This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
No recall notice sent to me regarding cruise control switch recall that could cause fire while driving or idle. My 2001 Ford Windstar was parked in my driveway approximately 5:30 pm on 04/21/2010 and at 10:57 the engine caught fire and blew up. The fire also melted the siding on the house.
Feb 26th 2010 2001 Ford Windstar perfect condition no problems no lights on dash....Feb 27th 2010 car is started and smoke poured out of hood on driver side after being started after that the ABS light emergency brake light and O/D light are on and the computer information center on the display is advising to check transmission and there is a fuel data computer error and the odometer is blank and the speedometer is not functioning the heater on our vehicle has stopped but the fans still blow but only regular air. I've taken it to a Ford dealership today to be repaired under the recall for the vehicle speed control issue and they have done the bare minimum to fix the leaking that has occurred due to the faulty switch leaking brake fluid and starting the small fire I experienced Feb 27th 2010 but are unwilling to resolve the remaining issues caused by and listed above.
2001 Ford Windstar. 96,000 miles. Date of incident 01/30/2010 while traveling on I95 in the baltimore area my cruise control did not disengage. Instead the vehicle's speed increased to over 80 mph. This happened one time as I will not use the cruise control again. On 02/08/2010 the local Ford dealer told me that the recall on my Windstar was only for a leaking switch. After completing the recall repair I was told that the cruise control is ok. Certainly was not ok on 01/30/2010.
Regarding defect information report, Ford recall 09S09, 49 cfr part 573, October 9, 2009, from the auto safety office, Ford Motor Company, to the associate administrator for safety assurance NHTSA. "service procedure" states "on Windstar with a leaking switch the repair will also involve inspection and repair, if necessary, of the ABS module connector. Repairs will be completed at no charge to owners." My 2001 Windstar was diagnosed with a faulty ABS module connector on 11/09 and needs to be replaced. The service manager at my local Ford dealer refuses to investigate this problem and states he has no knowledge of this potential complication as a result of the leaking switch. ABS module connector has not been replaced.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford wind star. The contact noticed that he was losing brake fluid. He then proceeded to take off in the vehicle. Upon further investigation he noticed that brake fluid was leaking on the wire harness. He disconnected the cruise control switch and replaced it with a 3 way valve to stop the brake fluid from leaking on the wiring harness. He went to a dealer to determine if the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign#01V207000 (vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal). He contacted the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in the current recall for the vehicle speed control and no compensation would be offered. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileage is 140,000 and the current mileage is and the VIN are unknown.
- Indianoplis, IN, USA
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The cruise control stopped working and I thought it was a fuse blown. However, my wife was at a traffic light and a big puff of smoke came from under the hood of the car. We took it to a friend who worked for a Ford dealership. He stated that the brake fluid from the reservoir had leaked onto the modules below and they had shorted out. He had seen this many times before and told us it would be about $1300 to get it fixed. As of today, we have not been able to afford the repair. We feel it is unsafe to drive; consequently, the car awaits a recall or a lottery win by us to get it repaired. I am thankful that my wife and other drivers were not injured when this happened. Engineers pride themselves on having an engineering solution for every problem. My hope is that this complaint will help them see the need, along with the others, to bear the burden of this repair, and probably engineer cars that are not slow-ticking time bombs.
ABS yellow warning light on, red brake light on and cruise control will not work. Have replaced the ABS module with unit from a salvage yard in Oct 2008 and it failed June of 2009. The brake pressure switch on the bottom of the master cylinder was replaced in Oct 2008 and it has failed again in May 2009 with intermittent operation of the cruise control or the cruise control kicking out intermittently.
Loss of brake fluid, melted brake deactivation switch, brake light (red), cruise control will not activate, ABS brake light (yellow), Ford trouble code C1185. Action regarding repair is pending; service person indicated that ABS is not functional but brakes will function normally without ABS capability.
I have a 2001 Ford Windstar. I started encountering lose of cruise control about 7 months ago. Then about 3 months ago, the odometer and speedometer just quit working. I paid $400 to have the speed sensor replaced but that still didn't work.
I was driving down the highway, and engaged the cruise control. Upon approaching an intersection, I hit the off button and the cruise control would not dis-engage.
Speed control pressure switch up under the master cylinder is linking and caused fuse #10 to short out, I had to disconnect speed control amp in order to drive my car.
My brakes started getting soft and we realized there was a leak we replaced the master cylinder and the problem continued we realized that the leak is coming from the cruise control switch.
The brake pressure differential deactivation switch (2B264) located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) over time develops a leak. This causes a short and a fuse trip, fuse #10 if the engine is on. This leak also causes brake fluid to wick down two wires to the ABS brake module (2C219). The fluid accumulates on the (always on) power connectors for the ABS brake system which are powered by fuses 101 and 102 and are both 40 amp. The fluid attracts moisture, road salt and leads to a fire when the fluid and moisture act as conductor between the hot leads and ground. This switch has been the subject of other Ford recalls, just not the Windstar van yet. This switch will cause cruise control problems, speedometer, odometer and ABS brake system problems.
The contact's parents own a 2001 Ford Windstar. While the contact's parents were driving 40 mph, the vehicle completely lost power. They pulled over to the side of the road and noticed flames underneath the hood. After five minutes, the vehicle exploded four times and was destroyed. The fire department was called and a report was filed. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current and failure mileages were approximately 70,000. Updated 11/17/08 the consumer stated he read on the internet that his make and model had problems with the cruise control. Updated 11/18/08.
ABS and brake light came on while driving. When the car was turned off and restarted the warning lights would go off. This occurred intermittently for about 3 months. After a long driving trip in which the warning lights came on the cruise control would no longer function. I searched the web and found a web site stating possible problems if this was not addressed. I took my van to a Ford dealer and they replaced the cruise control deactivation switch as well as the ECU and ABS sensor. These were all mentioned in the article on the web.
On 08/09/2008, the emergency brake light and the ABS light illuminated on the dashboard while driving at 60 mph under normal conditions. The vehicle then had to be jump-started, and I noticed a faint burning smell while driving. Upon exiting the vehicle, I noticed the burning scent was extremely strong. The vehicle is now inoperative. The battery, purchased at sears on 06/04/2005, can no longer hold a charge. The electrical system has gone haywire. For example, the headlights now come on, dimly, when the switch is in the off position. The mileage at the time of this incident was 119,200. I had one prior experience with the emergency brake light and the ABS light illuminating on the dashboard. In June 2007, both warning lights came on intermittently only when the vehicle was in reverse and were accompanied by a loud squealing sound in the brakes. Twice, on wet pavement, my brakes did not function normally. Although I avoided any collision, on one occasion I was forced to proceed through an intersection where the traffic light had just turned red. An independent garage inspected the brakes and could find nothing wrong. The computer diagnostic was code C1185. As a precaution, they flushed the brake system. Thereafter, the brakes functioned normally. The emergency brake light and the ABS light came back on intermittently again in May 2008. Again, this happened when the vehicle was in reverse and was accompanied by squealing brakes. I had a Ford dealership go over the vehicle and received a written report in May 2008 that showed the brakes to be in acceptable condition. There were no further incidents until August 2008. Because of the complaints I've read on the NHTSA website, I will mention that the cruise control deactivation switch on this vehicle has not worked in quite some time. I must use the brake pedal to turn off the cruise control. I urge you to continue your investigation into this dangerous situation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Bellefontaine, OH, USA