Brake Fluid Leak problems of the 2002 Ford Windstar - part 1

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 NHTSA website states that there are no unresolved issues with my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. While operating the vehicle, the brake and abs sensors illuminated. When depressing the brake pedal, the stopping distance increased. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake fluid reservoir leaked brake fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. While operating the vehicle, the brake and abs sensors illuminated. Also, when depressing the brake pedal, the stopping distance increased. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake fluid reservoir leaked brake fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.

2002 Ford Windstar sel with VIN 2fmza534x2bb28176, I am the third owner of this vehicle. The abs and traction control system is damaged and has a recurring warning when the engine is started with the abs / brake and traction control warning lights on. The person I purchased this van from (2nd owner) stated that he had all the recalls completed on this vehicle however he believed that the defect identified in Ford safety recall 09s09 for the speed control system has resulted in damage to the abs system computer and/or associated harness wiring or harness connections. He (2nd owner) did not keep the repair orders for any of the recall repairs so I do not have any records to review. I believe that the wire harness, related wire harness connectors and the abs system computer are damaged resulting from brake fluid leaking and/or corrosion related to the defect found in Ford safety recall 09s09. I believe that the Ford dealership that performed this recall failed to properly repair or identify collateral damage in the wire harness and abs system computer as noted in recall repair procedure. The vehicle is currently not repaired and the abs system is not functioning as designed (non-functioning), I believe this is a safety hazard. Current owner: jeremy taylor, 52 will rd, hendersonville nc, 28792. Jts_escapades@hotmail. Com.

Brake pressure differential deactivation switch (scds) switch is leaking brake fluid.

Abs light and brake light have been on for months off and on. Have a slight brake fluid leak. Was backing into my driveway and the o/d light came on and started flashing, the odometer went blank, speedometer stopped working and the a/c began blowing hot air. Checked fuse #10 and found it was blown. Replaced fuse #10. Odometer and speedometer work but other lights still on. Have an appointment to have the van looked at tomorrow.

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 .

Brought in van for recalls 09s09, 10s13 and 11s16. This was for the subframe issues and speed control switch. Speed control switch was supposed to address leaking brake fluid. Brake fluid still leaking and now dealership is charging me for brake switch repair and bleeding of brakes. Also abs light came on after service and now dealership says abs sensor needs to be replaced. I believe these are all related to original recall but dealership says no.

Approximately a week ago, the #10, 15 amp fuse was blown. Replaced it with an approved fuse and blew right after I started van up. I had noticed some liquid on garage floor about 2 days before the fuse blew, the "brake" light on dashboard was lit up. I checked the brake fluid level and it was very low. When I added fluid, I noticed there appeared to be a leak of fluid on the front, underside of the master brake cylinder. I had a friend who is a mechanic look at it and he told me the master cylinder could be bad, but looked like the pressure switch was where the leak was originating. Upon further inspection, he noticed there was a wire harness that was soaked in brake fluid and beneath another one was wet. He attempted to clean both of them and replaced fuses, but after using the brakes the first time(going out of the driveway) I heard a "pop" and the fuse was blown again. This particular fuse controls the odometer, speedometer, the abs light on dashboard. The amount of fluid going onto the engine is a good probability of a fire starting when the leaking brake fluid is on the hot engine. This seems to be an increasing problem and needs to be recalled.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking brake fluid. The brakes were applied and they abnormally traveled to the floorboard. Additionally, the brakes would grind when applied. The brake and abs warning lights were also illuminated when vehicle was being driven. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was notified of issue. The failure mileage was 155,000 and the current mileage was 175,000.

Every since I purchased my '02 Windstar, I have had problems with the abs and brakes. I've had the brakes fixed numerous times and both lights still comes on while I'm driving. I had a brake fluid leak from the rear. My dvd and stereo both short- circuited on a month or two after they were installed. Sometimes if I come to a light to stop for a while, when the light turns green, I'll try to give it some gas but it becomes real hesitant and takes a while to pick up speed. The drivers behind me would start to get frustrated with me holding up traffic. Also, when I cut the ac on it takes power away from my vehicle and it threatens to cut off, so I don't turn it on. I also have to replace two oxygen sensors on it. I believe that my abs module is bad as well. I feel that I am putting more money into it than it's worth. Please help me.

I have been having problems with the abs light and emergency brake light being on intermittently. Sometimes they are both on when I turn the car on. At times they stay on and there are times when it goes off. There are also instances where only the brake light is on and stays on even though the emergency brakes are disengaged. My husband recently changed some sensors and said he notices some break fluid leakage. I am scared to drive my car and fear for my safety and that of my family. I do not want to have a car fire. Please look into this situation as soon as possible. After reviewing your database, I see that I am not the only person having this issue.

Leaking brake fluid with brake and abs light on. Causes loss of brake fluid and is a fire hazard.

The abs warning light and brake warning light on. Resets after car cools down then lights will illuminate after driving and temperature increases. When lights are illuminated braking distance suddenly increases and brake pedal feels soft. Had the brake system serviced and flushed with new brake fluid and it did not solve the issue of the abs and brake warning lights coming on, or the increased braking distance. All the brake pads have been checked and are in serviceable condition. Front calipers and rear brake drum clynders have been checked and all are working correctly. Wheel speed senors have been cleaned and checked with a meter and all four are working correctly. The recalls for the brake pressure differential deactivation switch was done in 2010 and there is no evidence of fluid leaking at this time. Suspect problem with abs electronic control module.

Tl-the contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph the brake light began to illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle was parked and the contact added more brake fluid. Upon restart, none of the gauges on the instrument panel functioned and all of the warning lights on the instrument panel began to illuminate. A certified mechanic from an authorized dealer examined the vehicle and informed that contact that fluid was leaking from the vehicle speed sensor and spilling onto the wiring harness. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer, where it was repaired under the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer refused to repair the failures associated with the wiring harness and gauges on the instrument panel, which were caused by the speed sensor leak. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000. Sm.

I own a 2002 Ford Windstar which was recalled in December 2009 for the leaking scds, Ford ref 09s09. My local dealership repaired the switch by installing a jumper switch in the harness. Today 20th November 2010, I have had my van back at the Ford dealership as I have had a major brake fluid leak from the scds which was leaking onto my abs module switch. I assumed this was covered under the existing recall, but Ford refused to pay for the repair and I had to pay for it myself. I had the service rep contact Ford, canada and again they refused to warranty the repair. I am disgusted at the attitude of Ford. I had to put in 500ml of brake fluid into my master cylinder over a period of 3 days, that's how bad my leak was. The service rep at Ford confirmed that the scds was leaking and after I refused to drive the van from the dealership, they still refused to pay for the repair, they told me they had done all they could under the existing recall number 09s09 and that was all they were obliged to do. I would like this documented as this was a serious brake fluid leak and a potential fire related incident and Ford of canada refused to deal with this very serious safety issue. Thanks.

Leaking brake fluid on my 2002 Ford Windstar van. The minivan has been recalled due to leaking scds. And was rectified by Ford dealership. Over past few days I have had to put in brake fluid and have noticed fluid under the master cylinder.

I was driving to reno nevada from calfornia when I started to smell smoke, I pulled over and open the hood and I seen that my plug that goes under the brake fluid box was smoking really bad. I let it cool down and I drove for another 10 min into the road and I notice that my fuse had burn out , at the same time I started to smell something burning. When I notice more smoke coming from under my hood I pulled over. I open the hood and I notice it was from the same plug the abs plug that is. Well it was melting. I call a friend to make sure it was alright to unplug the abs plug off he said yea. Well im just writing this cause I notice also that brake fluid was dripping into the plug . . To me it seem that it was shorting it out. So please for our safety keep this in mind that this could start a fire. .

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact parked the vehicle and turned the engine off; suddenly smoke emitted from underneath the hood and massive flames erupted from the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the six foot flames and informed that the fire was related to an excessive amount of brake fluid leakage. A police report was filed. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The failure mileage was unknown.

Red (brake) light and yellow (abs) light illuminate on instrument panel while driving. In this condition, the abs does not work and hard braking results in rear wheels locking up even on dry road and partial loss of vehicle control. My mechanic says the abs module is going bad and it is a common problem with Windstars. This vehicle was supposedly repaired in the 2009 cds recall. So far, lights come on about every 300 miles and are cleared (go off) once the vehicle is switched off and restarted. I think Ford should replace the abs modules that are failing. Also, prior to the 2009 recall, the cruise control resume function stopped working and is still out. I understand that may well be a symptom related to the leaking of brake fluid from the cds.

Braking distance suddenly increased. Speed control deactivation switch (scds) is leaking. I smelt something burning, and when I went to stop the braking distance was suddenly greater than usual. Thats when I notice brake fluid leaking from the scds. This component should have been replaced as part of a recall (09s09) done in January 2010, however most of the time Ford is not replacing this part. I'm forced to pay to replace this part out of my own pocket. If not brake fluid will continue to leak causing lose of brakes and also the possibility of a fire.

Abs light is continually on even though the brakes have been repaired multiple times, brake light is continually on even though they have been repaired multiple times, braking time has increased as if they breaks do not always immediately work, brakes turn on squeel without warning, burning smell. I am about to take the van in again. I think the brake fluid is now leaking and damaging the engine.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an increased stopping distance whenever the brakes were applied. This failure occurred after the vehicle was repaired under the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). The contact also stated that the anti-lock brake and brake lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The speed control deactivation switch was not leaking and there were no brake fluid leaks either, but the vehicle was experiencing braking issues. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

Abs/e-brakewarning led's come on when van warms up. Abs quit working while driving on freeway on wet roads. Nearly crashed into side rail. When I got home checked my brake fluid and found it empty. Filled the fluid and took car to mechanic the next day. Mechanic said I had leaked fluid all over, but the master cyl. Looked to be fine. Found info on line and soon after got a recall notice from Ford. Took van to Ford dealer who installed the fusible link, per the recall notice in November. My abs and e-brake lights are back on as of about March, 2010. They come on most often after the van has warmed up, or if the temp outside is warmer. At the same time that these warning dash lights came back on I lost brake lights all together, no tail lights, no reverse lamps, no rear turn signals, no dome lights, cc works sometimes and others does not, and the auto locks often do not work to lock or unlock the van. My brake lights would often stay on after turning the van off and removing the key, and now they don't turn on at all. My battery would die and have huge amounts of corrosion on the neg. Lead of the battery. Replaced battery and the ground chasis lead and the ground battery terminal. I have yet another appointment with the Ford dealer this week. This has been ongoing now for 8 months. If my van catches fire, my door locks will not unlock in the rear how will I get my children out quickly and safely? this is dangerous!.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while at a traffic stop, the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The vehicle began to function normally several moments later. The contact also stated that the brake, abs and over drive off warning lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was determined that the master cylinder failed and was leaking brake fluid onto the electrical components. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. While driving the abs and service brake warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. The brake fluid reservoir was leaking fluid onto the cable, which caused the vehicle speed cruise control and the abs to fail. Brake fluid was added to the reservoir by the contact. The dealer was notified and a technician stated that the abs cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, there was a fire under the hood after the vehicle was repaired. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.

2002 Ford Windstar leaking brake fluid under master cylinder.

I own a 2002 Ford Windstar. For the last year the abs light (yellow) and the brake warning light (red) has intermittently been lighting up on the instrument panel. On Aug 16, 2009, I noticed fluid leaking from under the van. I found the leak coming from the brake pressure differential deactivation switch under the master cylinder. As I searched the internet for a replacement part, I found that this has been a recurring issue for the 2002 Windstar, which as I assume you have been informed, has been the root cause of some fires with the Windstar. Is there or will there be a recall for this issue? at this time I feel the vehicle is unsafe and I am very uncomfortable driving it.

I have a persistent problem with the red brake light and the abs light illuminating on the dashboard of my 2002 Ford Windstar. Through on line research I have discovered that the issue is leaking brake fluid that can cause a fire. I do not understand why Ford has not recalled the vehicles to repair the problem. I confirmed with Ford today that there is no such recall. I am having the problem repaired tomorrow and would like to see the NHTSA take action against Ford on this issue.

This all started about a year ago with a brake fluid leak and an intermittent amber and red abs and brake warning indicators on the dashboard indicating a failure of the abs system. It is now to the point that the lights are on all the time. I had the recall 09s09 work completed by Ford and they said that the module is causing the problem but they would not cover it under this recall. Ford recommended that it be fixed because it is a safety hazard and will cause increased breaking distances. Based on this feedback from my local Ford dealer I am submitting this complaint.

Brake pressure differential deactivation switch leaking fluid and causing complete failure of breaking system.

2002 Ford Windstar brake pressure deactivation switch failure. Caused fuse #10 to blow due to leaking brake fluid. Made odometer, speedometer, cruise control, a/c not work. Disconnect abs - would rather chance slipping on ice than fire.

Red brake light went on in my 2002 Ford Windstar. Merchants tire checked and indicated that the cruise control switch to the master cylinder has been leaking brake fluid.

Yellow abs and red brake lights come on. O/d light flashes. Resets when car is turned off, but the abs and brake light come on shortly after staring to drive. Had brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder and had that replaced. Brakes work and fluid level is fine. When o/d light is flashing, car jerks on first transmission shift. Have to turn off car and restart to get rid of flashing o/d light.

The abs brake system has failed. The manufacturer states the control module is defective. The brake system was serviced in June, 08, with replacement of the front disc brakes and rotors. There are no leaks and the fluid level is okay. During the week of 11/10 the abs light and brake light came on. The fluid level was checked and determined to be okay. The abs light does not come on immediately with vehicle start up. The vehicle has to run for 15 minutes before the light will come on. The light comes on everytime the vehicle is driven if the length of driving is longer than 15 minutes. The failure has resulted in not having the abs system functioning. At this point there have been no repairs done to the vehicle. The Ford dealer has read a code of c1185 from the computer system. My visual inspection of the control system under the vehicle does not show any visible corrosion. The vehicle has 78,000 miles.