a RF Scenera/FF MA/RF Tribute, which is very tight but do-able. I would think a Radian would free up alot of room. It might be hard to buckle the boosters but they should fit.

Ok, you've gotten most of your answers but I'll try to give my :twocents: in the order you asked.

Light weight locking latch plates - top tether spots in all five rear seating positions and one on front passenger side for rf

Nautilus and Parkway will install great in all positions (except of course middle rear for the Parkway) -- really the only seat I've ever had trouble with is the Regent in a Captain's Chair which it doesn't sound like you'll have anyway

No transmission problems here either (133,000 miles) - I did have the trans flushed at 60,000 and 120,000 because I had been told by a Ford mechanic years ago that Fords really had to have it done to avoid trouble. He was not doing any work for me just knew we owned 2 Fords so I figured he had nothing to gain from the advice.

I don't think you'll have trouble with 2 boosters and an a Radian. The back seat is narrow but there are some combos and the Parkway and Radian are nice and narrow.

Good luck with your new vehicle. If you think of other questions just ask. I love my Windstar and would buy another one. I know there are some that aren't fans on here but it has really served us well.

Hmmmmm, just realized with the locking latch plates kids in a booster have free movement.

I have an 03 windstar, and so far *knock on wood* lol, we've had no issues with the tranny....although its due for a flush....we have about 130,000kms on it right now. I have only installed infant seats, my MA, the old style Triumph in it, Eddier Bower FF/Booster seat in booster mode only and a Graco LBB Booster only in my van.

I find with the Captain chairs the buckle stalks can be a bit of a PITA if your car seat sits lower, as it's not overly flexable, and can end up too close or in the belt path. My SS1 base is currently installed using the latch, as I didn't want to try installing it with the seat belt in the -25 weather. lol.

But I love that I have LATCH and TA in ALL 5 seating positions and a TA on the back of the front passanger seat! The Middle seat in the very back allows for borrowing of the latch hooks from the sides, however it means you have to install with seat belts for the sides. This is for all Ford Windstars from 00-03 I do believe. Double check your manual though.

We have an 01 windstar. It has about 128 000 km, so transmission troubles yet. Knock on wood!!
I've had a husky ( regent ) and MA ( ff and rf) in the second row. In the third row Until last week I had three radians ff. They fit but with no extra room at all. Now I have two radians and a parkway. A turbo booster also fits outboard with a radian center. But the tb is tricky to buckle.

We have a 2000 windstar, no tranny troubles. my Mom & Dad have had a '96, '99 and '01 windstars, no tranny troubles with any of them. ('96 is still running with over 200,000 miles on it)

Radian's install great, especially if you can use LTACH, but you shouldn't have any problems with the seatbelts since you don't have the capitans chairs.

I love their locking latchplates - way better than dodge/chrysler IMO. They make seatbelt installs a breeze!

I have a 2003 Windstar and can disagree with a lot of what other posters have said...

April said:

First, do the belts lock at the retractor? That would be a fantastic thing for our kids, although we can live without them. I'm very used to lightweight locking latchplates now, but it would just be nice for Faith who is a horrible booster rider, but too tall for every harnessed seat.

Click to expand...

The belts lock at the latchplate.

April said:

Second, has anyone had any incompatibility with the Windstar and any of the following seats: TF (rf & ff), Radian (rf & ff), Apex in harnessed mode, Nautilus, Parkway, highback Turbo booster, no back turbo booster, Monterey.

Click to expand...

I had to replace my Regent with a True Fit because I cannot get it installed in the captain's chair with the seatbelt. The buckle stalk is too high above the seat, so it ends up in the belt path of the Regent. The same was true for the Frontier's SBP (worked great with the LBP, but Kira's head slumped when she was sleeping, so we returned it). The buckle stalk is rigid, so no twisting to make it shorter.

The True Fit installed great FF with the seatbelt on the driver's side. On the passenger side, the button on the seatbelt that stops the latchplate from sliding too low was right in the way of the TF's lockoff. So I would only be able to install it there if I popped the button off the seatbelt (which I was told was easy to do).

Installing the TF RFing proved extremely difficult, so I'm using my MA RFing and leaving the TF FFing.

I found it impossible to install 3 across in the third row bench seat. It's not very wide. I tried many different combinations of 2 MA's, TF, GN, Regent, EFTA, and SS1. (I did not have a Radian though.)

April said:

Lastly, does anyone know when the transmissions tend to go on these things? I know they are notorious for that, and this one has 90,000 kms (55,000 miles)

Click to expand...

We just replaced the transmission on ours in November, at about 70,000 miles. We were going to have ours rebuilt, but they couldn't fix it, so they gave a "new" rebuilt one. Now I'm starting to feel the same shimmy's and shifting problems again. Thankfully we have a 12 month warranty.


You can PM me if you have any more questions.

I think we all said the latchplate locked? And she has a bench, not captains seats. It has been mentioned that captains seats are a pain with car seats.