1999 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

ONGOING FAILURE OF FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE SPEEDOMETER/AC AND ABS. LEAK FROM UNDER MASTER BREAK CYLINDER ONTO SWITCH. FIXED BY REPAIR SHOP. 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. *TR

ABS LIGHT COMES ON IN MY VAN AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP. EACH DAY WHEN I USE THE VEHICLE THE ABS LIGHT IS NOT ON, AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP, THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. I FOUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ECM IS DEFECTIVE AND THE CIRCUIT BOARD WARPS WHEN HEATED. THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY HEAT IN THE ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) (2C219) MODULE CAUSING EXPANSION OF A LARGE ALUMINUM PLATE (HEAT SINK) IN THE ECM WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE ECM MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD AT ALL POINTS. THE EXPANSION OCCURS WHEN THE UNIT GETS WARM ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS AND CAUSES INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE UNIT BECAUSE THE FRAGILE BOARD IS BEING STRETCHED AND MALFORMED. THE CODE MOST COMMONLY SCANNED BY PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS IS CODE C1185. SEEN BY US OWNERS AS A YELLOW ABS BRAKE LIGHT. *TR

I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING WITH MY SON IN A 1999 WINDSTAR WHEN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HOUSING BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAME. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE AND WE WENT ALL OVER THE ROAD. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN COMING THE OTHER WAY WE WOULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. EVERY MECHANIC WHO HAS LOOKED AT THE BROKEN HOUSING SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE, EVEN ON MUCH OLDER VEHICLES, AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. MOST OF THE MECHANICS I HAVE SPOKEN TO FEEL THAT A FAULTY WELD CAUSED THIS STRUCTURE FAILURE, AND THAT IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED WITHOUT INSTALLING AN ENTIRE NEW SUB-FRAME. THE FORD DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE VAN, AND THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AT THE FORD HEADQUARTERS, SAID THAT CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY FROM RUST. IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR SUCH A DEFECT ON THE 1999 WINDSTAR, THAT THIS IS MY PROBLEM. IN MY OPINION, I INTERPRET THIS TO MEAN THAT FORD CONSIDERS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR PRODUCTS TO HAVE A USABLE LIFE OF LESS THAN 10 YEARS. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THINK OF HOW MANY OF OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE OF 9 + YEAR OLD FORDS ON THE ROADS. MY WIFE IS DRIVING A 2002 FORD TAURUS. IS MY FAMILY SAFE IN IT? THIS PROBLEM HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON MY PART. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. SO WHO IS AT FAULT? I HAVE PHOTOS WHICH SHOW THE BREAK, AND CAN SEND THEM TO YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM. ALSO, I STILL HAVE THE WINDSTAR SITTING IN MY YARD, SO IF YOU NEED TO INSPECT THE STRUCTURE FAILURE, YOU CAN DO SO. *TR UPDATED AND ADDED PICTURES ON 07/23/08. *KB

ABS LIGHT KEEPS ON TURN OFF AND ON, TACKING LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. REPLACED BRAKES TWICE. *TR

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND GEAR. TRANSMISSION DOWNSIHFTS HARD TO 1ST GEAR AT TIMES. PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. AT FIRST JUST A LITTLE BUMP FEELING BUT AFTER ABOUT 40,000 MILES GOT WORSE AND NOW AT 150,000 CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. PROBLEM OCCURS ALMOST ALL THE TIME, 95% OR MORE OF THE SHIFTS. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SERVICED WITH FILTER AND FLUID CHANGE EVERY 30, 000 MILES BUT THE PROBLEM DOES NOT GO AWAY. WILL TRY A NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH BUT MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IF THAT DOES NOT CLEAR UP THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT CURRENTLY IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

ABS LIGHT COMES ON AT TIMES. HAS DONE THIS SINCE ABOUT 30,000 MILES AND VAN HAS 150,000 CURRENTLY. AT FIRST IT WOULD RANDOMLY COME ON ABOUT EVERY OTHER MONTH AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL, NOW IT COMES ON EVERY OTHER DAY OR MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. ABS COMPUTER IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. FAILURE CODES THAT ARE IN THE ABS COMPUTER: 1145RF WHEEL SPEED INPUT CIRCUIT FAILURE 1185POWER RELAY OUTPUT CIRCUIT FAILURE 1198LF ISOLATION VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1194LF DUMP VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1254RR ISOLATION VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1246RR DUMP VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1250LR ISOLATION VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1242LR DUMP VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1214RF ISOLATION VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE 1210RF DUMP VALVE CIRCUIT FAILURE AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CODES THE ABS COMPUTER HAS FAILED. THE ABS COMPUTER WILL BE DEACTIVATED UNTIL A REPLACEMENT CAN BE INSTALLED. *TR

ON MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR SE, THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ECM IS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THE COMPUTER BOARD IS MOUNTED ON AN ALUMINUM PLATE WHICH EXPANDS FROM ENGINE AND SUMMER HEAT, CAUSING THE DASHBOARD ABS LIGHT TO COME ON AND POSSIBLY FAILURE OF THE ABS SYSTEM. *TR

1999 FORD WINDSTAR BRAKE, ABS BRAKE STAYS ON, CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT, AND SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER WENT OUT. FUSE BLEW AND CONTINUES TO BLOW. FORD HAS A REDESIGNED BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH, BUT WILL NOT SAY IT IS A RECALL. *TR

THE BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH ALSO KNOWN AS THE CRUISE CONTROL CUTOFF SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED ON MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKING OUT OF IT WILL CAUSE A MASSIVE FIRE. I HAVE 3 KIDS AND HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYDAY THAT'S WHY IM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. I NO IM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THE FORD DEALER WHO REPAIRED MY CAR SAYS HE KNOWS OF QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. *TR

THE FRONT SUB FRAME DROPPED DOWN DUE TO RUST AT THE REAR ATTACHING POINTS. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY & THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES, IT COULD VERY WELL HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR