Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Abs and brake light stay illuminated as soon as the van is turned on. the dome lights flicker on and off. i've taken the van to the dealer for the dome lights and they could not find anything wrong with the van, but told me that it is a very common complaint and it is likely the start of a total electrical failure on the vehicle. *tr

Where to start? almost seem like to many problems to list. we will start with the constant draining and replacement of the battery. new battery every few months. thinking this issue may have to do with the fact that the interior lights go on and off at random unexplained times. sometimes remaining on once the vehicle is off and all doors are completely closed. problem with abs and brake light coming on at randoms times in addition tp the checl charging system light. sometimes they come on and off but if they remain on cause the car to hesitate or just quit on you. i have 3 kids and am terrified for our safety everytime we are in this vehicle. i have finally had enough and am filing a complaint since i have read from numerous sources that i am one of thousands and thousands having this same issue. please consider the safety of the drivers of these vehicles and subsequently any innocent motorist or pedestrian who may become injured from these safety issues. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar lx. while the brake was applied the abs light illuminated. the failure occurred intermittently. she was also experiencing the failure with the speedometer while driving 45 mph; however, the odometer read 20 mph. the vehicle wasn't taken to the dealer. the vehicle wasn't repaired. the manufacturer will be contacted. the failure mileage was 92,000 and the current mileage was 94,450. updated 02/07/11 *bf the consumer stated the abs light stayed on most of the time. updated 03/17/11

Abs and brake light coming on and off with weather change for a 2003 ford windstar, looks to be the same issues that everyone else is having. will stopping my car within the required design distance be affected if abs is not working correctly due to the soder on the board breaking down. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar. my brake light and abs light never turn off. my warning that the door is open is always on as well so my interior lights stay so my battery dies. my head lights turn on and off as well. *tr

Abs light brake light they are always on. *tr

The interior lights flickering all the time. i keep the interior lights off so they don't flicker. *tr

2003 windstar cruise control shuts off abslight and brake come on together at random recall has been fixed no wiped delay. *tr

My speedometer will not work at all, go up and down or get stuck, indicating the wrong speed, while in motion, also at a stop, it will pop up, happens on city street and on highway. i have researched this and there are multiple complaints about issue with ford windstar minivans. to me this is an extreme safety issue as i find it distracting, have no idea how fast i'm going. i was driving through a school zone today and while i was not driving fast, i could not say for certain that i was within the speed limit. i'm continuously looking at my speedometer, taking my foot off the gas to see if it will drop, but i can't trust that the speed reading before was correct. i can be driving and it will pop right up to indicated 100mph, when i'm driving in my neighborhood. i get alerts and signal alarms for "low brake fluid", "check advancetrack", my airbag warning light is on intermittently, and my rear back up sensors don't work either. i have also had problems with the drivers side sliding door not staying shut when parked, i have had this feature disabled for safety reasons. it will start to close, reopen, start again, close partially and then reopen again, even if the door is locked it will do this. these are all ongoing problems, i don't know if they are tied together. i have had the vehicle looked at for problems and have been told that codes come up under diagnostics but when the actual parts they are warning about like the abs, low brake fluid are fine. i have had the car at a ford dealership multiple times for the door issue and were told they could not figure what was causing the issue.

On my 2003 ford windstar the abs light and e-brake light on the console would come on sporadically, stay on for a while, and then turn off. this occurred for several months starting last winter. about a month ago they went on and have not gone off. the sporadic coming on of the lights seemed to coincide with the power failure for the front and rear passenger side power windows. both windows are now inoperable at all times. i contacted ford in regards to the texas instruments speed control related recall, gave them my vin, and was told my vehicle falls outside the cutoff data for this recall. *tr

I own a 2003 ford windstar, i have tried and spend well much money in a solution but it comes really expensive paying for some one else errors, my dashboard lights( abs and brake lights ) comes on every time while driving the vehicle anywhere, this is been happening even on real short trips, my mechanic told me i got code c1185, means that the ecm on my car is messed up, had to replace, im not the only one and ford is making a lot of money selling this parts to owners to have no problems, i drove this vehicle with my family, and i don't want to jeopardize my family and my own integrity. *tr

My 2003 ford windstar has been continuously giving my electrical problems. first the rear parking sensors disengage when in reverse. while driving the abs, brake and traction control lights come on the dashboard. i'm not sure what it does, but the vehicle does then not function properly. the traction control and brakes don't seem to be working properly. *tr

Abs & brake light on after speed control recall performed. *tr

Braking distance suddenly increased brake and abs lights come on when going down road. i have replaced the brakes and this still happens, the mechanic says there is a fluid leak around the abs connector system??. door open light stays on and will not allow doors to lock properly. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar affected by the latest recall concerning a faulty switch that leaks and can cause fires. i took my van into a ford dealership yesterday for this problem. they replaced the switch but that faulty switch has ruined the abs module. the cost to replace that is over $1200. that should be covered in the recall too. an ap report yesterday by tom krisher and stephen manning states that "nhtsa also identified four reports of leaking fluid damaging the antilock brake control module, resulting in a fire." while i am not aware of a fire i do know there have been instances when i park my van that the front end seems extremely hot. i plan to have my garage check for signs of fire or overheating due to this problem. as of last week my speedometer has intermittent problems of not working, particularly when the engine is hot. the abs and brake light are both on all the time. *tr

Favor mandarme informacion a serca de los automiviles marca ford winstar 2003 segun el periodico de hoy van a ser retirados de circulacion por la ford por defectos de fabrica , les agradeceria mas informacion. *tr

Suddenly my speedometer,odometer,aircond compressor did not function. several displays did not register correctly the abs and brake lights on the display would come on and go off. i found the safercar.gov site and it guided me in the right direction to find the problem with the brake pressure deactivation switch. fuse #10 would blow. i caught the problem before any thing caught on fire. ford needs to be responsible for this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that none of the windows or doors opened with the key remote. the windows do not open but the doors can be opened manually. the dealer inspected the vehicle but could not determine what caused the failure to occur. the failure mileage was 100,000.

2003 ford windstar se brake and abs lights on intermittently. the following codes are present: c1226;c1235;c1185;c1198;c1194;c1254;c1246;c1250; and c1242. the mechanic said it appears the abs control module is going bad or is bad at a cost of $700. i replaced both rotors, drums , right wheel bearing, left inner tie rod and my brakes work just fine. the lights coming on are an annoyance and could possibly cause a fire?? *tr

The abs and brake light began to come on intermittently, followed soon afterwards by the power right passenger window failing to go and down, followed by the transmission o/d off light flashing. these would occur until the engine was shut down, then most of the time the symptoms would go away, always to return. when the o/d off light would come on, the transmission would fail to perform at speed and we would have to reduce our speed to under 50 mph in order to not rev the engine above 3500 rpm. when this light is on, you cannot get to 60 mph without redlining the engine. i have had dealers and mechanics look at this a number of times with no resolution. *tr

Leaking brake fluid, cruise control switch caught fire, melted abs ecm wiring connector, brake light on after brake service, abs brake light stays on, fuse had to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford wind star. the abs and exterior brake lights remain illuminated after brake application. also the interior lights flashes on and then off. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection; since the technicians could not duplicate the failure they could not provide a remedy. the failure and current mileages were 41,000.

With no prior problems to report, i was suddenly unable to put my vehicle in gear after starting it. the gear-shifter felt somewhat loose as if i were parked at an incline without putting the hand brake on. however, i was parked on level ground. after turning the vehicle off, i was finally able to get the vehicle out of park and into neutral where i was able to start it and put it into drive. whenever i placed it in park it was extremely difficult to get it back into any other gear however, it would randomly go into gear as if there was no problem. but once placed back into park it would get stuck again. now there is all kinds of wacky electrical stuff going on...window swithches aren't functioning, no tail lights, fuel gage is not functioning and the remote alarm entry only unlocks the drivers side door. there is a clicking in the left side of the steering column when trying to utilize any of the listed electrical functions. *tr

The vehicles electronic antilock brake module has failed. there have been numerous warnings and notices that brake fluid leakage onto the module , is a known cause for early failure. all my dashboard lights turn on within a few minutes of operating the vehicle. the dealer did confirm this failure and suggested a replacement that is not under warranty of course. this does not seem right, that a known and acknowledged vehicle design problem with the gasket on the brake fluid resevoir leaking fluid on the module and causing premature failure is not a mandated repair and not simply something left up to the manufacturer. i don't have the funds for this costly repair

1. there are no particular events leading up to this problem. 2. my a/c started blowing hot air, o/d off light is blinking, odometer and speedometer quit working, brake/abs lights stay on, locks go crazy randomly. 3. we have not corrected this problem yet. i was doing research on these problems when i found a website with exactly the same problems that linked to this website. *tr

Bad abs module is a problem that very many windstar owners have. so you think you have abs and you do not also alot of windstars have burned. this is a danger to owners. *tr

2003 ford windstar. abs and brake warning light come on intermittently. seams to be mostly when wet roads, but has occurred on dry days also. took to local ford dealer and was told abs module had a lot of error codes and the wiring connection looked damp. mechanic put dielectric grease on the connection, but i received no info on the error codes. *tr

Abs and brake light stays on, o/d indicator flashes, speedometer and odometer not working, a/c stopped blowing cool air. all this happened all of a sudden. i notice it being a chain reaction on 2003 windstar's. *tr

My 2003 ford windstar continues to smoke and the abs and brake lights keep coming on. it also has electrical problems because the interior lights continue on flashing and the door locks sometimes do not work properly. the problem seems to be a widely experienced issue because i have found numerous websites describing these issues. *tr

2009 ford windstar. purchased van 2 years ago and it has been difficult! automatic doors pop open loudly or not at all. had that fixed. rear window occasionally work! interior lights flicker or stay on at different times! rear sensor signal does not work. *tr

My wire in my 2003 ford windstar not working my electric doors do not lock and my back control panel is not working and i checked my fusebox and a fuse was burned out so i replaced in and it blew out again so some thing is wrong with my wiring and i do not know what to do now. *tr

Parking brake light and abs light come on after driving a short distance. i've found this to be highly frequent problem on 2001-2003 ford windstars. also read that this could cause fires and even death. we also have internal lights that flash on and off while driving. this is dangerous at night as it could startle the driver. i've read this is also a common problem. please! get the ford motor company to recall these vehicles and correct this problem. a huge percentage of the these vehicles have the problem. *tr

2003 ford windstar abs and brake lite comes on and goes off at times. i bought the car 5 months ago, i don't know if it had this problem before i got the car. *tr

We bought a used 2003 ford windstar lx. we have had one electrical problem after another. anti lock brake lights going on. engine light going on. driving down the road and all interior lights go on and stay on or the lights start flashing and flickering. yesterday the anti lock brake lights have gone on again. recently this has been happening several times a week. this morning we were at a stop sign waiting to pull out onto a major highway and the car would not move. my husband stepped on the gas. the engine roared but the car would not move forward nor would it move backward when put into reverse. we have had this van at the garage numerous times for these repairs. each time being told that the problem resolved. each time spending several hundred dollars. *tr

Abs control system failed , light comes on and stays on, relay failure. slow sticky brakes response. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar sel that has 86,700 miles on it and for the last 18 months the abs and brake warning lights come on at the same time after driving about a mile. i'm not sure if this compromises the safety of the vehicle. there should be a recall on this because my mother-in law's 2002 windstar is doing the same thing as well. *tr

Abs will sometimes fail. dash lights come on and "check traction control" alarm. turn van off then on again and will clear. problem appears to be intermittent. mechanic checked and it is the abs unit alarm c1185. also my speedometer sometimes does not read correct speed. had recall 09s09 completed and speedometer has been o.k. but abs still cutting out intermittently. sometimes it fails just by turning the ignition on, sometimes while driving. only consequence is that the abs/traction control system is not available when it fails. *tr

I own a 2003 ford windstar. approximately two months ago the abs and brake lights came on while i was driving. when i restarted the engine the lights turned off; but while driving they came back on again. this now happens almost every time i drive the vehicle. when my mechanic examined it he said that the module was shot. while i was deciding the best way to handle the necessary repair i decided to research the problem. my research shows that this is a very common and dangerous issue with windstars. i hesitate to replace the part only to have the same issue in the near future. *tr

Vehicle was skipping/jerking when trying to accelerate (happened recently), abs and brake lights come on and off w/o warning, inside dome lights were flickering, and front windshield wipers would not stop after being turned off, until car was cut off (happened over 2 year period). had a dealer to fix problems to a tune of about $2300. *tr

Loss of brake fluid (problem # 1) melted brake deactivation switch (problem # 1) brake light on after brake service. (we think this back pressure brakes the deac switch) (problem # 1) brake light (red) (problem # 1 or problem # 2) 15 amp fuse #10 blowing out (problem # 1) fire or smoke coming from under the van abs ecm area while off. (problem # 1) melted abs ecm wiring connector. (problem # 1) speedometer and odometer stop working. (problem # 1) cruise control will not activate or deactivates without warning. (problem # 1) abs brake light (yellow) (problem # 2 or problem # 1) ford trouble code c1185. (problem # 2 or problem # 1) brakes turn on squeel without warning. (problem *tr

6 months ago my abs and brake light started coming on sporadically. interior lights started flashing on and off at different times day and night. very disruptive to driving and dangerous to other drivers on road. dealer says no recalls on this item. am having independent mechanic check this out. also affects the brake lights and turn signals when sometime working and sometime not. *tr

Abs sometimes works and other times does not. after brake service at dealership, they take no responsibility for this known problem. result is abs does not always work . brake light on after brake service. (brake light (red) 15 amp fuse #10 blowing out abs brake light (yellow). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the hub has been replaced 15 times and the electrical system is faulty. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty; therefore, they would not repair the vehicle. the contact feels that the manufacturer should repair the vehicle. the current mileage was 91,000 and failure mileage was 81,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the wires from the overdrive switch in the transmission were burned and the fuse was inoperable. the vehicle became engulfed in smoke while driving at an unknown speed. smoke was rising from the instrument panel and the vehicle would have caught fire if the contact had not turned off the engine. the dealer stated that there was no recall on the wiring harness; therefore, the contact would have to pay for the repair. the failure mileage was 96,000. updated 03/12/09. *lj updated 03/16/09. *jb

Brake light (e-brake) and abs light come on intermittently after about 5-10 minutes of driving. this either cause the abs to disable or not depending on which mechanic i talk to. two mechanics have looked at this, and recently i was denied an emissions test due to this (non-emission related) problem. according to several websites, this is slated as a _very_ common problem with this year of vehicle, and i would like to get it fixed... the dealer wants over $1000 to diagnose and repair this problem that if not resolved, results in intermittent abs, or fire. *tr

2003 ford windstar. brake and abs lights came on, fluid leaking out of brake pressure switch. fluid wicking down to other wires blowing fuses. abs control unit wires soaked in fluid. possible fire. also electric door locks stick both fail to unlock and fail to lock even though the solenoid is triggered. the actual lock is sticking on 3 of the four doors. *tr

Smoke coming out from under the hood,then after a few weeks the abs light coming on. at the same time as the abs light the speedometer started going all over the place. also at this time cruise control when on would deactivate and basically do whatever it wanted. but while all this was happening there was no smoke. *tr

I drive a 2003 ford windstar. within about 5-10 minutes of starting the vehicle, both the yellow abs light, and the red emergency brake light light up on the dash. the brakes still seem to be working properly. i even took the vehicle to a mechanic and the brake system checked out fine. however, the lights are still on, and won't go away. *tr

The battery light comes on occasionally. when it comes on, the electrical system has reduced power. this is confirmed by the headlights dimming, wipers moving at slower speed. if i turn the ignition off and then restart, the battery light goes off and everything functions normally. if i don't turn the car off, it will die in a short time. *tr

It started with the interior lighting coming on while driving ,then the dash windows nd radio ,battery dying and the outside lighting staying on while keys were out and not working once started. they are all happening constantly even with all the new parts that the ford garage replaced{battery,switches,alternator,light sockets,etc}. *tr