Problems with 2002 Ford Windstar SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

My wife asked me to check the brakes because the brake light was on. i had checked the wheels for any leakage and found none. the master cylinder was low so i started to look for leak at other places and found the leak at the brake light switch. the brake fluid was leaking on the wires. so i looked on line and found a article that can cause a fire in the engine compartment. this why i am making this complaint. i as have lost my cruise control and the article said that this will happen. i am going to change the switch and replace the fuse if needed. *tr

Brake pressure switch leaks onto hot surfaces in engine compartment causing smoke. *tr

Abs system and cruise control failure, intermittent over the last 9 months. *tr

This has happened over the past two weeks. about february 15, 2008 i was having trouble keeping pressure in my brakes. they were spongy. i called a mechanic and brought it to him on february 16th. he said it was the master cylinder, and replaced it and the wheel cylinders. well, the van worked for about a week. then monday, february 25, 2008 my brakes again went spongy. i checked the brake fluid and there was none. i refilled the container, and called a mechanic. i brought the vehicle to him on february 26, 2008. he determined it was the cruise control pressure switch. i then went to tousley ford dealership and got the part. tousley ford in minnesota said this particular part is in recall for several other vehicles but not mine. my mechanic replaced the part and the vehicle hasn't had any problems. as a matter of fact, now the cruise control works again. it had gone out last summer some time. this recall is for a fire hazard, and i saw where the brake fluid can leak through that switch onto wiring so there could have been a fire in my van. my complaint is that my vehicle, and family are just as important to me as the vehicles and families of the other people who were able to get their vehicles fixed in the recall. i drive a 2002 ford windstar sport minivan. i do foster care and have birth children, and grandchildren in that vehicle all the time. so, i am very upset that ford does not recall this fire hazard on all vehicles. my family is very important! *tr

Intermittent abs and brake light illumination. this happens daily. vehicle has been inspected by certified mechanic. no codes are found. *tr

My cruise control speed accelerated then went out not working at all, abs light goes off and on even after i had brake work done, odometer and speedometer stopped working on 1/16/08, brake fluid is leaking from the master cylinder, fuse 10 keeps blowing, this last time 1/18/08 smoke under the hook by master cylinder. someone said it might catch fire. *tr

Abs, traction control, brake lights go on and off intermittently. ford dealership can't seem to fix. i've had it 'fixed' several times, but in a couple months the same problem returns. *tr

I have a 2002 ford windstar lx. just this past january the lights have started to turn on. my abs light, engine light, brake system light. there are 12-13 codes that show up for my brakes when diagnosed on the computer. i have new brakes all around, new rotors, new drums and when i go to stop the car squeals like a bus and grinds as though i have no brake pads at all. shop says the only place i can go to get that fixed is the dealer where it will cost me about $1500 to fix. who has that kind of money laying around? my engine light goes on because of supposedly some module inside the engine. that was estimated at $350+ to get fixed. the module supposedly is the reason why when the car is diagnosed on the computer, that it shows i have two bad o2 sensors. all i can say is wow!!! these windstars are pure junk!!! *tr

Braking distance suddenly increased; abs module intermittently fails due to defective ecm module. this is a routine safety issue with windstar vans that has not been addressed by ford. *tr

Abs and brake light lights are always displayed on control console. *tr

Http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/ the info at this web site listed above describes the problems perfectly. i have had continued multiple problems exactly as stated at the web-site. the abs light intermittently comes on and the brake squeal. i thought i was just unlucky until i found the web-site. *tr

The master cylinder was low on fluid. i kept adding fluid and found it leaking on the brake pressure diff. deactivation switch located in the front of the master cylinder. this a 2002 ford windstar van the i am referring too. *tr

Abs light and brake light come on intermittently . no parts replaced to date. *tr

Vehicle was off and parked. smoke from under vehicle. disconnected battery to stop fire. fire at the connection of the abs computer at site of two 40 amp circuit connections caused abs system to stop working. abs and brake light are on all the time, speedometer stopped working, odometer stopped working. i have detailed pictures of the damaged part 2f1z-2c219-ba connected as part of 1f22-2c346-ac. code c1185 was present in the abs computer prior to the fire. *tr

We have a 2002 windstar van. while it was parked in our garage overnight, the abs motor spontaneously caught fire. the vehicle was off and parked. with the location of the motor so close to the fuel line, we were surprised that the fuel system did not ignite. *tr

The abs, brake, and traction lights come on intermittently. garages have checked it and find no cause for this. it is becoming more frequent and now occurs daily. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. he noticed smoke coming from the vehicle while parked. the failure occurred a few minutes after 400 mile trip. the contact felt that the abs brake module harness caused the failure and he disconnected the battery and abs fuses. as of august 10, 2007, the dealer has not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 131,000. updated 08/29/07.*jb

My abs brake light, emergency brake light and brake light would intermittently go off. then it was every time my car was started. i was told my abs module needed to be replaced. my car could be driven, but my abs brakes would not work. i was told by two mechanics that this was a problem they had seen with my vehicle. my cruise control also sticks. i have not used my cruise in over a year, because once activated, you can not shut it off. the only way it resets is to turn the car off. the ford windstar is one of the only ford vehicles not covered under the recall, but upon doing a web search have found that windstars have started on fire because of this issue. also, i received a recall on my mid/read seat latches. when i went to the dealer, i was told my car was not covered. i drive a 2002 ford windstar. i am very concerned about the recent recall since the brake line is directly related to the fires caused by the faulty cruise control. please advise is the research is to include other ford models. *tr

Vehicle is a 2002 ford windstar lx 3.8l 4 door beginning in summer 2007, abs and emergency brake warning lights are coming on intermittently; appears to happen mainly during warmer weather, or after the vehicle has been driven for a period of time. it is not known for sure if there is any mechanical problem with these brakes, but there does not appear to be any problem. local ford dealership repair center did diagnosis in aug 2007, and recommends that the abs ecu (ecm?) be replaced. no repair has been made yet. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that the abs, brake, and traction lights would illuminate intermittently while driving at all speeds. she took the vehicle to the dealer and the diagnostic produced error codes; however, they did not think that the failures were related to those codes. the dealer did not make any repairs and the manufacturer has not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 93,000 and failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Warning lights for abs, emergency brake, trac off (traction control). error display od traction control system" several error in diagnostics all pointing to the abs system the traction control when this occurs is disabled. the lights light up after the car warms up if cold from 2-10 minutes, if used recently the lights turn on almost immediately. after searching on the web, this problem has been reported as a potential fire hazard. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. while driving 45 mph, the abs and brake lights illuminated for approximately five minutes and then began to blink intermittently. the contact turned the vehicle off and then back on, however, the lights continued to blink. the dealer stated that there were no recalls for this failure and informed her that she would be responsible for the repair costs. the current mileage was 79,500 and failure mileage was 77,950. updated 11/01/07. *jb

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

Abs warning light comes on then goes off after vehicle shut off for a period of time. headlights dim and interior lights don't shut off at times for a long period of time. sliding door and door locks don't work properly at times and power window on passenger side doesn't open at times. sliding door has opened on it's own at times after the vehicle has been vacated and locked. *tr

I have been reading about recent complaints to the ford windstar 2002 and have concerns. i had my abs module replaced last year because all my idiot brake lights were going off intermittently. i have also not used my cruise control in over two years because once activated it will not shut off until the car is turned off. it appears that the brakes are related to the cruise control leaking on the brake line, but ford does not see the windstar as a problem. this concerns me, since there have been fires with the windstar van. i also took my car into a ford dealership to check the seat latches and was told my car was not covered. my recent repair woes is the air conditioner compressor is going. this was a problem with my last ford windstar. (related vehicle information: model year=2002, make=ford, model=windstar). *tr

Tsb data for: 2002 ford windstar bulletin number: 15682 sequence number: 636312 date: 20020301 component name: 036400 service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:abs warning light make: ford model: windstar year: 2002 summary: exhibiting intermittent anti-skid brake system and / or red brake lamp on at times while driving. *tt *jb

The abs system shorted out causing the harness and all the connecting wires to melt. i had no warning this was going to happen. my van started smoking, the odometer, speedometer, air conditioner nothing was working. luckily, i was about 1/8 mile from my house when it happened and was able to pull into my driveway and shut the vehicle off. the van was in the shop from june 14 to august 28 because a part could not be found to replace the abs harness. the bill for the repairs was over $1,000.00! *jb

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

Problem - abs ecm failure - abs brake light. the abs brake system does not function. the abs light comes on and off when it heats up. the electrical connection is faulty. *tr

I own a ford windstar and i am having the abs/brake light problem and speed control problem. *tr

Abs warning lamp on. dealer spent considerable time testing each wheel sensor, unable to verify cause. code given was c1155: lf anti lock brake sensor (electrical/static). later replaced all 4 wheel sensors with no luck of fixing. replacement of ecm necessary to clear mil.

2002 ford windstar yellow abs light on with red brake light. *tr

Both brake light and abs light are on during operation of the vehicle during warmer outdoor temperatures (spring, summer, and fall), and is usually off during cooler outdoor temperatures (winter). i had a ford dealership tell me that the abs control module requires replacement at a cost of about $600.00, and that the abs system is not operating when the abs light is on. i understand that this is a common problem for this vehicle and probably due to a poorly designed control module. *tr

I own a 2002 ford windstar that has some sort of short and randomly sets off the traction control, emergency brake, and abs lights. the led display always says, "check traction control". my mechanic has been unable to trace down the root of the cause. after reading a number of blogs/discussion boards, i have learned that this is a recurring problem with 99-03 windstars. *tr

Upon braking the abs light and the brake light comes on (on the dash panel) and stays on until vehicle is turned off. replacement of sensor did not solve problem, ford dealer showing codes dtc 1185,1194,1198,1210,1214,1242,1246,1250,1254,1446,u1262 all related to abs module assembly. *tr

I would like to file a report a problem that is currently being reported by ford windstar owners. i own a ford windstar that has the abs and brake light issue. the problem occurs intermittently, and is not consistent. i have taken my car to the dealership in the past, and all the dealership seems to be doing is guessing as to what is broken, and the problem has not been fixed. the repair estimate is close to $1000. i am getting the error codes c1185, c1198, c1194, c1254, c1246, c1250, c1242, c1214, c1210, u1261. the problem should be repaired at no charge to the customer. i am sure ford engineers know how to correct the problem and that it is a design flaw that shld be a safety recall. *tr

My 2002 ford windstar van had an inoperable cruise control. i traced the problem to a leaking (brake fluid) switch mounted under the brake master cylinder. the leaking switch leaked flammable brake fluid onto the hot engine or exhaust system but did not caused a engine fire. i purchased a modified switch and wire harness from the ford dealer and installed it myself. i was told by the ford parts salesman that there was no recall for my windstar at that time. this is the same defect found on the other ford vehicles according to the new york times, 18 april 2008. i still have the defective switch in hopes i can be reimbursed by ford. the defective switch is available for inspection if needed. *tr

Our anti-lock brakes failed on our 2002 ford windstar. a defective switch had leaked brake fluid into an engine wiring harness causing the anti-lock brake system to fail. we were told by the ford dealer that the repair would be about $1,500, we were no longer under warranty, and that the vehicle could catch on fire at any time. this included when the vehicle was not running and parked in the garage. the service writer also stated that he could not believe that ford had not recalled the windstar as the same failure of the anti-lock system on the pick-ups had been. *tr

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

I have a 2002 ford windstar that we purchased 2 yrs ago, ...morning after delivery battery was dead, took back to dealer and they checked it out and said should be fine. occasionally still dies and has to be charged, alternator & battery check out fine. the most dangerous problem is that the abs light is on and abs doesn't work properly. we continuously have to add brake fluid (at least once a month) and can not find any leaks on the ground. had the vehicle in for service on several occasions can not diagnose. the dealership hooked vehicle up to machine to read code and can not get any readings from system. dealership seemed to think that it could be a wiring problem or abs module. abs will occasionally go out/work but not properly, abs will kick in on dry roads not wet/snow covered. tire pressure light is illuminated and tire pressures are all correct. has been reset but comes back on after driving a few miles. occasionally it will go out on its own but then the speedometer will bounce around (if going 55 will jump to 70,80). when opening the rear tailgate hatch and closing,the dash light stays on like it is still open and dome lights will not work properly. when driving the door chime will sound and the door ajar light will go out and works properly until gate is opened again. when driving the door light and chime will come on lights stay on. the door ajar light also comes on and off intermittently when using the driver side door controls to put windows up/down you hear louder then normal clicking. also dims the lights when putting windows up/down. we can also smell what seems to be wires burning at times but can not find anything. we are at a loss of where to begin. we will not drive this vehicle any further then 50 mile radius from our home for fear of what will happen if we do. if we go further we rent a vehicle. now to the point of purchasing a cheap, reliable vehicle (not ford) and parking this one until we can pay down enough to trade in. *tr

Our 2002 windstar has had numerous issues. from clunking front suspension; rattling sliding doors; interior lights and locks that would come on and off by themselves. however, there are two unresolved issues and it's been to dealers numerous times, and each time, they just blow me off. the transmission shudders between the first and second shift, and does a "two-step" shift. when it finally does the second half of the two-step and engages, there is an audible cookoo, just like a cookoo clock. the other infuriating problem and possible danger is the brake pedal. it squeaks like an old mattress and also sticks to the floor if you have to brake while you are driving at freeway speeds. you have to use the tip of your shoe to pull the pedal back up. visit after visit after visit to 3 different dealers and they always claim there is nothing wrong. they were playing "beat the clock" with the warranty and now that's gone, and they are still doing it with the extended warranty. infuriating. nobody cares and nobody will help. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. since september of 2006, the abs light constantly illuminates. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer twice and they replaced the abs module under warranty; however, this did not correct the failure. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and they would not assist. the dealer stated that the estimated cost for repair was $1,200. the failure mileage was 70,000 and current mileage was 180,000.

Speedometer not working accurately (occasionally speedometer will work than stops, which indicates defective part). ford says speedometer and gear needs to be replaced now. prior to that they said computer needed to be reprogrammed because of tire size.. cruise control did not work but was fixed by ford via recall notice due to leaking speed control deactivation switch (scds). as i understand the dealer would also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. abs and brake light are on all of the time which is a result abs control module failure. *tr

2002 ford windstar abs (yellow) and red brake lights come on regularly for the past 2 years. this is especially true when the vehicle and outside temperature are hot. has not resulted in an accident yet, but it is my understanding that the abs system does not function when the light is on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. the contact stated that when applying the brakes, there was an abnormal increase in stopping distance. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was informed that brake fluid had leaked into the abs electronic control module. the contact stated that he had received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) but was told that the dealer would only replace the speed control deactivation switch and repair the abs control module connector if necessary. the recall repair would not cover repairs for the abnormal leaking of brake fluid. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000 and the current mileage was approximately 200,000.

My abs light illuminates at time. the problem started on the way home from buying the vehicle. it has never been fixed. i was told it was a common problem. something with the electrical part of the vehicle. sometimes i can cut the car off and turn it back on for the light to go off. other times it stays on for days at a time. *jb

Continually getting intermittent abs and brake warning lights, have taken to ford dealer and local garages and neither knew the problem. *tr

Red brake light and yellow a.b.s. light illuminate. diagnosis: a.b.s. module is defective. *nm

Abs and brake light come on intermittently. have had this problem for 2+ years. no one can tell me why. as of late, the lights have been on nearly constantly. suspect abs control module. *tr

The abs and brake lights illuminate intermittently or either remains lit when the vehicle is running. the failure began in december 2005. the current mileage is 62,000. also heater has stopped working in april 2008. check engine light has been on since april 2006. rpm's suddenly will drop under 1000 and car will start stalling and bucking. need to put it in park and rev the engine. *tr