Alternator/generator/regulator problems of the 2003 Ford Windstar

Abs brake light will turn on and off at random times. Also, brake (e-brake) light comes on, interior lights occasionally flash, all running lights and headlights have gone out (really bad when driving down highway at night), and loss of all electrical (radio, lights, heater fan, dash illumination, headlights, running lights, etc. . . All go out at same time). Alternator and several batteries have been replaced. Electric windows will occasionally stop working as well. Obviously the huge issue here is the fact that the abs system may be disabled, dash warning lights randomly come on and off, and all electrical shuts off, with losing headlights and running lights being the biggest issue!.

I was driving home from whitefish montana which is about 20 miles from my home when the van just stopped, it kept running but would not move so I shut the van off and it wouldn't start unless it was jumped, so we jumped it all the way home. We ended up replacing the battery and the alternator the van ran good for one day and than my o/d light started flashing and the van was running really rough and would not shift our of firtst causing me to only go 35 mph in a 70 mph, not fun at all. Got it home and looked up some information on line and they told me to check the #19 fuse in the fus box under the hood and sure enough the fuse was blown so I drove it around the block and it blew again. So we put in a 20 amp fuse and I made it home but this morning I went out to go to work and it started and it drove but than jsut stopped there was nothing there, I turned the ignition off and tried to restart it and nothing, no noise no nothing so I had to push the van to my house, just imagine what could of happened if I would of been in heavy traffic and my van did this. I love Fords but this is rediculous I can not afford to fix all these issues that continue to arise what next a fire under the hood. Please someone help me with this.

Abs and brake light will come on and off. And battery and alternator keeps going bad.

As the drivers of Ford Windstars we all got treated unfair Ford wont even help its current Ford Windstar drivers I've met alot Windstar owners and they are agitated,, first off only had this since last year and after the last 6 months of this it has been a terrible van to drive, first changing the alternator 3 x's and the battery 4's really would get a person violent, whatever happened to customer service beyond the mile of service as Ford always talks, don't get me wrong the van can go miles til empty, also, the back windows the driver side doesn't open, it gets hot back there, OH wait the ac don't work in the rear either, don't go to far on a hot ride 4 hours away, you'll be sweating within the 10 miles you'll be drenched, when you open a car or van , big rig,limo, bus, the lights come on , not this mean pup, if you drop money, better wait til morning you'll be searching all nite, it doesn't matter who the current driver the vehicle is you should proceed to bring them in for adjustments, there cost, OH wait you just put $500 in it, here we go again, another $200, by the time it hits 6 months you just spent money you needed for groceries, OH wait $5. 00 is all you got, now you gotta beg for food, and don't have no money to do squat, Ford I hope this reaches you, so you see I cant tolerate a non honest company, I should have bought that Honda or that Acura, pure smooth running cars right there, quality built is there name and I stand behind them, Ford you get 1 star, Honda 10 stars. . . A driver of the unwinning 2003 Ford Windstar se, Ford you got that buyback program still, she really needs a new home, a home worth big bucks to dump into her, anyone reading this out here, if you here of any help for this sick 2003 Ford Windstar se, Ford is it about time you , demote and let a new car maker come to town.

Interior lights have been intermitant for several years, drivers side auto lock stopped working completely, constant draining of the battery, must carry jumper cables. . Third battery in three years, now problem is weekly. Thinking this issue may have to do with the fact that the interior lights go on and off at random unexplained times. Sometimes remaining on once the vehicle is off and all doors are completely closed. Problem with abs and brake light coming on at randoms times in addition to the check engine light never staying reset. Charging system lights intermitantly comes on. . Sometimes they come on and off but if they remain on cause the car to hesitate or just quit on you. Car is a extreme safety hazard at intersections becuase of hesitation and stalling. My wife (her primary vehicle) has been stranded in two intersections where the car died completely. My wife is terrified for her safety everytime we are in this vehicle. I have finally had enough and am filing a complaint since I have read from numerous sources that I am one of thousands and thousands having this same issue. Please consider the safety of the drivers of these vehicles and subsequently any innocent motorist or pedestrian who may become injured from these safety issues. Thank you. Ford is obviously aware of these problems and reports and it appears is unwilling to research a fix, or intitiate a recall until enough bodies pile up on the side of the road in vehicle accidents, having a vehicle fail completely twice in 3 months in the middle of ohama nebraska intersections is very dangerous, and should be evaluated or recalled. I have replaced baterries, and alternator, fuses, and many dollars in diagnostic fees to family ase certified mechanic who is shaking his head. Does Ford know what the problem is and just does not want to admit it and complete another factory recall on this vehicle.

Car quits running while in motion. The enterior lights flicker, the abs light comes on and the car dies. I have replaced the alternator and they say the battery is ok, but it will not run for more than a few miles at a time. I have to repeatedly get a jump start. I just replaced the transmission with only one hundred thousand miles on the car.

Sit down, get a coffee, because you will be reading a book. I purchased a 2003 Ford Windstar, with 20,000 miles, in 2005. I've had nothing but major problems. In 12/2008 with 87,205 miles the transmission went,that was 2013. 00 , then in 3-2009 check engine light, had to replace gaskets, that cost 500. 00,. Then in 10/15/2010 I had to bring van in for different sensors, and abs light, and emergency brake light kept coming on. That was . That was 232. 00. Then on 10/19/2010 brought van in to the Ford dealer, because none of my gauges work, letting me know how fast I'm going, or how much gas I have. They say it is the gauge cluster, that's 500. 00 alone not including labor, they inform me I have a hole in the left rear axle, and I have to leave the van there, and I may also need a new alternator, and it may takes weeks for the part to come in. That's not including other miner repairs along the way. The best part of all. I still have 6 payments left. What rights do I have? I can't believe all the major issues. They should take this van, and give me a different one. Not a Ford. I told you, that you were reading a book.

I have a 2003 Ford Windstar and have had nothing but problems with it. Since purchasing the car I have had issues with the electrical system or something which Ford claims they can not figure out what the problem is- all they kept saying is you need to pay $ for diagnostic tests which will probably not even tell them the answer to the problems because in order to catch the problem they need to catch it just as it happens which is near impossible. Long story short-I have put nothing but $ into this van which I feel should be recalled because after doing research on all the problems there are alot of people that are complaining about the exact same issues for the exact same year and model van. As of now I am stuck with no car to get to work and to get my kids to school because the van won't start and it had to be towed to the shop once again. Events leading up to the failure- domes lights flickering on and off at random while driving even with the switch in the off position, fuses getting blown from opening windows, automatic door locks only working when it wants to, alternator and battery failure, transmission failure, and now they have no clue why it is not starting. Failures happen every year since I have had the van. I have had the alternator and battery replaced every year and had the transmission replaced as well. I have had problems with the ac and heat and the brake and abs lights coming on and off at random. I have been stranded on the side of the road with my children and just can't afford to do this anymore.

It started with the interior lighting coming on while driving ,then the dash windows nd radio ,battery dying and the outside lighting staying on while keys were out and not working once started. They are all happening constantly even with all the new parts that the Ford garage replaced{battery,switches,alternator,light sockets,etc}.

2003 Windstar electrical problems. Lights flash any time at all. Headlight will flicker when driving at night. Different warning lightswill come on randomly. This has been aproblem since I bought the van used. Burns out alternator and batteries. Many exact complaints on the internet. Transmissions just quit. Many electrical problems. Not only costly but dangerous. They have no solution too the problem. Put in a new alternator,battery,diagnostic testing. Still the same.

My wife and I bought our van after owning a 2000 Ford Windstar. I used to work for a Ford dealership and have only owned Ford vehicles most of my life. This van has changed my mind and I will have to think long and hard before buying another Ford. Our van has been a problem ever since we drove it off the lot. On the way home the right front door window quit working and took two trips to the dealer to repair. Like other people have said the electric side doors have a mind of there own opening a closing on there own. There is a loud pop every time the side doors open. After several trips to the dealer nothing was done. The engine keeps revving up to the point that you have to stand on the brakes at a red light to keep it from running into the intersection. The dealer again looked at the several times and nothing has been found. As a former mechanic I have been fooled by this also and have replaced the throttle position sensor hoping that would fix it with no luck. The van would not start at times and would have to be jumped off. The battery was replaced as a precautionary measure because this is my wife and kids in this car and I want to take no chances. Finely I was around one time it would not start and found the alternator to be bad. Replacing it and nightmare but that another story. Now the van still idles high and the check engine light and or loose fuel cap light is on. This van is a piece of junk and I regret the day I bought it. I am in my fourteenth year as a deputy sheriff. I do not want any thing but a Ford as my patrol unit after working on and driving every kind of car out there. It will be hard to buy another Ford as the vehicle my wife and children ride in.

My 2003 Ford Windstar is a nightmare. It started with the dome lights flickering on and off or just staying on. I turned the switch off but the lights still come on. Then when I would open the rear windows a fuse would blow causing all windows, radio, etc. . To stop working. I have taken it in several time to have this looked at that they were tired of me coming in and took a black marker to show me which fuse to change when this happens. I have a friend who is a firefighter who said this is extremely unsafe--for the fuse to keep blowing could cause a fire. After this, I woke up one morning and the car wouldn't start out of no where. After towing it in and a few hundred dollars later I ended up replacing the alternator and the battery. As far as the dome lights & the fuse---still flickering and the fuse still blows out--they say they don't know what is wrong with that. After this, while driving with my girls, the car just died out on us. Started with the battery light going on then the dash said low battery and then it just stopped running. Brought the car in again and they said it was the alternator again. This happened about 1 year after replacing the first one. So once again a few hundred dollars later---they still don't know what is causing this to keep happening. The lights still keep flashing, the fuse still keeps blowing and still no answers. There has got to be something wrong with the electrical system but no one knows what it is. I also found that there are other 2003 Windstars with the exact same problems--lights flickering, electrical problems, replacing alternators & batteries, etc. . . I filed a complaint with Ford motor company but they did nothing--they said all I can say is hold on to all your receipts and if a recall is made you will get reimbursed. What does it take to make Ford recall these vans??.

Abs light and brake lights stays on, cruise control never has worked, have fixed the brakes and the lights are still on. Now I think the 02 sensor I guess it may be the oxygen sensor is out also I think it keep on burning up my alternators, I put a new last year and just had to put another one and I think it is about gone also.

Item # 1 engine light came on and stayed on. Vehicle began to idle sluggishly when cold. Repair shop investigated and found the lower engine manifold gasket had failed. Replaced lower manifold and gasket and problem was corrected. Item # 2 battery light flickering. Grounding strap between alternator and body frame failed. Reads open with multimeter. Created by own grounding strap using 10 GA. Wire and weather resistant ring-type connectors. No more battery light. Item # 3 internal lights flicker randomly and intermittently. Slamming all doors does not seem to affect the condition. Problem still remains. I turned of the dome light switch to keep from running down my battery and eliminate the mobile "disco" effect.

Since purchase I have had to replace transmission, airconditioner, and the alternator--this has been replaced 4 times. There is still an issue with the interior lights coming on. This has been reported to Ford and they state there is no issue on their part.