To replace the passenger door side-view mirror on the Ford Windstar, removal of the interior door panel is required. While not an overly difficult process, care must be taken when doing so in order not to damage any components. If the mirror sustained damage or the electrical motor became inoperable, you can find direct-fit OEM style mirrors online (see "Resources") to replace the mirror for significant savings than what you'd pay at the Ford dealership.
To start the procedure, the passenger door and window need to be open. Once the window is powered down, remove the keys from the ignition. Using a large slotted screwdriver, remove the plastic fascia covering the side-view mirror by gently prying it off from the top. The snap-in clips will unseat. Beneath the cover, two of the three retaining nuts will be revealed. One is visible and the other is beneath a rubber plug towards the front of the door. Pry off the rubber plug, but before removing the nuts, continue on with the door panel removal.
The door handle cover is seated to the door frame much like the fascia cover. Pry this off gently away from the door panel. Maneuver the cover over the handle to remove it.
Located on the top front of the arm rest is the window and power-lock control module. Gently pry this upward away from the arm rest and then disconnect the plug going to the module. A retaining screw holding the door panel to the frame will be revealed under the control module. Remove the screw.
Last, remove the two remaining retaining screws at the bottom of the door panel. With the door panel free, begin to gently pry if off of the door frame starting at the bottom and working your way up both sides. The same style snap-in clips used on the fascia and control module hold the panel to the door frame. Pulling the door upward after it's unseated from the frame to clear the lock is required. You can now rest the door frame on a box or milk crate without having to fully remove it from the door.
The last remaining retaining nut is now revealed by the panel removal. Another rubber plug is covering it. Remove the plug to reveal the nut. Before removing the nuts, follow the wire harness to the mirror down below on the door frame where the plug connection is located and then disconnect it.
You can now remove the three side-view mirror retaining nuts using a ratchet and socket. Don't discard the nuts as you will need them to replace the new mirror.
Remove the mirror from the outside of the door. Gently pulling and prying by hand will be required as the foam gasket beneath is will have sealed it to the door from exposure. Once the mirror is free from the door, pull it away and feed the wire harness through the hole in the door frame.
You'll want to inspect the new mirror before installing it. If the foam rubber gasket is not supplied with the new mirror, you can simply take it off of the old mirror and reuse it on the new one.
Follow the removal instructions in reverse to reinstall the mirror and door panel. Once the wire harness is plugged back in and the mirror is mounted back onto the door frame (but before you reinstall the door panel), turn the ignition key to accessory power and test the mirror to ensure it is functioning properly. Remove the keys from the ignition again before proceeding with the re-installation of the door panel.
