Manufacture Recall # 09S09 the federal safety agency Recall # 09V399000 Instrument cluster has become faulty. Details listed below. Overdrive (O/D) light will randomly start flashing for no reason ABS will randomly engage Parking brake light will randomly turn on Speedometer with become sporadic Transmission has trouble shifting gears due to tachometer becoming sporadic Vehicle will randomly try to die/stall out at a prolonged stop or while coming to a stop, even after all charging components have been replaces i.e. battery, alternator, drive belt, and cables.
2002 Ford Windstar electrical problems
261 complaints (19% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 261
- of this car's complaints
- 19%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Instrument cluster/panel17
- Wiring4
- Wiring: interior/under dash3
- Wiring: front underhood2
- 12v/24v/48v battery2
- Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers1
- Ignition: switch1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Windstar electrical problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Ford Windstar electrical
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Engine compartment fires
Ea08-021 is closed with ford's actions in recall 09v‑399 recalling approximately 4.5 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).with this recall ford has now recalled all of the approximate 16 million ford model vehicles that were manufactured from my 1992 through 2003 with a texas instruments scds.the federal safety agency will continue to monitor the recalled vehicles to ensure remedies installed by ford tomitigate the potential for scds related fires are effective.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for further details.
EA08021
Engine compartment fires
Odi has received 134 consumer complaints, 285 manufacturer complaints, and 137 manufacturer warranty claims alleging incidents of engine compartment fire in model year (my) 1995 thru 2003 ford windstar vehicles.two of the odi complaints allege the fires caused structural damage to the complainant's home.of the 134 odi complaints, 36 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, 72 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was running and 26 of the complaints do not specify if the vehicle was running or not.further review of the odi complaints shows that 72 allege that the speed control deactivation switch (scds) caused the fire and 10 allege that the scds leaked brake fluid on to the ABS module resulting in the fire.there were 52 that did not identify a cause or that identified miscellaneous other causes.odi has also received 89 complaints ( not counted in this resume) alleging that the scds developed a brake fluid leak.thirteen of these complaints say that the leak at the scds resulted in braked fluid reaching the ABS module.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to further evaluate the cause of the fires and assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequences of the alleged defect.
PE08035
What 2002 Ford Windstar owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The gauges are acting crazy which causes the engine to jerk or the transmission and then it starts making the lights flicker in the interior and the gauges start sticking. It seems to make the overflow on the radiator to empty more because it is causing the sensors in the electrical for the parts to go crazy and run hot. Sometimes it only does it every so often but after getting the reserve hose on the power steering that connects to the reservoir to the coolant the battery was drained. Then going after getting it charged down the highway it caused the interior lights radio and seat and turn signals not to work when coming to a complete stop and it was idling the dashboard and all the lights were coming back on once given a guess it winded up not working again causing the battery to become hot or warm and acid you can smell in the air like rotten eggs. It is causing the overflow tank of the radiator to evaporate more or come out quicker and it is causing other component parts to react strangely which I'm afraid will cause a fire in the vehicle and the idling is not correct also on it now
We were driving down the road and the car randomly cuts off in the middle of the road sometimes it cuts off in the middle of a intersection causing us to almost get hit in the side of the car several times this has happend numorus times
I have my vehicle in a shop to replace the transmission. While working on the vehicle the mechanic noticed the front reservoir of the master cylinder was empty. Upon further examination, he found that the speed control sensor under the master cylinder was leaking and brake fluid is leaking on all the components below, I.e. Transmission, steering components, etc. I looked the issue up online and I found that there was a recall for this very issue with ford. When I checked my VIN for active recalls, the federal safety agency website states that there are no unresolved issues with my vehicle.
Abs light on. Tire ! Light on. Rpm off scale.
Instrument panel goes crazy. It was sitting in park when it does it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the speedometer stopped working, the air conditioning was not working, and the overdrive warning indicator illuminated. Next, all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.
I was driving down the road and our and and brake lights had came on. Took it to the local shop and was told about the c1185 code was on. We were driving on the way home, and it just comes and goes with every start up and shut off. Car was in motion. To my acknowledgement I'm not positive what is causing this issue but I've been researching and have read about many of the same issues in this particular van series. I've read about ford's safety recall number 09s09 and and my vehicle is to be in that recall as well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle's battery was draining. The contact had to remove the terminal to charge the battery. The battery was replaced three times in four months. The ABS and anti-theft warning lights flashed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but they could not start the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
While driving, the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature needles started "dancing" (bouncing all over the place). When I came to a stop, the speedometer needle had gone all the way to the right and was stuck there, blocking the gear shift indicator and not letting me put the car in "park." I had to drive to a nearby mechanic who was able to free the stuck speedometer needle. The problem has continued on a regular basis and has gone from being intermittent to permanent. It doesn't seem to be a "unique" problem with windstar vans.
Questions about the 2002 Ford Windstar electrical
Does the 2002 Ford Windstar have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 261 complaints about the electrical of the 2002 Ford Windstar, 19% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Windstar electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Windstar electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Windstar have the most electrical problems?
The Ford Windstar model years with the most electrical complaints are 2003 (280 complaints), 2002 (261 complaints) and 2001 (223 complaints).
Other 2002 Ford Windstar problems
Brakes 643Suspension 279Acceleration 147Body 101Transmission 97Driver assistance 41Engine 40Airbags 36Steering 35Lights 31Visibility 27Wheels 26Locks 17Fuel system 13Tires 13Seats 9Seat belts 6
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 Ford Windstar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history