Abs module is bad - well known cold solder joint problem
Abs warning lights continue to come on even after repair. *tr
The abs warning light came on. the brakes still seemed to work ok. after taking the vehicle to the ford dealer, we were advised that the abs was not working and in the event of a quick stop being necessary, we should pump the brakes to prevent the tires from skidding. repair of the vehicle was going to exceed $1200.00. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs and the brake warning lights illuminated sporadically. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis however the failure was not located. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 89,100.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that she started the vehicle and the abs warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the brake lines needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.
Abs has intermittent failure, the warning light turns on and off. it is difficult to drive in snow and ice conditions as the vehicle braking becomes unpredictable. *tr
I was driving along on the freeway about 65 mph and i hit a small bump and the abs warning light came on and since then it won't shut off. *tr
Braking distance suddenly increased due to a faulty abs computer module. the aluminum plate on the module expands during heat causing the abs brakes to work only part of the time. this is very dangerous and ford should do a recall to fix the situation. my abs brake light is always on along with my emergency brake light. *tr
I saw there's a recall on the ford windstar abs system? (i have 2003) in 2010, i complained to my ford dealership that the abs and brake lights on the dash were flashing on and off, that it happens all the time. on that ticket they wrote, "no action", meaning they did nothing and said nothing about how to fix it. i just got back from ford dealership yesterday where i'd complained again about the same issue because now it's been 3 years of flashing lights... and they said "oh, you need a whole new abs system, that part is $2800.00 and that does not include labor!!! really? too bad my warranty is now expired. would have been nice to get that done when i complained the first time and had that expensive warranty in place. is this in fact a recall or do i have to pay for a new abs system? *tr
The speedometer, odometer & cruise control did not work & abs pump ran continuously. abs & brake light stayed on. this only happened when the outside temp. was around 80-85 deg.f & lights shut off once the engine cooled. diagnosis was defective brake control mod. pulled fuse 101 to keep pump from running. in 2012 the lights remained on with fuse in and the speedo & odo would go out intermittently. nov. 2013, lost speedo & odo all together. *tr
Abs sensor light comes on, even after brakes serviced. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs light illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic. the mechanic stated that the abs system had malfunctioned. the mechanic did not detail what needed to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer who advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. the failure mileage was 170,000. the vin was not available.
Dashboard warning lights for both abs and brakes illuminated. *tr
My abs light is on and wont go off. *tr
Abs ecu seemingly has failed as the "brake" and "abs" lights come on soon after starting every time the windstar is turned on. this was originally an intermittent problem, but is now continual. the only fix for these two lights is to repair the abs ecu. *tr
The abs warning light is on, intermittently. when on, the rear brakes can easily lock up if i slam on the brake pedal. braking distance is increased, and with less control. this seems to be a common problem: http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/#brokensoldier described as problem # 2 on this site. i also had problem number 1 described on the above website where the "brake pressure differential deactivation switch" developed a leak. for some, as the website suggests, this has caused a fire. i fixed mine, myself, at my own expense, before a fire occurred. both of these issues are design / manufacture defects, not normal wear and tear. *tr
The dashboard abs light and brake light illuminate. this happens off and on over the past several years. sometimes you will drive for 5 to 10 minutes and then the lights come on and sometimes they come on immediately after you start the car. when the lights are on, the abs systems does not work. the problem has persisted so long that my dashboard brake light must be burned out because it longer illuminates, even when you turn the ignition key forward and all dash lights are supposed to illuminate. dealership repairs were over 500. i believe this is unethical when this is a safety issue and judging from complaints online, there appear to be many people with the same problem. *tr
Brake and abs dash lights are on intermittently. *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.
Abs and brake light come on shortly after starting the van and driving it. been like this for years. looks like a very common problem that should be recalled and addressed.
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
Abs and brakes lights came on. abs inoperable. stopping distance greatly increased. *tr
The abs warning light, trac off warning light, brake warning light all come on intermittently at various speeds. this has happened daily since first noticing it 3 or 4 years ago. reported to dealer and dealer diagnosed as fault abs electronic control module with internal fault. service technician didn't think this was a safety issue unless operating in slippery road conditions. researching the issue on line revealed volumes of others who report similar problems. this is a $2000-$2500 repair. it appears ford is aware of the defect and has been for some time and is making money off this repair instead of just recalling the vehicle to fix the repair. if the abs goes out in slippery road conditions i think the safety risks are significant that ford should bear the responsibility for the costs incurred for this repair. *tr
Starting this year (2012), you can not get an inspection sticker in new hampshire if the abs light is on. approximately 3 years ago the brake and abs light would periodically light up on the dashboard. shortly after the lights appeared, the brakes would make a horrible squealing and grinding noise. i took it into the mechanic and he said there was nothing wrong with the brakes. about 6 months later, the brake and abs light was permanently on. in late march of 2012 i brought the van in for new front brakes but he was unable to shut off the brake and abs lights. after the brakes were installed the squealing and grinding noise became permanent. when i took it back to the mechanic he said the brakes were fine. so i took it to another mechanic in june of 2012 and he replaced the rear brakes along with rear drums, oscillators, wheel cylinder and brake fluid. this mechanic was able to shut off the brake and abs light, (he said the code was c1185-abs) which was a good thing because he said nh now required the abs brakes to be working in order to receive an inspection sticker. however it only lasted about 2 days and the lights came back on along with the squealing and grinding noises. in july of 2012 i took the van back to the mechanic that did the rear brakes to get my new hampshire inspection sticker. he looked at the brakes again but could not find anything wrong with them. he connected it to the computer and it came up with the same code (c1185-abs) but he was unable to clear it. therefore, legally i was not able to get my nh state inspection sticker. he did recommend a new abs pump but i have not done that yet. *tr
Brake light and abs light stays on. i have been dealing with this problem for over 3 years. i have replaced the abs module once at a high cost $.tired of ford run around. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. while coming to a stop, the brakes did not respond and the anti-brake system and brake warning lights illuminated. the contact pulled to the side of the road to switch off and restart the vehicle. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front and rear brakes were replaced, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
I have had multiple problems with my 2003 windstar sel to include complete failure of the vacuum system where brakes, power steering didn't work had to have towed. the dealership could not fix and did not have a recall. hoses in this system kept coming off. interior lights kept flashing on without any being turned on. also the "passenger door is open" light stays on. along with abs/brake light stays on. i have taken my van in to have brakes checked. there was no problem with brakes. i have maintenance done on regular basis. problems started with 50,000 miles. i am a single woman and need reliable transportation which this van is not. when is ford going to recall for electrical problems? dealership is of no help, only want to charge for something they can't fix. i took to dealership when front passenger window didn't open. dealership stated that it needed a new motor. i knew better as this had happen before. took home and after a little bump in the road window started working again. part of the crappy workmanship ford used to put together. also dealership stated there was no recall for the problem with vacuum system which i was told was a design problem. ford needs to address all the problems associated with this model. i wonder how many others have this same problem? *tr
The abs and brake lights came on. took it to the dealer and they stated that the abs module was defective. tested abs on wet and snowy roads, and the abs engaged appropriately. warning lights continue to come on about 5 minutes after starting vehicle. told by dealer that abs module needs replacing. i have not replaced due to high cost, $800+. *tr
The abs light and brake lights will come at the same time and both will go off at the same time. while these lights are on i will have issues while trying to break. i have trouble with the front wheel in wet weather wanting to skid when stopping and it will spin when taking off. i have had $500 of work on the front brakes and $450 of work on the back brakes and the mechanics don't understand why i still have issues when stopping. i have a 2003 ford windstar. *tr
The abs and brake warning lamps are intermittently coming on. i had the system checked by two different certified auto repair shops and both responded that there were several codes creating the problem. they also mentioned the only solution is to replace the abs control module. after doing research on my own, i concluded that this is a common problem with the majority of 2003 ford windstar owners. i believe the abs modules are not manufacture correctly creating this problem. i also believe this is something that ford needs to address on the 2003 windstar. *tr
Abs and brake lights are on. premature abs failure no fix but to replace pump and control unit. *tr
Abs and brake light appears randomly especially when the weather is warmer. so during the winter months the lights are not normally on. most of the time they appear after the car starts driving. *tr
Abs control module is bad. *tr
I purchased the car used in 2006. it worked fine for about a year. the brakes had worn out and the abs light and the brake light was on. after replacing the brakes, the lights came on and off randomly on different days. the mechanics could not duplicate the problem. now the lights come on steady after i drive awhile and stay on until i shut the vehicle off. i have had 4 brake jobs since, but that has not fixed the problem. i was told that the problem was probably the abs module as that was a common problem with windstar's. i am afraid to drive the car more than a half mile as the abs brakes do not work when the lights are on. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford windstar. the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the abs light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that front rotors needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 116,234.
Abs brakes dashboard light and check engine light is always on. dealer has reset many times with no success. *tr
Abs light came on, followed by the brake light. this problem began as an intermittent problem and has progressed to a continuous problem. car currently has over 170000 miles. the dealer has given multiple opinions on the issue to include: abs module defect, abs sensor defect. *tr
The abs light luminates and stays lit after the vehicle has warmed up. *tr
The abs, traction control, and brake warning lights will come on all at the same time after driving for only a few minutes. once these lights come on, the abs and traction controls are completely inoperable, and in bad weather this could lead to a crash. the warning lights illuminate faster when it is warmer outside. i believe that at $2800 to repair, this is a serious problem and should most certainly be a recall, especially in a family vehicle where children could be in danger. *tr
Abs warning light comes on intermittently. abs system does not work. brake warning light usually comes on simultaneously. *tr
The abs light has come on intermittently and the abs braking system does not work. when the vehicle is started, it takes about 2 minutes and then the lights come on. has been doing this for approximately 6 years but ford has refused to cover since it was out of warranty. *tr
Bought the 2003 windstar in 04/26/ 2004 it was a certified program car from a dealer and had mileage of 013335 we have had several problems with it. first the rear doors will close and then reopen the dealer replaced the sensors in the doors still have that problem, second the ball joints need replaced, third the passenger window would not roll up or down intermittently, fourth lift gate door ajar light keeps coming on you get out and shut it and it still is on next time you open and close maybe a day or two later it will go off, fifth the abs and brake lights on dash come on and sixth the passenger door ajar light comes on and won't go off. the side doors and the window was noticed before the warranty went out so we bought the extended warranty. *tr
This vehicle has had abs control unit problems since it was three years old in 2006. the condition being described is not to be confused with a previous windstar recall involving a leaking brake fluid pressure switch (nhtsa action #ea08021). the first occurrence was in the spring of 2006 (one month or a few thousand miles after warranty expiration) when i was about 200 miles from home on a trip driving up interstate 91 in ma in the rain. glanced down at dash display and saw both the brake system warning and abs system warning lights on. i stopped to check the brake fluid. when the car was turned off and restarted, the warning lights turned off. that was 6 years ago and the problem continued to progress to an extremely predictable pattern. in warm weather, (over 40 degrees f), the abs system will not function and the warning lights are on. when winter comes, the warning lights go away and the abs works normally. i was told by dealer that it would be a $700 repair. since the system worked in the winter (when i need the abs the most) and had spent a lot of money on several other engineering defects of this car, i have lived with the problem. it was mostly an annoyance. having done some research though, i have found that there are many other windstars with identical symptoms and they center on a defect of the abs module design. after the module has been cycled thermally for hundreds of times in service (heating, cooling, heating, cooling, etc.) there are solder connections on the pcb that are no longer reliable and become intermittently connected. it basically is an electrical or mechanical engineering 101 topic known as tce (thermal coefficient of expansion) mismatch. my concern now is that the failure is progressively getting worse and extending further in to the cold weather period. any design issue with a brake system or component is a serious safety issue. *tr
The abs system, that was supposed to be fixed with the switch recall, still doesn't work. intermittently i have the abs/brake warning lights on this van. it has happened under various conditions. i have replaced master and rear wheel cylinders, brake drums and still have intermittent abs. *tr
Transmission slow to engage after sitting. this is not only a repeat problem after being repaired, but also after being totally replaced by ford dealer. abs never recalled for scds 09s09. constantly resetting and disengaging. after 15 years of ownership, i have yet to be notified of or had anything repaired under warranty. when the transmission quit working, my wife was driving ( when the rpm's went up and the transmission quit pulling) on a busy highway, in heavy traffic, no place to go. nearly causing a horrific accident. with the abs problem, anything indicating a brake failure, possible onboard fire, or loss of control, leaves you with a huge lack of confidence in the vehicle.