Problems with 2003 Ford Windstar SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Ford recall no. 09s09 - 49 cfr part 573-defect we were not informed of recall. -- per down-loaded pdf letter from ford motor company today, this recall obligation expired on 12/8/2009. question: is ford obligated and required to pay for repairs in near future (july 19, 2011) to correct defect?

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

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact was driving 45 mph on normal road conditions; the "abs" brake warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician recommended the replacement of the anti-lock brake system computer module. in addition, there were defective automated power locks on all four doors. an authorized mechanic was unable to duplicate the door lock failure. the vehicle is in the process of being repaired for the abs computer module. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 80,000. the current mileage was 100,000. updated 12/30/09 *bf updated 12/30/09*jb

I have a ford windstar, 2003 and the brake light and the abs light come on intermittently while driving. i have read and heard from numerous other individuals that this problem occurs due to an abs module malfunctioning. is this currently recalled? the ford website says that the 2003 windstar does not have any recalls. *tr

2003 ford windstar abs brake failure. system has intermittent failure, smell something hot when it happens. *tr

My 2003 ford windstar is leaking brake fluid from the connector under the reservoir. *tr

The abs and brake lights had simultaneously been coming on intermittently since sometime in 2008 (a 5-year-old vehicle), occurring with greater frequency as time went on. however, since about march 2011 they now come on every day, usually within 2 minutes of starting the vehicle. there were no accidents or damage leading up to this failure--the problem is inherent in the module. after about the first year of intermittent failure i had a ford dealership technician diagnose the problem; he told me it was due to a bad ecm for the abs (which i already suspected, having done some prior research); we had a conversation about it concerning the aluminum heat sink plate; he told me it was a bad design, it should've never been designed that way. in may 2011, after the warning lights were coming on daily, i had some other service work done at a ford dealership; in speaking with the service representative i asked about the abs and brake lights, he told me the abs ecm was bad, that many of them go bad like that because it's a bad design and he had in fact just replaced one the week before for a customer--it was $1,400. these same modules were used on earlier model years of the windstar, and all model years using this module have had failures. when the module is not functioning, the anti-lock brake system- does not engage. when the system fails, this can lead to unexpected wheel lock-up and uncontrolled sliding, increased braking distances, and greater risk of injury accident. the vehicle is equipped with abs, and as a safety feature it must not fail--just like seatbelts, airbags and tmps. with the system failing daily now, i fear this coming winter the vehicle will not respond as expected when braking on snow-covered roads. with 2 ford employees telling me this module is a bad design, with the relatively low part cost for the module (actual cost, not marked-up), considering the factor of safety at stake, this should be repaired under a recall, the same as any safety system. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact started the ignition and suddenly, smoke expelled from the front end of the vehicle. the engine was turned off. the driver inspected underneath the hood and the engine compartment exhibited heavy smoke and small flames. the hood was closed which smothered the small flames. the fire department was not called to the scene. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the cause of the failure was contributed to the anti-lock brake system. the contact performed a temporary repair. the contact had concern of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Abs and brake lights on intermittently. *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

Driving down the road , abs and trac off and brake lights on...since brake light came on , my wife would not drive it... had brakes checked said they were fine. took it for a scan test and wow codes from c1145 to c1410. said it was related to ecm module. very expensive...2003 windstar 79,000 miles. *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

Abs and brake light is continually on, diagnosed as abs module failure. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar that i purchased at the end of september 2008 from a local ford dealership. in november, the abs and brake light started intermittently coming on the dash. i currently have the van at the dealership for a transmission repair and had them look at this problem. they have told me that the abs hydraulic module is bad and needs to be replaced. after doing some research, i have seen that this is a known problem by ford and they have yet to do anything about it. the brakes still function like normal, but the abs system does not work due to this problem. i understand that they do not want to fix this since the brakes will still technically work, but as this is a fire hazard i am shocked that they have not been directed to fix this problem. i was quoted $1,200 for the module by the dealership which i just can not afford to spend the money on right now. i will search on the net for a new module, hopefully, at a lower price and replace it myself. ford needs to be held accountable for their products and they should be forced by the government to correct this problem. *tr

I kept getting an intermittent brake and abs light that resets when the car is turned off. my mechanic troubleshoot it down to the ecm for the abs. failure of ecm in the abs brake system resulting in the abs light and the brake light being illuminated. i am sure they have fixed plenty of these by now. why no recall on an obviously bad part/design? *tr

2003 ford windstar, the abs and brake warning lights comes on and off while driving. caused by brake fluid leak which could lead to a fire. *tr

Service brakes,hydraulic braking distance suddenly increased the abs and brake light have been on in my car steady for as long as i have owned the car. the ford dealer was unable to resolve this issue. *tr

The abs and brake lights on the front panel come on intermittently. we have brought it to the local ford dealership, who have replaced the master cylinder to no effect. in communicating with other windstar owners, i have learned that a likely cause is leakage from a switch onto a cable harness, which has been known to cause fires in vehicles with this problem, and that the abs system must be disabled to preclude this problem. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar se with 72,000. the past month after driving for about 15 miles, the rear brakes screech very very loud and when the car stops, the red brake light comes on. it does not do this until the car has warmed up. i have had new brakes, calipers, pads etc replaced on the front and back brakes . this did not help. the light still goes on after warming up. we took it to sayville ford in sayville, ny to investigate brake light. they got no codes and could not duplicate problem. today, abs and brake light came on along with screeching sound. will take it back to ford to check out. i understand that there are many many many more windstars experiencing the same problems with no solution. i hope that you will get ford to recall the windstars and correct the problem. i also understand that the car can also go on fire unless you disconnect 2 fuses. i will discuss with ford what to do. i would hope you investigate this problem and make ford responsible for this problem. these vans are mommy vans and who do you think will get hurt when van goes on fire or the brakes malfunction- moms and children. please take this seriously and act now! *tr

Abs and brake light come on when car is running for a while or heated up. car smells like something is burning. *tr

Abs control module failure in 2003 ford windstar van; less than 80,000 miles on vehicle; replaced by ford dealership on 9-5-2008 for a cost of over $1,400; preventable action taken before serious accident occurred. *tr

Brake warning light and abs warning lights go on periodically for no reason. brakes have been replaced and fluid level is ok. same problem with many windstar owners. *tr

2003 ford windstar abs & brake lights on, dealer says it needs a replacement of the abc transducer and module. based on what i have been able to discover, this doesn't appears to be a normal wear and tear sort of thing but a design problem. *tr

Abs, brake light and traction control lights come on. *tr

Abs/brake light come on and go off intermittly. *tr

Abs and brake light come on intermittently.*tr

I was pulled over by police for no brake lights. however, the 3rd brake light works. after all the bulbs, relay box, etc were checked, all were ok. i was advised to check to see if any other complaints about both brake lights not working. *tr

I have a ford windstar 2003 and the abs brake light keeps turning on so i looked it up online and i found that the problem is in the ecm module and to replace it costs about 250$ and the abs/brake light turns on when driving in bumps and sometimes for no reason and sometimes it turns on just when you get your car out of the garage. *tr

Since the summer began, i have been getting the red brake warning light intermittently. changed the pads, would still get the light at times. today was extremely hot and humid. both the red brake warning light and the yellow abs light came on. this is a 2003 ford windstar. after much research, i can see this is a typical problem with this vehicle. *tr

Ever since spring 2006, our 2003 ford windstar has had an intermittent problem with the abs system where the abs warning light on the dash will illuminate. the service brake warning light will also illuminate even though it is functioning normally. at first this was very alarming but no leak or problem was found with the hydraulic system as the fluid level was correct and the pedal is firm. all the abs wheel sensors have been checked for continuity, their dc resistance falls in the acceptable range, and the connectors appear to be sound. i currently have lived with the problem for a couple years and discovered that thousands of other windstar owners are reporting exactly similar failure symptoms with their vehicles. a commonly reported cause is the abs control unit which i currently can not afford to replace at a cost of $700 or more. a windstar owner who has had the time to investigate this outlines a condition he has observed, where there is a thermal coefficient of expansion mismatch between an aluminum plate and an fr4 (fiberglass/copper) circuit board inside the module. it can be seen at http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/#problem2. this person's symptoms mirror mine exactly. i am an electrical design engineer in the aerospace industry and can tell you from first hand experience that if you laminate fr4 to aluminum and then repeatable temp cycle it, you will experience future stress failures. this is an example of poor engineering. in the case of the windstar, the part will operate for approximately the warranty period and then begin to fail intermittently. i hope that my entry into this form will help make this widespread problem known. *tr

Intermittent illumination of abs warning light and emergency brake light simultaneously. *tr

The brakes on my 2003 ford windstar have multiple ongoing problems. no matter how often i get the pads, and rotors changed, they squeal and sound like they need replacing. occasionally, during normal operation, the abs seems to activate, causing a pulsing in the pedal, and a feeling as though the brakes are not working correctly. on these occasions, the van will roll farther than expected into an intersection. the red abs/parking brake light comes on and stays on for no reason. this has been ongoing for 3 or more years, and i have spent several thousand dollars on repair after repair, with no improvement. *tr

My automobile keeps getting multiple emergency brake and abs errors. the lights come on multiple times daily. upon researching this problem it appears to be a wide spread issue with ford windstars 2001-2003. the issue appears to be a faulty brake system including the abs system. brake fluid leaks from a faulty sensor into electronic connectors causing the potential for fires. there are documented cases where this failure has caused fires. *note please review the following website http://www.2carpros.com/forum/8-vt49767.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=140 please review this safety defect soon! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. when the contact started the ignition the brake and anti-lock braking system warning indicators illuminated. the warning indicators remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing who stated that the failure was related to the anti-lock brake system. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was approximately 58,000. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 02/23/11

The abs and brake lights repeatedly come on while driving and do not extinguish. seems semi-dependent on outside temperature - the hotter it is outside the sooner the lights seem to come on. have had brakes serviced and no mechanical issues to note. seems to be related to abs module. nothing repaired as of this time as part is to expensive $1000+ plus labor. am told by ford that abs ( a safety feature) is not functioning when this light is on. hopefully this issue will not be present when a emergency braking procedure is required. *tr

Abs & brake light goes on and off. diagnostics say it is the modulator. a week ago there was brake fluid leaking but, now there is no leakage so they can't find the source. they want $650 to fix it!!!! this vehicle my daughter drives w/ her 5 children. we cant afford to fix it!!!! we cant afford another vehicle!!! this not safe and ford should have to pay 4 it!!!! *tr

Abs and e brake light intermittently. *tr

The abs and brake lights just came on for no apparent reason. this happens sporadically (3 times this month). the repair shop/dealer advised that the cost to repair the brake pressure differential deactivation switch would be between $300 & $400 and it would be better (less costly) to wait until a recall was issued. considering that this cold cause a fire, it is a bit alarming that a recall has not been made yet. i cannot afford to make the repair and will wait for the recall and hope nothing serious happens in the meantime. *tr

I have a 2003 ford windstar. i did a search for problems with my brake and abs lights coming on intermittently. i have the issue referenced here: http://www.2carpros.com/forum/41-vt49767.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=400 i am concerned there will be a fire. *tr

The brake warning lights and the abs light keep coming on intermittently. i assume when the abs lights are on that system is not operating. don't know what to do after reading internet reports. *tr

Abs light & brake light stays on continuously, especially in the hot weather. when vehicle is cooled off, it does not come on. this is a 2003 ford windstar lx, i understand that this is an issue with my model year. *tr

Brake warning light and abs warning light come in intermittently. go off when vehicle is turned off, but they usually come back on after the vehicle is driven about 1/2 mile the next trip. adding brake fluid did not correct the problem. *tr

The abs light keeps coming on in my ford van and the brakes get hard to push. it seems to happen more often when the van warms up or the whether gets warm. ford does not recognize a problem and will not fix it. *tr

The abs / brake light illuminate intermittantly, brakes turn on squeel without warning.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the abs light remains illuminated, followed by the brake light. there is also fluid leaking and melted wires under the hood. the contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. the current mileage was 135,000 and failure mileage was 132,000.

Intermittent abs and brake light illumination. once per month. most often in summer. no apparent brake operation issues. dtcs c1185, c1198, c1194, c1254, c1246, c1250, c1242, c1214, c1210. vehicle is up to date on service and recalls. no service action taken yet for this issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. he stated that during the months of summer, the abs and service breaks warning light consistently illuminates on the instrument control panel. failure of the break system can lead to increased stopping distances, which increases the risk for vehicle crash. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a technician deactivated the abs switch numbers 15 and 10. the failure and current mileages were 38,000. the vin was unavailable. bl

I drive a 2003 windstar, and the brake lights will not go off even after having the brakes replaced. in searching for answers i came across a recall for 1999-2003 models, however, my vin was not included. this upset me because my car was experiencing the exact problem. i called 2 ford dealers for assistance, one gave me the number to the customer care line. they did not care too much, because they were unwilling to add my car on the list to receive repairs. i think it is more than coincidence that the recall and my problem are exactly the same and no one will fix it. please help before we wind up with injury or worse!!! *tr

Prende la luz de freno junto con la luz de abs en tablero. se escanea y marca el codigo c1185. *tr