2003 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

ABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKE LIGHT IS ON INTERMITTENTLY. SO FAR BRAKE FUNCTION IS NORMAL. HAD MECHANIC PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON SYSTEM. 12 CODES APPEARED RELATED TO THE BRAKE ABS CONTROL. WAS TOLD THAT PROBLEM IS WITH THE ABS MODULE. THIS ISSUE WOULD WORSEN AND COULD CAUSE MASSIVE BRAKE FAILURE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER OWNERS OF WINDSTARS AND HAVE HEARD OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS DEFECT IS NOT ISOLATED TO 2003 MODELS. I KNOW OF OTHER OWNERS WHO DRIVE 1998 2000 2001 WINDSTARS AND ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD TO ACCELERATION OR REVERSE OR ANYTHING. IT WAS LIKE I WAS OUT OF GEAR. I DRIFTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW. I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THAT WAS FEB. 2011 I JUST HAD THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME DEC. 2012- TRANSMISSION NEEDS REBUILT AGAIN! MILEAGE IS 82000 ARE YOU KIDDING! 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS! THE TORQUE CONVERTER BOTH TIMES! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V193000 (POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 181,096 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHTS WILL COME AT THE SAME TIME AND BOTH WILL GO OFF AT THE SAME TIME. WHILE THESE LIGHTS ARE ON I WILL HAVE ISSUES WHILE TRYING TO BREAK. I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE FRONT WHEEL IN WET WEATHER WANTING TO SKID WHEN STOPPING AND IT WILL SPIN WHEN TAKING OFF. I HAVE HAD $500 OF WORK ON THE FRONT BRAKES AND $450 OF WORK ON THE BACK BRAKES AND THE MECHANICS DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I STILL HAVE ISSUES WHEN STOPPING. I HAVE A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. *TR

EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN I TRIED TO STOP MY CAR WOULD NOT AND ALMOST WENT INTO SOMEONE'S HOUSE...THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON ALSO! ATTEMPTED TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED AFTER $1024 LATER, THE ABS LIGHT IS OFF BUT BRAKE LIGHT. CONTINUES TO COME ON AND SQUEAL. FORD DEALER INSISTS NOTHING WRONG WITH BRAKES! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SPLINES WERE WORN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE RECENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 01/02/2013*LJ UPADTED 1/7/2013 *JS

WAS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DECREASE IN SPEED, PRESSED GAS PEDAL TO INCREASE SPEED, B UT ONLY THE RPM'S WENT UP AND NOTHING ELSE. HAD TO COAST TO A SAFE AREA TO GET OFF THE ROAD, WAS STRANDED 6 MILES FRONT HE NEAREST TOWN AND WAS ABOUT 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR ANYTHING ELSE SHOWING ANY TYPE OF PROBLEM BEFORE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *TR

I DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 50-100 MILES A DAY. I JUST PULLED INTO THE LIBRARY AND WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE, THE CAR BACKED OUT, BUT THAN WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. I TRIED EVERY GEAR AND THE RPM JUST REVVED. THERE WAS NO PRIOR SLIPPAGE OR INDICATION THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING. SPOKE TO THE MECHANIC AND ITS THE SAME PROBLEM THE FORD FREESTAR AND MERCURY MONTEREY EXPERIENCED. I JUST SAW THEY GOT THEIR RECALL WHY NOT THE WINDSTAR SINCE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS AND IT CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY. I HAD MY DAUGHTER WITH ME. *TR

THE ABS SYSTEM, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED WITH THE SWITCH RECALL, STILL DOESN'T WORK. INTERMITTENTLY I HAVE THE ABS/BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ON THIS VAN. IT HAS HAPPENED UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS. I HAVE REPLACED MASTER AND REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE DRUMS AND STILL HAVE INTERMITTENT ABS. *TR

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ON - VEHICLE WAS IN FOR ANOTHER RECALL AND FORD NOTED THAT LIGHT WAS ON - WANTED TO CHARGE FOR INSPECTION OF REASON LIGHT STAYS ON - THEY ALSO VERIFIED THAT BRAKES WERE GOOD.. *TR