2001 Ford Windstar Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,750.

WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE TO GO SHOPPING EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE TILL I GOT ABOUT 25 MILES FROM MY HOUSE THAT IS WHEN I GOT STOPPED AT MY FIRST RED LIGHT THAT WHEN I WAS WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN THE ABS AND PARK BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON SO I PULLED OVER AT MY NEAREST CONVENIENCE SHUT THE VAN OFF CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE, I GOT BACK INTO THE VAN AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, FINISHED MY SHOPPING THE ABOUT 4 MINUTES AFTER I STARTED THE VAN TO COME HOME WHILE WAITING IN TRAFFIC THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT THE BRAKES FELT FINE SO I DROVE IT HOME. I HAD A BRAKE SHOP CHECK IT OUT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE (EBCM TO BE EXACT) AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IT JUST WOULDN'T HAVE ABS FUNCTIONING WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, CONTACTED FORD DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT WHEN THEY CHECKED IT THE LIGHT WAS OUT AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND BECAUSE IT WASN'T A RECALL NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT AND IF I WANTED IT BROUGHT IN TO FIX IT IT WOULD COST ME $785 DOLLARS. SO I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND TO ME A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND FIXED AS IT SEEMS THAT IT IS A BAD SOLDER-JOINT IN THE EBCM THAT IS CAUSING THIS ERROR AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE FROM WHAT I READ IN ONLINE POSTS. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A FREE FIX I JUST WANT FORD TO STEP UP AND FIX THE SAFETY ISSUES ON VEHICLES THEY MAKE

ABS FAILURE, READING CODE C1185 AND MANY OTHER C CODES REFERENCING CIRCUIT FAILURES AT EACH WHEEL.

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON FOR SOME TIME. THERE WASN'T ANY CHANGE IN THE BRAKES SO I ASSUMED THERE WAS A SENSOR SWITCH OR OTHER COMPUTER RELATED ISSUE. I AM NOT A MECHANIC AND KEPT DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO INTERMITTENTLY STAY ON EVENTUALLY BURNING OUT BRAKE BULBS. THEN FRYING THE PART THAT THE BULB GOES INTO. I AM NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE NOW BECAUSE I FEEL THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR FIRE THE VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS IN MOTION WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON. I CAN'T GET THEM TO GO OFF EVEN WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND TURNED OFF.

ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. TURNED VEHICLE OFF, WAITED BRIEFLY, AND TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON, LIGHTS WEREN'T VISIBLE. NEXT ERRAND RUN OF THE DAY, GOT A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. WENT INTO STORE, CAME BACK OUT, STARTED THE VEHICLE, AND LIGHTS STAYED OFF.

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER SAID ITS THE ABS ECU BOX. THEY ALWAYS HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH A WIRE INSIDE THE BOX COMING LOSE

"CHECK TRACTION CONTROL" WARNING SIGNAL, BREAK LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, TRAC OFF LIGHT, AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. SPEEDOMOTER STOPPED WORKING, TACHOMETER STOPPED WORKING, VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT WHEN NECESSARY. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A FAILURE IN THE ABS PUMP AND ABS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *JS

WHEN DRIVING THE VAN AT 50 MPH THE YELLOW ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK TO THE GARAGE , SAID ABS SYSTEM GAVE 8 CODES BUT THEY COULDN'T PIN POINT A PROBLEM, LIGHT WENT OFF ON ITS OWN AND VAN REGAINED ABS FUNCTION , AND NOW RANDOMLY THE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ABS IS DEACTIVATED. *TR

ABS LIGHT WENT OFF. BRAKES SUDDENLY BECAME LESS EFFECTIVE ON THE SNOW LADEN ICY PAVEMENT. TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES OR ABS. I HAVE THE CODES READ BY A MECHANIC AND IT SAID THE REAR ABS SENSOR WAS BAD. I GOT IT REPLACED AND IT NEVER FIXED THE ISSUE. SO I HAD IT READ AGAIN BY A MECHANIC AND IT SAID THE SAME THING. *TR

ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR A FEW DAYS NOW. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GET SERVICED, ABS LIGHT ON PANEL AND BRAKES SQUEAKING. RELIABLE MECHANIC SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLES BRAKES WERE FINE AND NO REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED, BUT THAT MY ABS WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. I WAS TOLD THE ABS LIGHT WAS ELECTRICAL AND THAT IT WOULD COST A LOT TO FIX.THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED TWICE RECENTLY WITH BRAKES LOCKING AND NO ABS. AFTER RESEARCHING I SEE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE. PLEASE MAKE A RECALL. *TR

ABS LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, TAIL LIGHT, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ALL CAME ON. *TR

VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS) IN 2009, REPAIR WAS DONE BY INSTALLING JUMPER AS SCDS WAS NOT LEAKING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AS BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. FOUND LEAKING SCDS TO BE PROBLEM. FORD CONTACTED TO COVER REPAIR AS SCDS WAS KNOWN TO BE BAD WHEN RECALLED IN 2009, BUT WAS NOT LEAKING. THE LEAKING SCDS CAUSED THE JUMPER (INSTALLED DURING RECALL) TO GO BAD AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID OUT OF SCDS. FORD ADVISED THAT "SORRY, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO BECAUSE THE RECALL HAD BEEN DONE." CUSTOMER CARE PERSONNEL ELEVATED CONCERN TO SUPERVISOR, WHO ALSO REITERATED FORD'S STANCE THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. OUR CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND CHILDREN WHO GET TAKEN AROUND IN THIS VEHICLE. FORD KEPT SAYING, "SORRY..." CASE WAS CLOSED WITH NO ACTION ON SAFETY ISSUE. I GUESS LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID FROM A KNOWN BAD PART IS OF NO CONCERN TO FORD. REPAIR FOR BAD PART AND PREVIOUSLY RECALLED PART AND LABOR WAS OVER $200. FORD KNEW PART WOULD LEAK AND ADVISED DEALERS TO REPLACE SCDS IF LEAKING DURING INSPECTIONS. FOR KNEW THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS PART WAS BAD, BUT ONLY CHANGED THE ONES LEAKING. IF IT LEAKED AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE, IT WOULD BE THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

BRAKE LIGHTS WENT ON AS WELL AS ABS LIGHTS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS, VEHICLE STARTED TO BRAKE ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THIS HAPPENED TWICE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN I HAD CONTROL AGAIN. VERY SCARY.... *TR

ABS BRAKE LIGHT AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND REMAIN ON AT THIS TIME. THE BRAKES WERE RECENTLY SERVICED AND CURRENTLY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. THERE IS CONCERN FOR VEHICLE SAFETY AND BRAKING SYSTEM. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS IS A ERROR IN THE MODULE AND ABS STILL WORK OR IF ABS IS DISABLED. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUES. BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS VEHICLE FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE CONCERNS FOR SAFETY, BUT AS OF THIS DATE BUT HAVE YET TO ISSUE A RECALL. THERE IS ALSO A NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS AS WELL, HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. FORD MAY WANT TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO OTHER WINDSTAR VINS. *TR

THE ABS LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED STATING THAT THE ECU MASTER RELAY IS NOT GETTING POWER. THIS COMES AND GOES. *TR

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHT BOTH ILLUMINATED, AND ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL THAT INDICATES THAT THE ABS SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. BOTH LIGHTS NOW COME ON AND TURN OFF (ALWAYS IN UNISON) RANDOMLY AND WITH NO APPARENT REASON. *TR

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, ERROR 1185, POWER RELAY OUTPUT CIRCUIT FAILURE. *TR

ABS LIGHT GOES ON. MECHANICS CLEAR THE ERROR AND CANNOT FIND A CAUSE. IT GOES ON AGAIN LATER. GOES OFF SOMETIMES WHEN YOU STOP AND RESTART VEHICLE. *TR

THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS GO ON. NOW THE ABS DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY WHEN WARMER WEATHER. READING ONLY HAS SHOWN THE ECM HAS A FAULTY SOLDER JOINT THAT WEARS DOWN IN SUMMER. IT IS INTERMITTENT ISSUE, BUT LARGE SAFETY RISK. *TR