2001 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACTED STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE SIDE TO SIDE ERRATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRACTION SENSOR AND REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION).THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN COMING ON AND GOING OFF FOR YEARS. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC NOT TO WORRY , JUST A LOOSE WIRE SOMEWHERE! NOW I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE! I HAVE HAD ALL RECALLS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. I LIKE MY VAN BUT AM CONCERNED ENOUGH TO START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CAR! *TR

STOPPED AT INTERSECTION. BEGAN MOVING FORWARD MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AND STEERING DISENGAGED, STEERING WHEEL WAS FREELY GOING IN CIRCLES. ACCELERATED THROUGH INTERSECTION, OVER CURB AND INTO GRASS AREA TO BE CLEAR OF CROSS TRAFFIC. HAD DIFFICULTY MOVING GEAR SHIFT BUT WAS ABLE TO FORCE IT INTO PARK, SHUT OFF ENGINE. LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE AND FOUND BOTH FRONT SUBFRAME LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAD BROKEN FREE.THERE WAS NO INDICATION FAILURE WAS GOING TO OCCUR. *TR

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMBINED WITH ABS LIGHT, ABS DOES NOT FUNCTION. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST, NOW CHRONIC. DIAGNOSTIC CODE C1185. *TR

ABS BRAKE LIGHT AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND REMAIN ON AT THIS TIME. THE BRAKES WERE RECENTLY SERVICED AND CURRENTLY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. THERE IS CONCERN FOR VEHICLE SAFETY AND BRAKING SYSTEM. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS IS A ERROR IN THE MODULE AND ABS STILL WORK OR IF ABS IS DISABLED. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUES. BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS VEHICLE FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE CONCERNS FOR SAFETY, BUT AS OF THIS DATE BUT HAVE YET TO ISSUE A RECALL. THERE IS ALSO A NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS AS WELL, HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. FORD MAY WANT TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO OTHER WINDSTAR VINS. *TR

RED BRAKE LIGHT AND YELLOW ABS LIGHT ON AT SAME TIME. AT FIRST INTERMITTENT THEN MORE LIKELY ON THAN OFF IN JUNE OF 2014 I FOUND LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM SWITCH ON BOTTOM OF MASTER CYLINDER AND FOUND BRAKE FLUID LEAKING TO NUMEROUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS CAUSING O/D LIGHT TO COME ON INTERMITTENTLY SPEEDOMETER WOULD STOP WORKING ODOMETER SHOWS - - - - - IN PLACE OF MILEAGE. LEARNED OF RECALL VIA INTERNET AND TOOK VEHICLE TO RON CARTER FORD 3005 FM 528 ALVIN TX 77512 ON 07/17/2014. THEY EXPLAINED THAT IN SPITE OF ALL DAMAGE CAUSED THE ONLY THING THEY WOULD DO WAS REPLACE LEAKING SWITCH WITH NEW ONE AS MANDATED BY THE RECALL. THEY REPLACED THIS SWITCH AND RETURNED VEHICLE WITH ALL OF THE SAME PROBLEMS INCLUDING BRAKE FLUID INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SELECTOR SWITCH AND VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MASTER CYLINDER. I CANNOT TELL IF THE VEHICLE STILL PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD OR NOT AS THERE IS STILL BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE. RON CARTER REFUSES TO LOOK AT VEHICLE OR PROVIDE ANY FURTHER REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY ALL RELATED TO THE RECALL. *TR

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO A SCHEDULED VACATION (900 MILE SOUTH) WE ASKED MECHANIC TO CHECK THE REAR AXLE BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS REPAIR FOR THE RECALL. BRACKETS INSTALLED 4/12/2011 BY HALDEMAN FORD IN ALLENTOWN, PA FOR THE RECALL 10S13 WERE IN PLACE PER OUR MECHANIC. SEVERAL SERIOUS CRACKS AND RUST AROUND THE BRACKETS WERE FOUND IN THE AXLE DURING THIS INSPECTION AND PICTURES WERE TAKEN. HALDEMAN FORD AGREED THAT THE AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BASED ON SEVERE DAMAGE AND RUST, SENT PICTURES TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, FOR APPROVAL OF REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR AXLE UNDER THE RECALL. FORD ENGINEERS EXAMINE THE PICTURES SENT BY HALDEMAN FORD DENIED THE REPAIR. FORD MOTOR CO. SAID " THE BRACKETS DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO". HALDEMAN FORD WAS SURPRISED THAT THE REPAIR WORK WAS DENIED CALLED SARA AT FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATION CENTER WHO INDICATED THAT THEIR POLICY WAS THAT THE FORD ENGINEERS DETERMINATION WAS FINAL. MANANGER TOLD US: FORD'S POLICY WAS THAT THE REPAIR WAS DONE PER REQUIRED BY THE RECALL 10S13 AND THAT THERE WAS A 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR AND IT IS PASSED THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND AGAIN DENIED THE REPAIR REQUEST. WE WERE NEVER TOLD OF A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. (I HAVE THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE FORD "REPAIR ORDER DETAILS" WITH NO "SMALL PRINT" OR OTHERWISE REGARDING THE WARRANTY). HALDEMAN FORD STATED THEY WAS UNAWARE OF A 1 YR. WARRANTY. HAD REAR AXLE REPLACED FOR THE COST OF $918 FOR VACATION 2 DAYS LATER. PLEASE INVESTIGATE I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD PROVIDE WITH SECURING PAYMENT FOR THE REPAIR THAT FORD WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR. NEVER RECEIVED A "RECALL NOTICE" FROM FORD MOTOR DESPITE BEING THE ONLY OWNER OF THE WINDSTAR (WAS A DEMO VEHICLE) LIVING AT SAME ADDRESS. WHEN WE FIRST TOOK IT TO HALDEMAN FORD ABOUT THE RECALL, THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE RECALL AND WOULD NOT REPAIR IT UNTIL THEY WERE NOTIFIED. *TR

THE ABS AND THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHTS BOTH CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. AFTER HAVING THE CODES SCANNED, THERE WERE NINE CODES. C1185,C1198,C1194,C1254,C1246,C1250,C1242,C121 ANDC1210. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES NOT WORKING. I READ SEVERAL THREADS ABOUT BAD SOLDER JOINTS. *TR

THE ABS AND HAND BRAKE KEPT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE BRAKING DISTANCE HAS INCREASED. AND NOW THE LIGHTS ARE ON ALMOST PERMANENTLY. BASED ON REPORTS, AM AFRAID IF THIS IS GOING TO RESULT IN A FIRE EVENTUALLY. *TR

MY ABS LIGHT/BRAKE LIGHT IS ON - STARTED 2007- WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 1200.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT; THAT IT WAS OK TO USE THE CAR IN THIS CONDITION. 8/14/14- REPLACED THE WHEELS BEARINGS ON THE FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT WHEELS-AFTER THE BEARINGS / AND SWAY BARS WERE REPLACE STILL HEAR A GRINDING NOISE FRONT THE RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE. NOISE BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED THE LONGER YOU DRIVE THE VEHICLE . ALSO THE ABS/BRAKE LIGHT IS STILL ON WHEN YOU DRIVE THE CAR. *TR