Loss of brake fluid, melted brake deactivation switch, brake light (red), cruise control will not activate, ABS brake light (yellow), ford trouble code c1185. Action regarding repair is pending; service person indicated that ABS is not functional but brakes will function normally without ABS capability.
2001 Ford Windstar acceleration complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 127, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Brake pressure switch defective and leaking on to main wire harness causing fuse to short out. Defective part is available.
I have a 2001 ford windstar. I started encountering lose of cruise control about 7 months ago. Then about 3 months ago, the odometer and speedometer just quit working. I paid $400.00 to have the speed sensor replaced but that still didn't work.
I was driving down the highway, and engaged the cruise control. Upon approaching an intersection, I hit the off button and the cruise control would not dis-engage.
Speed control pressure switch up under the master cylinder is linking and caused fuse #10 to short out, I had to disconnect speed control amp in order to drive my car.
My brakes started getting soft and we realized there was a leak we replaced the master cylinder and the problem continued we realized that the leak is coming from the cruise control switch.
The brake pressure differential deactivation switch (2b264) located under the master cylinder (behind the air filter) over time develops a leak. This causes a short and a fuse trip, fuse #10 if the engine is on. This leak also causes brake fluid to wick down two wires to the ABS brake module (2c219). The fluid accumulates on the (always on) power connectors for the ABS brake system which are powered by fuses 101 and 102 and are both 40 amp. The fluid attracts moisture, road salt and leads to a fire when the fluid and moisture act as conductor between the hot leads and ground. This switch has been the subject of other ford recalls, just not the windstar van yet. This switch will cause cruise control problems, speedometer, odometer and ABS brake system problems.
Tl*the contact's parents own a 2001 ford windstar. While the contact's parents were driving 40 MPH, the vehicle completely lost power. They pulled over to the side of the road and noticed flames underneath the hood. After five minutes, the vehicle exploded four times and was destroyed. The fire department was called and a report was filed. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current and failure mileages were approximately 70,000. Updated 11/17/08 *bf the consumer stated he read on the internet that his make and model had problems with the cruise control . Updated 11/18/08.
Abs and brake light came on while driving. When the car was turned off and restarted the warning lights would go off. This occurred intermittently for about 3 months. After a long driving trip in which the warning lights came on the cruise control would no longer function. I searched the web and found a web site stating possible problems if this was not addressed. I took my van to a ford dealer and they replaced the cruise control deactivation switch as well as the ecu and ABS sensor. These were all mentioned in the article on the web.
On 08/09/2008, the emergency brake light and the ABS light illuminated on the dashboard while driving at 60 MPH under normal conditions. The vehicle then had to be jump-started, and I noticed a faint burning smell while driving. Upon exiting the vehicle, I noticed the burning scent was extremely strong. The vehicle is now inoperative. The battery, purchased at sears on 06/04/2005, can no longer hold a charge. The electrical system has gone haywire. For example, the headlights now come on, dimly, when the switch is in the off position. The mileage at the time of this incident was 119,200. I had one prior experience with the emergency brake light and the ABS light illuminating on the dashboard. In june 2007, both warning lights came on intermittently only when the vehicle was in reverse and were accompanied by a loud squealing sound in the brakes. Twice, on wet pavement, my brakes did not function normally. Although I avoided any collision, on one occasion I was forced to proceed through an intersection where the traffic light had just turned red. An independent garage inspected the brakes and could find nothing wrong. The computer diagnostic was code c1185. As a precaution, they flushed the brake system. Thereafter, the brakes functioned normally. The emergency brake light and the ABS light came back on intermittently again in may 2008. Again, this happened when the vehicle was in reverse and was accompanied by squealing brakes. I had a ford dealership go over the vehicle and received a written report in may 2008 that showed the brakes to be in acceptable condition. There were no further incidents until august 2008. Because of the complaints I've read on the federal safety agency website, I will mention that the cruise control deactivation switch on this vehicle has not worked in quite some time. I must use the brake pedal to turn off the cruise control. I urge you to continue your investigation into this dangerous situation.
Cruise control deactivation switch leaking and causing brake lights to stay on.
My 2001 ford windstar ABS and brake warning lights have come intermittent on and my cruise control is intermittent. Searching the internet revealed that there is a problem with the "speed control deactivation switch" that is mounted on the front of the master cylinder. I have inspected my switch and it does have a fluid leak that is running down the wires. This has not caused any other problems yet.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle began to smoke under the dashboard. The vehicle was driven to a dealer and they disconnected the vehicle speed control. The cruise control relay switch was replaced in 2002. The current and failure mileages were 96,000. Updated 11-19-08 *bf updated 11/20/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle sporadically loss excessive brake fluid. The dealer stated that the wiring harness that was connected to the vehicle speed cruise control failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $86.67. Secondly, the technician stated that there was a recall and her VIN was excluded from the VIN range. The contact was in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 101,000 and current mileage was 103,032. Updated 09/16/08 *bf the was a leak in the brake master cylinder. Updated 09/22/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. When the contact depressed the brake pedal with the cruise control engaged, the cruise control would not activate again. The vehcile was driving 65 MPH at the time. When she used the controls on steering wheel, she would be able to use the cruise control again. Otherwise, until the vehicle came to a complete stop, the cruise control would not power up again. A mechanic nformed her that there was a recall for the issue; however, the dealer stated that one did not exist. The contact was also informed that there was some sort of switch on the master cylinder that could catch fire. The current mileage was 94,636 and failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Cruise control stopped working, and noticed intermittent ABS/brake light. After researching, found that the brake pressure switch was leaking brake fluid through the connector. Fluid had wicked into the cruise control module as well. Even though this switch is the subject of failures and recalls on numerous models, the dealer refused to replace or apply the company designed fix to the vehicle. I am concerned that this issue has LED to numerous vehicle fires, and that the company is not responding to this issue by replacing the switch, but only installing a fuse. Repair charges were $210.00.
Car produced a stong sulfer smell and immediately the ABS light and brake light illuminated, the "o/d off" light began flashing, the speedometer died and the odometer cleared.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The air conditioner, cruise control, and radio failed. The contact inspected the switch on the master cylinder and noticed that the switch for the cruise control was covered with fluid. The cruise control switch was replaced; however, the new switch also failed. He cut the wires to the switch in order to operate the vehicle. He then heard a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The lifters were replaced, but the knocking sound continued. The upper intake was replaced as well. The purchase date was unknown. The failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 119,000.
Off switch on cruise control on my 2001 ford windstar does not work. It stopped working in 2004. I can disengage the cruise control by hitting the brake but it is still active and if I touch the 'resume' button by mistake, suddenly I am back at cruising speed. This has happened twice and both times I narrowly avoided an accident. I spoke to an official in the ford safety dept. And he said it was not a safety issue since the control could be disengaged. I believe he was wrong and see the potential for an accident here. Additionally there is no indicator light on the dash panel to say whether the cruise control is on or not. This adds to the risk.
2001 ford windstar brake failure. Consumer states that the brakes gave way while she was stopped. She states that the dealer would not remedy the problem. She said this past time she went over a cement strip and hit a ground fixture. *kb the panel on the vehicle was damaged.
On my 2001 ford windstar minivan, at about 62,500 miles on the odometer, the amber ABS light and red brake light illuminated. Was told by the dealer that it was a faulty hydraulic control unit that was leaking brake fluid on the ABS module (estimated repair cost was about $1,100. I had previously researched this problem online, and have found entire forums of windstar owners dedicated to this problem. Users had cited a fire hazard that is created by the leaking brake fluid on the ABS electronic control unit (one owners van had caught fire due to this on a long trip). I asked about this at the dealership, and they confirmed that this could indeed be a fire hazard. I have pulled the fuses to de-energize the ABS ecu, but because of that, am currently operating with no ABS braking capability. The leaking fluid had also damaged the cruise control cutoff switch, so I had it repaired at the dealership.
Brake light on when it should not be. The dealer wanted to replace the ABS control unit at considerable cost. I am concerned that the ABS unit and speed control deactivation switch are defective, which could lead to fire as referenced by the attached web site http://www.2carpros.com/forum/previous-vt49767.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact stated that the cruise control feature stopped working. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic and brake fluid was found in the cruise control cylinder. The mechanic replaced the cylinder and the failure was corrected. The current and failure mileages were 70,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford windstar. The contact heard a popping sound and noticed smoke coming from her vehicle. The vehicle caught fire. The cruise control switch shorted out and caused brake fluid to leak into the wiring harness. The leak then flowed into the ABS module and created the fire. The contact filed a claim with her insurance company and they found that the vehicle had a defective part from the dealer. The claim was closed. The vehicle was towed to a ford dealer. When the contact stated that she notified her insurance company, both the dealer and the manufacturer decided not to pay for the damage. The vehicle sustained $2,197.50 worth of damage. The current and failure mileages were 123,000.
Tl* -the contact stated that while he was driving 35 MPH the adjustable accelerator pedal became stuck to the floor. The contact depressed the brake pedal but, the vehicle continued to accelerate. This acceleration continued for a number of seconds. Then, the contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and applied the emergency brakes in order for the throttle to disengage. The road condition on the date of the incident was fairly dry, so contact feels that the weather condition was definitely not an issue. The contact took the vehicle to the dealership and they stated that they wouldn't be able to cover his vehicle under the federal safety agency recall number 01v207000 due to the fact that his vehicle wasn't built until 06-20-01.
Failure of cruise control brake switch which caused fire car was "power braking", causing overheat of rotors , brakes, torque converter and transmission.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in an idle position, smoke began coming out from under the hood. There were no warning signals prior to the incident. Upon inspection, the cruise control deactivation switch and the brake master cylinder were observed to be completely burnt. The service dealer was contacted, and determined that the fire began in the deactivation switch. The dealer refused to offer a new cruise control deactivation switch and wiring for the electrical system. The manufacturer alerted the contact that replacement parts that were available were defective.
2 years ago my cruise control went out on my 2001 ford windstar and shortly after that I noticed brake fluid leaking. One morning my wife started the van and smoke poured out from under the hood and we took it to a shop in alvin texas. They replaced a fried speed control switch. When I contacted ford they said it was not under recall and would not reimburse my losses. At the repair shop they stated it is the same switch that is under recall in the other ford products. I still have the switch and have no idea what to do next. Any suggestions from the federal safety agency would be greatly helpful.
Dt*: the contact stated while turning the ignition off the cruise control caught on fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they determined that the vehicle was not included in the recall #01v207000 due to the VIN however the cruise control onnector was faulty. The dealer disconnected the part in order to keep the vehicle from further incidents of fire. The dealer recommended the contact call the federal safety agency to file a complaint.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's cruise control activation sensor caught on fire and melted the control module switch and the component caught on fire. The fire was contained in that area and extinguished before it could spread. The manufacturer has this problem on three different models and for the same component whether the vehicle was on or off. This vehicle was off the day the fire incident.*ak updated 10/25/2006 -
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