2003 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT BOTH ON. GOT SERVICED WITH NEW SENSORS AND BRAKES PROBLEM FIXED FOR TWO DAYS. RETURNED TO MECHANIC,COULD NOT FIND OUT PROBLEM ( SPENT $300). RECENTLY TOOK TO PEPBOYS FOR COMPLETE CHECK(SPENT $180). CAME OUT CODE C1185. REFERRED ME TO TAKE TO FORD FOR FIX. CALLED IN TO SEE HOW MUCH REPAIR WOULD BE QUOTED PART AT $800 PLUS SERVICE. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THIS FIXED NOW. SINCE FORD DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FAULTY PART, FORD SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE SOME DEAL WHERE YOU CAN PAY IN PAYMENTS OR REDUCE THE PRICE BY 1/2 SINCE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT IS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR SUCH AS NEW BRAKES, SENSORS, ROTORS, ETC. SERIOUSLY THE PART IS EXPENSIVE IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN ALL AFFORD TO JUST SAY OH OK IT'S ONLY ABOUT A THOUSAND TO FIX! HELP US OUT HERE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V385000 (SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 199,000.

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT IS ON, INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN ON, THE REAR BRAKES CAN EASILY LOCK UP IF I SLAM ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. BRAKING DISTANCE IS INCREASED, AND WITH LESS CONTROL. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.FORDWINDSTARRECALL.INFO/#BROKENSOLDIER DESCRIBED AS PROBLEM # 2 ON THIS SITE. I ALSO HAD PROBLEM NUMBER 1 DESCRIBED ON THE ABOVE WEBSITE WHERE THE "BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH" DEVELOPED A LEAK. FOR SOME, AS THE WEBSITE SUGGESTS, THIS HAS CAUSED A FIRE. I FIXED MINE, MYSELF, AT MY OWN EXPENSE, BEFORE A FIRE OCCURRED. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES ARE DESIGN / MANUFACTURE DEFECTS, NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

THERE IS SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG WITH OUR FORD WINDSTAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. UPON UNLOCKING THE CAR WITH THE REMOTE, ONLY THE REAR HATCH WILL UNLOCK. ALL OF THE OTHER DOORS TRY TO UNLOCK, BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH POWER TO PUSH THE LOCK ALL THE WAY UP. AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY, THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. THIS IS NOT ONLY A VERY OBNOXIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE EACH OF THE DOORS MUST BE UNLOCKED BY HAND, BUT THIS COULD ALSO BE A SIGN OF OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. IN AN EMERGENCY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR, I NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. *TR

THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WILL COME ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME AFTER DRIVING FOR ONLY A FEW MINUTES. ONCE THESE LIGHTS COME ON, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROLS ARE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE, AND IN BAD WEATHER THIS COULD LEAD TO A CRASH. THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE FASTER WHEN IT IS WARMER OUTSIDE. I BELIEVE THAT AT $2800 TO REPAIR, THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE A RECALL, ESPECIALLY IN A FAMILY VEHICLE WHERE CHILDREN COULD BE IN DANGER. *TR

THE ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON DRIVING HOME, THE NEXT MORNING I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE CAR AND WAS DRIVE OUT OF DRIVE WAY AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. ...HAD TO TURN OFF IGNITION.GOOD THING IT HAPPENED HERE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE ROAD. *TR

I SAW THERE'S A RECALL ON THE FORD WINDSTAR ABS SYSTEM? (I HAVE 2003) IN 2010, I COMPLAINED TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WERE FLASHING ON AND OFF, THAT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. ON THAT TICKET THEY WROTE, "NO ACTION", MEANING THEY DID NOTHING AND SAID NOTHING ABOUT HOW TO FIX IT. I JUST GOT BACK FROM FORD DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY WHERE I'D COMPLAINED AGAIN ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE BECAUSE NOW IT'S BEEN 3 YEARS OF FLASHING LIGHTS... AND THEY SAID "OH, YOU NEED A WHOLE NEW ABS SYSTEM, THAT PART IS $2800.00 AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR!!! REALLY? TOO BAD MY WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO GET THAT DONE WHEN I COMPLAINED THE FIRST TIME AND HAD THAT EXPENSIVE WARRANTY IN PLACE. IS THIS IN FACT A RECALL OR DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW ABS SYSTEM? *TR

WE HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY INFORMED ABOUT ALL OF THE RECALLS OR OTHER ISSUES WITH OUR VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DOES HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS FROM THE ELECTRICAL, STRUCTURE, ENGINE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS THROWING CODES NEEDING A LOT OF SENSOR REPLACEMENTS AT OUR COST, THE RPMS SEEM TO RUN FAST SITTING AT A LIGHT(WE HAVE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN RESTART), AND THE ENGINE SEEMS TO RUN HOT, BRAKES, CRUISE CONTROL(CANNOT USE), TRACTION CONTROL(CANNOT USE), INTERIOR LIGHT ARE ALWAYS FLICKERING, PASSENGER WINDOWS(CANNOT USE) AND DOOR LOCKS(CANNOT USE), BOTH REAR WINDOWS(CANNOT USE), LEAKS FROM ROOF, REAR DOOR AND SLIDING DOORS, THE CRUISE CONTROL, BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS STAY ON WHILE DRIVING(WE WERE TOLD BY A DEALERSHIP THAT WE CAN STILL DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WE WON'T HAVE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES.), THE AC IS ALWAYS HAVING TROUBLE STAYING CHARGED, THE AC/HEAT CONTROL SWITCHES HAVE MALFUNCTIONED(IT HAS TO BE SET AWAY FROM THE COLD AND THE SPEED TO 3/4 SPEED TO WORK RIGHT), THE BATTERY KEEPS LOSING CHARGE, THE BRAKE TAIL LIGHTS STAY ON DRAINING THE BATTERY AND HAD TO GET REPAIRED BY US BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM, DRIVER SEAT HAS MALFUNCTIONED(CANNOT USE PER DEALERSHIP'S REQUEST), CRUISE CONTROL AND TRACTION CONTROL DOES NOT WORK, SUSPENSION SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF SQUEAKS AND POPPING SOUNDS, ALTERNATOR AND STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, THE COIL PACKS NEED CONSTANT REPLACEMENTS, ALL SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEIR TIME, CANNOT USE THE REAR WIPER BECAUSE IT GOES DOWN ONTO THE PAINT AND STARTS WIPING THE PAINT AND NOT THE REAR WINDOW, CONSTANTLY REPLACING EXTERIOR LIGHTS ALL AROUND, THE ENGINE CONSTANTLY CUTS OUT, WE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT THERE WAS AN ANTIFREEZE SMELL AND THEY COULD NOT LOCATE IT UNTIL 5-28-13, REPLACED BAD FRONT AND REAR AXLES ON 5/28/13 AND MANY OTHERS. 12K-18K TO REPAIR EVERYTHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR . THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC, WHO RETRIEVED ERROR CODE CLL85, INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V399000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, OVERHEATING), HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 07/23/13*LJ

OUR VAN WAS FINE UNTIL IT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME SHIFTING. WE TOOK THE VAN INTO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO WATER. AND ALSO HAD THE WATER TO THE RADIATOR COMPLETELY BYPASS THE TRANSMISSION. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL MONTHS LATER IT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME SHIFTING. SOMEHOW A LOT OF WATER HAD GOTTEN IN THERE. THERE'S NO WAY IT'S FROM THE RADIATOR SINCE LIKE I SAID IT BYPASSES THE TRANNY AND HAS A DIFFERENT COOLING THING?? NOW HE THINKS IT'S FROM THE A/C. SO NOW IT'S IN THE SHOP AGAIN AND I ALREADY SPENT $300 FOR A COMPLETE FLUSH. NOW I MIGHT HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN. PLUS HE'S GOING TO MAKE A SHIELD FOR THE A/C. THIS IS CRAZY. *TR