Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Problem started with an intermittent abs light, which was more apparent in hot weather. eventually abs light was steady on. the consequence is that the abs system is deactivated in this vehicle, resulting in safety concerns for control and stability in emergency stop situations. this is an extremely common problem as well as an expensive component (abs computer) to remedy. *tr

The abs light came on prior to the crash. when my wife tried to stop her 2000 ford windstar skidded into the car in front of her. if the abs system was working properly the accident would not had happened. *tr

Abs light has suddenly started intermittently illuminating. *tr

Brake deactivation switch malfunctioned and developed leak, letting brake fluid drip into a connector and causing it to short out. found that this is a very common problem with the 99-03 ford windstars. *tr

To do with on going investigation on nhtsa action number : pe08035 nhtsa ford / windstar 1995-2003 component : electrical system electrical system:wiring vehicle speed control i have replaced two of these speed control items on my master cylinder and now am having problems with the abs module, it is faulting out and was told it needs to be replaced. at nearly $1000 to replace has not happened yet... *tr

Abs light started coming on occasionally, but has now progressed to coming on shortly after starting almost every trip.

Abs light would come on and stay on minutes after getting into car. approx 6mo. to a year the cruise control went out. now the speedometer quit working and the odometer went out. the air cond blows but no cold air. looked on the internet for solutions and found that alot of people were having the same problem. some incidents the brake fluid was dripping down and causing a fire. hopefully there will be a recall. i will probably try to get the abs sensor on the master cylinder replaced. *tr

2000 ford windstar abs light came on. took to ford dealer in pocahontas iowa. was told they cleaned the parts and shut the light off. within 2 weeks light came back on. required a $300.00 fix. dealer said this is a common problem and it will probably end up in a recall. no recall yet!! *tr

Abs module failed. the repair part is $800 and not covered under warranty. reviewing the issue there are a number of people who seem to have this same problem and appears to be attributed to a poor designed heat sink on the abs control module circuit board. *tr

The abs warning light goes on and off intermittently. *tr

The abs and speedometer stops working, due to a blown fuse, caused by brake fluid leaking from a pressure switch at the front of the brake master cylinder. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. whenever the contact starts the vehicle, the abs light illuminates on the instrument panel. he took the vehicle to autozone and advance autoparts and was informed that he needed to take the vehicle to the dealer or a service shop. the contact has not yet taken the vehicle to be inspected by the dealer. he discovered that other vehicles were experiencing the same failure. updated 05/19/08 *bf

2000 windstar abs problem with dtc 1185 retrieved from abs module. problem occurs more when hot. abs light on only. *tr

Sudden increase in stopping distance. *tr

Brake fluid leaking out of the connector at the bottom of the brake cylinder and caused an electrical short (started smoking), now the abs light is staying on and fuse # 10 keeps blowing. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that the speedometer and odometer were dysfunctional and the abs light illuminated when the vehicle was started. brake fluid also leaks underneath the master cylinder. the vehicle has not been serviced by a dealer. the powertrain and mileages were unknown.

We have been experiencing various electrical problems with our windstar and upon research through the internet found that others have had the same problems. the cruise control has stopped working for the last two years. the abs and brake lights have periodically come on and then went off. the speedometer will be working fine and then drop to only 20 mph even though we are exceeding that speed. it will then jump back to the proper speed and this process will continue for a period of time.

I have had to replace the brake pressure differential deactivation switch. this was leaking brake fluid in the engine compartment. this leak has caused my cruise control to fail, and now i have intermittent problems with the abs control unit. i believe this is a fire hazard and a design flaw. please let me know if nhtsa is looking into this issue. my car is a 2000 ford windstar. *tr

Had ford dealer replace recalled switch. still have trouble with abs light on. cruise control still doesn't work. still using up a lot of brake fluid. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the cruise control and the abs light were flashing. the dealer stated that the fuse that controls the abs light and the cruise control were faulty as well as a leak in the master cylinder. a year after the fuse was replaced, the abs light began flashing again and the gas gauge was not working properly. the transmission also began to fail. the vehicle is currently at the dealer. the contact is aware of the safety risk since the failure could potentially cause a crash. the current mileage was 124,545 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Before we bought the van we noticed the brake light was on and the cruise control didn't work we asked the car dealer about it he was very vague (surprise) said the brake was a sensor thing in the emergency brake wiggle it and it would go away plus the cc was probable a fuse thing. so we bought it anyways (we really needed it) then the abs light kept coming in we got new brakes th at helped for about a day then everything started to light up again we took it for inspection ask about cc for an upcoming trip mechanic said it was a leaking brake line and would order the part. he put on the new part and said to check about a recall so i got on the internet and found information about the fire hazard and then was led here to report what had happened with ours. *tr

Hello i reported the abs condition with increased braking a while back i don't know the exact date but since then i have had continued issues with abs control module not working on my van i took the car to stephens auto in danville wv for the recalls on the axles and had them check on the abs light staying on also i have read on an internet complaint site where the computer control boards in the abs control module have sodder connections broken is what the problem is i ask that you have ford recall and replace the abs control modules before someone gets killed driving one of these vans. *tr

Abs light frequently comes on, and sometimes goes off. sometimes, braking is hard. *jb

I have had to fix the abs twice and i am dealing with the problem again this would be the third time i also have had problems with the doors locks i have to hand lock my van. *tr

We own a 2000 ford windstar van. this van has had intermittent problems with the abs light coming on and staying on during the duration of driving the van. the van has also had problems with rough idling and problems with valve seals that are around the injectors going bad (twice). recently when driving the vehicle, the warning err*f came on and then a warning of "fuel computer data error" and "oil life data error" remained on. i also lost a/c power, odometer reading, and speedometer reading. the power steering and braking systems seemed to be out. when restarting the van, the idle was very rough. the van did run with the tachometer operational. i hope the fuel gauge, and temperature gauge were working. after research, we determined the #10 fuse was blown. when i tried to replace it, there was smoke coming from the back of the air filter area. there is a connector under the master cylinder that has corrosion, brake fluid and appears to be burnt on the inside. when i disconnected the connector, and restarted the van, the problems have appeared to be gone. i am afraid that this will only lead to more problems and more costly ones in the future. *tr

Abs light yellow and stays on. *tr

I purchased a used 2000 ford windstar in december of 2006. this complaint is regarding the abs system. about 3 months ago, at 85,000 miles, the abs light began illuminating intermittently. after checking the codes, and doing some research, i discovered that i among the many, many owners faced with an expensive replacement of the ecu. i have not spent the money to replace the unit as i am awaiting possible restitution by ford. *tr

Abs ecm failure - abs brake light. the abs brake system does not function as designed by ford. the issue seems to be caused by heat in the abs (anti-lock brake system) ecm (electronic control module) (2c219) module causing expansion of a large aluminum plate (heat sink) in the ecm which is attached to the ecm main circuit board at all points. the expansion occurs when the unit gets warm especially in the summer months and causes intermittent electrical connection in the unit because the fragile board is being stretched and malformed. the code scans as code c1185 and shows on the dash board lights as a yellow abs brake light. it appears the anti lock braking system works only on an intermittent basis depending on the outside temperature. this is not very safe and creates a severe safety hazard. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. while attempting to stop the vehicle at 50 mph, the brake pedal extended completely to the floor. the contact had to apply the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. the failure occurred repeatedly. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of failure. no repairs were made. the current mileage was 100,000 and failure mileage was 86,000. received 12/12/07 64200. *tr *updated 12/12/07 *bf

Abs has been on for years. *tr

Abs light comes on sporadically, multiple electrical failures in vehicle (lights, locks, windows) - these problems have been ongoing for 2-3 years. also, the braking distance suddenly increased. the brakes sometimes get extremely hard and barely move and other times go all the way to the floor before stopping the vehicle. recall # 09s09 has been done but the problems remain ongoing.

Intermittent abs brake light and ford trouble code c1185 problem goes away during cold weather - returns in warm weather. *tr

I had to stop abruptly for a child that ran into the street. my brakes when to the floor. after this took place i continued to have problems with my brakes; no or little brake pressure, low brake fluid even after filling this. the mechanic could not find anything wrong but felt maybe the master cylinder was bad, this was replaced. i continually still have problems with the brakes; no or little brake pressure and the brake fluid needing to be filled. *jb

Yellow abs warning light consistently comes on. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph on normal road conditions, and avoiding to hit a deer, the sub frame of the engine manifold fell out. the vehicle had to be towed to an independent body shop, who determined that the sub frame rusted completely and needed to be replaced. the dealer was contacted, who determined that the vin # did not fit under any recall. the vehicle was currently at the body shop waiting for repairs. the ball joints and brakes were replaced as well. updated 12/01/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the speedometer, odometer, and air conditioner failed. the vehicle was taken to a dealership who replaced the fuse. this problem reoccurred and the fuse was replaced multiple times. the vehicle was taken back to the dealership, who determined the brake pressure switch was leaking. the brake pressure switch was replaced. updated 10/06/06.*jb

1. brake light came on and i had to have the brake reservoir filled. 2. brake fluid was leaking from pressure switch. it caused an electrical short, which caused a fire while the van was in the basement garage. i noticed the smell of smoke while unloading the van and was able to locate its source and disconnected the battery cables. 3. i called the ford dealer i purchased the van from, they said there was no recall on my van at this time, and they could sell me a pressure switch. i purchased the switch. then dropped the van off at the mechanic i use, and he replaced it. *jb

Intermittent failure of abs braking system as indicated by dash warning light. advised that this is probably failing abs module. *tr

I have a year 2000 ford windstar with 3.8 engine. the abs brakes work fine in winter months during the morning start ups. once the van warms up the abs light will turn on. in summer months the abs light is on all the time except those cool mornings. the abs light will eventually light up once the engine is warm up. the obd code is c1185 given to me by the ford dealer. the code has been on for he passed 5 years. *tr

For windstar 2000, abs light comes on after a few minutes of driving. get code c1185. started in may 2006 and happens daily. recently red brake light is coming on after hard braking. brakes have been inspected and are supposedly fine. *tr

Failure of abs control system. component replacement costs are unreasonable and prohibitive. new electrical modules are reported to inherit original design flaw and inevitable same stress-related failure. *tr

Abs light continues to come on. *tr

Ford windstar - brake pressure switch failure - switch has failed - leaked brake fluid into the elctrical connector and causes intermittent short circuit. this short circuit blows fuse #10 10amp. when fuse blows, driver is unable to control climate control system. lack of defrost function & loss of temperature control has caused severe fogging of windshield while operating vehicle during past two weeks. *nm

Abs ecm failure - abs brake light when it's hot. 2000 ford windstar 3.8. *tr

Dt: 2000 ford windstar. the brake pressure switch on the master cylinder was leaking fluid. this caused the master cylinder to go out. the gauges on the vehicle quit working, and this is how he noticed the problem. the dealership stated this was a problem with ford, they were recalling the trucks but not the vans. the switch was replaced. the problem happened approximately a month ago. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and he just received the vehicle back. *ak

Abs light stays on all of the time. it has gradually increased from occasionally to all of the time over about a two year period.

Brake fluid found leaking from hydraulic control unit of antilock brake system. have had issues with spongy pedal feel since car was three years old. dealer would adjust rear brakes which provided some improvement. recently abs light would come on when braking to a stop down hill then would go out. this was traced to low brake fluid level. investigation uncovered leak from control unit. there are a number of complaints listing pedal going all the way to floor. wonder if this could be the problem? i am a hydraulic system engineer and have been fixing my own cars for over 30 years and have never seen a leak from an undamaged static seal in a braking system. this tells me that the hydraulic control unit was improperly assembled at the factory or has a material defect.

2000 ford windstar. leaking cruise control deactivation switch. leaked enough brake fluid from master cylinder so that brakes failed. no accident. ford has a hold on replacement parts.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he noticed the abs light illuminated on the instrumental panel. he states that the abs system brakes failed which tied in with the traction control which also failed. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that the abs module needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 45,000. updated 02/02/11 *cn

We bought our 2000 ford windstar used in early 2005. ever since we bought this van, the abs light has continued to come on. it was too expensive to fix, but while reading about the recent windstar axle recall, i found that the abs light problem is a recurring problem among many windstar owners. i know the brakes don't work like they should, but i have always put up with it because i could not afford to get it fixed. it is especially scary when braking going down a hill. can you please investigate this problem? i read about this problem on www.fordwindstarrecall.info and there is a lot of info there with background info. i wish i would have found this site before i purchased the windstar. *tr