2001 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

JUST RECENTLY, IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, THE ABS LIGHTS GO ON INTERMITTENTLY ON THE DASHBOARD, WARNING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. WE TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID IT MAY NEED A NEW ECU OR COMPUTER MODULE, BUT THEY SAID IT WAS SAFE TO USE. HOWEVER, THE MANUAL SAYS WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE ABS SYSTEM AND TRACTION CONTROL ARE DISABLED... THERE SEEMS TO BE A RECALL, BUT NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED ANY ISSUE. IT SEEMS STRANGE FOR A CAR WITH 68,000 MILES TO HAVE THIS GO OUT - WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS NOT A COVERED ITEM BEFORE PAYING $ 1,400 FOR A NEW PART. THANK YOU. *TR

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT COME ON AT SAME TIME , THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY . STOP VEHICLE TURN OFF AND RESTART AND LIGHTS WILL GO OUT, THEY WILL STAY OFF FOR ONE DAY TO ONE MONTH -- NO PATTERN -- THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE RECALL DONE. *JS

ABS LIGHT, AIR BAG LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING BACK ON WHILE CAR IS ON. *TR

MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. MECHANIC SAID WHEN IT COMES ON MY ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK. THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR MYSELF OR CHILDREN I TRAVEL WITH DAILY. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE MINIVAN IS EQUIPPED WITH A BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT. THIS BUTTON ENABLES YOU TO SHIFT OUT OF OVERDRIVE WHEN YOU DO NOT WANT THE VEHICLE TO BE IN OVERDRIVE MODE. ABOUT THIS TIME THE FUSE IN THE FUSE BOX WOULD BLOW. REPLACED THE FUSE A NUMBER OF TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. THE FUSE MAY LAST FOR 5 TO 10 MILES AND THEN IT WOULD BLOW. TRIED A LARGER AMP FUSE BUT IT WOULD ALSO BLOW. TRANSMISSION WILL LEAVE THE OVERDRIVE ONLY IF YOU ACCELERATE GOING UP A HILL. *TR

WHEN DRIVING VAN IN HOT WEATHER OR GOING UP STEEP HILLS OR GRADES THE TRANSMISSION WILL START LEAKING OUT TRANSMISSION FLUID. ENOUGH WILL BE COMING OUT TO CREATE A VISIBLE CLOUD OF SMOKE BEHIND THE VEHICLE AS IT IS HITTING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. HAD NEW TRANS AXLE SEAL INSTALLED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL IS THERE. IF YOU PARK THE VAN FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES IT QUITS LEAKING AND YOU CAN PROCEED. FOR SOME REASON THE FLUID GETS SO HOT IT IS BASICALLY BOILING OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

THE ABS AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HAD THE COMPUTER OR SOMETHING RESET A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT THE LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. BEEN DOING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE NEAR THE SLIDING DOORS AND ROCKER PANELS. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS NOT PLACE TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSAL JACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME AND THE AREAS NEAR THE ROCKER PANELS WERE CORRODED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND PARKING BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 122,840.

FRONT SUB-FRAME BADLY RUSTED AND SWAY BAR WELDED MOUNTS ON THE SUB-FRAME HAVE RUSTED AND BROKEN IN HALF CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL AND EXCESSIVE BODY ROLL. AS A NOTE, THIS VEHICLE WAS RUSTPROOFED WHEN NEW AND INSPECTED OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE EACH YEAR. ALSO, FORD HAS INSPECTED THE FRONT SUB-FRAME IN JANUARY OF 2011 ON A RECALL AND IT APPEARS DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE SUB-FRAME IN THIS AREA. GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE RUST IT WOULD APPEAR THE PROBLEM EXISTED AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. *JS