10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 4 / 9
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 79,258 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Both the yellow and red brake light comes on. Bad anti-lock brake control unit.
- North Kingstown, RI, USA
2002 Ford Windstar yellow ABS light on with red brake light intermittently, started last week. Checked with all brakes with no problem. Both brake and ABS work just fine.
- Davis, CA, USA
ABS yellow and red brakes lights come on. Just adding my complaint to the list. Spent $400 to replace front axle they thought was the problem but is not. Happened at around 90,000 miles.
- Danville, IN, USA
ABS and brake lights keep coming on. Cruise control not working. Speedometer, odometer and airconditioning have also stopped working. Due to short in the cruise control disable switch aka brake pressure differential deactivation switch located under the master cylinder caused from brake fluid leaking onto it. This in turn blew the #10 fuse. This switch is covered with brake fluid and could start a fire at any time. I have stopped driving it until I can replace the switch and clean off the brake fluid.
- San Diego, CA, USA
ABS and brake light on intermittently. Took to dealership and told that the following codes were showing up: C1185, C1242, C1198, C1254, C1250. They replaced the ba control at a cost of $981.21.
- Draper, UT, USA
2002 Ford Windstar yellow ABS light on with red brake light.
- Chicago, IL, USA
This happened to my 2002 Ford Windstar minivan. I pulled in my drive way and my car was pouring dark gray smoke. I turned off the car and popped the hood. The smoke began to dissipate and I discovered the source of the smoke was coming from a "plug" underneath the master cylinder for the brakes. It continued to smoke for about an hour then it stopped. When I tried to start the car again the odometer was blank, the speedometer would not register and all the brake lights (on the dash warning lights) were on. It is at the shop, they say fuses are also blown and I am already $180 into the repair, but if the ABS computer does not go back on I will have to take it to the dealership!!!!
- Parma, OH, USA
Brake pressure differential deactivation switch leaking fluid and causing complete failure of breaking system.
- Naperville, IL, USA
2002 Ford Windstar brake pressure differential deactivation switch developed a leak resulting in significant brake fluid loss and deactivation of cruise control functionality.
- Miami, FL, USA
I have a persistent problem with the red brake light and the ABS light illuminating on the dashboard of my 2002 Ford Windstar. Through on line research I have discovered that the issue is leaking brake fluid that can cause a fire. I do not understand why Ford has not recalled the vehicles to repair the problem. I confirmed with Ford today that there is no such recall. I am having the problem repaired tomorrow and would like to see the NHTSA take action against Ford on this issue.
- Forest, VA, USA
I own a 2002 Ford Windstar that continues to have issues with the "brake" and "ABS" lights lighting on my dash. This issue does not seem to affect stopping and is not constant but is intermittent. Not trouble codes are registered in the on board computer.
- Irving, TX, USA
The ABS, brake, and trac active lights come on intermittently. They don't come on during some trips, come on during some trips and stay on until the car is turned off. Anytime the lights are on, the ABS system does not work. Evidently this is caused by an aluminum plate that when warm (during summer months or after being driven for a while) expands and interferes with the connection.
- Sandy, UT, USA
2002 Ford Windstar w/ABS. The amber ABS warning light and red brake warning light come on simultaneously. I had the electronic hydraulic controlunit scanned for error codes and it was determined that the above reference electronic hydraulic control unit was defective. The error codes were C1185, C1233, C1235, C1236, U1262, C1446. It appears that Ford intentionally built into the 2002 Windstar an intentional expensive failure mechanism in which the aluminum heatsink in the above mentioned electronic hydraulic control unit stresses the cheap circuit board in the same unit causing the circuit board to fail. Worse yet, Ford charges approximately $1000 just for the new electronic hydraulic control unit. Then you must pay them to download the software into the part, and then the part must be installed at a huge labor cost. These are brakes and therefore this is a very serious safety hazard. Further, as I know you are aware, this is an extremely wide spread problem costing consumers thousands of dollars each for this vehicle obsolescence that was intentionally designed in by Ford. It is my hope that you will force Ford to recall these dangerous and faulty vehicles. Thank you, michael S. edwards
- San Jose, CA, USA
Ford Windstar sel 2002 after approx 1 hr of driving, the brake and ABS warning lights would illuminate and the check traction control message would flash on the information display. Problem would usually resolve after being left over night. The frequency of the intermittent failure would increase as weather got warmer. Eventually it would occur directly at first start in the morning.
- Pleasant Ridge, MI, USA
Brake pressure differential deactivation switch leaking causing loss of brake fluid and fluid has wicked into cruise module and ABS module causing red brake light, ABS light, intermittent speedometer and odometer, complete lack of cruise control, loss of ABS function. Replaced bpdds, cruise control now sometimes functional, no other problems fixed. Damage caused by leaking fluid still present.
- Lake View, NY, USA
Intermittent fault in the ABS system that causes the ABS and traction control system to disengage. Fault causes "ABS" "brake" and trac off" indicators to turn on. Fault seems to happen more frequently in warmer temperatures.
- Lansing, MI, USA
2002 Ford Windstar: The brake pressure differential deactivation switch (2B264) located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) over time developed a leak that lead to a fire. The leaky switch at worst causes a fire at the point where it connects to the ABS ECM module. The car was off. I was standing nearby when a big pop and a great deal of smoke started coming out from under the car. When I looked under the car, there was a small fire. I used a fire extinguisher to put the fire out.
- West Sacramento, CA, USA
The brake pressure cruise deactivation switch on my 2002 Windstar has leaked brake fluid down onto the wiring below the brake master cylinder. I have purchased the replacement switch from my nearest Ford dealer. But now my cruise control does not work, and the horn does not work, and the ABS and brake warning lights come on intermittently.
- Gilbert, AZ, USA
Both the brake warning light and ABS warning light come on intermittently in our 2002 Ford Windstar. This typically occurs during warmer weather or when the vehicle has been driven for a few hours or more.
- Collegeville, PA, USA
- Martinez, GA, USA