128 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Windstar cite service brakes, hydraulic, 8% of all 1,547 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“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”
“MY ABS LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AND IS NOW ON CONSTANT,MY BRAKES WORK BUT NOT THE GREATEST. MY AIR BAG LIGHT WILL START TO FLASH AND THEN COME ON CONSTANT ONCE THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE LIGHT USUALLY STAYS OFF BUT WILL DO THIS AT RANDOM. I HAVE HAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE I HEAR A POPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHILE MAKING TURNS. WE HAVE REPLACED MOST OF THE FRONT END AND STILL HAVE THE ISSUE. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT IDLING REAL FAST THEN DOWN TO NOTHING IT BUCKS AND SPUTTERS WHEN PLUGGED INTO A COMPUTER IT SAYS THE VEHICLE RUNS LEAN SO WE REPLACED THE O2 SENSORS AND THINGS AND IT DID NOT HELP. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT ALL MOST OF THE TIME HOWEVER I NEED TO GET TO AND FROM WORK AND THE SCARY PART IS I HAVE TO HAUL MY CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY PERSON I CARE FOR AROUND IT . VERY DISAPPOINTED FORD[XX] *TR”
“I START MY 99 FORD WINDSTAR WITH MY WIFE INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND MY TWO DAUGTHERS AND MY SON WHEN I SAW SMOKE COMMING TRUE THE HOOD THEN I OPEN THE HOOD AND MY SURPRISE WAS THE BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH ON FIRE I WAS SO SCARED THEN I JUST TAKE MY KIDS AND WIFE OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND COMBACK TO STOP THE FIRE THANKS GOD I HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHER CLOSE BUT WE HAVE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. *TR”
“THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LIGHT STAYS ON,AND ABS DOES NOT WORK. FORD DID RECALL RELATED TO THE BRAKES FLUID CAUSING A FIRE, NOW THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK.ABS IS A SAFETY ISSUE . THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE DIE. RECALL THIS SHABBY WORKMANSHIP. *TR”
“1999 FORD WINDSTAR: THE BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS) (2B264) LOCATED UNDER THE MASTER CYLINDER (BEHIND THE AIR FILTER) HAS LEAKED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID. THE FLUID ACCUMULATES ON THE POWER CONNECTORS FOR THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WHICH ARE POWERED BY FUSES 101 AND 102 AND ARE BOTH 40 AMP. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS FAILED AND WE ARE FEARFUL THAT THIS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID WILL CAUSE A FIRE. *TR”
“BRAKING DISTANCE SUDDENLY INCREASED, ABS LIGHT ON. WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR OTHER ISSUES, THEY CHECKED THE ABS SYSTEM, SAID A NEW ECM WOULD FIX IT... $300 PART!!!! THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE ON THE WINDSTARS. *TR”
Showing 6 of 128 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVANS. THE BRAKE FLUID MASTER CYLINDER IS RECESSED AND ORIENTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WARNING STATEMENT EMBOSSED ON BOTH THE TOP OF THE FILLER CAP AND THE SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR BODY ARE NOT ENTIRELY VISIBLE BY DIRECT VIEW. THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT FULLY COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 135, "PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS."
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.