Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Abs light on. tire ! light on. rpm off scale.

Instrument panel goes crazy. it was sitting in park when it does it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving approximately 60 mph, the speedometer stopped working, the air conditioning was not working, and the overdrive warning indicator illuminated. next, all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 157,000.

I was driving down the road and our and and brake lights had came on. took it to the local shop and was told about the c1185 code was on. we were driving on the way home, and it just comes and goes with every start up and shut off. car was in motion. to my acknowledgement i'm not positive what is causing this issue but i've been researching and have read about many of the same issues in this particular van series. i've read about ford's safety recall number 09s09 and and my vehicle is to be in that recall as well.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle's battery was draining. the contact had to remove the terminal to charge the battery. the battery was replaced three times in four months. the abs and anti-theft warning lights flashed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but they could not start the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

While driving, the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature needles started "dancing" (bouncing all over the place). when i came to a stop, the speedometer needle had gone all the way to the right and was stuck there, blocking the gear shift indicator and not letting me put the car in "park." i had to drive to a nearby mechanic who was able to free the stuck speedometer needle. the problem has continued on a regular basis and has gone from being intermittent to permanent. it doesn't seem to be a "unique" problem with windstar vans.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving approximately 60 mph in rainy conditions, the vehicle began to jerk. the entire instrument panel, headlights, windshield wipers, and power windows failed to operate. the engine warning indicator illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road until the rain subsided. after restarting, the failure persisted. the failure recurred twice. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where a code was not detected. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 155,000.

Had been driving the vehicle all day with no problems. later in the day, the abs and brake light came on. it turned off after about an hour. a couple of hours after that, i turned off the vehicle and went into the store. i came out about 20 minutes later, and the theft light was blinking. the vehicle would not start. i googled different ways to try to fix the issue, and tried 3 of them. we unhooked the battery, pulled some fuses, and tried different keys. none worked. as of now, the vehicle is sitting in the store parking lot and i am not sure what to do. we just bought it a couple of weeks ago. *tr

The abs sensor light comes on after a minute of driving. sometimes the emergency brake light will come on when braking. this happen to me after putting in new wheel bearings. then i put in new abs sensors still have problem. alot of other people on the internet are having same issue as me. the i put in speed control deactivation switch. still have same issue. *tr

2002 ford windstar sel with vin [xxx], i am the third owner of this vehicle. the abs and traction control system is damaged and has a recurring warning when the engine is started with the abs / brake and traction control warning lights on. the person i purchased this van from (2nd owner) stated that he had all the recalls completed on this vehicle however he believed that the defect identified in ford safety recall 09s09 for the speed control system has resulted in damage to the abs system computer and/or associated harness wiring or harness connections. he (2nd owner) did not keep the repair orders for any of the recall repairs so i do not have any records to review. i believe that the wire harness, related wire harness connectors and the abs system computer are damaged resulting from brake fluid leaking and/or corrosion related to the defect found in ford safety recall 09s09. i believe that the ford dealership that performed this recall failed to properly repair or identify collateral damage in the wire harness and abs system computer as noted in recall repair procedure. the vehicle is currently not repaired and the abs system is not functioning as designed (non-functioning), i believe this is a safety hazard. current owner: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I was not aware that there were recalls on the 2002 ford windstar. my mom purchased the vehicle 3 years ago from ralph thayer dealership in livonia michigan. the abs brake light has been on and now the gauges are just flipping. *tr

Brake light , abs light on dashboard came on ,then lost over drive, cruise control and mileage meter. mileage meter goes blank than odometer starts working after a few minutes .the dashboard looks like x mas with all the flashing lights. this van has the factory recall for the rear axle and front frame reinforcement work done.what about the electrical/ electronic problems ? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated independently. the contact also stated that the instrument panel gauges spiraled back and forth. in addition, there was smoke coming from the front end of the hood. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 81,000.

I was driving the van this afternoon on a public road when for no apparent reason the van started smoking from under the engine. i pulled into a automotive garage and got out of the van and it was still smoking badly. i individual who actually worked at the garage was on his way home from a restaurant and pulled into the parking area. he had me go into the vehicle to pull the latch to the hood and when he opened the hood the engine and other parts were engulfed with flames. they spread into the inside of the van and destroyed the dash board, windshield and other area. the roof on the inside was melting. they were able to put out the fire but the van is destroyed. the individual who stopped and helped me out is a mechanic at that particular garage and said it looked to him like a electrical problem started the fire. i am now without a vehicle. personal items i had inside the van are ruined or destroyed. *tr

I purchased the 2002 windstar van on 7/15/14 with 155,400 miles. shortly after that the abs light and the brake light came on. i could not find any problem with the brakes nor with braking. the brakes seem to be working fine. the lights seem to reset themselves every so often but will come back on. (note: i am an old school mechanic not a modern day automotive tech). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 30 mph, the headlights and the instrument panel lighting illuminated intermittently. in addition, the brake lights and the windows failed to operate. the contact restarted the vehicle, but it could not be driven. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter, the battery, and the motor mount needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 131,000. the vin was not available.

While driving the abs and brake light will illuminate at the same time within the instrument cluster. while the lights are on, the abs system is inoperable and braking distance is reduced. problem is intermittent. when driving the problem will show up and after turning off the engine and restarting, the lights will go out. issue happens again within a few days/week later. *js

My vehicle was taken in to ace ford in woodbury , nj as part of a series of recalls. the 09s09 speed control campaign was one and they did the fixes as well as the rear axle. after getting my vehicle i noticed my abs light was on , my odometer has all dashes , my brake light is on , my speedometer does not work and my o/d light blinks fast constantly. service was closed at the time so i drove it home. upon driving every bump i hit it felt like my back end was going to fall off. i took it back the next day on may 21st , 2014 and complained about the issues. they did not seat my rear axle properly and they say they fixed it. as for my dashboard issues , i was told that the 09s09 speed control was installed and it then made another part fail. they said (dealer and corporate ford) , they will not replace it for free. i have to pay $390 for the part and then labor. i have been in talks with ford to no avail. i did some minimal research on the internet and found many other people have had the same issue. ford will not replace the part. *tr

All of the following happened at the same time: abs and brake lights went on and stay on. o/d light flashing. odometer and speedometer stop working. the electronic compass, remaining fuel info., automatic electronic diagnostic and electronic temp. showing errors. electronic sliding door would not open unless engine is not running. power windows stopped working 6 months ago, not sure if it is related. i had a mechanic replaced the alternator and checked the brakes. it did not fix the problems and there was nothing wrong with the brakes. i took it to ford dealer and i was told that the abs module could be the problem because they replaced a lot of them. the abs module supposedly messing up the whole electronic system. it has less than 65,000 miles and i'm scared to drive it because the electronic system might suddenly cause other problems and cause an accident. the electronic sliding doors already would not open unless the engine is not running. in case of an emergency or a crash, someone might not be able to get out and be trapped inside because the doors and windows would not open. i was told by a ford customer service that there is no recall to fix the problem or look into it even though they admitted they've been having similar problems to a lot of ford vehicles. *tr

Car bought in march 2014 from used car dealership. abs light and brake light started coming on in may. mechanic told me that this is a problem with the ecm and getting it replaced is costly. if i chose to replace it, the issue may occur again because ford has not resolved the issue on the actual part. brake failure concerns me because i have two children under 4 years of age in the car with me most of the time. this past weekend, the brakes did not respond when i decelerated. i had to put the car in park and shut off the engine to stop it. ford needs to look into resolving this major problem asap, as no driver should have to be worried that their brakes will fail while driving. *tr

The abs and brake lights came on just two weeks after i purchased my windstar. they would come on and off intermittently over the course of the next few weeks. i took the car to a mechanic and was told it was my ecu master relay which cost me almost $1000 dollars. after a few days the lights came back on again i took it back the mechanic and he said that maybe the part was faulty and he would provide me another. to which i asked for a refund because that was a brand new part it has to be more then the part. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit a loud noise when started. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic, who stated that the starter was hanging and the housing of the transmission was fractured. the contact was advised that the engine, starter motor and transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 61,000.

My abs and brake lights come on randomly all the time since i got it in dec 2013. *tr

Abs system activated under normal breaking conditions, caused extended breaking distance. has happened 13 times since the initial failure. dealer unable to replicate but scanned for codes and found c1185 which they said was failure of the abs controller/computer. they suggested $1200 in repairs but couldn't guarantee it would "fix the problem". have multiple abs fault codes all the time now. c1198, c1194,c1254, c1246, c1250, c1242 ,c1214, c1210, c1446 which all point to multiple failures in the computer. searching the internet it appears on http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/ that a recall for this issue may be in the works as of 5/2014. *tr

Abs and brake lights come on intermittently. i applied the brakes heavily and all 4 wheels locked up. the vehicle was uncontrollable while braking. the speedometer is erratic. the battery is dead sometimes after sitting overnight. the hazard lights come on by them selves. the door locks do not work properly. the tire indicator lights come on for no reason. *tr

Abs and brake lights have been turning on intermittently, when on abs is not functional. today on minimally slippery roads lights came on, abs needed at an icy stop sign, did not come on. rear ended the car in front of me. no damage to other car, front bumper on my car now cracked. abs still not working. *tr

The gas gauge stopped working followed by the power sliding doors, interior lights, keyless entry, all rear lights and the rear auxiliary heater. after checking the internet i found out that it was the rear control module. i tried to purchase one from several ford dealers and was told that the part was obsolete and no one had any. i was told to try to purchase one from a junk yard. i purchased one and had to have it programmed, after having it programmed i still do not have rear heat/ac keypad entry or power sliding doors. i was told by the dealer that there is no way to test the module. with so many systems, especially rear lights(tail,brake, turn and reverse) depending on one part that it should be available for more than 11 years.

The abs, track off, brake light indicators, and check traction control intermittently illuminate. they remain on until the key is turned off, and then reset. the frequency is intermittent and not measurable. initial checks have no results as the lights are out when checked by a repair shop. *tr

Abs and brake light illuminated and experienced a burning electrical smell. fuse#10 was popped and lost dash functionality. went to ford today 8-14-13 and had recall 09s09 work performed and that did not fix the problem. my wife and i believe their is a serious electrical problem with the abs electrical control module, due to issues related to the recall 09s09. we hope that the van does not erupt into a fire. we still can smell an electrical burning smell. *tr

My speedometer, abs light, and o/d off light all are on. the master cylinder was leaking brake fluid everywhere. i replaced the bottom part with a factory ford part. the leaking has stopped, however the brake fluid leaked all over and has caused severe damage to the vehicle. i believe ford should be held liable for this and replace all computers and parts that were affected by . *tr

During normal driving both the brake warning light and the anti-lock brake warning light will come on and stay on. they don't always come on but if they do they don't shut off till you turn the ignition off. we never know if it's a real brake problem or just an electrical glitch. *tr

Abs and brake lights on dash on due to ecu and hcu failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the brake lights and turning signals failed. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured electric module, which was replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 113,581 and the current mileage was 121,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the rear axle fractured. the contact was able to move the vehicle onto the road shoulder and drove the vehicle into a ditch for safety. the vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who replaced the rear axle. the contact also stated that the fractured axle caused damage to the air conditioning line, speedometer and cruise control system. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 204,000. kmj

Late april 28,2013 abs and emergency brake warning lights came on and stayed on. may 1,2013 van's speedometer quit working. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 35 mph, the abs and the brake warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who stated that the electrical control unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 125,000.

Abs and brake warning lights light up randomly and cruise control stops working. main brakes still function. i see lots of similar complaints online. had brakes repaired twice and the mechanic always mentions a loss of brake fluid. even after that, the problem persists. i do not believe my vin was ever part of the scds switch recall but i am suspicious this may be somehow related (?). if so, there could be risk of a fire and i do not feel safe. i'd like some answers before i spend any more money at local mechanic fixing this car. calling ford dealer tomorrow to see if there is anything they can do. *tr

Battery light comes on periodically - driving home my radio shut off, abs brake light came on, dash lights dimmed then shut off, head lights began flashing, heater may have stopped (not sure, was focusing on the next road to pull off on), could not accelerate. i pulled over, shut off the van and waited. a few minutes later it turned over like nothing was wrong. this also happened to me about a month and a half ago. *tr

Vehicle abs light has been on consistently since purchasing vehicle from carhop/ uac. reported the problem to the warranty department only to be told any electrical is not under their warranty! this was reported within a week or so of purchasing the vehicle used for 8500$. since have replaced all four tires for brakes, ( top of the line brakes, not cheap ones) light still remains on after several trips to a shop. anti-lock braking system still inoperable and almost caused crash 12-7-2012 when attempting to stop on a lightly icy road. several other electrical issues have been going on with the car as well. it blows brand new fuses, rated higher than what the slot calls for, the low tire pressure light stays on, despite taking the van to a tire specialist and the correct amount of air placed in each tire. also the crankshaft positioner has caused the vehicle not to start. the air bag light has stayed on and went off after disconnecting the battery. replacing bulbs on the van quit often. at the point of stopping the payments and letting the car company just repo the van. it is a safety hazard on the roads and especially in snowy minnesota where a functionable vehicle is needed in order not to cause a accident! *tr

my abs light is on and will not go off and speedometer wouldn't work properly when the weather was really warm,and just september 21st 2012 my car was not able to switch out of park,and on oct.18th 2012 my brake light stop working all together. i have research this problem and there is a recall out on ford windstar 1998-2003 with the same problems. but when i called ford 10/22/12 they check my vin and stated that there was not a recall on my car only ford windstar van with parts made in virginia. i don't understand why my car cant be repair at ford expense when there is evidence that there i s a problem with the car. *tr

My abs and brake warning lamp comes on periodically for no known reason. there was a recall on brake lamp switch a few years back and now this concern exists. *tr

We parked the van at walmart and when we started it back up the abs and brake lights came on and stayed on until we shut down and restarted 2 times. it started doing it sporadically. we bought this van used, so we took it back to the dealership and they ran a diagnostic and said that nothing was showing up and just reset the system. the lights had stayed off until sunday, october 14th; they are now starting to come back on sporadically. *tr

Neighbor came by early and told me the brake lights were on. i went out to inspect but didn't see them on. got in the car an hour later and noticed smoke and horrible "electrical" smell. i checked the entire car, but found nothing, when i went to start it, the battery was dead. had my friend give me a jump, hooked up cables and sat in the windstar for a minute, i then heard crackling and immediately smelled smoke. under closer examination i found it was the center, upper brake light assembly completely melted, bulbs were contorted. had the assembly replaced with a ford part from dealer, three days later it happened again, so i removed bulbs before it completely melted. the center "third" brake light does not shut off, even when car is off, 12, strong volts to bulb socket, on or off! left and right brake lights work fine...for now. i have no doubt my car would have completely been destroyed, had it not been for the battery going dead. *tr

Brake and abs lights turn on at same time without an apparent cause, this happens after driving van 5 or less minutes at a low speed. once the engine is turned off and restarted again, both lights remain off, and again, after driving the van for a short distance brake and abs lights come on again. *tr

Abs and brake light stay on. *tr

Approximately a week ago, the #10, 15 amp fuse was blown. replaced it with an approved fuse and blew right after i started van up. i had noticed some liquid on garage floor about 2 days before the fuse blew, the "brake" light on dashboard was lit up. i checked the brake fluid level and it was very low. when i added fluid, i noticed there appeared to be a leak of fluid on the front, underside of the master brake cylinder. i had a friend who is a mechanic look at it and he told me the master cylinder could be bad, but looked like the pressure switch was where the leak was originating. upon further inspection, he noticed there was a wire harness that was soaked in brake fluid and beneath another one was wet. he attempted to clean both of them and replaced fuses, but after using the brakes the first time(going out of the driveway) i heard a "pop" and the fuse was blown again. this particular fuse controls the odometer, speedometer, the abs light on dashboard. the amount of fluid going onto the engine is a good probability of a fire starting when the leaking brake fluid is on the hot engine. this seems to be an increasing problem and needs to be recalled. *tr

Abs and brake warning lights on dashboard came on and when codes were retrieved, it was c1185, abs power relay output circuit fault. *tr

***********updated information from odi number:10554248************ abs and brake warning lights on the dashboard came on and when codes were retrieved, it was c1185, abs power relay output circuit fault. my wife just informed me that when the lights came on, she could feel the brakes be applied just a little on its own (without pressing the brake pedal) for about a second or two. had the codes cleared and the same code came back on a short time later with same reaction from brakes. *tr

I keep having intermittent problems with dashboard warning lights: yellow abs light, yellow trac off light, and red brake light. please note: on approx july 17, 2012 i took my windstar to have this problem checked and have ford recall 09s09 service done. the quick-service manager refused to check the abs control module connecter even after telling them three times that it is required as part of the recall. i was told by a service advisor trainee, to bring vehicle back if problem persists and take to regular service dept. i took the vehicle back to same ford dealership for resolution of this problem and was told there is a $92.00 diagnostic fee. i agreed to fee to see if the repair they recommend is same as repair which should have been covered under recall, and left van there on august 14, 2012. *tr

Van intermittently has abs light, trac control off light, and emergency brake light all on at various times. if vehicle is turned off sometimes lights go off sometimes they do not. also at random times the theft light will come on and van will immediately shut off (this occurs at speeds over 35mph). in addition the power steering reservoir will not hold fluid. needs to have fluid added at least 2 times a day. with the exception of the power steering issue, the brake failure and the theft system failure is extremely dangerous. i have seen numerous complaints regarding these items. i took my vehicle to ford for repair of the recall on the speed module and they told me that these other issues were not their problem. i called ford customer service and the individual on the phone told me that if i felt it was unsafe then i should sell my van. this is an extremely dangerous problem with ford vans....the brakes fail and the theft system is faulty!!!!!! they should not be allowed to manufacture any vehicles!!!! *tr