This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Had Ford Motor Company recall 09S09 that was issued in October of 2009 performed on my vehicle. Wire harness was replace, no leaks found, however the yellow ABS and red brake dash lights remain on. Research indicates that the yellow and red lights on the dash indicate a possible ECM failure which has resulted in fires in several instances.
The contact owned a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked it exploded and burst into flames. As a result, the contacts home also caught fire. The police and fire department were called and were able to extinguish the fire. The contact did not report any injuries. A police and fire report were filed accordingly. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure and current mileages were unavailable.
I have a 2001 Ford Windstar and the brake light and ABS light come on and go off intermittently. I smell a burning smell in the car. I T comes on and goes off at different times, lights not always on.
2001 Ford Windstar beginning in summer of 2009, ABS and brake light sometimes lit on dashboard. Dashboard controls either stopped working, going on and off and controls such as RPM, gas ind, speedometer either not working or going back and forth rapidly. The RPM indicator pin actually snapped off. Now it is stuck and doesn't move at all. Drivers side window stopped working, replaced motor. Had Ford dealer replace switch as indicated in recall 09S09 in November 2009. Thought problem was fixed.as of Jan 18, 2010, ABS and brake lights come on after engine has warmed up. Before I was notified of the recall I had full brake service on front and rear brakes in October 2009. Also, not sure if related or not, I turned the car off at a red light and attempted tp restart it to turn off lights and the alternator died, had to replace.
- Nazareth, PA, USA
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My ABS and brake light come on when the electronic control module gets heated by the engine. It has been doing it from the time I bought it as has my neighbors Windstar. No one could tell me what was causing the problem, but I found an explanation on the web at www.fordwindstarrecall.info/#problem2. The vehicle started doing this about a year after I bought it and is doing it today. The temp has warmed up. We had some freezing temperatures and during that period of time the lights were out and the braking system I assume was working. If this isn't a defect, why is it so widespread??
Brake light & ABS light come on and stays on even after latest recall was done on my vehicle. This is an unsafe condition and is related to the original complaint. The recall (09S09) didn't go far enough. These vehicles continue to be a hazard for the owners & other motorists. Please expand this recall to cover the entire problem before someone gets hurt or killed.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. While driving 45 mph the vehicle stalled without any prior warnings. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the dta module was repaired at the owners expense. After a couples months, the vehicle experienced an identical failure. The dealer was contacted and the technician repaired a fuse that blew. However the over-drive warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then the odometer failed. The failure mileage was 96521. The current mileage was 98000.
The brake pressure differential deactivation switch located under the master cylinder developed a leak. My Ford dealer told me this will cause a short and a fire!!!!!!!!. from what I hear this leak causes brake fluid to wick down two wires to the ABS brake module. The fluid accumulates on the power connectors for the ABS brake system which are powered by fuses 101 and 102 and are both 40 amp. The fluid attracts moisture, road salt and leads to a fire when the fluid and moisture act as conductor between the hot leads and ground. Ford wants me to pay them $2000 to fix this. I hear you are looking into this fire issue.
My 2001 Windstar has never been in any accident. Last summer while standing and running it all of a sudden had smoke rising on the exterior of the van on the driver side, most likely due to the low brake fluid sensor leaking at the bottom of the brake master cylinder. My cruise control became intermittent and my ABS light came on after hitting a bump. A local shop stated that a wire was loose and it would cost a $1000 to find the problem. Today I learned that the switch is leaking and the connector to the wiring harness is burned and has been shorted by leaking brake fluid. Thankfully that I did shut down the car when the smoke appeared and I did not have a fire. I understand that the NHTSA is investigating Windstar that have had fires or problems like this.
ABS warning light goes on intermittently on 2001 Ford Windstar. Light goes off and stays off if motor is shut off and then re-started. Sometimes it stays off after restarting van and other times it comes back on. I understand there are several complaints by concerned owners and that in some cases a fire hazard has been exposed or feared. Please add my vehicle to those others who have submitted complaints. I understand a recall may be in the works. I intend to have the car inspected by a reliable mechanic soon.
We could smell smoke in our van, and the instrument panel was going crazy (warning lights coming on, speedometer fluctuating between speeds). We took it in and found that the ABS module had shorted out because of brake fluid dripping onto the module and was slowly shorting out other wires and sensors, which could have caught fire. They are charging us to replace the ABS module and the engine wire harness because of the fried wires.
In my Ford Windstar 2001 the yellow ABS brake light and red brake light turns on after few minutes worm weather or after approximately 10 minutes in cold weather. Looks like the fault is related to thermal expansion in the ABS control module. The problem started in 2006 and is getting worse.
2001 Ford Windstar - recurring ABS & E-brake lights on while driving in 2001 Ford Windstar. Lights come on intermittently and stay on until vehicle is turned off. After restarting, lights will come on again once driving has started. Mechanic unable to determine problem. Possible fire damage.
ABS and brake light came on and then speed thing stopped working so I didn't know what speed I was going. My mechanic said after searching for 2 days that is probably brake pressure switch. I looked it up online and saw many Ford Windstar had same problem that have even caused fires! thanks
Drove from albany, New York to Virginia beach on August 15-16, 2009. As we pulled into our destination, ABS light and brake light went on, O/D light flashed, speedometer and odometer readings went to --------, and we smelled smoke. Was able to drive car to beach Ford in Virginia beach where we were told that brake deactivation switch was leaking fluid damaging wiring harness and many other components. Was told that wiring harness part needed was obsolete. Husband was shown burned up wiring harness and ABS unit by mechanic. The wiring harness plug was melted into the ABS unit. These parts remain in the car, unplugged. We have been told by Ford that there is no such recall for our vehicle, although we have researched on the internet and believe this to be untrue. We have spent $500 getting the leak repaired so we could drive home, and an additional $200 from our local dealer to tell us that we need to spent $3000 more in order to repair the problem. Currently, we have no speedometer and odometer, ABS light and brake light are on due to burned parts, O/D light flashes.
Failure of speedometer, odometer, A/C compressor switch and blown fuse (#10 in fuse panel, 15 amp). Failure of front passenger seat belt to remain engaged when holding a occupant.
Brake pressure deactivation switch leaks, causing loss of brake fluid and illumination of brake warning light. Replenished fluid, but before switch could be replaced it shorted burning out fuse #10. This caused loss of function of speedometer, tachometer, odometer and ac; ABS and brake warning lights illuminated and overdrive off indicator flashes. Replacing switch and fuse #10 resolved issue. Research on the internet found that failure of this component has led to fires due to brake fluid leaking on other electrical components, though no additional evidence of damage was found in this case.
Loss of odometer, speedometer, cruise control, all functions associated with #10 fuse. Happened 1 time. Disconnected ABS deactivation switch from master cylinder. Connection was contaminated with brake fluid causing a short and blowing fuse #10.
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- Lancaster, PA, USA