Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Abs and brake lights coming on for no apparent reason. had recall service on cruise control and the warning lights for the abs and brake lights have been coming on intermittently since that service was done. talked with the local ford service department and they are aware of this problem. said that the previous recall on the cruise control didn't have anything to do with my warning lights for abs and brakes (but they have had more issues with this problem than the cruise control recall). if i remember the correctly, the cruise control recall - it had something to do with brake fluid contact and potential for fire, my cruise was shorted out and not working - must have been from brake fluid. i am thinking that this flaw has something to do with electrical components connected from the brake and abs system to the warning lights being shorted out in a similar way; it is just a guess, i am sure that the real mechanics know what is going on.... this is a safety issue and ford needs to recall this design flaw; the warning device is not working as designed. i am sure that the $1,600 to fix the problem is an issue for ford. sometimes the lights turn on when i start the vehicle, sometimes i may be driving and they will turn on, at times the warning lights do not come on at all. the brakes are not effected from what i can tell and my fluid levels are normal. i hope that my brakes don't really experience a problem.

Sometimes the parking brake, abs, and trac off lights will come on and stay on until the car is shut off. this will sometimes happen 2 or 3 times a day, and sometimes not happen for several days. brake fluid levels are fine. mechanic found codes c1185, c1194, c1198, c1210, c1214, c1242, c1246, c1250, c1254, c1404, u1260, and u1261. he cleared the codes for me and 2 days later the lights started coming on again. from info online, this could be related to the recall of the speed control system modification (i have not had that repair done yet). *tr

On our 2002 windstar van, every now and then it takes longer distance for brakes to work properly, especially if it is raining. under the recall campaign, some time ago, wire harness/fuse link was replaced by a ford dealer. we seems to have the same problem of abs and brake lights come on and go intermittently. we had the brakes checked, and everything seems to be ok. brakes taking longer distance to apply and it is very unpredictable, scary and to get used to it. i do not know what to do? *tr

Braking distance suddenly increased. *tr

Sudden increase in braking distance. this happens intermittently but always seems to happen when abs, traction control, and brake light come on. occasional slight smell of burning usually on hotter days. longer braking distance has almost cause me to rear-end a car and/or stop for a pedestrian in a cross-walk. only because i always leave plenty of distance away from cars in front of me and watch closely for pedestrians has an accident been avoided. i have not had the problem repaired because our ford dealership told me it would cost $800 just for abs electronic control unit and 8 hours(@$125/hr) to install the new unit. also, i was told a new speed control unit would need to be replaced. i am simply not in a financial decision to get these items fix. i am concerned that these issues may result in an accident or a fire or both. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs, brake and traction control lights illuminated intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the vehicle was not inspected. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance as there were no related recalls. the current mileage was approximately 63,000. the failure mileage was approximately 62,800. updated 01/11/2011*lj updated 02/07/11

On 12/09/09 i had the recall 09s09 speed control campaign recall performed at feduke ford @ 2200 vestal parkway e. vestal, ny 13850 on my 2002 ford windstar. after the recall was performed i am experiencing very frequent abs/brake light indicators on the dash warning light system. the van was taken back to feduke ford for diagnosis on 07/15/10. the result of the diagnosis was a faulty ecu relay that is built into the electronic control unit. said repair estimate was approximately $842.00. with the abs /brake warning lights on i do not have abs brakes. these lights are on frequently and this is my family vehicle. i have done online research and have discovered this is a very common problem with these vans. my wife and children use this van and i am very concerned that this issue is not being corrected by ford since this is such a common problem/defect. during the week prior to 07-15-2010 i had to stop quickly for backed up traffic on sr 434 and since i had no abs my braking distance was increased and the overall braking ability of the van was not what it would have been had the abs system been functioning properly. *tr

2002 ford windstar lx , problems with dashboard include sudden appearance of abs and brake light while driving. and then at times the speedometer, and other gauges on dash board stop working or turn rapidly from one end to other and get stuck at a wrong reading. for example i am driving at 35 miles per hour and my speedometer is stuck at 80 . *tr

The morning of july 11, 2010, the abs control module on our 2002 windstar suffered an internal fire due to brake fluid leaked from the bad switch, resulting in a loss of proper brake function and no readings from the speedometer, tachometer, and odometer (as well as multiple warning lights). this occurred several weeks after having had the brake pressure deactivation switch recall performed (nhtsa campaign id 09v399000, action number ea08021). the local ford dealership which had performed the initial recall work refused to repair or replace the module under the recall or as a warranty claim, stating that it was not part of the recall, nor was it apparently damaged at the time of the brake switch repair. i subsequently removed, opened and examined the control module (8/28/2010), and found blackened brake fluid present inside the module at the connector pins. i also found evidence of significant burning around the pins at the connections to the printed circuit board. this evidence included the blackened fluid, severe discoloration, and lifted traces, all of which are clearly apparent in photos of the module interior. luckily, it appears that an internal trace burned through and interrupted the fault current prior to the failure becoming a runaway fire event. at this time the vehicle has not been repaired, and is sitting idle. i have kept the failed control module for examination as necessary. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs and brake warning lamps were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that break fluids were leaking onto the wiring harness and as a result, they performed the repairs specified on nhtsa campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the remedy failed to repair the problem. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 135,000.

Alarm warning lights come on for abs airbag and speedometer and tach fails. *tr

My abs and brake light keeps coming on at random after a few minutes of driving. it started a couple months ago, then stopped. over the last 2 days, it's started up again. it's always after a couple minutes of driving. brakes have been inspected and are supposedly fine. *tr

About 2 plus years ago, my van started having an electrical malfunction. shortly after starting the vehicle and sometimes in the middle of driving, the computer would beep and flash the message "check traction control". along with this, the abs and e-brake lights would come on, and also the "trac off" light. i could clear the message from the computer by hitting reset, but the warning lights would stay on until i shut the vehicle off. it happens almost daily now, especially when it's humid and hot outside. about 3 weeks ago, the speedometer and tachometer started to "stick" or not move. sometimes, they go up to 30-40mph, then stop working. other times, they just don't move at all. the problem also affects the accuracy of the odometer and gas gauge. the vehicle can be traveling at 70mph, but be reading 40mph, and then the odometer is marking miles traveled according to 40mph. so, now my odometer needs to be reset as well. i never know when this is going to happen, and being a mother of two children and pregnant with #3, i need my vehicle to be safe and reliable. i found a website that has recall information, and i'm not the only one experiencing this issue with their windstar. i was already part of the rear axle and subframe recall, and that was scary enough to know my vehicle could have fallen apart while i was driving it. there is a possibility of electrical fire with this, as one of the probable and likely causes of this is the wires are "self-grounding" on some metal part in the engine or behind the dash. if any fluids leaked on these exposed and self-grounding wires, one spark could set it off. please make sure this problem is addressed in a timely manner, as there are several of these vehicles on our nation's roads. *tr

2002 windstar received recall to fix fire problem but now i'm having issues. abs/brake/traction control warning lights on and message board says check trac control. online forums i've read seems to suggest this is an ongoing problem with a defective e.c.m. it was sporadic at first,but now a constant occurrence. please have fomoco deal with this quality defect so i do not have to fork out any money i do not have to spend. *tr

I have a 2002 ford windstar minivan. i took the van to the local dealership to have my traction control checked because the lights(abs,brakes,trac off) on the dash come on and stay on. this vehicle does not have any current recall orders and the dealership confirmed that. i had them check my van to find out why the lights are staying on. this is what i was told, they said that my hydraulic control unit (hcu)is leaking fluid onto my ecu (abs control module computer) shorting the system out. they told me the way to fix this problem is to replace the ecu(abs control module computer) which cost $2000. how is replacing the computer going to fix the leak? according to records the recall 09s09 (scds) was repaired on this vehicle. this concerns me because their is still fluid(brake) leaking onto a electronic component which poses as a fire hazard. according to complaints i have read this is a common concern for many other windstar owners. the abs issues are directly related to the leaking scds(recall 09s09). i am going to personally check the leak to verify the proximity of the location of the leak to the scds. i feel this may be a issue ford has to address. please note i have sent a memo to them first, and i hope to receive a response. i will not hold my breath though. *tr

I was driving home from work when the low brake fluid light came on. i was headed to pull over when the dashboard went crazy. said that the abs was bad, right brake light needed to be checked, traction control error, check transmission, mileage was gone only --------- listed, a/c stopped working, said fuel data computer error, speedometer was out. i am taking it to ford tomorrow to have the vehicle speed control replace and i believe this is what is causing this problem. the brake fluid may be leaking on everything because i did small a burning smell. *tr

Brake light (red) and abs brake lights (yellow) stay on. i went to replace fuse #10 and it keeps blowing out. speedometer and odometer do not function. cruise control does not work. a/c does not work. the o/d light flashes after about 30 seconds after the vehicle starts and continues to blink until the vehicle is shut off. i took it into a ford dealership today to have them perform the 09s09h recall and it did not change anything. all issues seem to be associated with this 'leaker' scds that was replaced, but that caused further damage to the abs ecm unit causing it to fail. *tr

The abs light on the dashboard of my 2002 ford windstar mini-van is on all the time. the ford dealer told me that i would have to replace the abs module for a price of $750.00 plus labor to correct this. then i received a letter from ford stating a recall involving the cruise control mechanism was needed to make my windstar safe from a possible fire. i had ford do the no-cost fix which amounted to a jumper wire with a fusible-link. however, this did not fix the existing abs problem. now, my speedometer is not functioning properly. i have read up on this problem and find that many windstar mini-vans manufactured between 1999 and 2003 have had similar problems and they all are related to the abs system. i believe that ford should completely fix these problems and owners should not have to pay an amount exceeding $1000.00 to do so. these problems were apparently inherent in these model years and repairs or replacements should be the responsibility of ford, not the vehicle owners. i can still drive my windstar but will have to have the speedometer problem fixed at a minimum (if that is possible singularly). not having the abs problem fixed may lead to further complications, but i cannot afford these costly repairs at this time. *tr

I have had a continual brake fluid leak on this vehicle. in addition, while driving the vehicle on 06/06/2010, the abs light and brake light suddenly came on. in speaking with our ford mechanic (ford dealer), he referenced how this has been an issue on many windstars. the abs light and brake fluid leaks, according to him, has been a point of concern. is anything being done about this? *tr

My abs and brake lights keep coming on and off. i have had the entire brake system replaced and the abs sensors. there is no particular thing that causes them to come on. in fact sometimes i will be driving down the road and not even touching the brakes and they will just pop on. i don't feel that we as ford owners should have to pay a costly repair bill to have multiple things done to the vehicle when this seems to be an issue with the vehicle itself not normal maintenance. i have always been a ford owner and have sworn by ford but this van is causing me to not want to own another ford ever. *tr

I have a 2002 ford windstar that the brake light and abs light stay on. i am told by my mechanic that the electronic control module is no good and needs to be replaced. the brakes do not function properly now on the van and it is a hazard to drive. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. when driving at any rate of speed, the speedometer would not display the accurate speed traveled. the abs warning light would also intermittently illuminate during the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 180,000 and the current mileage was 200,000.

Abs lights come on and off at different times. brake fluid was checked, it is at the correct level. there was a recall for 2000 model windstar with the same problem they received a brake repair. *tr

Inside lights comes on and flashes at times while driving, abs and brakes light comes on and stays on while driving. *js

After having the 2002 windstar serviced at a ford dealership for a recall related to abs failure and possible fire we noticed a burning plastic smell. the smell lasted the entire day after picking the windstar up at the dealers. we immediately called the service dept to report the smell and they stated the burning smell could not be related to the service they performed. the abs and brake light came on later that day and has now been on intermittently ever since. we have noticed an increased stopping distance in wet weather. we have now had the windstar in and had it diagnosed and the codes state that all 4 abs wheel speed sensors have failed. that would include the brand new wheel speed sensors that have been replaced in an effort to get the abs and brake lights to go out. when the codes are cleared the abs light will stay off anywhere from minutes to hours depending on each reset. it is my belief that the brake problem is related to the recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact was driving 25 mph when the anti-lock braking system (abs) warning light illuminated. the dealer was contacted and the contact was advised to check the brake fluid levels. the contact was able to restart the vehicle as it resumed normal operation. the failure persisted intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was advised that the computer could possibly the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000 and the current mileage was 76,807.

After purchasing used van the abs and brake lights lit up on dash, and come on intermittently while driving. weather seems to play a role whether the lights come on or not if its hot outside the lights come on quickly, and if it's raining they come on going through puddles. once the lights come on they stay on until the van is shut off. had a diagnosis done a ford dealer, and was told there is a leak over the abs brake module that is causing it to short out the abs system. *tr

2002 windstar abs/brake lights come on then suddenly braking distance increases. was told by dealer it is an ongoing issue with this model that abs modules overheat and fail. very dangerous!!! *tr

2002 ford windstar - the abs light comes on (typically when the van is warm). recall 09s09 has been performed but has had no effect on the abs light coming on issue. *tr

Serious intermittent electrical issues with 2002 ford windstar. break and abs light have been illuminated intermittently in the instrument cluster panel since purchasing the car in october 2007. then in march 2010, after smelling electrical burning, the battery light began intermittently illuminating and go off when gas is applied for a few moments. assuming possible alternator or battery issue, changed out the two components. break and abs light and battery again began illuminating, and door locks began not working. ford dealer performed 2009 abs recall correction, but electrical issues remained. then all electrical components stopped while i was driving with my children on a busy street. lost power steering, doors all locked, breaks went out, oddly the interior lights blinked on and off like an airplane emergency lighting would during a crash landing. unable to unlock back door to remove my toddler from the car seat, and had to pray no one would slam me from behind while i crawled into the backseat and unlatched him (because back lights were not lit) then exited the car. had to be jumped to restart. changed 3 batteries and 4 alternators (2 were motor craft) since march 2010. one alternator blew within moments after the car was started after changing it. mechanic mentioned he noticed an arc flash prior to its blowing. replaced all new wires going into and out of the alternator, all new battery cables. replaced serpentine belt and several fuses. battery light still comes on. took van to ford dealership, where they witnessed and acknowledged the illuminated battery light, hooked van up to electrical test equipment, and found nothing ($100). hooked it up to the regular diagnostics test equipment (another $100) tried to sell me an intake manifold for $500 including labor (i didn't bite). they replaced the 2 door actuators on the front doors ($300) and then told me they were unable to diagnose the actual electrical problem. lights still lit. car reliability gone

2002 ford windstar lx - brake light & abs light activated (steady on) and od (overdrive) off light activated (flashing), concurrent with loss of analog speedometer and digital (led) odometer function. no obd ii codes issued by system. researched and found ford recall 09s09 - speed control system modification, which (apparently) addresses this problem. *tr

In my 2002 windstar the abs and brake lights come on while driving and will go off only to come back on another time while driving. in 2009 we had the safety recall taken care of, but it did not resolve the issue. now i am noticing while i have the van running, heat and radio on, the radio and clock lights will go on and off. also, the back doors do not always unlock and it will take several times of pressing the power door locks to unlock before they will unlock. i am fearful there will be an issue and i will need to get my daughter out quickly and won't be able to because of the door lock issue. *tr

Abs and brake lamp still on after recall for 2002 ford windstar. *tr

While driving at normal speeds the abs, brake and trac lights come on and stay on. the van was stopped and when restarted, the lights were off. this has repeated almost every day and continues until today. there are no codes and there seams to be no effect on the van (except maybe the anti lock brakes not working). *tr

The wiring to the master cylinder speed control pressure switch melted and caused a small fire which fortunately was put out. an extremely dangerous situation. apparently brake fluid leaked from the master cylinder onto the switch. 2002 ford windstar. *tr

My abs light keeps coming on and my emergency comes on at different times and when iy does my speedometer does not work at all. it is in a 2002 ford windstar. i had it back last winter for a recall repair and if anything the problem has gotten worse. *tr

2002 ford windstar speedometer failed, abs warning light remains on, brake warning light remains on, cruise control malfunctions, fuses burning out, heat control not working. *tr

My abs & brake light on dash board keeps coming on when driving. dealer says there is no recall for this. *tr

Bought this van used. almost immediately, the abs and brake light would come on the instrument panel for no reason. the vehicle still operates normally. after turning off and restarting, the lights go off. they may not come on again for days. it seems to happen more in warmer weather. *tr

I have a 2002 ford windstar, i went to park on labor day this year and parked my van. a few hours later, i went to van and tried to use my remote to get in and it would not work. once i got directly on the van i smelled an odor that smelt like burnt rubber that was really strong. i got in van with my key and started the van. it was very hot that day so i went to roll down the power windows and they didn't work. i then went to turn on the air conditioning and it didn't work. i then looked at my dash and realized i had loss all power; nothing was work, odometer, temperature gauge, radio, headlights etc. i thought i just blew a fuse and stayed at the park. when i went home several hours later i still smelled odor but told my husband i would go to shop in morning before work to have my mechanic look at it. that morning i went to shop and they said it was not a fuse and after several hours of them doing visual and computer diagnostics they found that the abs system caught fire and started burning into my gas line. they said we were very lucky van didn't total catch on fire. they ended replacing the whole abs unit under the van and had to replace all wires that had burnt and rewire everything. repair is almost 900.00 dollars. they van gave no warnings that something like this would happen. i feel very scarred to continue driving this van, even with repair being done because i feel like it can happen again and next time we may not be so lucky. i am still paying on the van and stuck. i hope ford does something before someone loses their life. i have not picked up van yet and am considering telling car dealer to pick it up at shop and taking repo on my credit. *tr

My brakes are working fine. but my abs light keeps coming on for the past year. prior to this, i had my oxygen sensor replaced. there is no definite movement that proceeds the light coming on, it can happen when i hit a bump, or when i simply drive along. it is becoming more and more recurrent. i was told it would be over $1,000 to replace, although the brakes were recently replaced, this did not remedy the problem. *tr

The antilock brake light went on in my 2002 ford windstar. i took it to the ford dealer, and they said it was the left front speed sensor. about 6 months later, the lights went on again - intermittently. they went on more and more as the weather got hotter, mostly when the engine is warm. i took it to a different repair shop to analyze the codes. it has too many error codes to list, which the mechanic says is an indication of an ecu failure. this shouldn't be happening! i am driving around with three kids in this vehicle, with no antilock brakes. it is going to be scary when winter comes and the snow and ice driving begins. i have to drive it like this though, because this is an expensive repair ( over $1,000)!!! the antilock brake lights have been on now for over 6 months straight. *tr

Brake warning light and abs warning light illuminate for no apparent reason. *tr

The abs and brake lights come on my dashboard intermittently on my 2002 ford windstar. i have no trouble w/ my brakes, yet this continues to happen. i have changed the deactivation switch under the master cylinder twice, but this keeps recurring. ford should have a recall on this problem. *tr

This is an update to odi number 10278659. the cruise control actuator switch was identified as leaking brake fluid by my independant auto repair shop. they replaced the "cruise control actuator switch" part number yf1z 9c888 ab at a cost of $34.56 for parts and $22.50 for labor. they also replaced the wiring harness that connects to the switch. after this was done, the cruise control started to work consistently again. the abs light and brake warning light still come on intermittently. sometimes i have noticed they go on after i hit a bump. once they go on, they remain on for the duration of the journey (until the car is turned off). *tr

Brake and abs brake light on timelessly, sometime smoke coming from engine and strong smell of burning plastic or rubber. *tr

In september 2009 the mechanic at the dealer where i bought my windstar told me the abs module is bad and that i need a new one and have to go to the ford dealer directly and pay around $800.00 and have it reset by their computer. this has cost me lots of money because i already spent $600.00 on rear brakes because of not knowing this is a common problem with ford windstar.also, immediately after purchasing this vehicle in 2007, the locks on the van don't work. sometimes it locks by remote and sometimes the locks all work, but, the driver side. this is a pain. now, i have a problem with the 'check engine' light coming on and i have had various mechanics try to reset the light and it will come back on again and again! i have spent hundreds on this van to have it in shape, but always something arises. despite the cruise control recall, i have not had any problem with it and use it all the time, but will have to have it done. i wish ford to fix all the problems this type of van has and so i won't have to spend hundreds, again, or i will have to get rid of it, which is a shame because i really love the tv, even though the screen give me problems and the vcr no longer works. *tr

The odometer, speedometer, a/c, and overdrive stopped working so we replaced fuse #10 and later that day the brake pressure deactivation switch caught on fire. *tr

Brake lights come on when vehicle is off and they will stay on after you remove your foot from the pedal. we have had the brake pedal switch replaced 2 times already and it keeps happening. if the lights come on in the middle of the night (has happened several times), the van will not start in the morning. this remains an ongoing problem which the repair shop can not fix and recommended that we file this report. this has been going on for the last couple of years. the van sometimes smells hot inside if we catch it before the battery goes dead. i'm not sure what to put for the approximate incident date so i will put today's date since it did it again today. *tr

For the past several years my van has has intermittent problems with the brake lights on dash appearing while driving the car at various speeds. once i stop the car and turn it off the lights will usually disappear but sometimes will come back within minutes of restarting car. this tends to happen during warmer times of year versus winter. also i have noticed a problem with brakes even right after getting them replaced. the mechanic says there is nothing wrong with the brakes?? around the same time this started to happen my cruise control stopped working. i had recieved a notice from ford about cruise control recall but when i called the local dealer and told them that my cruise control was not working and i was wondering if it had something to do with recall they said no, that was not the problem. *tr