NHTSA Complaint #10231252 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. ADDED EXTRA FLUID IN BRAKE RESERVOIR (OVER FILLED) AND BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED TURNING ON. ABS LIGHT USED TO TURN ON ABOUT 2 TIMES A MONTHS WITH 38000 MILES ON THE CAR. NOW LIGHT TURNS ON ALMOST ALL THE TIME WITH 1400000 MILES ON THE CAR. BRAKES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACES, CALIPERS, PADS, ROTORS AND ALL OTHER WORN PARTS. ALL FRONT SUSPENSION PARTS, INCLUDING STRUTS ARE NEW. REAR HAS NEW SHOCKS AND BRAKE PARTS AS WELL. ALL BRAKES PROPERLY BLED BUT THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUES ALMOST EVERY TIME IT IS DRIVEN. CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY. MPG WAS ABOUT 21MPG AVERAGE BEFORE 35K MILES BUT NOW ONLY ABOUT 17 MPG. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION HAS ALL MAINTENANCE COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE - TRANSMISSION MERCON V FLUID REPLACED EACH 30K MOTOR OIL BY SCHEDULE IN MANUAL. CAR HAS HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS - LIKE THE DOME LIGHT TURNING ON RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD - THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE TWO PROBLEMS ARE RELATED. ALSO THE REAR AC WOULD TURN ON RANDOMLY SINCE NEW, BUT FORD SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT - THE DASH CONTROL SWITCH FOR THE REAR AC IS INCORRECTLY MAID AND THE LEVER GOES PAST THE OFF POSITION. THIS CAUSES THE REAR AC TO RANDOMLY TURN ON AND WOULD PROBABLY BE CONSIDERED A SHORT. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 1999 FROM HUB CITY FORD IN LAFAYETTE, LA. THERE APPEARS TO BE SEVERAL ELECTRICAL SHORTS IN THE VAN THAT THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR FIX. IS THIS DANGEROUS? THE CLICKING SOUND FROM THE REAR AC SYSTEM? THE ABS RANDOMLY TURNING ON? THE MPG DROPPING SO DRASTICALLY WHEN THE ABS STARTED TURNING ON? THE FRONT OF THE CAR SOUNDING LIKE IT IS HITTING LARGE BUMPS IN THE ROAD WHEN THERE ARE ONLY MINOR IMPERFECTIONS? THIS HAS CONTINUED FOR OVER 100000 MILES AND WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT IS DANGEROUS OR JUST AN EXTREME IRRITATION. GUILLORY *TR