2002 Ford Windstar service brakes, hydraulic problems

“APPROX., A YEAR AGO MY ABS MODULE WENT BAD AND I HAD IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC TO VERIFY THAT FACT. JUST RECENTLY MY SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WENT BAD AND LEAKED,. NOW I FOUND OUT THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN BOTH THE SWITCH AND THE ABS BAD MODULE. FORD DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE ABS SYSTEM, BUT THEY DO ON THE ABOVE SWITCH. VERY POSSIBLY THE HIGH COST OF THE MODULE HAS KEPT THEM FROM HAVING A RECALL!!! I HAVE READ COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM FROM ANOTHER FORD VAN OWNER. ALSO THE SWITCH WAS CHANGED APPROX. 5 YEARS AGO AND IT WENT BAD AGAIN.( PER A FORD RECALL THEN) THERE SHOULD BE A DEFINITE RECALL ON WINDSTAR VAN ABS SYSTEMS AND AS A SAFETY ISSUE---FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE SWITCH AND WIRE HARNESS AGAIN! ..UPDATED 08/12/14 *BF”

“THE VAN HAD THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE PURCHASED BY MY PARENTS IN JULY 2003. PARENTS WERE TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE IS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM AND IGNORE THE LIGHTS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO INCIDENTS, LUCKILY THEY HAD NO EMERGENCY TO AVOID BY HARD BRAKING. NOW, AS I PREPARE TO SELL THE VEHICLE, I DID SOME BASIC RESEARCH INTO THE ISSUE AND FOUND MANY REFERENCES TO REPORT IT HERE AND AN OPTION FOR A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE FIX, TO REBUILD THE ABS ECM MODULE DUE TO LOOSE OR POOR SOLDER JOINTS ON THE ELECTRONICS BOARD. HOPEFULLY ENOUGH REPORTS WILL GET THIS RECALLED PROPERLY TO AVOID ANY INCIDENTS FOR OTHERS.”

“MY SPEEDOMETER, ABS LIGHT, AND O/D OFF LIGHT ALL ARE ON. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE. I REPLACED THE BOTTOM PART WITH A FACTORY FORD PART. THE LEAKING HAS STOPPED, HOWEVER THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED ALL OVER AND HAS CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS AND REPLACE ALL COMPUTERS AND PARTS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY . *TR”

“ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES, MOTORIST FROM BEHIND SPED UP, APPLIED BRAKES, ABS LIGHTS FLASHED ON DASH, CAR DID NOT SLOW, PRESSED BRAKES HARDER AND REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING ME TO SIDE SWIPE GUARD RAIL. *TR ABS LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE REMAINED ON FOR OVER 2 YEARS. HAVE SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. BRAKES ARE INTERMITTENT AT BEST. ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON.”

“ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, AND WHILE ON, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DO NOT WORK. OFTEN THE LIGHT JUST COMES ON FOR JUST A SHORT PERIOD, THEN GOES BACK OUT. REPAIR SHOP CAN'T IDENTIFY PROBLEM UNLESS THE LIGHT IS ON. I'M TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL, PROBABLY THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SENSOR. TYPICALLY, WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT IS NOT ON, AND THE BRAKES WORK CORRECTLY. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE ANTI-LOCK FEATURE OF THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK SUDDENLY AS YOU'RE DRIVING. BAD SITUATION IN CLEVELAND, OHIO IN THE WINTER. *TR”

“FALSE ABS ACTIVATION; SEEMED TO HAVE NO BRAKES FOR A BIT. FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACED WHEEL SENSOR. ALSO, ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ON AT TIMES. COMES ON FOR AWHILE, THEN OFF FOR DAYS. THEN COMES BACK ON. MAY BE ISSUE WITH ABS UNIT, HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT.”