Problems with 2001 Ford Windstar SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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. *tr

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

The abs brake light turns on my 2001 ford windstar after driving for at least 10 minutes. it stays on until i turn my engine off. when i turn the engine back on again, the light is off. it may or may not turn on again after i've driven the car for at least 10 minutes. this has just started happening about 10 days ago. i drive my car everyday but the light only came on, 4 occasions. one time about 10 days ago, and the last 3 times within these past 2 days. i am going to take the car to the repair shop to see what the problem is. the brakes seem to work fine. i had them replaced 2 years ago at a local ford dealership, which is no longer there since it has been closed down. i do not do alot of driving and have low mileage on my car. it is a 2001 but i bought it brand new in 2003. it was a leftover with no miles and came with a full 3 year warranty, which expired in august 2006. my car currently has 56,230 miles. i am concerned since i have 2 small children. *tr

Abs and e-brake light come on after a minute or so of driving. took it to my local mechanic, they erased error codes and changed my brake fluids and bled my brake system. lights still come on. *tr

I have a 2001 ford windstar, the brake and abs lights on intermittently. this saturday (09-19-2009) i made a short trip to the market, the vehicle ran good, when i arrived back home the family got into the van to go a soccer game and we noticed an odor of smoke. i unloaded the family from the van and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. i couldn't find the source of the smoke. i drove the van out of the garage and parked it in the street, in that short time i saw more smoke coming from under the hood. still could not see where it was coming from. after a few minutes the smoke went away. monday morning i towed the vehicle to my local mechanic, after an hour or so of isolating he discovered my abs module had caught fire and melted the connector and wire harness. i contacted ford motor company today (09-21-2009), and was told there are no recalls or safety defects concerning the abs module or any fire hazards. i have not done anything to correct this failure because i do not have $2000.00 to fix my van. *tr

In sept. 2009 i purchased a used 2001 ford windstar. the day after i got home the abs and brake light came on. i took it to a mechanic who informed me that this is a recurring problem for my van. my brake lights stay on sometimes and it drains my battery. this is all surrounding the abs and brake light issues. i have replaced rotors, brake shoes, brake pads, and many trips to my mechanic. i contacted ford about my issue and they said it isn't their problem and their is no recall on it. i have researched that i am not alone. please make ford look into this brake issue/abs. *tr

2001 ford windstar with the abs and the brake warning lights on. i had a leaking master cylinder. changed the master cylinder and the front disk brake pads. bled the brake lines. when the van is started the lights are not on, but as it is driven down the road these two lights will come on. the brakes don't have to be applied for this to happen. it could happen in the first 100ft. or maybe they will not come on until it has been driven several miles. i thought i had it fixed one time as i drove 65 miles without them coming on, then there they are. the van will stop and the brakes don't feel mushy. *tr

Drove to virginia- 3 hrs into trip went to rest area and brakes gave out totally- ran into the back of another mini van, no injuries. the brakes came back, later brake fluid was 100% empty, filled it back up, and just last weekend driving back from annapolis- 90 degrees -and came off 100 onto rt 1 and no brakes whatsoever!!! then almost crashed =made very sharp left turn and swerved around other vehicles-scariest moment in my lift, then brakes came back again!! did research and see there is an issue and ford is ready to do a recall---i'm so upset and haven't driven the van since-. *tr

Braking distance suddenly increased. *tr

Abs light and brake light on. *tr

Abs light and brake light comes on intermittently. it goes off sometimes for a week but then will come back again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs and brake light illuminated; therefore, the contact feared that the braking system would fail. the mechanic repaired the abs control module. the contact is concerned about the safety risk. ford has a recall on the braking system for several other vehicles. the current and failure mileages were 72,000.

Three months ago, i bought a 2001 ford windstar lx and about a week after the abs and the brake light started to turn on and off sporadically and i noticed that every time i pushed the brake pedal the pedal won't come back up as usual, i changed brake pads, checked the brake fluid level which was low but then everytime i use my van there's like a plastic or fluid burning smell that comes from underneath my van on the passenger side, my cruise control is not working and, i'm afraid something bad could happened in the future, i took my van to a brake shop and they told me there was a recall on the abs system on these vans, i checked fords website entered my vans vin # but there is no recall so looking in the internet i found a website that suggested that i should report that to nhtsa because there is an investigation already open and filling these report might help that investigation ending in a voluntary recall by ford. *tr

Ford windstar brake and abs brake lights on. light stay on almost all time, it come off eventually and turn on without any warning or reason. unit has been taken to dealer couple times, first visit they did not found anything wrong with it, las week i took again to dealer and they said that the abs module is bad and need to be replaced. *tr

Abs and emergency brake light comes on at the same time while driving in the summer time. it doesn't happen at all in the dead of winter. *tr

Smoke!! brought ford windstar to a local tires plus for service $310.03 - abs light on after a few minutes or more while driving. intermittent light. brake light comes on from leak. need fluid. 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 have found many complaints and websites explaining this problem. ford need to do something!! http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/. *tr

Abs and brake light come on intermittently while driving down the road, cruise control stopped working just before fords recall. nothing done about these problems. *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

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

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.

Brake fluid consistently leaking. brake pressure differential deactivation switch leaking onto abs brake module. have cleaned and dried thoroughly twice only to have contamination reoccur. *tr

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

The abs warning light on my van comes on intermittently. after the vehicle has been turned off for awhile, it will go out. this happens at least once a day, though the light does not come on every time the vehicle is used. this problem has been steadily getting worse over the past three months. also, the brake pressure differential deceleration switch has been leaking brake fluid for many months. i replaced it with a new part from ford a few days ago. *tr

I had a total loss of brake function on my 2001 ford windstar se for 5 seconds. *tr

Red brake indicator and yellow abs indicator come on randomly. they come on at any speed and usually reset after turn off and turn on. they may come back on immediately or next day. seems to be false indication. no indication of brake or abs problems. *tr

My 2001 windstar, has several issues, occasionally, not every time i drive it, the parking brake light and the abs light come on and stay on.... and my brake lights will stay on occasionally also, again not every time i drive it. but, if they are on and i don't catch that they are on i can smell something hot, and i have to pull up on the brake pedal and then the lights will go off. i they are left on and i shut the car off and leave and come back to it, the battery will usually be dead.... is there a recall out there for this, and how do i get this fixed? *tr

Abs and brake light illuminated on dash. *tr

While driving my 2001 ford windstar, the brake light in the instrument panel illuminated and then the brakes suddenly failed. i was able to safely park the vehicle and inspect for problems. i noticed brake fluid all over the intake manifold and also running down the deactivation switch (which is mounted to the master cylinder) and parts located below it as well. since the fluid was spraying onto a hot manifold, it started to smoke but luckily did not ignite. i left the hood open to cool and waited for a tow. *tr

Ford windstar abs failure. abs fails due to heatsink expansion causing abs module to fail. *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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the abs and service brake lights would illuminate intermittently on the instrument control panel. he installed new brakes shoes, which did not remedy the failure. he took the vehicle to the dealer, and a technician concluded that the control module failed. the repairs cost $1200.00. also the latch on the second row bucket seats have fractured. no repairs were made. the manufacturer was notified but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was approximately 131,000. the current mileage was approximately 133,000. updated 11/10/09 *cn updated 11/13/09

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle burst into flames due to a leak in the brake pressure switch. the abs had to be disconnected by the dealer. the contact wants the abs module reconnected because it will make the vehicle safer to drive. she feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs since the abs module was replaced four years ago by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 55,000.

Abs & brake lights on intermittently. this happens mostly when outside temperature is above 24c. checked, but the scanner didn't show any of the codes? the mechanic said could be the malfunction of the computer? the problem not fixed because replacing the computer is too expensive and the brake would function ok without abs. *tr

On our 2001 ford windstar: abs deactivation switch on the brake master cylinder leaked to the point of blowing fuse #10. having replaced the fuse twice, i discovered the leak and replaced the switch. the brake fluid in the reservoir was very low, that being the consequence of the leak and the "cry wolf" indication on the brake light being on all the time. the connector to the switch was burned - i replaced it. the danger for us was the brake light "on all the time" was not mentally connected to a leak and loss of fluid because it went off when i replaced the fuse (until the third fuse failure -at that point, the brake light was legitimate but we were in "cry wolf" mode). the old parts are available for inspection. *tr

My 2001 ford windstar has an issue with the abs and brake warning lights. they both come on during warm weather. i have had this problem checked and it has been determined that the abs electronic control module is failing. . this is a common problem that i have read about on the web. ford should address this issue with a recall. *tr

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

Abs and brake lights illuminate on dashboard. the lights are not on when vehicle is started but comes on shortly after vehicle is driven. this problem occurred after the first brake job. the mechanic said it would cost around $400.00 to fix. i consider this a safety hazard because my anti-lock brake system is not functional. i still have standard brake function. *tr

Abs and brake light come light up intermittently on my 2001 ford windstar. brakes seem ok, but i have read of a problem common with this model that causes this from leaking brake fluid and possible fire hazard. this occurs 3-4 times a week. i am having the van looked at by my mechanic next week. *tr

Ford windstar brake, abs brake, cruise control problems: brake light stays on, abs light intermittent, cruise control inoperative. abs system disconnected by ford dealership to prevent fire. vehicle has developed a brake fluid leak and i have not isolated it as of yet. since seeing an online recall on the system, i will get it repaired tomorrow. *tr

Both abs and brake lights activated on the display panel. no accident resulting yet. *tr

Abs amber light, and red brake light have been coming on. loss of brake fluid through the brake pressure differential switch and code c1185 abs main relay failure code. non-functional cruise control. *tr

In my 2001 ford windstar the pressure actuated sensor attached directly below the master cylinder leaked all over everything below it(after replacing the master myself and everything in that area was clean i figured the problem was taken care of,but less than a week went by and my wife lost her brakes again .thankful that she had the smarts to take proper precautions.(that was the third time )so now that it was clean i could identify the source of the problem(the sensor leaking)i went everywhere to find the part (using the # off of the defunct original)no one had it.went to drew ford explaining the problem ,they said i would have to pay for the part(ok it was 25 bucks) the thing about it is that it was a part that was designed to accommodate the problem and of course a new part #(which is why i could not find it,it was recalled everywhere) added to that the brake and abs lights on the dash have been on for quite a time our mechanic couldn't fix the problem. when i replaced the part the lights went off for a day and a half but are back on constantly. my wife and kids are planning a trip and i wanted to make sure that there are going to be no problems. there is no more fluid leaking ,but i am concerned about what i have discovered on the internet. the best site is http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info. *tr

Trac active comes on, gear mesh sound for a few seconds, stops, abs light and trac off light comes on and stays on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. while driving 30 mph, the contact noticed that the abs failed and the brake indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop, but a technician could not determine the cause of the failure. the contact called the manufacturer and stated that no compensation would be provided because there were no recalls. the failure mileage was 115,847 and current mileage was 115,884.

Intermittent brake and abs lights. both lights come on with great frequency. replaced leaking brake switch on master cylinder but still have problem. ford dealer says i need a new abs controller $1,0000. *tr

Abs and brake light come on intermittently. pressure switch under master cylinder was leaking causing fluid loss and potential brake failure.the switch was replaced with an oem part from a reseller. the abs light is constantly on now and a code reader indicates a bad relay and no abs motor function. this has not been repaired due to cost of parts and labor involved. *tr

The abs and brake light come on intermittently. upon conducting research, i realize that while these lights on the dash are illuminated the abs system may not function at all or correctly. obviously upon loss of this feature, the chances of an accident would be considerably higher, especially in adverse weather such as a rain storm. i have owned another 2001 ford windstar with the same problem. every (1999-2003)windstar owner i have spoken to has had issues with their abs system. my vehicle calls for a replacement of the abs module, which should be replaced by ford, however this abs ecm is defective, an updated part would have to be installed. i am not aware if ford has corrected the issue in a replacement part. please conduct an investigation. *tr

Abs and brake light on, o'd off flashes no odometer reading, we had smoke pouring out of hood fire dept. said wiring burnt up. this week when all of these came on. it has been in shop again this week all week, this van has been nothing but a money pit! have had to replace transmission, fuel injectors, lost count of alignments, now they say it is electrical problem. not safe. *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