Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Ford Windstar submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 227 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 227, in the owner's own words
THE DEALER LOCATED IN THE SANDY SPRING REJECTED TO THE TAKE REMEDY ACTION ON THE RECALL 09S09. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE ODOMETER IS MALFUNTIONING WHEN IT IS IN OPERATION. IT SUDDENLY CAUSE UNKNOWN ACCELERATION WHEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. IT IS ALSO FOUND OUT THE BRAKE HOSE IS LEAKING AS RESULTS OF THE SPEED CONTROL MODIFICATION SYSTEM BY THE LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP.
SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND ENTERED INTO TRAFFIC LANE. PRESSED DOWN ON GAS PEDAL BUT ALL THAT HAPPENED WAS ENGINE REVVED UP BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. LUCKILY, THERE WAS LIGHT TRAFFIC OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. A HELPFUL PERSON PUSHED ME TO A SAFE PLACE TO PARK. I STARTED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT ONLY REVERSE WORKED. NO FORWARD MOTION WHEN PUT IN DRIVE, 2 OR 1. I CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS AT PROPER LEVEL HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MY HOUSE. SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH 1999 WINDSTAR'S. CALLED A TRANSMISSION PLACE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD I LIKELY HAD SUFFERED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO, THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED IN OCTOBER 2014. UPDATED 03/28/16.*JB
ABS LIGHT ON AND SPEEDOMETER FAILURE
ABS LIGHT IS ON
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARD OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
ABS LIGHT WILL RANDOMLY TURN ON DURING VEHICLE OPERATION MEANING ABS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. *TR
ABS LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUALLY FOR THE LAST 6000 MILES. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO FORD IN PLAINVILLE, CT AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE COST WAS TO INCLUDE A NEW COMPUTER FOR AN UNREASONABLE DOLLAR AMOUNT. STILL NOT CORRECTED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ABS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. HAVE CHECKED OTHER OWNERS AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO HAVE A CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT IS NOT WORKING. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW HARNESS FOR A COST OF OVER #300. STILL NOT ACTIVATED. *TR
ABS BRAKE LIGHT ON AND/OF AT WILL, NOT CONSISTANT. FEAR OF ABS NOT FUNCTIONING IN THE EVENT OF ABS BEING NEEDED.
THE ABS CONTROLLER FOR THIS VEHICLE HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL. THE CAUSES ARE EITHER POOR SOLDERING ON OR DAMAGE FROM FLUIDS TO THE CONTROLLER'S BOARD. WITHOUT ABS, THE VEHICLE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SAFE AND I'VE EXPERIENCED FIVE INCIDENTS WHERE I AND MY PASSENGERS NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY DUE TO FORD'S AND THE NHTA'S UNWILLINGNESS TO RECTIFY THIS FLAW. *TR
MY ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. IT GOES OUT WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF BUT COMES BACK ON AFTER DRIVING A COUPL OF MILES. *TR
IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. NEW BRAKES PADS ON FRONT, SYSTEM WAS BLED OF AIR, BRAKE PEDAL HAS NORMAL TRAVEL. ABS MAY NOT FUNCTION. *TR
ABS LIGHT TURNED ON AGAIN AND GOES OFF WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. LIGHT INDICATED THAT ABS IS FAILED, BRAKES BECOME POOR UNDER THIS CONDITION. BRAKES DO NOT STOP WINDSTAR WELL WHEN LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME. *TR
MY ABS AND TRAC OFF LIGHT ARE ON ALL THE TIME CAUSING 11 ABS FAULT CODES, C1185, 1198, 1194, 1254, 1256, 1250, 1242, 1214, 1210 1410, 1404. I HAVE CLEARED ALL THE CODES AND IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD THEY ALL SET AGAIN, ALL ARE RELATED TO THE 1185 (FAILED RELAY SOLDER JOINT) MODULE FAILURE. *TR
ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF AS ONE DRIVES. IT STAYS ON WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE BUT DOES NOT WHEN IT STAYS COLD OUTSIDE. WHEN LIGHT IS ON THERE IS NO ABS BRAKES. ONE WOULD THINK THERE IS A SHORT IN THE SYSTEM OR A GROUND ISSUE. *TR
ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES OFTEN WHEN ENCOUNTERING A BUMP ON THE ROAD, BUT USUALLY JUST RANDOMLY. LIGHT IS ALWAYS OFF WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED. INITIALLY THE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON AGAIN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, BUT OVER TIME THE LIGHT NOW ALWAYS COMES ON AFTER A FEW MILES. ABS DTC CODE IS C1185. *TR
ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. REPLACED ALL SPEED SENSORS AND FRONT AXLE TONE RINGS EVEN REBUILD THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS COSTING ME ALLOT OF MONEY AND THE ABS LIGHT STILL COME ON EVEN AFTER I HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THESE WINDSTARS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FOR THESE VEHICLES. *TR
WENT OVER RUMBLE STRIP ON ROADWAY AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON, BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD TO PUSH. THIS HAPPENED ON MONDAY 9/22/2014 MY MOTHER IN LAW WHO OWNS THE VEHICLE SAID THAT THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING QUITE FREQUENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I PUT MY SCAN TOOL ON THE VEHICLE AND GOT 3 ABS CODES C1235, C1236, AND C1185. THE FIRST TWO CODES PERTAIN TO REAR WHEEL SENSORS AND THE THIRD PERTAINS TO A POWER RELAY FOR THE ABS. WE HAVE FOUND PAPER WORK FOR THREE RECALLS, ONE RELATED TO SUB FRAME CORROSION ONE FOR THE REAR AXLE, AND ONE FOR AN ABS SENSOR WIRE. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN READING THIS PROBLEM COULD BE RELATED TO THE FIRST ABS PROBLEM WITH THE HARNESS REPLACEMENT. *TR
THE BRAKE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. HAD BEEN ON AND OFF DURING THE MORNING. IN TOWN AND STOPPING FOR A REGULAR TRAFFIC LIGHT- DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE STOP THAT WAS ON A WET ROAD - TRAVELING 28 MPH: WINDSTAR VAN LOCKED UP RIGHT REAR TIRE AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP - TIRE SKIDDED -WHEEL / TIRE WAS LOCKED AND SCREECHING WHILE ALL THE OTHER TIRES WERE TURNING. VAN DID NOT STOP AS EXPECTED AND TOOK ABOUT 125 FEET TO STOP - ALL THE TIME SCREECHING THE 1 RIGHT REAR TIRE. VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS SHOCKED. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN ALL THE YEARS. OWNED FOR ABOUT 14+ YEARS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. PURCHASED FORD WINDSTAR NEW. ABS LIGHT REMAINS ON. IT WAS AS IF I HAD NO BRAKES THEN. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE OTHER 3 WHEELS / BRAKES DID NOT SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE? THE WINDSTAR FINALLY DID STOP AND I WAS RIGHT AT THE STOP LINE AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. VERY SCARY. *TR
ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED THE VAN. *TR
BRAKING DISTANCE SUDDENLY INCREASED -DASHBOARD ABS DISPLAY 'ON'. *TR
ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON AND WILL NOT CLEAR WITH A SCAN TOOL. THERE ARE 11 CODES SHOWING, ALL TO DO WITH ABS/TRACTION CONTROL. NORMAL BRAKING SEEMS FINE, NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH A SKID OR LOSS OF TRACTION IN ICE OR SNOW. I AM TOLD THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VAN. DO I NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE WARNING LIGHTS? *TR
ABS LIGHTS COME ON RANDOMLY, ABS NO LONGER WORK AT THAT TIME. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS ON ICE. *TR
ABS LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON, MANY REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE BY MECHANIC AND LIGHT STILL COMES ON. *TR
ABS LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS ALSO ALWAYS ON. *TR
THE ABS LIGHT GOES ON IN THE CAR WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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