2001 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION I HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND I LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL! I PARKED THE CAR AND CALLED FOR A TOW. WHEN VAN WAS ON THE FLATBED I OBSERVED THE ENGINE MOUNTING HAD DETACHED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS WERE HANGING DOWN. HAD VAN TOWED HOME. THROUGH MY OWN RESEARCH I FOUND THAT MY VAN WAS PART OF RECALL NO. 11S16 FOR CORROSION RELATED FRACTURES AT THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR ATTACHING BRACKETS AND BODY MOUNT ATTACHMENTS AT THE REAR OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL BECAUSE I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED REGARDING RECALL NO 11S13 FOR REAR AXLE CORROSION RELATED CRACKING. VAN WAS TAKEN FOR INSPECTION AXLE AND WE WERE TOLD IT PASSED AND NOTHING ELSE NEEDED TO BE DONE. HAD VAN TOWED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO DEALER. DEALER SAYS SUBFRAME AND REAR AXLE NEED REPLACED AND FORD WANTS TO DO THE REPLACEMENT. AS A RESULT OF THE FRAME DETACHMENT, THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NEEDS REPLACED. THERE ARE OTHER UNKNOWN COMPONENTS THAT MAY NEED REPAIRED/REPLACED AND THEY WON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY DO THE WORK. THE OTHER REPAIRS MAY OR MAY NOT BE PAID FOR BY FORD. UNDER FORD'S OWN REMEDIES, IF BRACKETS CAN NOT REPAIR THE ORIGINAL SUBFRAME, THEN A REPURCHASE OFFER FOR THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE MADE. TO DATE, FORD HAS REFUSED THIS AS A REMEDY. INSTEAD, THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME AND AXLE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ATTACHED TO OTHER CORRODED PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. MY FAMILY'S LIVES WERE ALREADY PUT IN DANGER ENOUGH BY THESE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED REGARDING THE SUBFRAME RECALL AND THE REAR AXLE WAS IMPROPERLY HANDLED. THE AXLE SHOULD HAVE HAD REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS ATTACHED EVEN IF IT DID PASS INSPECTION. THIS WAS NOT DONE NOR WERE WE TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IN TO BE DONE. FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO BUY BACK MY VEHICLE UNDER IT'S OWN REMEDY INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED TO THE NHTSA. *TR

A FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING MY VAN I HAD ISSUES WITH MY BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT COMING ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT DID SEEM TO CAUSE ANY ISSUES AND THE LIGHTS WHEN OFF EVER TIME I TURNED MY VAN OFF AND THEN BACK ON. A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT SO NATURALLY I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN I TRIED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP I KEPT GOING. THE PERFECT WAY TO DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPEN, IT FELT LIKE I HIT MY BRAKES ON A SOLID SHEET OF ICE. I COULD HERE THE ABS CLICKING AND ALSO FELT THE VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THAT DAY IT WAS 95 DEGREES AND SUNNY. I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND THE ONLY THINGS THAT STOPPED ME WAS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. IT CONTINUED TO DO IT EVERY TIME I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP THAT I REFUSED TO PUT MY CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. LAST WEEK AFTER ALMOST CAUSING A FEW ACCIDENTS I ENDED UP PULLING THE MAIN FUSES TO THE ABS. SINCE I HAVE DONE THIS THE ONLY ISSUE I HAVE HAD IS MY SPEEDOMETER ACTING UP. I FEEL THAT FORD NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALREADY HAD 5 RECALLS FIXED ON MY VAN AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER ONE. *TR

ABS LIGHT GOES ON. MECHANICS CLEAR THE ERROR AND CANNOT FIND A CAUSE. IT GOES ON AGAIN LATER. GOES OFF SOMETIMES WHEN YOU STOP AND RESTART VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE INVESTIGATING THE 50 MPH FAILURE OF THE PCM MODULE, AND THE ONGOING OFF/ON ACTION OF THE ABS MODULE, I RAN ACROSS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MISTAKE ON PAGE 43-3 OF THE FOMOCO "2001 WIRING DIAGRAMS/WINDSTAR" MANUAL (FCS-12255-01). I EXCHANGED SEVERAL EMAILS, CASE # CAS-4648613-L1X1R6 CRM:03259000003405, WITH THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER ABOUT THIS MATTER UNTIL THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT A DEALER. I SENT THE QUESTIONS TO MY DEALER ASKING FOR CORRECT INFORMATION, BUT THEY HAVEN'T ACKNOWLEDGED MY INQUIRY. WHAT I SUSPECT IS ALL WINDSTAR'S ON THE ROAD TODAY MAY BE OPERATING WITH ONLY ONE-HALF OF THE SCP (J1850 PWM) NETWORK OPERATIONAL. NOW THAT MANY OF THE DEFECTIVE ABS MODULES ARE FAILING, ARE OTHER WINDSTARS IN DANGER OF ENGINE FAILURE AT SPEED LIKE OURS? THE TWO SIMPLE QUESTIONS I ASKED FOMOCO ARE: 1) ARE YOU SURE CIRCUIT 915 (DATA BUS-) SHOULD BE GROUNDED AT THE ABS MODULE? 2) WHAT IS THE PROPER TERMINATION FOR THE FORD DATA BUS (CIRCUITS 914& 915), 120 OHMS, 650 OHMS, 3K OHMS, WHAT AND WHERE?

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY THE SUBFRAME FELL OUT OF MY VEHICLE CAUSING THE THROTTLE BODY TO OPEN ALL THE WAY DROPPED OUT OF REVERSE AND WENT INTO DRIVE LOST STEERING ,LOST BRAKES JAMMED VEHICLE INTO PARK TO STOP 1 FOOT FROM TELEPHONE POLE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD TOOK 1 WEEK TO HERE ANYTHING FROM THEM ,WAS TOLD I COULD NOT HAVE A RENTAL OR LOANER VEHICLE WHILE THEY HAD MY CAR. CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE WAS TOLD I COULD ONLY GET RENTAL CAR FOR 1 DAY FOR SUBFRAME AND 1 DAY FOR REAR AXLE RECALL , AS OF 7/14 2014 WAS TOLD I WOULD MAYBE HAVE MY VEHICLE BACK BY NEXT WEEK AFTER FORD EVALUATED MY CAR FOR REPAIRS. I DID NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM FORD DEALER UNTIL 7/14/2014. *TR

ABS WARNING LIGHT, LARGE RED BRAKE LIGHT TURNED ON IN INSTRUMENT PANEL PLUS INCREASED BRAKE STOPPING DISTANCE. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. *TR

DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE AT POSTED DRIVING SPEED LIMITS THE VEHICLES ABS, BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS HAVE CONTINUOUSLY COME ON AFTER DRIVING BEGINS. IT HAS BEEN ALSO NOTED THAT AFTER SEVERAL BRAKE SERVICE INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS AT MAJOR AUTO REPAIR SHOPS, SUCH AS MIDAS, CARX , AND PEP BOYS. TECHNICIANS HAVE OBSERVED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEMS MAJOR COMPONENTS AND HARDWARE APPEARED TO HAVE FAILED DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF CORROSION AND EASILY RUSTING PARTS SUCH AS BRAKE SHOES, PADS, WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE DRUMS, BRAKE LINE HOSES AND CONNECTORS. EACH OF THESE REPAIR SHOPS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THE REPAIR/ REPLACEMENT OF MANY OF THESE VITAL COMPONENTS WOULD BE EXTREMELY COSTLY TO REPAIR AND COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES OR CREATE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION FOR THE VEHICLE'S OPERATOR AND OTHER DRIVERS IF NOT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLES BRAKES AND HARDWARE HAVE BEEN REPLACED MORE THAN THREE TIMES BY ASAE CERTIFIED /QUALIFIED MECHANICS AND THE BRAKE SYSTEMS WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY REMAIN ON DURING REGULAR OPERATION. THE REAR BRAKES ARE GRINDING AND WEARING THE BRAKE SHOES DOWN MUCH FASTER THAN THEY DID BEFORE EVEN AFTER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. CURRENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES BEFORE COMING TO A FULL STOP THE BRAKE PEDDLE MUST BE APPLIED AT A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 30 SECONDS SOONER TO ENSURE A SAFE STOP. I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF CONCERN IN THE FAILURE OF THE FORD WINDSTAR BRAKE SYSTEM OPERATIONS AND A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ABS SYSTEM AND BRAKES INCLUDING ITS MAJOR COMPONENTS SHOULD BE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR INJURIES TO THE VEHICLE'S OPERATOR AND TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. *JS

THE "ABS" AND "BRAKE" LIGHTS COME ON. SOMETIMES SEEM TO BE TRIGGERED BY A BUMP. WORSE IN WARM WEATHER OR WET CONDITIONS. *TR

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON RANDOMLY. NEVER WHEN VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED BUT ONLY AFTER VAN WARMED UP/WAS OPERATING FOR A WHILE. AS VEHICLE AGED LIGHTS CAME ON SOONER AND LASTED LONGER. CHECKED CODES WHICH WAS ALWAYS A LONG LIST WHICH INCLUDED C1185. SENSORS WERE ALL CLEANED AND INSPECTED/TESTED. BRAKES SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED AND CHECKED OUT AND SAFE SANS THE ABS FUNCTION. MANY REPORTS OF THE ECM MAIN BOARD SOLDERING FAILURE AFTER RUNNING FOR A WHILE AND HEATING UP. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 39 TOWARDS WISCONSIN DELLS WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTERS. ABOUT 15 MILES OUT OF MADISON WISCONSIN MY DAUGHTERS BEGAN SCREAMING I LOOKED BACK AND THERE WAS SMOKE EVERYWHERE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND GOT EVERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. BOTH MY REAR TIRES HAD COLLAPSE. I HAD TO GET TOWED INTO A FORD DEALER IN MADISON WISCONSIN. THE REAR AXLE ON THE VAN HAD SPLIT IN HALF. CALLING FORD WAS NO HELP. THEY STATED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ON THAT VEHICLE A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND THAT THE WARRANTY ON THAT RECALL HAD EXPIRED. LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY BUT IF THESE ISSUES ON THIS RECALL WHICH WAS DONE TWO YEARS AGO HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT! EVEN IF I FIX THIS PROBLEM I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TRUST THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SOMEONE. THERE ARE MANY WINDSTARS THAT WERE REPAIRED AROUND THE SAME TIME BECAUSE OF RECALL THAT WILL BEGIN TO FALL APART AGAIN. PROBLEM NOT FIXED! *TR