Problems with 2000 Ford Windstar ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Massively erratic behavior of the instrument cluster. all of the gauges; the speedometer and rpm gauges, heat and all just jump rapidly up and down. sometimes they give false indicators. the heat meter arm goes up when it is not hot. it's really scary. it's been going on for weeks. it doesn't happen often and i am not sure why it happens. this is a minivan i.e. a family car. i cannot wait to get rid of this car. i'll never buy a ford again. *js

As is typical with the windstar, the deactivation switch is leaking brake fluid. thus, causing problems with the abs and cruise. unfortunately, ford already honored the recall (09s09) on this vehicle. at that time the deactivation switch was not leaking so they installed a wire harness to avoid a fire when it did start leaking. (why put on a wire harness? because they knew the switch was going to fail. why not just replace the switch in the first place?) now ford will not re-open the recall to replace the switch and fix the other related problems. *tr

Abs light stays on! abs system does not operate! *tr

Last week as i was driving around town and my instrument panel stopped working and the abs lights would not turn off. the next morning i had to take my son to one of his activities and the instrument panel was still not working and i noticed i had to push the brake pedal all the way down to the floor. i went home and noticed that my car was leaking brake fluid. after much research i found my vehicle had a recall. (09s09) i took my car in this morning to have this recall fixed. this did not fix my instrument panel. after i got home i researched what the problem might be and have found numerous complaints about the same problem from brake fluid leaking on the some of the wires. i contacted ford to see if this would be covered under the recall and they explained to me that the recall only covers that specific part. i am very upset because the recall will only cover the part and not the damage it has caused. i would like to file this complaint to make a record of this. i truly believe that ford should fix the damage that this recalled part has done to my vehicle. *tr

Due to a fluid leak, the speedometer and odometer of the vehicle does not work properly. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle emitted a boom sound and caught on fire. as a result, the vehicle was destroyed. the fire marshall appeared on the scene and stated that the fire was caused by the alternator. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure and current mileages were 150.000. the vin was unknown.

I own a 2000 ford windstar and the windshield wipers have quit working for the third time. this always seems to happen while i am driving in the rain, which is not safe at all, but yesterday it happened during a very heavy thunderstorm while i was driving down the interstate at 70 mph! it has always been wiper motor failure and the motor needs to be replaced. i have seen a recall in the past on the 2000 ford windstar for this same complaint. i contacted my local dealership and they stated that my windstar was not included in this recall. as much of a hassle and an expense it is to have the wiper motor replaced, it's still not as much a hassle as it is dangerous to be driving a vehicle that not only do the wipers randomly quit working without any warning but the abs and traction control will kick off all the time and ford won't fix or do anything about the failures that so many other windstar owners continue to have. how many recalls on safety issues do you have to have before the entire vehicle is recalled? the frame, the suspension, the wipers, the speed control system and the anti-lock brake system, all the things that a driver truly needs to safely transport their family around have been recalled on the windstar. this doesn't even touch the amount of money that has been spent on the lean system bank 1 & 2 error codes and the engine light still comes on for the same code. i'm sure this has a lot to do the terrible gas mileage that is not even close to what the original sticker quoted!. or the torque converter issues in the transmission that had to be completely rebuilt. a lot of the windstar's issues started while it was still under warranty and just continued to get worse. if were up to me i would definitely call the vehicle a lemon. p.s. after talking to my neighbor, he also has replaced his windstar's wiper motor three times. seems to be happening to more vehicles than just mine. *tr

Van would/runs for over an hour, shut off for 15 minutes and try to restart, and it won't. after multiples issues with this, and being able to temporarily repair, speedometer and rpm meters are now sticking permanently and are not showing speed or rpm's accurately at all! more issues too... *tr

Abs and brake light on dashboard remains on all the time. replaced master cylinder and had all brake system checked numerous times but problem not resolved. *tr

I was driving on the highway and all my instrument panel needles (gas, rpm, mileage, temperature) were all jumping around. this went on all the way home. i parked the car but the rpm needle was stuck and i could not shift the car into park (p) and could not turn off the car. i called a local mechanic and he came over and put the car in neutral (n) and turned off the car. the car had to be towed to the mechanic to have the instrument panel checked. the mechanic was able to move the rpm needle so that i could shift the car but the instrument panel continues to sporadically go from working, to not working at all, to all the needles jumping around. the mechanic was aware that i had the transmission done 3 times since i bought the car in sept. 2003 and told me that the malfunctioning instrument panel may be contributing to the transmission issues. *tr

My 2000 ford windstar van has frequent and intermittent problems with the abs light coming on and eventually going off; the cruise control not working sometimes even after it was repaired by the dealer; and the gauges in the instrument panel (including the speedometer) erratically malfunctioning. i have been told that these are common problems with ford windstar and may be subject to recalls. (even though the mileage is high, i replaced the transmission and engine with a brand new transmission and a brand new engine in 2006 and 2007, respectively. only less than 50,000 miles on the vehicle since 2006.) *tr

I own 2000 ford windstar. the paint is flanking off the roof really bad it has some spots rusted and some is gray even in the back and front. i just replaced the hood from a junk yard. my speedometer keeps going crazy and when trying to get out of park the park and revers part broke because it got stuck with the rpm and that broke too. i have to keep the fuse unplugged that goes to the interior lighting do to battery dead by the next day.

Abs light comes on intermittently. disappears on restart. *tr

For a year now we be noticing odometer failure, brake light and abs light coming on. recently we found out the brakes weren't working at all. luckily no accidents. i inspected the brake fluid container which was empty. i refilled it and checked around to see for any leaks. i noticed it was leaking at the scds switch. i went online and found a website where they described this to be a common problem and that there was a recall for this. lucky it hasn't caused any fire like it did by some other owners. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the abs and brake lights on the battery died. while the contact tried to replace the battery, she noticed that the battery cables melted. the contact called the dealer who stated that the abs light stayed on which caused the cable to melt. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The abs warning light on my 2000 ford windstar van has been coming on intermittently and staying on for some period of time (i.e., years). reported this several times to the local ford dealership and they acknowledge that the light is on, but can never figure out the appropriate diagnostics as to what is wrong with the sensors or the abs system and they have been unwilling to replace anything. even during the last recall (cruise control wiring harness issue) the mechanics at shults ford of wexford, pa admitted that the light was on and wouldn't go off, and that they didn't know why, but they made no attempt to replace it. lately, my light has been lit up more constantly and it seems to me that the braking distances are generally longer. i cannot ascertain if the abs system is even engaging or not, but it seems that ford is really not too interested in this problem. i recently applied the brakes during a light rain in which the road was slick from oil/grime because it had not rained in some time, and i heard no evidence of the normal sound of the abs system. i wanted to submit this to nhtsa so that at least this will be documented in case i get into a serious crash as a result of a faulty abs system or abs sensors. *tr

I own a 2000 ford windstar. i have recently had my abs brake light go on and stay on, along with my traction control light also staying on and finally, my speedometer no longer works above 40 km per hour. all of these happened exactly the same time. i took it into ford and they are saying i need a new abs module but after reading about their abs recall issues and much written about how this problem is very common, i am inclined to think ford should fix this problem. hence my complaint to you guys. *tr

Abs light on intermittently. instrument panel gauges erratic sometimes. cruise control not functional at times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact started the vehicle and went back into her house while the vehicle engine continued running. the contact stated that she heard a loud, revving noise and proceeded to turn the vehicle off. she then noticed smoke emitting from under the hood. the fire department was called and in a matter of seconds, the front end of the vehicle was destroyed from the flames. the entire vehicle was in flames and by the time the fire department arrived, the vehicle was destroyed. a fire report was available. the contact stated that there was slight damage to her residential garage and the vent and rubber seals were melted. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 185,000.

The abs indicator light keeps coming on and going off intermittently. once on it usually stays on until i turn off the car. this started during the summer about a year and a half ago. my mechanic said that most likely the ecm needed to be replaced to the tune of a $700 replacement module from ford plus labor! my ford dealer told me that the 09s09 recall work was done some time ago, but this problem with the abs light coming on continues. i am very concerned after reading up on recent information as it has been reported on multiple sites that leaking brake fluid reaching the abs electronic control module has happened after the supposed recall repair was done in many instances, causing fires and or the loss of the abs braking system working. i have also read many, many reports online about ford windstar owners having the exact same problem, without necessarily having a fire or brake failure...yet. if this electronic control module is so consistently faulty, should ford not be required to replace it at no charge to their customers, especially if there is the possibility of it causing a failure of the abs braking system? *tr

Abs light followed by fuse blowing and loss of dash light and all instruments(speedometer and odometer) power windows and sliding door not functioning. occurred 6 times - replaced fuse each time. last incident, fire occurred on the wiring just below and attached to the master cylinder. wiring harness completely melted exposing the bare wires which were melted together. at this time separated the wires and taped each wire individually. and secured wires to the side wall of the engine compartment. *tr

The abs light on my 2000 ford windstar comes on intermittently but there's no code in the computer showing a problem this happens if you hit a bump or sometimes for no reason at all. *tr

2000 ford windstar lx minivan was subject to recall 09s09 due to fires linked to scds 10/27/2009. took to dealer at which time fusible link was replaced. still having issues with abs light coming on and intermittent speedometer/odometer operation since may 2010. took back to mike castrucci ford in milford, ohio and person there had no idea what i was talking about. *tr

I own a 2000 ford windstar and recently had recall work done for the faulty scds in which ford fixed the problem by replacing the switch because it was leaking and then they used some sort of harness to enable the cruise control to work. however, the abs light is still on and to my knowledge the abs system is not working. ford claims the two issues are not related. however, when i had diagnostic work done by my mechanic he pinpointed the abs/ecm module was defective and not working. that in my opinion links the two issues because the cruise control is tied into that abs module (which is right below the scds switch). ford is not taking any responsibility for the abs module at this point. in reading some other information online it seems that module expands when it gets warm and cause intermittent electrical connection in the unit because the fragile board is being stretched and malformed. the october 2009 recall (to fix the scds switch) will not fix this problem unless you had a fire at the abs connector. which too me is ridiculous because ford knows there is a problem with the abs module design and because that part costs $800 they are not considering it their issue. they are willing to allow vehicles like mine to travel around without the abs functioning, which is no doubt a safety issue. *tr

2000 ford windstar lx 3.0. stalling while driving, when parking, while turning . sometimes will restart but as time has progressed this will not happen. began while under warranty but would always restart with patience but now has been rowed to dealership last six times. numerous very costly parts have been replaced since no codes are produced in these events but no solution has been accomplished to alleviating the stall. this is very dangerous in traffic. *tr

Abs light is on. all recalls to date have been performed by the dealer. *tr

Abs light comes on intermittently, not sure if they work after this. i have had it to the repair shop repeatedly to have the brakes and sensors inspected. this vehicle also leaks from the speed control module, instrument cluster dies, air conditioning fails due to control module shorts, fuses blow, suspension and rot issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle jerked and all the electrical systems in the vehicle shut off completely. the contact was able to safely drive the vehicle home. the contact also stated that the vehicle would overheat and the ant-freeze would leak. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. the failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

2000 ford windstar, xl. a/c, heater, odometer, speedometer stopped working. abs light on. *tr

I had received a recall notice for my ford windstar 09s09. i had taken my vehicle in to the dealership where they ascertained that the part was defective and had leaked. it was noted with ford that my abs light was always on, as was the check engine light and that my cruise control did not function any more. my speed indicator and odometer did not function properly either reading only half of the actual speed and mileage. these were all noted and the dealership replaced the defective part but stated that they would not repair the other problems that were caused by the leaked hydraulic fluid. i still have issues with everything stated because they did not do anything to fix these problems just changed the part. at this point i was told that it was too late to do anything because according to ford the recall case was closed because the defective part was changed. as a consumer, i trusted my dealership to handle the recall in the correct manner instead of leaving all of the problems to continue without notifying me until it was too late, in ford's words. *tr

Abs light came on while driving. no problem detected. light comes on after driving for awhile and the engine gets up to normal operating temp. mechanics tell me the abs module is bad. i have two windstars and this happens on both. ford definitely has a problem with the abs module! *tr

Several weeks ago the 'check brakes' light came on in our 2000 ford windstar. the next day the speedometer and the odometer only showed dashes.we went to the ford dealer they changed the blown fuse and it worked for a couple days since then the fuse had continued to blow now and then but in the last couple days it blows anytime the vehicle starts. so we change the fuse again and then it just blows again a couple minutes or miles later. also when it dose go out the abs light stays on and doesn't go out. *tr

Problem began with speedometer not working correctly. the rpm gauge doesn't work. the panel that tells you what gear the vehicle is in is off center so the car doesn't officially go into "p" or any other gear according to the dashboard. the brake lights burnt out. the brake light on the dashboard illuminated. the vehicle is leaking brake fluid. *tr

Brakes failed. speed control switch on front of brake master cyl leaked brake fluid. prior to this cruise control quit working and brake and abs lights on dash came on. *tr

I own a 200 ford windstar and recently took it to a ford dealer to have the speed control module replaced due to recall. i did so after having problems with my brake system (not having any brake). i originally brought it to a regular garage and they could not figure out why i had no brake because my brakes were good so they told me to get to ford and have recall situation taken care of. after doing so i still have hardly any brake and the abs light still comes on. every week i seem to be putting in brake fluid because the red brake light comes on. on a few occasions i have had problems getting out of park and have no idea why. i am due to have an inspection and don't know what im going to do if it does not pass due to not having much of a brake. is there some other problem we should be looking at involving the abs system? *tr

I had the recall done on my windstar, and up until then i had never had a problem...now i have gone to work twice(night shift) and my van failed, first the inside lights go dim on the dash(all but the abs) the the radio goes and the my head lights, tail lights, horn, windows nothing works and then my car stops...i have not had a crash , but as i just discribed i am surly on my way. i replaced the battery first thinking that could be it,jan-5-2010 and two days later jan-7-2010 i am finding myself once again drivng without light and my car stopping in the middle of the road,and that (abs) light on. *tr

Regarding the 2009-2010 perform recall 09s09 of the speed control deactivation switch wire assembly replacement. it did not work - it never worked, nor did it solve the problem. within 2 days of the installation the abs light came on again. to this date brake fluid is still leaking into the component. it causes my brake lights to stay on upon stopping and turning the car off - which if goes unnoticed, it drains the battery. to this date the cruise control does not work. and it has also reduced my safe braking distance. i have very low miles on the van - less than 81,000 miles - so it is not cause by heavy usage. ford has failed to fix the issue which is the leaking brake fluid onto this wiring assembly. there are many ford windstars still in use that are experiencing the same problem. ford should fix this issue of the leaking brake fluid onto the assembly wire. replacing this wire assembly harness did not and will not fix the brake fluid leakage issue. *js

My abs light always comes on. it sometimes comes on after about 15 min of driving, and sometimes it comes right on. *tr

I purchased a used 2000 ford windstar lx in september 2009. from the first day, the abs light was on and we have had consistent problems with our brake lights and cruise control. sometimes our cruise control works, sometimes not. sometimes it suddenly stops working as well. we never thought of it as a big deal as cruise control isn't a necessity. however, our brake lights randomly come on while driving and while parked and not running with no key in ignition. we have had several incidents where the battery was dead because we were unable to get the brake lights to turn off. i also have been near rear-ended by cars following for long distances. since i am driving with my brake lights on, when i actually use the brakes, the driver behind me cannot tell the difference. i have just had my scds replaced at a ford dealership today. they denied any connection with the problems. my abs light still comes on and the brake lights as well. i am going to visit another dealership and bring all the recall paperwork with me. *tr

Abs dash light stays on, now speedometer and odometer have stopped working. mechanic says need a new ecm but searches of internet find this is a common problem with the windstar. *tr

1. smoke was coming out from under the hood on my 2000 ford windstar. smelled like an electrical fire. then the speedometer didn't work correctly and abs,and brake lights were on. 2. checked fuse box found fuse blown,replaced and blew again. 3. found brake fluid was leaking out of the brake deactivation switch, sprayed connection with brake fluid,replaced switch,but left unhooked do to it keeps blowing fuse. brake deactivation switch. *tr

Not working cruise control, defective odometer started when i was approaching a stop light all the gauges in my dashboard (fuelgauge,rpm gauge,odometer,and temperature gauge swung back and forth. the other gauges returned to normal when i turned off the engine but the odometer was stuck and the cruise control not working. *tr

No odometer or speedometer and abs light on. *tr

Speedometer, odometer, cruise quit working, brake fluid leaked out, no heat, #10 fuse blew. *tr

2000 ford windstar. all at once the a/c, speedometer, and odometer stopped working, and the abs dash light stayed on. dealer said it the cruise control brake switch caused all the failures, and i paid $240 for the repair, but 1 minute after picking it up, same symptoms recurred. they said they will replace the switch and harness when they get parts next week. *tr

Abs light, speedometer and odometer don't work. everything with #10 fuse. brake fluid leaking. replaced fuse continues to trip, add brake fluid continues to leak, cant afford this ford '!@#$%. *tr

My gauges started going every which way all on there own, the brake light and the abs lights stay on all the time now. *tr

2000 ford windstar abs light on #10 fuse blown, speedometer broken, odometer -------- data err. *tr

2000 ford windstar -- abs light and brake light continuously on -- cruise control will not work -- master cylinder leaking -- speedometer and odometer have failed. *tr

Speedometer, odometer, a/c and cruise control stopped working while driving. abs warning light on. found #10 fuse blown in fuse panel. this fuse is related to all of the functions described above. when researching the possible cause of the blown fuse, found information describing a possible defective switch on the underside of the master cylinder. the switch was in fact leaking brake fluid into the harness plugged into it. the harness ended at the abs control unit under the vehicle approximately under the driver's seat. brake fluid was found at this site as well. as a temporary repair, the switch was removed and a plug installed into the master cylinder. also, two 40a fuses were removed from the under-hood power distribution box to disable the abs system. as a result, the speedometer, odometer and a/c functions returned to normal. however, abs will not function until the issue of the leaking switch, wiring harness, and abs controller are addressed. *tr