2000 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

ABS LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. DEALER PERFORMED RECALL 09S09 AND REPLACED LEAKING SWITCH. RECALL DID NOT FIX ABS LIGHT STAYING ON. LIGHT BEING ON IS INTERMITTENT AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. FORD WANTS TO REPLACE NUMEROUS PARTS AT CONSIDERABLE COST STATING THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS WILL SOMETIMES ILLUMINATE AT THE SAME TIME WITH A WARNING CHIME. UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND TURNED OFF/ON; THESE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN LIT AND NEITHER THE ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL WILL FUNCTION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT ABOUT 915 PM JUNE 22 2014, WHEN I HEAR MY BACK TIRES SOUND LIKE THEY WERE CATCHING A FLAT. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER INTO A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. WHEN I PULLED IN I HEAR A LOUD SCRATCH SOUND AND I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER REALLY BAD. MY COUSIN CAME ON THE SCENE TO PICK ME UP AND HE LOOKED UNDER THE VAN AND TOOK A PICTURE. THE AXLE CRACKED IN HALF AND THE BACK TIRES LOOKED PUSHED IN AT THE TOP AND PROTRUDING OUT AT THE BOTTOM..IF I HAD BEEN GOING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 50 MPH I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE 5 CHILDREN WAITING AT HOME FOR ME WHEN I GET OFF WORK. IM JUST THANKFUL I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT. BUT NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN CONTINUE WORKING WITHOUT MY VAN. *TR

MY VAN HAS HAD WEIRD SWAYING ISSUES WHEN GOING VERY SLOWLY OR FAST LIKE HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FINALLY THE OTHER DAY, THE AXLE BROKE. THE REAR ONE. THAT WAS RECALLED. THEY WERE SO BAD IN THESE VEHICLES, FORD WAS BUYING THEM BACK AND GIVING PEOPLE RENTAL CARS UNTIL THEY WERE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THEY WON'T FIX IT AT A DEALERSHIP, THEN FORD SAID THE SAME! THEY WON'T FIX A PART THAT IS BROKEN AFTER HAVING A KNOWN PROBLEM, SO KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A HUGE RECALL AND THEY WERE DOING BUYBACKS BECAUSE OF IT? BUT THEY WON'T FIX MINE? I HAVE TO WALK MILES TO THE GROCERY STORE AND MILES TO WORK. THIS SHOULDN'T BE MY PROBLEM. MY ENTIRE FAMILY WAS IN THE VAN WHEN IT BROKE. THEY ALL COULD HAVE DIED! FORD DOESN'T CARE! THEY WON'T EVEN FIX A PART THAT THEY KNOW THEY SCREWED UP ON AND WERE FIXING! SUCH CRAP. *TR

DRIVING AND LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WHEN YOU GO TO STOP IT WILL VIBRATE. AND THE BRAKES ARE NEW AND THAT LIGHT WILL BE OFF AND THEN IT WILL COME BACK ON AND STOP BAD AGAIN. *TR

THE BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS) (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 MY WINDSTAR VAN YET. MY WIRING HARNESS WHEN INSPECTED WAS WET WITH BRAKE FLUID, INCLUDING THE CONNECTIONS AND THE INLINE FUSES, WHICH BASICALLY PERMITS ELECTRICITY TO JUMP PAST THE INLINE FUSES AND CONTINUE TO HEAT UP THE WIRING HARNESS. THE FUSES BODIES CRUMBLED WHEN INSPECTED. SINCE MOST DOUBLE SIDE DOOR VANS ARE PREDOMINANTLY DRIVEN BY LARGE FAMILIES, THE POSSIBILITY OF MULTIPLE FATALITIES PER VEHICLE DUE TO A HORRIFIC DEATH FROM BEING BURNT ALIVE IS A VALID POINT TO CONSIDER. MOST VEHICLE FIRES SPREAD SO FAST THAT UNSTRAPPING MULTIPLE SMALL CHILDREN FROM RESTRAINT SEATS WOULD TAKE AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME, ESPECIALLY WITH SMOKE INHALATION AND THE HEAT OF FLAMES TO PROHIBIT RESCUE. THANK YOU FOR INVESTIGATING THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS EROSION AND CRACKING AROUND THE AXLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION), HOWEVER THE CONTACTS STATE WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL, AS IT ONLY COVERED THE NORTH EASTERN PART OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE CONCENTRATED USE OF SALT ON ROAD SURFACED WAS USED TO MELT AND/OR BREAK UP ROAD SURFACE ICE. . THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,900. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE WORKING ON THE REAR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, A CRACK WAS OBSERVED ON THE REAR AXLE. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED ON THE AXLE A DISTANCE FROM THE LEFT REAR, DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. THE CONSUMER STATED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM, IT WAS EASY TO SEE THAT THERE WAS AN OPENING IN THE AXLE STRUCTURE WHERE THE COIL SPRING INTERFACED THE AXLE. THE OPENING ALLOWED SALT CONCENTRATED ROAD SPRAY TO ENTER THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE AXLE AND SETTLE TO ITS LOWEST POINT. SINCE THE AXLE HAD NO DRAIN HOLES TO ALLOW FOR TRAPPED ROAD SPRAY TO DRAIN AWAY, THE SALT CONCENTRATED ROAD SPRAY WOULD IN FACT SET UP CORROSION WITHIN THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE AXLE WHICH, OVER TIME WOULD WEAKEN THE STRENGTH OF THE REAR AXLE ALLOWING FATIGUE CRACKS TO APPEAR. UPDATED 07/16/14 UPDATED 09/16/14*LJ UPDATED 1/15/15 *JS

ABS INDICATOR COMES ON AND OFF DURING DRIVING. ALL WHEEL SENSORS TEST GOOD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR SW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE REAR AXLE BECAME FAILED AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL CRASHING. THE DETAILS OF THE CRASH WERE UNKNOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A PRIVATE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR AXLE FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AN HOUR WHEN HE DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL IN 2011, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.