Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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. *tr

No recall notice sent to me regarding cruise control switch recall that could cause fire while driving or idle. my 2001 ford windstar was parked in my driveway approximately 5:30 pm on 04/21/2010 and at 10:57 the engine caught fire and blew up. the fire also melted the siding on the house. *tr

Had fused wiring harness installed by ford dealership as part of recall 09s09 24/11/09. 12/04/10 am now having brake/abs/trac off dash lights coming on after vehicle running for 20 minutes or so. braking distance has since increased. *tr

The brake pressure differential deactivation switch (scds) (2b264) located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) developed a leak. this caused a short and a fuse trip, fuse #10 if the engine is on. this leak also caused brake fluid to wick down two wires to the abs brake module (2c219). the fluid accumulated on the (always on) 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. lights that stay on are: abs,and brake, od flashes. speedometer and odometer do not work. also there is no heat or ac. *tr

The abs and hand brake kept coming on intermittently. the braking distance has increased. and now the lights are on almost permanently. based on reports, am afraid if this is going to result in a fire eventually. *tr

Feb 26th 2010 2001 ford windstar perfect condition no problems no lights on dash....feb 27th 2010 car is started and smoke poured out of hood on driver side after being started after that the abs light emergency brake light and o/d light are on and the computer information center on the display is advising to check transmission and there is a fuel data computer error and the odometer is blank and the speedometer is not functioning the heater on our vehicle has stopped but the fans still blow but only regular air. i've taken it to a ford dealership today to be repaired under the recall for the vehicle speed control issue and they have done the bare minimum to fix the leaking that has occurred due to the faulty switch leaking brake fluid and starting the small fire i experienced feb 27th 2010 but are unwilling to resolve the remaining issues caused by and listed above. *tr

2001 ford windstar. 96,000 miles. date of incident 01/30/2010 while traveling on i95 in the baltimore area my cruise control did not disengage. instead the vehicle's speed increased to over 80 mph. this happened one time as i will not use the cruise control again. on 02/08/2010 the local ford dealer told me that the recall on my windstar was only for a leaking switch. after completing the recall repair i was told that the cruise control is ok. certainly was not ok on 01/30/2010. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar. when i received recall notice 09v399000 i brought my vehicle in for the repair. the issue that i was experiencing in regards to the abs/brake lights going on while the car is in use has not been fixed. i believe that there is still and issue that needs to be addressed. this is an ongoing problem. *tr

Regarding defect information report, ford recall 09s09, 49 cfr part 573, october 9, 2009, from the auto safety office, ford motor company, to the associate administrator for safety assurance nhtsa. "service procedure" states "on windstars with a leaking switch the repair will also involve inspection and repair,if necessary, of the abs module connector. repairs will be completed at no charge to owners." my 2001 windstar was diagnosed with a faulty abs module connector on 11/09 and needs to be replaced. the service manager at my local ford dealer refuses to investigate this problem and states he has no knowledge of this potential complication as a result of the leaking switch. abs module connector has not been replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford wind star. he stated the brake pressure switch is leaking brake fluid and this causes his cruise control not to work. while he was driving the vehicle using his cruise control it slowed down and he could not put the cruise control back on. he took the vehicle to a mechanic and was told the brake fluid is leaking and not going into the brake pressure switch which operates the cruise control. he contacted the manufacture and was told his vehicle is not under warranty or recall. the failure mileage is 115,500. bl

Loss of brake fluid, melted brake deactivation switch, brake light (red), cruise control will not activate, abs brake light (yellow), ford trouble code c1185. action regarding repair is pending; service person indicated that abs is not functional but brakes will function normally without abs capability. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford wind star. the contact noticed that he was losing brake fluid. he then proceeded to take off in the vehicle. upon further investigation he noticed that brake fluid was leaking on the wire harness. he disconnected the cruise control switch and replaced it with a 3 way valve to stop the brake fluid from leaking on the wiring harness. he went to a dealer to determine if the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign#01v207000 (vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal). he contacted the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in the current recall for the vehicle speed control and no compensation would be offered. no repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure mileage is 140,000 and the current mileage is and the vin are unknown. bl

The brake deactivation switch leaking break fluid down onto the cruise control. *tr

I am writing this to whom this may concern speed control on windstar 2001 is the idling problem when putting drive the idle goes up to 35 the 40 mile an hour running making it hard to stop until it drops if it drops vehicle likes to lunge forward when leaving a stoplight or stop sign or sitting still in line at traffic this is a real problem i have had the sensors changed twice this problem still exists soon as you touch the gas pedal the vehicle jumps to 35 to 40 mile an hour. if there's a recall for this problem i sure would like to know about it thank you very much. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr *js

I was driving down the highway, and engaged the cruise control. upon approaching an intersection, i hit the off button and the cruise control would not dis-engage. *tr

Speed control pressure switch up under the master cylinder is linking and caused fuse #10 to short out, i had to disconnect speed control amp in order to drive my car. *tr

My brakes started getting soft and we realized there was a leak we replaced the master cylinder and the problem continued we realized that the leak is coming from the cruise control switch. *tr

Abs yellow warning light on, red brake light on and cruise control will not work. have replaced the abs module with unit from a salvage yard in oct 2008 and it failed june of 2009. the brake pressure switch on the bottom of the master cylinder was replaced in oct 2008 and it has failed again in may 2009 with intermittent operation of the cruise control or the cruise control kicking out intermittently. *tr

Tl*the contact's parents own a 2001 ford windstar. while the contact's parents were driving 40 mph, the vehicle completely lost power. they pulled over to the side of the road and noticed flames underneath the hood. after five minutes, the vehicle exploded four times and was destroyed. the fire department was called and a report was filed. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current and failure mileages were approximately 70,000. updated 11/17/08 *bf the consumer stated he read on the internet that his make and model had problems with the cruise control . updated 11/18/08. *jb

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

Abs and brake light came on while driving. when the car was turned off and restarted the warning lights would go off. this occurred intermittently for about 3 months. after a long driving trip in which the warning lights came on the cruise control would no longer function. i searched the web and found a web site stating possible problems if this was not addressed. i took my van to a ford dealer and they replaced the cruise control deactivation switch as well as the ecu and abs sensor. these were all mentioned in the article on the web. *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

Brake pressure switch defective and leaking on to main wire harness causing fuse to short out. defective part is available. *tr

Cruise control deactivation switch leaking and causing brake lights to stay 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

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle began to smoke under the dashboard. the vehicle was driven to a dealer and they disconnected the vehicle speed control. the cruise control relay switch was replaced in 2002. the current and failure mileages were 96,000. updated 11-19-08 *bf updated 11/20/08.*jb

Abs brake light comes on and disables the abs brake feature. *ln

My 2001 ford windstar abs and brake warning lights have come intermittent on and my cruise control is intermittent. searching the internet revealed that there is a problem with the "speed control deactivation switch" that is mounted on the front of the master cylinder. i have inspected my switch and it does have a fluid leak that is running down the wires. this has not caused any other problems yet. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sporadically loss excessive brake fluid. the dealer stated that the wiring harness that was connected to the vehicle speed cruise control failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $86.67. secondly, the technician stated that there was a recall and her vin was excluded from the vin range. the contact was in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 101,000 and current mileage was 103,032. updated 09/16/08 *bf the was a leak in the brake master cylinder. updated 09/22/08. *jb

Cruise control stopped working, and noticed intermittent abs/brake light. after researching, found that the brake pressure switch was leaking brake fluid through the connector. fluid had wicked into the cruise control module as well. even though this switch is the subject of failures and recalls on numerous models, the dealer refused to replace or apply the company designed fix to the vehicle. i am concerned that this issue has led to numerous vehicle fires, and that the company is not responding to this issue by replacing the switch, but only installing a fuse. repair charges were $210.00. *tr

Car produced a stong sulfer smell and immediately the abs light and brake light illuminated, the "o/d off" light began flashing, the speedometer died and the odometer cleared. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. when the contact depressed the brake pedal with the cruise control engaged, the cruise control would not activate again. the vehcile was driving 65 mph at the time. when she used the controls on steering wheel, she would be able to use the cruise control again. otherwise, until the vehicle came to a complete stop, the cruise control would not power up again. a mechanic nformed her that there was a recall for the issue; however, the dealer stated that one did not exist. the contact was also informed that there was some sort of switch on the master cylinder that could catch fire. the current mileage was 94,636 and failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

2001 ford windstar abs and cruise control will both stop working at the same time. *tr

Brake light on when it should not be. the dealer wanted to replace the abs control unit at considerable cost. i am concerned that the abs unit and speed control deactivation switch are defective, which could lead to fire as referenced by the attached web site http://www.2carpros.com/forum/previous-vt49767.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start= *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the cruise control feature stopped working. the vehicle was taken to the mechanic and brake fluid was found in the cruise control cylinder. the mechanic replaced the cylinder and the failure was corrected. the current and failure mileages were 70,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact heard a popping sound and noticed smoke coming from her vehicle. the vehicle caught fire. the cruise control switch shorted out and caused brake fluid to leak into the wiring harness. the leak then flowed into the abs module and created the fire. the contact filed a claim with her insurance company and they found that the vehicle had a defective part from the dealer. the claim was closed. the vehicle was towed to a ford dealer. when the contact stated that she notified her insurance company, both the dealer and the manufacturer decided not to pay for the damage. the vehicle sustained $2,197.50 worth of damage. the current and failure mileages were 123,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the air conditioner, cruise control, and radio failed. the contact inspected the switch on the master cylinder and noticed that the switch for the cruise control was covered with fluid. the cruise control switch was replaced; however, the new switch also failed. he cut the wires to the switch in order to operate the vehicle. he then heard a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. the lifters were replaced, but the knocking sound continued. the upper intake was replaced as well. the purchase date was unknown. the failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 119,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving at various speeds the contact stated that if she drove over any road bump, the abs and brake warning lights would illuminate intermittently. the contact stated that she received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) and had the vehicle repaired june 2010. the contact stated that the failure persisted after the recall work was performed and that the dealer did not replace the abs control modular. the manufacturer and dealer was contacted and advised that they only had to repair the fuse wiring harness and not the abs control modular, which was not covered under the recall. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 160,000. updated 3/21/11 *cn updated 04/25/11

On my 2001 ford windstar minivan, at about 62,500 miles on the odometer, the amber abs light and red brake light illuminated. was told by the dealer that it was a faulty hydraulic control unit that was leaking brake fluid on the abs module (estimated repair cost was about $1,100. i had previously researched this problem online, and have found entire forums of windstar owners dedicated to this problem. users had cited a fire hazard that is created by the leaking brake fluid on the abs electronic control unit (one owners van had caught fire due to this on a long trip). i asked about this at the dealership, and they confirmed that this could indeed be a fire hazard. i have pulled the fuses to de-energize the abs ecu, but because of that, am currently operating with no abs braking capability. the leaking fluid had also damaged the cruise control cutoff switch, so i had it repaired at the dealership. *tr

Tl* -the contact stated that while he was driving 35 mph the adjustable accelerator pedal became stuck to the floor. the contact depressed the brake pedal but, the vehicle continued to accelerate. this acceleration continued for a number of seconds. then, the contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and applied the emergency brakes in order for the throttle to disengage. the road condition on the date of the incident was fairly dry, so contact feels that the weather condition was definitely not an issue. the contact took the vehicle to the dealership and they stated that they wouldn't be able to cover his vehicle under the nhtsa recall number 01v207000 due to the fact that his vehicle wasn't built until 06-20-01.

Failure of cruise control brake switch which caused fire car was "power braking", causing overheat of rotors , brakes, torque converter and transmission. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in an idle position, smoke began coming out from under the hood. there were no warning signals prior to the incident. upon inspection, the cruise control deactivation switch and the brake master cylinder were observed to be completely burnt. the service dealer was contacted, and determined that the fire began in the deactivation switch. the dealer refused to offer a new cruise control deactivation switch and wiring for the electrical system. the manufacturer alerted the contact that replacement parts that were available were defective.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's cruise control activation sensor caught on fire and melted the control module switch and the component caught on fire. the fire was contained in that area and extinguished before it could spread. the manufacturer has this problem on three different models and for the same component whether the vehicle was on or off. this vehicle was off the day the fire incident.*ak updated 10/25/2006 - *nm

2 years ago my cruise control went out on my 2001 ford windstar and shortly after that i noticed brake fluid leaking. one morning my wife started the van and smoke poured out from under the hood and we took it to a shop in alvin texas. they replaced a fried speed control switch. when i contacted ford they said it was not under recall and would not reimburse my losses. at the repair shop they stated it is the same switch that is under recall in the other ford products. i still have the switch and have no idea what to do next. any suggestions from the nhtsa would be greatly helpful. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while turning the ignition off the cruise control caught on fire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they determined that the vehicle was not included in the recall #01v207000 due to the vin however the cruise control onnector was faulty. the dealer disconnected the part in order to keep the vehicle from further incidents of fire. the dealer recommended the contact call nhtsa to file a complaint.

The brake pressure differential deactivation switch (2b264) located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) over time develops a leak. this causes a short and a fuse trip, fuse #10 if the engine is on. this leak also causes brake fluid to wick down two wires to the abs brake module (2c219). the fluid accumulates on the (always on) 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. this switch has been the subject of other ford recalls, just not the windstar van yet. this switch will cause cruise control problems, speedometer, odometer and abs brake system problems. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving there was a burning smell coming from the vehicle. it was parked and when the hood was open, flames erupted from the engine compartment. the fire was extinguished and the vehicle was driven to a dealer. upon inspection, the fire started from the cruise control deactivation switch. there is a nhtsa recall, # 05v388000, regarding the vehicle speed control. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the model and vin.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph the adjustable accelerator pedal became stuck the floor. the contact depressed the brake pedal put the vehicle continued to accelerate. this acceleration continued for a number of seconds. then, the contact turned off the ignition and shifted the vehicle into neutral. subsequently the o2 light came on. this happens when the ignition is turned off at a high rate of speed, per the owner's manual. this happened on a winding two lane road why contact's wife and children were in the vehicle. there is nhtsa recall # 01v207000 regarding the accelerator pedal. the vehicle had the same problem as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin number.*ak

At about 8:30 at night, i was at home alone and heard strange thumping and hissing noises outside my living room window. i went outside to investigate and discovered flames billowing from under the hood of my 2001 ford windstar van, which was parked in the driveway approximately four feet from our wood frame house. it had not been driven since 4:00 pm. i immediately called 911, and neighbors helped contain the fire with a garden hose while we waited for emergency personnel to arrive. it took firemen a good 20-30 minutes to fully extinguish the flames, which disintegrated the engine, windshield and dashboard area. thankfully the fire did not spread to our house. one of the neighbors who helped that night is a ford service technician. he said that in his opinion the fire was undoubtedly caused by a short in the speed control system. since our vehicle was not one of those recalled for that problem, we had not received any type of warning that our car might spontaneously burst into flames while sitting in the driveway on a cool january night. now that's it's too late, and after doing some internet research, i recognize some symptoms that line up with speed control system failure: 1) a few weeks ago my brake light came on. we added brake fluid and the light went off. 2) four days before the fire, i tried to use my cruise control in a 30 mph zone and it wouldn't work. that speed may have been too slow to engage the cruise control, but it had worked before. 3) two days before the fire, the engine was running very rough. at first i was concerned, but it cleared up as soon as i was able to get out of stop-and-go traffic and onto the highway. after that it ran as usual. i'm grateful that no one was injured by this massive system failure. *jb

Dt: the contact stated while driving vehicle it caught on fire. the contact pulled over, turned off the ignition, and the fire went out. he then drove vehicle to a local mechanic. the mechanic determined the fire started as a result of the cruise control deactivation switch. the wires under the hood were burned. the cruise control on the vehicle stopped working approximately one month ago. no repairs were done to the vehicle. *ak updated 11/29/2005 - *nm