Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. *tr

Abs light is o in my 2001 ford windstar even after the recall in 2009 for abs ecm failure - abs brake light. the light continues to stay on for the past year almost and it is causing other defects in my vehicle. my vehicle will shut down on me completely and nothing in my vehicle will work until i get a jump ad it is causing issues with my brake system and transmission! *tr

Own a 2000 windstar. after the last recall thought it would fix the problem. the abs light, brake light, check engine are constantly on. the speedometer, odometer, air conditioning not working. have not taken to a garage yet. but will be. *tr

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. *tr

Tl* 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.

Abs and brake lights willcome on after just a few minutes i start driving, is this a fire hazard? please help. *tr

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 windstars had same problem that have even caused fires! thanks *tr

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. *tr

In either hot weather, or when the vehicle is running hot, the abs and brake lights will come on the dash. the computer has sent several different codes to be checked. the abs does not work when the light is on. *tr

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. *tr

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. *tr

2001 ford windstar abs light and brake light comes on while driving, when i turn vehicle off and restart the lights come on again while driving i have noticed brake fluid on the switch below the master cylinder and also on another switch bank in the area below. i am currently researching how to repair and if there is a recall on this view ford tsb 15682. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar se van where the brake, abs and traction control lights intermittently come on. when this happens, my understanding is that the abs and traction control systems will not function normally. to me this is a safety concern. i have had a mechanic look at the problem and run the computer codes but was unable to determine the cause. i will have to bring this vehicle to the ford dealer and spend a bunch of money to have them fix it i'm sure. in the meantime, i understand that some vehicles experiencing this problem have started on fire (mine hasn't) but this is a ticking time bomb as this is the car my wife and children ride in. i believe that ford should have to perform a recall to fix or replace the faulty part(s). *tr

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. *tr

Wires melt down. strip my fuse number 10. my kilometer, speedometer, brake and abs lights are on in my dash. *tr

The abs light and brake light both came on simultaneously. after turning engine off and on, indications returned to normal. happened again a few months later. dealer's service writer dismissed it. now is happening regularly; sometimes multiple times per day. checked brake fluid level and it appears to be okay. brakes appear to function normally; no squeals, grabbing or sponginess, no apparent loss of braking ability. car stops in a straight line. brakes have been serviced.

Abs module malfuntios. abs warning lights. brake warning lights. traction control warning lights. was told by ford dealer that unit overheats - common problem. *tr

I have a2001 ford windstar lx ,i went to the store and parked my car was in the store aprox 40 mins when i came out there was smoke coming from under the drivers side, car was taken to united car care my all time car repair place , abs had burn the connector harness .van not usable i am a 77 year old widow now without transport for my medical appoints, and no money to get van fixed or buy another car ford needs to repair this as many others have had this happen the van should have been recalled please make ford fix this , i was lucky i could have been driving and been hurt thank you x *tr

The #10 fuse on my 2001 ford windstar keeps blowing. this disables speedometer and a/c, and causes abs and brake lights to come on. it also disables several other monitoring systems. i have determined that the switch under the brake master cylinder is leaking brake fluid. i am confident that this issue is the same one that has been reported by numerous windstar owners. i am going to buy the replacement part. i shall keep the receipt, in hopes that i may be reimbursed, eventually. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving at an unknown speed, the emergency brake and abs lights illuminated on the instrument panel. in addition, the speedometer and odometer gauges blanked out and other gauges began to sporadically flash simultaneously. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and a diagnostic was performed. the failure codes indicated that the braking system was faulty due to water or fluid entering the abs connector. brake fluid was found leaking onto the abs module as well as fluid build-up in the connector. the abs module and pump were replaced. the dealer also attempted to reprogram the abs module, but was unsuccesful. the vin was unable to be entered into the system. the current and failure mileages were less than 123,000.

One day the dashboard lights, headlights went out. i have taken it in for service twice. they replaced the number ten fuse. but it blow again. now the lights ac radio stay on even when the key is out. *tr

Brake and abs lights up at operating temp. computer shows several unrelated trouble codes. dealer stated a bad module. *tr

Abs and brake lights turn on during summer months on my ford windstar 2001 minivan. *tr

2001 ford windstar brake pressure differential deactivation switch fire. replaced with part that has been a recall for f150's. burnt part kept. previous problems. abs module malfunction causing loss of speedometer, odometer, abs light, brake light, od light, loss of headlamp, cruise control, seatbelt warning bell, ac/heat/defrost. *tr

Ford windstar 2001. the brake pressure differential deactivation switch located under the master cylinder over time leaked. this caused a short and a fuse trip. this leak also caused brake fluid to wick down two wires to the abs brake module. the fluid accumulated on the (always on) power connectors for the abs brake system causing the abs (anti-lock brake system) ecm (electronic control module) module to expand in the ecm which is attached to the ecm main circuit board at all points. this could have caused a fire in the automobile if it was not corrected. cost $1500.00 at ford dealership to correct. replaced ecm, brake pressure differential deactivation switch, and servo cruise control part. brake pressure differential deactivation switch that caused all the trouble is available. *tr

The dash lights for the abs and brakes keep coming on while driving. there has not been an accident yet, i would like to prevent this from occuring. *tr

The abs and brake lights come on, the brake deactivation switch is bad and has caused brake fluid to leak and the switch, the a/c has stopped working as well as the odometer and speedometer. *tr

Fire - speed control pressure switch the abs and emergency brake indicators have been illuminating on the dash off and on, but no problems have been found with either system. yesterday, while driving less than a mile, i was stopped by a neighbor who had noticed smoke coming from underneath my hood. the lights were not on at that time. when we opened the hood, a small fire had started but extinguished itself rather quickly, resulting in the scps completely separating from the brake fluid reservoir. the car has not been repaired as of yet, as the part is a special order item. the car has not been driven since the incident. *tr

2001 ford windstar once the engine is warmed up, the abs and brake light come on and stay lit until i turn off the engine. sometimes when i restart the engine they are off but other times they are not. sometimes they don't come on at all. as time goes on it is happening more frequently. *tr

2001 ford windstar speedometer/odometer went out while driving. fuse 10 was blown. have replaced the brake pressure switch once and the fuse several times. fuse is still blowing out. *tr

outrageous ,i have been researching the possible problem of an abs/brake light ,that keeps coming on in my 2001 ford wind star lx van. statement is 1999- 2003 ford windstar vans could have this and the problems that could occur. my oh my .. i have 3 children that ride in that van daily, i'm a low income parent. why would one take this chance with humans. i bought the van in march of 2009. 2 days later abs/ brake light came on. at the time i was told that i have an eagle warranty ..that might i add not even the ford dealer ship would except. i don't take chances where my children are involved. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the air conditioner failed, the speedometer displayed a reading of zero and the anti lock brake light illuminated on the instrument panel while driving. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle needed a new electrical system. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was unavailable.

On my 2001 ford windstar i noticed all at once my abs, brake, and o/d lights are on along with my odometer has no numbers in it just ------ dashes, and my speedometer stopped working, it is stuck on 0 miles/hour... *tr

My 2001 ford windstar has broken through 2 rear axles! also the interior lights blink on and off as i am driving and sometimes come on and stay on and while turned off will sometimes drain the battery and the headlights and hazard lights will blink on and off and the horn will beep. also at times my power windows will not function. *tr

Brake pressure differential deactivation switch leaked brake fluid down wires to the abs module, shorting the module and causing a brief but non-sustained fire with resulting smoke and melting of abs module and wiring harness components. this disabled the speedometer, odometer, abs system, cruise control, and activated abs lights and brake system lights. appears to have occurred while driving and smoke and smell was present when parked in garage after occurrence. *tr

Abs and traction control light on and system not working. *tr

2001 ford windstar brake,abs brake,cruise control, and speedometer/odometer electrical problem-causing my brakes to almost fail with my two 2 year old twins in my van. *tr

Brake light on after brake service speedometer and odometer stopped working abs brake light stays on defective cruise control. *tr

Many electrical problems over the last 4 years ..the latest was smoke coming from the abs unit. had the mass air sensor burn up about 9 months ago. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar. i started encountering lose of cruise control about 7 months ago. then about 3 months ago, the odometer and speedometer just quit working. i paid $400.00 to have the speed sensor replaced but that still didn't work. *tr

The cruise control stopped working and i thought it was a fuse blown. however, my wife was at a traffic light and a big puff of smoke came from under the hood of the car. we took it to a friend who worked for a ford dealership. he stated that the brake fluid from the reservoir had leaked onto the modules below and they had shorted out. he had seen this many times before and told us it would be about $1300 to get it fixed. as of today, we have not been able to afford the repair. we feel it is unsafe to drive; consequently, the car awaits a recall or a lottery win by us to get it repaired. i am thankful that my wife and other drivers were not injured when this happened. engineers pride themselves on having an engineering solution for every problem. my hope is that this complaint will help them see the need, along with the others, to bear the burden of this repair, and probably engineer cars that are not slow-ticking time bombs. *tr

abs light come on every know and then for months prior to this incident, know, speedometer-odometer ac has stop working and abs light is on constantly, when i check fuse box, fuse 10 was blown proceed to replace and kept burning them. i have replaced the fuse now for the 3rd time in as many days and fuses are still blowing. *tr

1. electrical short in engine bay of 2001 ford windstar lx caused blown fuse #10, loss of speedometer, cruise control, abs and brake warning lights, odometer, a/c and temperature controls. replaced fuse, blew again. 2. replaced fuse twice, same results. 3. searched online, found many posts and instructions on repair. purchased a "brake repair kit" from local ford dealer, replaced the brake pressure switch under the "nose" of the brake master cylinder; cleaned brake fluid off the wires and re-connected the old connector to the new wire connector. replaced #10 fuse. *tr

2001 ford windstar -brake light indicator, abs light indicator, odometer inop, squealing brake noise during turns, air conditioning just stopped working. *tr

Abs lights, brake light on dash is on, odometer does not work, speedometer, air conditioning/heater does not work, cruise control does not work. i'm looking for parts to fix problem. *tr

My 2001 windstar was giving off intermittent brake light warning. after about 1 week of this going on and i couldn't find out why this was occurring, my van had the abs light, brake light on constant. my overdrive light was flashing continuously. my speedometer, odometer and air conditioning stopped all at once. blown #10 15a fuse. i looked into see what has gone wrong and noticed that the brake pressure relief switch that is connected to the bottom of the brake master cylinder was defective and leaking brake fluid onto the transmission range sensor and into the wiring harness that contains the wires for the brake pressure switch. this accumulation of fluid into the wiring harness has caused a short. i caught this fairly early for if i had not, this surely would have caused a fire. i have replaced the brake pressure relief switch and have not traced the short as of yet. *tr

Vehicle blew the #10 15 amp fuses twice, after that electrical smoke poured into the cab and stopped when vehicle was turned off. also, the low brake fluid light was on. on august 22,2008 i put 1/2 a bottle of brake fluid in. upon inspection i found the brake pressure differential deactivation switch(replacement part #sw-6351) was leaking into the electrical connector and onto the wire harness below. on august 27, 2008 i purchased replacement part (sw-6351) for $22 from my local ford dealer. old part is available. *tr

2001 ford windstar sport se # drove vehicle 2 hours, parked car for approx 2 hrs, returned and then unable to start vehicle, battery would fail then car needed jumped. this happened 3 times. turn car on, abs yellow light, e-brake red light on constantly when driving (intermittent) and will go off when car is turned off. cruise control does not work any longer. pulling e-brake from floor does not trigger red e-brake light. looked behind air filter, brake fluid saturated on abs brake module and wiring below the brake pressure deactivation switch, leaking coming from the brake pressure switch. looked at the switch under drivers side door (below car), verified sticker on cover (next to abs ecm module) indicated ford (kelsey-hayes). checked fuse #10 & #14 (was not blown). the failure lights continue to come on sporadically. ford needs to make this a recall on the windstar.. why is it that this is a recall on other ford vehicles with the same parts and failures. this is a huge fire safety hazard. please make ford make this a recall. *tr

No speedometer readout :& abs lights are on. *tr

On 08/09/2008, the emergency brake light and the abs light illuminated on the dashboard while driving at 60 mph under normal conditions. the vehicle then had to be jump-started, and i noticed a faint burning smell while driving. upon exiting the vehicle, i noticed the burning scent was extremely strong. the vehicle is now inoperative. the battery, purchased at sears on 06/04/2005, can no longer hold a charge. the electrical system has gone haywire. for example, the headlights now come on, dimly, when the switch is in the off position. the mileage at the time of this incident was 119,200. i had one prior experience with the emergency brake light and the abs light illuminating on the dashboard. in june 2007, both warning lights came on intermittently only when the vehicle was in reverse and were accompanied by a loud squealing sound in the brakes. twice, on wet pavement, my brakes did not function normally. although i avoided any collision, on one occasion i was forced to proceed through an intersection where the traffic light had just turned red. an independent garage inspected the brakes and could find nothing wrong. the computer diagnostic was code c1185. as a precaution, they flushed the brake system. thereafter, the brakes functioned normally. the emergency brake light and the abs light came back on intermittently again in may 2008. again, this happened when the vehicle was in reverse and was accompanied by squealing brakes. i had a ford dealership go over the vehicle and received a written report in may 2008 that showed the brakes to be in acceptable condition. there were no further incidents until august 2008. because of the complaints i've read on the nhtsa website, i will mention that the cruise control deactivation switch on this vehicle has not worked in quite some time. i must use the brake pedal to turn off the cruise control. i urge you to continue your investigation into this dangerous situation. *tr