Cruise Control problems of the 2001 Ford Windstar

Abs, traction control, cruise control and speedometer either are intermittent or not working at all. This causes issues with braking, vehicle control, driver attentiveness and other safety related issues.

I didn't have a crash I noticed that my abs brake and tire pressure light was staying on and a short time after I started hearing a loud rumbling noise in the front end every time I slow an it's impossible to make sudden stops and at times my speedometer starts flickering back and forth as well as my cruise control is currently inoperable. I have limited driving this vehicle in which I purchased due to feeling it is not in a safe manner for my children to be in. I have had several shops as well as individuals that told me these areas are common to go out on this specific vehicle and that there is possible recall. I just want to be able to drive my van with out worrying if I'm going to be able to come to a stop when needed as well as not knowing if I could possible break down or something break in the front end while I am driving at somewhat high speeds. Thank you and hope to hear from someone soon in regards to this situation!.

Abs light comes on intermittently, even in summer with no adverse driving conditions. It stays on for varying lengths of time, then disappears for some time, then out of the blue comes back on. Braking a little bit harder than usual does seem to trigger it. Also, recently, the cruise control just suddenly stopped working. It worked fine one day, then all of a sudden, a day or two later, I hit on, but it refused to set. I tried again on another day and it still wouldn't set.

While driving my Windstar van the abs light came on and stayed on. At random times the brake light comes on and off. When both brake lights are on the cruise control doesn't work.

The abs and brake light began coming on intermittantly a couple of months ago. It seems that the abs ecu module is the problem as multiple abs codes were read. Now, two months later my cruise control no longer works. If you do the research online as well as in your complaint section for 2001 winstar it is an all too common problem. It seems to be a problem that was not addressed properly on an earlier recall by Ford (09s09) which included a scds wiring harness replacement only caused by brake fluid leaking onto wiring and causing a potential fire hazard. Many owners believe the fluid not only ran down the wiring continuing to run onto the abs connector causing parts to short out and fail and also onto the cruise control connector causing it to fail. I truly believe this is the reason all these abs modules are failing. . . It's amazing how many complaints with my same problem are on your website these are very expensive parts to replace (over $1000) plus labor. The absence of the abs system does cause braking problems and can cause the brakes to lock up and skid. . . This happened to me. . . Just missed having a wreck! the connector to the cruise is also being effected causing it to fail as well. I think Ford should be required to at least check these vehicle and replace these parts if they are found to be faulty before someone gets in an accident. They may have already.

The abs light has been on but no one can tell me why. It goes out when the vehicle is shut off but will light up again after about 10 minutes of driving. The cruise control would work sometimes and not others. If finally quit working all together. The fuses are all fine. The power windows and door locks work sometimes and not others or might work on one side of the vehicle but not the other.

Subframe broke 8/2010 and replaced. Rusted badly 12/2011 Ford dealer fixed , also checked real axel and fixed,recall #11s16 for the brake pressure differential switch leaking, brake light now coming on speedometer not registering odometer not registering ,abs light on, information center says trans error fuel error temp error and also cruise control surges cuts out and the braking distance change suddenly and without warning,the abs and ecm is wet with oil not covered properly. I think this is a ongoing problem with front the brake switch recall that still not fixed.

2001 Ford Windstar. I took it to the dealership to have some safety recalls done. A few days later I was driving along and smoke started boiling out from under the hood so I pulled over and by the time I got stopped and got the kids out safely it quit smoking. I raised the hood and could see some burned wiring under the brake master cylinder. We got back in and drove on then the transmission started shifting wrong and the brake pedal didn't feel right,it felt spongy. I took it to my mechanic who is ase master and Ford senior master certified. He replaced the trans range sensor and told me that the fire was caused by a defective cruise control deactivation switch leaking brake fluid. He replaced the switch and advised me to take it back to the dealer and have them do the recall which is what they were supposed to have done in the first place. He said that it also had a damaged abs module and wiring and that was part of the recall. I called them and they said they only did the rear axle recall that was on the letter I got from Ford. My mechanic said that they were required by law to complete all safety recalls while it was in their possesion. I am going to take it back but I'm afraid to drive it cause it hardly has any brakes. My mechanis said it was because all the brake fluid leaked out of the switch and got air in the lines.

Abs and brake light on and cruise control not working leaking master cylinder switch.

I had the recall 09809 repair done on my 2001 Ford Windstar on 12-0-09 (inspected deactivation switch, leaking, replace switch and apply grease to connectors). Prior to that on 7-13-09 I reported to Ford dealer that the red brake and yellow anti-lock brake lights came on especially when the ac was on. They quick checked the module and filled brake level per the receipt for $29. 50. This past week I took it in again with the same problem and also an oil change and told them I thought the recall repair needed to be done again. They told me the lights coming on where not related to the recall and gave me code #s and stated that it needs abs control modules with a part estimate of $853. 88 and labor at $97. 50. They stated they contacted Ford as I had told them I was wanting an adjustment on the cost of checking on it again and they said Ford offered no assistance. When I had first taken the car in I attempted to show the man a consumer reports article about the recall in the January 2010 edition which mentions the faulty cruise control switch leaking causing potential for a fire. Anyway the second man when I went to pick up the van would also not look at the article and asked me where I heard of it "on the internet?". I feel like the problem stems from what was supposedly fixed in the recall and from what I have now seen on the internet it appears others are still having the same problems after recall repairs. I don't know if I should get the module fixed, have them undo/remove the cruise or abs system or what. I feel Ford is trying to get by not entirely fixing the problem due to financial reasons. Please let me know if an investigation can be opened if one has not been already and what my safest best course of action would be.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Windstar. The contact had the cruise control set at 60 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to over 60 mph. When the contact applied the brake, the cruise control did not disengage. When the contact shifted into neutral, the cruise control disengaged. The failure occurred twice after the vehicle was taken to the local dealership for repairs for recall 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). The contact planned to take the vehicle to the dealership for diagnosis. The current and failure mileages were approximately 18,000.

No recall notice sent to me regarding cruise control switch recall that could cause fire while driving or idle. My 2001 Ford Windstar was parked in my driveway approximately 5:30 pm on 04/21/2010 and at 10:57 the engine caught fire and blew up. The fire also melted the siding on the house.

2001 Ford Windstar. 96,000 miles. Date of incident 01/30/2010 while traveling on i95 in the baltimore area my cruise control did not disengage. Instead the vehicle's speed increased to over 80 mph. This happened one time as I will not use the cruise control again. On 02/08/2010 the local Ford dealer told me that the recall on my Windstar was only for a leaking switch. After completing the recall repair I was told that the cruise control is ok. Certainly was not ok on 01/30/2010.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford wind star. He stated the brake pressure switch is leaking brake fluid and this causes his cruise control not to work. While he was driving the vehicle using his cruise control it slowed down and he could not put the cruise control back on. He took the vehicle to a mechanic and was told the brake fluid is leaking and not going into the brake pressure switch which operates the cruise control. He contacted the manufacture and was told his vehicle is not under warranty or recall. The failure mileage is 115,500. Bl.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford wind star. The contact noticed that he was losing brake fluid. He then proceeded to take off in the vehicle. Upon further investigation he noticed that brake fluid was leaking on the wire harness. He disconnected the cruise control switch and replaced it with a 3 way valve to stop the brake fluid from leaking on the wiring harness. He went to a dealer to determine if the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign#01v207000 (vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal). He contacted the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in the current recall for the vehicle speed control and no compensation would be offered. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileage is 140,000 and the current mileage is and the VIN are unknown. Bl.

The brake deactivation switch leaking break fluid down onto the cruise control.

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.

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 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 updated 11/20/08.

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.

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.

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.

Failure of cruise control brake switch which caused fire car was "power braking", causing overheat of rotors , brakes, torque converter and transmission.

: 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. Updated 10/25/2006 -.

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 NHTSA would be greatly helpful.

: 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 NHTSA to file a complaint.

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.

: the contact stated while driving there was a burning smell coming from the vehicle. It was parked and when the hood was open, flames erupted from the engine compartment. The fire was extinguished and the vehicle was driven to a dealer. Upon inspection, the fire started from the cruise control deactivation switch. There is a NHTSA recall, # 05v388000, regarding the vehicle speed control. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the model and VIN.

At about 8:30 at night, I was at home alone and heard strange thumping and hissing noises outside my living room window. I went outside to investigate and discovered flames billowing from under the hood of my 2001 Ford Windstar van, which was parked in the driveway approximately four feet from our wood frame house. It had not been driven since 4:00 pm. I immediately called 911, and neighbors helped contain the fire with a garden hose while we waited for emergency personnel to arrive. It took firemen a good 20-30 minutes to fully extinguish the flames, which disintegrated the engine, windshield and dashboard area. Thankfully the fire did not spread to our house. One of the neighbors who helped that night is a Ford service technician. He said that in his opinion the fire was undoubtedly caused by a short in the speed control system. Since our vehicle was not one of those recalled for that problem, we had not received any type of warning that our car might spontaneously burst into flames while sitting in the driveway on a cool January night. Now that's it's too late, and after doing some internet research, I recognize some symptoms that line up with speed control system failure: 1) a few weeks ago my brake light came on. We added brake fluid and the light went off. 2) four days before the fire, I tried to use my cruise control in a 30 mph zone and it wouldn't work. That speed may have been too slow to engage the cruise control, but it had worked before. 3) two days before the fire, the engine was running very rough. At first I was concerned, but it cleared up as soon as I was able to get out of stop-and-go traffic and onto the highway. After that it ran as usual. I'm grateful that no one was injured by this massive system failure.

The contact stated while driving vehicle it caught on fire. The contact pulled over, turned off the ignition, and the fire went out. He then drove vehicle to a local mechanic. The mechanic determined the fire started as a result of the cruise control deactivation switch. The wires under the hood were burned. The cruise control on the vehicle stopped working approximately one month ago. No repairs were done to the vehicle. Updated 11/29/2005 -.

Cruise control sensor is malfunctioning and starting to smoke like it could catch on fire under the hood. Sensor has to be replaced.

Consumer experiencing problems turning the cruise control on in the 2001 Ford Windstar.

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.

While the consumer was trying to stop the engine revved from 1000 to 5000 rpm. The dealer replaced the idle control as a possible cause of the problem. The consumer was concerned about the danger if the problem reoccurs.