2001 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A IMPOUND LOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

HI I AM THE OWNER OF 2001 WINDSTAR LAST WEEK MY VAN STAR BE CRAZY WITH AL THE INSTRUMENTAL ALL THE LIGHT WAS CRAZY SMELL LIKE THE CABLE WAS BURNING THE POSITIVE BATTERY WAS VERY HOT I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE GET IN FIRE THAT IS THE SECOND TIME THAT IS HAPPEN PLEASE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUS BEFORE SOME HAVE ANY ACCIDENT AND CAR BURN IN THE ROAD. *TR

ARRIVED AT DESTINATIONS AND STOPPED. TRIED TO LEAVE, BRAKES HAD NOT RELEASED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE.. HAD TO DRIVE HOME AGAINST THE BRAKES WHICH WERE SMOKING UPON ARRIVAL AT HOME. NEXT DAY, BRAKES WENT BACK TO NORMAL. TWO DAYS LATER, SAME OCCURRENCE. BRAKES WOULD NOT RELEASE, OVERHEATED, BRAKE PEDAL PUSHED HARD UP WITH ALL BRAKES APPLIED. NEST MORNING AFTER COOL DOWN, BRAKE PEDAL RESTING ON FLOOR; WOULD NOT PUMP UP; NO BRAKES. SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, BRAKE AND ABS INDICATORS COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON, I.E., 3 DROPS OF RAIN ON WINDSHIELD AND INDICATORS COME ON. FORD DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS, SAID IT WAS AN ECU PROBLEM AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT, SAYING IT WOULD COST ME ABOUT $700 TO FIX. *TR

ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ON/ OFF MORE THEN 5 YEARS EVERY TIME DRIVING , BRAKE WORKING FINE. ALL THE GAUGE MOVING CRAZY ABOUT 1 A WEEK. WINTER TIME THE PROBLEM LESS. *TR

MY ABS LIGHTS CAME ON AS WELL AS MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T KNOW WHY MY BRAKES ARE KNEW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN INDEPENDENTLY TURNED IN A COMPLETE CIRCLE. THE SUB FRAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V030000 (STRUCTURE). THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE AFFECTED PARTS WERE THE CLOCK SPRING, EXHAUST FLEX PIPE, POWER STEERING BELT AND TRANSMISSION BRACKET, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 12/4/13*CN

DRIVING THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH SPEED; THEREFORE, I STARTED INVESTIGATING TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. 1ST I FOUND ONE OF THE REAR SHOCKS WAS VERY BOUNCY, THE REAR TIRES WERE NOT STRAIGHT AND BOTH REAR TIRES WERE WEARING ON THE INSIDE. REPLACED BOTH REAR SHOCKS. THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE REAR TIRES WERE STILL NOT STRAIGHT. NEXT I WENT TO MIKE NAUGHTON FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED WITH A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT I NEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND HAVE THE REAR CAMBERS SHIMMIED SO THAT THE WHEELS WOULD BE STRAIGHT AT A ESTIMATE COST OF $200.00, THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS TO HAVE THIS WORK DONE. LAST NIGHT (10-13-2013), I JACKED THE VEHICLE UP TO LOOK UNDER TO SEE HOW DIFFICULT IT WOULD BE TO PERFORM THE WORK MYSELF. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO FORD AND PAY THEM TO DO THE WORK. I WAS JACKING THE VEHICLE UP TO REMOVE THE JACK STANCE AND BOTH TIRES FELL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. I LOOK UNDER THE VEHICLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT HAPPENED AND FOUND THE AXLE HOUSING BENT/BROKEN IN HALF. IT APPEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN CRACKED/BROKEN FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE THE INITIAL BREAK WAS RUSTY. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW-UP WITH THE FORD DEALER YET - I BELIEVE THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE CLOSED TODAY (COLUMBUS DAY) BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REACH ANYONE BY PHONE. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE WINDSTAR AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN SHE HEARD A NOISE AND FELT SOMETHING BREAK AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE AND SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED. SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF SHE COULD SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SHE NOTICED BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE POINTING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. THIS VEHICLE WAS RECALLED IN 2011 TO HAVE BRACKETS PLACED TO SUPPORT THE SUBFRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD PULLED OUT OF THE SUBFRAME. *TR

THE PARKING BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND TEND TO STAY ON WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WARM. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALREADY HAD THE RECALL 09V399000 PERFORMED ON IT SO THE LIGHTS COMING ON SHOULD NOT BE RELATED TO THAT ISSUE. IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH THEIR WINDSTAR VANS WHICH IS A BAD SOLDER ON THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CIRCUIT BOARD. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE VAN A FEW THOUSAND MILES SINCE THE LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON SO I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY LOSS OF FUNCTION THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON/OFF, TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP,, THEY SAID THERE ARE NO RECALLS, HOWEVER I HAVE TWO RECALL NUMBERS 00V270000 AND 00V412000 CONCERNING THE RCM-RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE-THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY A FEE FOR THEM TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE IF A RECALL EXIST FOR THE PROBLEM I IDENTIFIED ALREADY CALLED THE FORT CUSTOMER SUPPORT NUMBER THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SAID NO RECALLS EXIST FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR