1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

I WAS IN MY GARAGE. I PLACED THE WINDSTAR IN PARK. I LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING, OPENED MY DOOR AND WALKED TO THE BACK OF THE VAN. I HEARD A CLUNK WHICH APPARENTLY WAS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. THE VAN IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF AND THE DOOR CAUGHT ME AND SLAMMED ME INTO THE GARAGE WALL AND BROKE BACKWARDS. IT DRUG ME OUT THE GARAGE AND I FELL OFF. THE VAN THEN PROCEEDED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET. IT DAMAGED THE NEIGHBORS YARD, MAIL BOX, CABLE BOX AND SHRUBS. IT SLOWED ON A BERM AND I WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN AND STOP IT. I MOVED IT FROM REVERSE TO PARK, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH BRUISES AND SPRAINED WRISTS. *TR

FOR THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING ISSUES WITH MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR: 1. ABS LIGHT COME ON AND OFF...NOW STAYS ON 2. RED EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. 3. INTERIOR LIGHTS AND LOCKS WORK WITHOUT PRESSING A SWITCH. IN LAST MONTH: SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING A/C STOPPED AT SAME TIME THESE ISSUES SEEM TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR......WHAT CAN YOUR AGENCY DO TO MAKE FORD CORRECT THIS SITUATION SINCE THE MECHANICS DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT AN ECONOMICAL SOLUTION. THANK YOU. *TR

I HAVE A RED BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATING, AND MY CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING. THE BRAKE SWITCH JUST BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER HAS EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE AND IT IS SEEPING ONTO THE WIRING AND SPEED CONTROL BOX. IF IT CONTINUES WITHOUT SERVICE SERIOUS DAMAGE IS EMINENT. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR WAS OBSERVED PRODUCING SMOKE WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY AT 7:00AM 7/31/08 (THE VEHICLE WAS LAST DRIVEN AROUND 8:00PM THE PREVIOUS EVENING). THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPORTED THE ABS UNIT HAD BURNED AND APPARENTLY SMOLDERED OUT ON ITS OWN. THE ABS UNIT WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE MECHANIC ADVISED TO CONTACT A FORD DEALER TO SEE IF THE ITEM WAS UNDER RECALL DUE TO HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THESE DEFECTS. HOLMAN FORD (MT. LAUREL, NJ) SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THAT PARTICULAR VEHICLE. NOTE: ROUGHLY 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CRUISE CONTROL, AIR CONDITIONER, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC ITEMS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE SERVICE MECHANIC OBSERVED THE CRUISE CONTROL UNIT APPEARED BURNED. *TR

MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT ENGINE SHIFT WHILE DRIVING. THE GARAGE INDICATED THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE CRADLE HAD RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHIFT. *TR

BRAKE PRESSURE DEACTIVATION SWITCH LEAKING FLUID CAUSING CRUISE CONTROL NOT TO WORK AND POSSIBLY CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE ECM CONTROL MODULE. ALSO A POSSIBLE RISK OF FIRE CAUSED BY THE LEAKING FLUID INTO THE WIRING FOR THE ECM CONTROL MODULE CAUSING IT TO SHORT OUT. ABS BRAKES NOT WORKING DUE TO FAULTY ECM CONTROL MODULE. PARTS HAVE BEEN PRICED,BUT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED YET DUE TO A LACK OF MONEY TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER LEAVING THE DRIVEWAY, THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. HE SAID IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES WERE STUCK OR RUSTY, WE HAD NOT DRIVEN THE VAN IN ABOUT 7 DAYS. HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THINKING THE BRAKES WOULD RELEASE AND THE CAR WOULD BE FINE. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE AND IT WAS SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS HE IMMEDIATELY CAME HOME AND WE INSPECTED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND FOUND THE COIL SPRING WAS RESTING ON THE TIRE AND RUBBING. THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER WAS APPARENT AS HE DROVE BACK IN THE DRIVEWAY. WE TOOK OF THE TIRE AND FOUND THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN NEAR THE BOTTOM. WE ARE CURRENTLY GETTING ESTIMATES TO REPLACE THE ONE COIL SPRING, OUR FIRST ESTIMATE FROM A FORD DEALER WAS $400 TO $450, WITH OUT SEEING THE CAR, IT IS NOT DRIVABLE. WE ARE UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME IF THE TIRE ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR IF THERE IS OTHER DAMAGE WE CAN'T SEE. OLD PART WILL BE RETAINED BY US AFTER THE VEHICLE IS FIXED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE BATTERY IN HOPES THAT IT WAS A DEFECT. TWO WEEKS LATER, SMOKE WAS PRESENT UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AND AIR CONDITIONING FAILED IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE SEVERAL RECALLS LISTED; HOWEVER, FORD STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE08035) FOR THE DESCRIBED FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

OUR ABS LIGHT CONTINUE TO BE ON AND WE HAD BROUGHT IT TO THE MECHANIC SEVERAL TIME, HOWEVER WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS ON SINCE THE BRAKES WAS ALL NEWLY CHANGED. I FOUND OUT THROUGH RESEARCHING AND THE FAILURE OF OUR SPEEDOMETER, MILEAGE COUNTER AND AC CONTROL DIED ON US YESTERDAY, 08/05/08 WHILE DRIVING THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH CAN CAUSE A LEAK AND SHORT OUT FUSE 10. SURE ENOUGH WE HAD ONE. THUS I AM WRITING TO INFORM OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED TO SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS. AND WHAT SCARES ME THE MOST IT CAN CAUSE FIRE ESPECIALLY I HAVE 2 CHILDREN ONE OF WHICH IS A TODDLER AGE WHO SITS IN A CAR SEAT THAT COULD GET CAUGHT IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR HAS AN ISSUE WITH FUSE #10 BLOWING WHICH AFFECTS THE SPEEDOMETER (DOES NOT WORK) AS WELL AS A/C WHICH ONLY BLOWS HOT AIR. THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND MUCH MORE INSTRUMENTATION IS INOPERABLE INCLUDING CRUISE CONTROL. THIS FIRST HAPPENED WHILE ON A HIGHWAY IN COLORADO. MY HUSBAND AND I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE MANUAL. WE REPLACED FUSE #10 AND ALL WORKED FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THEN THE FUSE BEGAN BLOWING EACH TIME I TURNED ON THE CAR. WE BOUGHT SEVERAL EXTRA FUSES AS WE WERE GETTING READY TO DRIVE TO OUR NEW HOME IN ARIZONA. THIS WAS JULY 11, 2008. THE CAR RAN FOR 12 HOURS ON A NEW FUSE WITH NO PROBLEM. WE STOPPED AND RESTED FOR THREE HOURS AND CONTINUED OUR ROAD TRIP ON JULY 12TH. THE FUSE BLEW WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND SEVERAL NEW FUSES NEVER GOT IT TO WORK AGAIN. I HAD TO DRIVE THE LAST LEG (FOUR HOURS) OF MY TRIP WITH NO A/C (DESERT CLIMATE) AND WORST OF ALL NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOW FAST I WAS GOING. THAT WAS SCARY. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC IN TUCSON, AZ AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD SOME RECALL ISSUES AND THAT I SHOULD GO TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. I LOOKED UP RECALLS AND FOUND A WEBSITE WITH FORD WINDSTAR OWNERS WHO HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES. APPARENTLY, THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL FOR THEM AT THIS TIME. THEY STATE IT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. I HOPE SO AS I SPENT $1300.00 ON A/C AND HEATER PROBLEMS LAST WINTER. MY VAN HAS 115,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEED IT TO LAST ME LONG ENOUGH UNTIL I GET A NEW JOB IN ARIZONA. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. *TR