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.
Swerved to avoid collision and the brakes locked causing car to lose control on the wet road. The van hit a tree, flipped on its side and smashed into a light pole. The airbags did not deploy even though there was front end damage. The ABS and brake lights were illuminated prior to the crash. Also noticed the speedometer started acting up over the prior weeks (not moving until after a few minutes of driving.)
ABS light is on. Brake light is on intermittently. So far brake function is normal. Had mechanic perform diagnostic check on system. 12 codes appeared related to the brake ABS control. Was told that problem is with the ABS module. This issue would worsen and could cause massive brake failure. I have spoken with other owners of Windstar and have heard of similar problems. This defect is not isolated to 2003 models. I know of other owners who drive 1998 2000 2001 Windstar and are having the same issues.
The ABS light and brake lights will come at the same time and both will go off at the same time. While these lights are on I will have issues while trying to break. I have trouble with the front wheel in wet weather wanting to skid when stopping and it will spin when taking off. I have had $500 of work on the front brakes and $450 of work on the back brakes and the mechanics don't understand why I still have issues when stopping. I have a 2003 Ford Windstar.
Emergency brake light comes on. When I tried to stop my car would not and almost went into someone's house...the ABS light came on also! attempted to get the problem fixed after $1024 later, the ABS light is off but brake light. Continues to come on and squeal. Ford dealer insists nothing wrong with brakes!
- Harrisburg, PA, USA
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The ABS system, that was supposed to be fixed with the switch recall, still doesn't work. Intermittently I have the ABS/brake warning lights on this van. It has happened under various conditions. I have replaced master and rear wheel cylinders, brake drums and still have intermittent ABS.
ABS and brake light on - vehicle was in for another recall and Ford noted that light was on - wanted to charge for inspection of reason light stays on - they also verified that brakes were good..
ABS light and brake light come on after driving car several miles for unknown reason. Dealer says it could be a $1500 to $2500 fix if ABS control module is bad.
ABS has intermittent failure, the warning light turns on and off. It is difficult to drive in snow and ice conditions as the vehicle braking becomes unpredictable.
My ABS light keeps coming on, my mechanic said that my ABS braking system could be inoperable with the light on. I feel that this is another failing part that Ford needs to issue a recall for.
The brake, ABS, and traction of lights come on. When the car is turned off, it seems to reset and doesn't come back on until driving for a while. There is no specific time or driving condition that seems to trigger it. It is completely random. Several different places, from the dealership to les scwab say the brakes look fine. Meinike finally ran some sort of computerized diagnostic and said the ABS module is defective.
This vehicle has had ABS control unit problems since it was three years old in 2006. The condition being described is not to be confused with a previous Windstar recall involving a leaking brake fluid pressure switch (NHTSA action #EA08021). The first occurrence was in the spring of 2006 (one month or a few thousand miles after warranty expiration) when I was about 200 miles from home on a trip driving up interstate 91 in MA in the rain. Glanced down at dash display and saw both the brake system warning and ABS system warning lights on. I stopped to check the brake fluid. When the car was turned off and restarted, the warning lights turned off. That was 6 years ago and the problem continued to progress to an extremely predictable pattern. In warm weather, (over 40 degrees F), the ABS system will not function and the warning lights are on. When winter comes, the warning lights go away and the ABS works normally. I was told by dealer that it would be a $700 repair. Since the system worked in the winter (when I need the ABS the most) and had spent a lot of money on several other engineering defects of this car, I have lived with the problem. It was mostly an annoyance. Having done some research though, I have found that there are many other Windstar with identical symptoms and they center on a defect of the ABS module design. After the module has been cycled thermally for hundreds of times in service (heating, cooling, heating, cooling, etc.) there are solder connections on the pcb that are no longer reliable and become intermittently connected. It basically is an electrical or mechanical engineering 101 topic known as tce (thermal coefficient of expansion) mismatch. My concern now is that the failure is progressively getting worse and extending further in to the cold weather period. Any design issue with a brake system or component is a serious safety issue.
ABS and brake light comes on and off, drivers side window and rear drivers side wing does not operate properly, radio changes stations on its own, engine serge when in ideal, interior lights come on by themselves, noise in rear when in reverse.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Arlington, TX, USA