Underhood Wiring Problems of Ford Windstar - part 1

I received a letter from Ford about a problem with the wiring on my cruise control and had it repaired ,now on a regular basis my abs and brake warning lights come on at the dash board with amazing frequency. Took it back to the dealer and they said they did nothing wrong and I would have to pay to have it repaired and they could not give me an estimated price.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Windstar 🔎.

My 2001 Ford Windstar has issues with wiring up under dash . The plugs dont want to make good connection loses all fuctions on instrument panel.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact noticed that the instrument panel lights and the power locks were failing. He replaced the fuse several times and smelled a burning odor underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact found fluid leaking from the vehicle, which originated from the cruise control. The wiring harness was damaged. The dealer replaced the cruise control wiring harness, switch, and the speedometer wiring harness at the cost of $888. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control); therefore, they would not assist. The vehicle has been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 80,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Windstar 🔎.

My fuses keep popping under the dash after finding brake fluid leaking on some wiring I googled some things finding out this is a big problem and I caught mine before a serious fire.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Windstar 🔎.

Brake, abs brake, cruise control, and speedometer/odometer electrical problems my dash lights are on and off all the time went to 3 mechanic they all checked my brakes, abs and could not find a problem it goes on whenever it wants stays on for weeks then comes back on while driving this has been doing for over a year. I even put stickers over the lights that I can see while driving. I still think there is a electrical wiring problem it is very annoying. I can not afford to get another vehicle . I see there are a lot of complaint about same problem my niece has one does the same thing and my brother in law in west virginia his is doing it too so I really thing Ford needs to check into this before someone's van catches fire or hurt some one.

My minivan has started acting strange with lights flickering inside and on the dash board. I am also having problems with the brake lights not being on from time to time and the headlights having gone out. I only found this out when turning onto a dark street with no street lights one night coming home and saw no lights from my vehicle and only darkness. I was terrified thinking no other car would be able to see me . As I saw other cars coming down the (neighborhood ) street, I would pull over to keep from having them run into me. I got home and parked the car and refuse to dry it anymore at night until I can figure out what is the problem. No one can seem to figure it out and says this is a defect with Ford and some type of wiring harness. I have bought a new battery, had the vehicle checked by a mechanic and even put on a machine and there have been many "guesses" but no definite fix. I do not have the money to try to fix the "guesses" and still not resolve the problem.

3/4/2008 cs speedo and odo inop. All dash indicators stay on. Od light flashes. Replaced deactivation switch & repair wiring 12/4/2008 brake light and abs light won't go out. Brake fluid ok. My mechanic discovered abs servo housing melted and wiring burned under vehicle in area of drivers seat. Mechanic says it is a manufacturing flaw that should never have happened. He expected there was a recall on this problem but the dealer says no recall for this. Ford dealer reported codes set c1096 pum circuit open inspected and found wire harness hcu/ecu melted and burnt/needs replacement/ not recommended vehicle be driven due to safety issues. Dealer has never seen this problem and doesn't know what caused the wiring harness to short out and melt the plastic housing. Danger of electrical fire. Repair cost over $4,000. Decision made is vehicle is not worth repairing since owner cannot do himself. Car will have to be replace both garages seem to think there was fire at some point that stayed local enough to melt the plastic but not spread to other areas.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Windstar. The contact started her vehicle and proceeded to drive. After driving a block or more at 2 mph, white smoke began to pour out of the hood. She jumped out of the vehicle and someone else inspected underneath her hood. The contact was informed that the wiring melted and could be unhooked. He proceeded to unhook it and drive to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The purchase date and powertrain were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 114,000.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Windstar 🔎.

I have a 2000 Ford Windstar lx which has an electrical problem that causes the abs system, the odometer, and the cruise control to stop functioning. I am told that this is due to a manufacturers defect in the brake pressure differential deactivation switch which leaks fluid onto the abs system and can result in an electrical fire. Ford apparently is aware that this defect exists in 1999 through 2003 Windstars but to date has not initiated a recall to repair this potentially deadly problem. Please look into this for all of us Windstar owners.

Started the car and small amount of white smoke came from under the engine hood. The odometer is now all dashes, speedometer stays at 0, and the air conditioning is inop. #10 fuse blew. Replaced and same thing recurs.

1. Event leading up to failure: leaky brake pressure switch at the base of the master cylinder caused brake fluid to leak into the switch, wire harness, and abs ecm. This eventually caused failure in the brake pressure switch and abs ecm wiring. 2. The symptom of the failure is intermittent yellow abs and red brake warning lights in dash that come on and remain on shortly after drive off. This also causes loss of cruise control functionality as cruise control can not be activated. 3. Nothing has been done to correct this problem yet. At my earliest opportunity, I'll have the brake pressure switch and abs ecm replaced. According to numerous automotive forums, this failure has led to spontaneous fire under the hood.

Fire under hood. Wire damage, abs and cruse control systems also affected.

Upon starting the 2001 Ford Windstar van Tuesday morning several of the warning lights stayed on, including the brake and abs lights. The digital odometer display changed from numbers to dashes and the speedometer remained at "0" when driving. Also, the air conditioning (a/c ) stopped working. I took it to the Ford dealership for repair. It took them 2 days to find the problem which turned out to be a defective cruise control deactivation switch. The service dept. Manager said we were fortunate that the van did not catch on fire. He told us that the switch had completely melted and had charred the surrounding wires. This problem is very similar to the problem which caused the massive Ford recall in 2005, but Ford claims that this has never been a problem in their minivans. The Ford dealership did repair the damage at a cost of about $700. I did not think to ask at the time if I could have the burned switch. I would like this to go on record in case there are other vans out there with the same problem. Perhaps the Ford recall needs to be extended to include the Windstars as well. I contacted Ford by email and was told that there were currently no safety recalls involving this van.

On may 2, 2007 we detected an odor of burning plastic in the house. After searching the house I opened the garage and a large amount of smoke filled the house. The occupants left through the front door, and I proceeded to open the garage door and went out with phone in hand. While I was standing outside a friend's son indicated that there were flames under the van. I went back into the house, got the keys and made an attempt of pushing the van out of the garage. As I took the vehicle out or park I noticed flames coming from the engine compartment at the windshield. I decided that I was not going to be a hero, and I got out of the van and garage. We were afraid of an explosion since the gas tank was filled that day. I called the fire department which extinguished the fire before it spread to the house. I attempted to get a water hose to try to contain the fire, but after four steps, my right knee on which I had surgery three weeks before it gave out on me and I ended up having to go to the emergency room. The van was totaled by the insurance company. My daughter and I did extensive research of the Ford web site , and in all cases involving fires Ford motor company has not even blinked an eye to pay one cent. Why can't the government go after this company that knowingly produced a product that was defective and continued to produce over and over again without taking safety into consideration. We have been fortunate that there were no deaths involved. What is it going to take?.

My wife was driving our 2000 Ford Windstar van home when she noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Soon after seeing the smoke, she saw fire. She quickly pulled the vehicle into a parking lot, got our 2 kids ( age 5 and 7 ) out of the vehicle. She then asked for assistance from a business . They proceeded to put the fire out. I had the car towed to a local Ford dealer. It was there that the service manager informed us that the fire was caused by the same faulty part that is currently under recall in the f-150's and other Ford products. I was told it is the same replacement part and the repair procedure for the burnt wiring is a Ford authorized repair. I have contacted Ford and they informed me there is not cause for alarm or concern with the Windstar. They also informed me that only the NHTSA can issue a recall. Ford did not offer any help with our expenses that we incurred due to this faulty cruise control cutoff switch located on the master cylinder. We are very lucky that no one was hurt in this incident. I just hope and pray that no one else has to go through this terrifying ordeal.

I was driving our 1998 Ford Windstar northwoods edition from the shopping center parking lot on 12-24-06 when the van began to smoke. The smoke came into the car as I turned on the heater. I pulled the car immediately to the side of the road and called 911. Within minutes the car was fully on fire. There were no previous problems with the car. I believe that the fire started in the right front near the dashboard,the fire came through the firewall at that point, and that is where the smoke started and the flame first came out and where the most intense damage is. Needless to say the car is totaled and we are now without a much needed vehicle. The tow truck operator stated this was the third Ford Windstar in this area to burn like this.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Windstar 🔎.

: the contact stated while traveling 10 mph, the engine began to smoke. The vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed a fire under the hood on the passenger side. The contact waited for the fire to extinguish itself, and then the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not inspected by a mechanic.

: the contact stated while parked in a driveway, the vehicle was started up, and smoke was noticed coming from under the hood. The vehicle was shut off, the hood was opened, and the contact noticed the wires located below the master cylinder had melted. There were no lights illuminated on the instrument panel and no warnings prior to the incident. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the vehicle should have been part of a recall. There were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact planned to contact the manufacturer after filing a complaint with the NHTSA.

See all problems of the 1996 Ford Windstar 🔎.

: the contact stated after exiting the driveway, smoke was observed coming from under the hood. Upon further inspection, under the hood a fire was also observed and extinguished. The vehicle as then parked and has not been inspected by a mechanic.

I discovered burnt wiring near the master cylinder on my 1996 Ford Windstar. I took the van to the local Ford dealer, paradise Ford in cocoa florida, they told me that the sensor/switch, that is attached to the bottom of the master cylinder, had malfuntioned and shorted out causing the wire and connector to burn until the wire was no longer connected to the sensor/switch.

Fire on the speed control switch, which is connected to the master break cylender while driving. I managed to put the fire off before it spread. The fire destroyd the speed control switch and the wires connected to it.

Consumer owned a 1996 Ford Windstar. After parking the vehicle consumer smelled burning, and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The engine compartment was completely destroyed. Consumer called Ford, and they declined to inspect the vehicle. Ford sent a letter stating they did not have any responsibility in the matter. The vehicle was inspected by the cambria, California fire chief. The fire report has not been received yet. The insurance company did not inspect the vehicle. This occurred on July 12, 2005. There was no injuries.

1999 Ford Windstar van:: cruise control stopped working. I remembered seeing a special on cnn-tv recently about Ford f150 and explorer vehicles catching on fire. Suspected cause was the cruise control cut-out switch located on the brake master cylinder. So I decided to see if there was anything I could see related to my problem. I found the cruise control switch that's mounted on the bottom front of the brake master cylinder soaked with brake fluid. Apparently the switch's seal failed causing brake fluid to leak thru the switch into the power connector and run down the wiring. This failure could have caught my vehicle on fire because a liquid across a 12 volt power connector to ground is a high resistance short translating into heat = fire. I took some pictures with a digital camera and can e-mail them if you're interested. In the mean time I disconnected the power connector at the cruise control cut-out switch for safety. I can't find any recall for this problem on a 1999 Ford winstar ? I have a 1999 Ford f150 truck also and it has the cruise control cut-out switch mounted on the end of the brake master cylinder except it's on the top. I also disconnected it to be safe. I called Ford and a new switch costs about $15. 00 but none are available. Someone needs to kick the rock off Ford being in total denial of the problem. It's quite easy to see what the problem is and they keep saying they don't know what's causing it ??? if I can get a new switch I can also send the defective one to someone to evaluate. This is basic electronics and not a mystery. Thanks,.

While driving, a sudden engine fire occurred in a 1996 Windstar. The Ford dealer (sound Ford, renton wa) states that the fire originated in the cruise control cutout switch. It is clear from the burn pattern that this was indeed the cause. The single occupant was able to exit the vehicle, and the fire was extinguished using a dry chemical fire extinguisher from a local merchant (westmarine, seattle, wa). The Ford dealer has been unable so far to repair the vehicle (it's been over three weeks).

While driving smoke was coming from the vents and from the hood. Consumer pulled over to the shoulder, lifted up the hood, and saw flames. Vehicle caught on fire. Consumer extinguished the fire, and had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection by the insurance company.

While driving consumer saw smoke coming from the hood. Consumer pulled over, and vehicle caught on fire. Consumer was able to get out of the vehicle safely. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire, and a police report was issued. Vehicle was towed.

Complaint received via e-mail. My 1999 Ford Windstar burst into flames around four in the morning on may 24, 2004. Vehicle had been parked since the afternoon on may 21 as we had gone on a camping trip for the weekend. The fire was the hottest by the driver's side engine compartment. Fire department could not determine what really caused the fire in my Ford van. They did state that it likely started in the engine compartment.

Vehicle was parked for a few days when all of a sudden it caught on fire on its own. Consumer stated that the cause was undetermined.

Vehicle caught on fire while stopping at a stop sign. Consumer smelled rubber burning ,then smoke started coming from under the hood. Speed control linkages were completely burned. A recall was issued for speed control linkages, but this vehicle was not included due to VIN.

While driving my 1998 Ford Windstar on the highway, I smelled smoke. I pulled to side of the road thinking at first that I had a broken fan belt or something similar. I got out of the car, opened the hood to find flames coming from the area of what I believe is the electrical wiring harness on the drivers side of the engine compartment. I used my cell phone to call for the fire department. Before the fire department arrived, a motorist stopped to assist me in putting out the fire with water.

Within five minutes of turning the vehicle off, a fire started under the hood.

Consumer had just parked and exited vehicle when it caught on fire under the hood without warning.

We purchased a 1999 Ford Windstar in September of 2002. The dash lights, especially the odometer and radio blink. They will dim and brighten, dim and brighten. There is no specific pattern. It is a random thing. It's almost like there is a short in the wiring or something. The incident date below is today, but this has been happening for months. I have been checking recalls religiously to see if this was one of them. Also there is rust under the driver's seat. The carfax report did not show any water damage to this vehicle. It almost appears like this piece did not get painted.

While driving 5-10 mph consumer noticed smoke coming from under the hood. Consumer pulled over, before fire department arrived vehicle burned to the ground.

Front impact on passenger side, 1 minute after impact vehicle bursted into flames. Unknown speed. No injuries, vehicle was totalled. Fire looks as if it started from the top of the engine.