NHTSA Complaint #10302111 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

MY WIFE'S 2001 FORD WINDSTAR BRAKE, ABS AND TRAC OFF (TRACTION CONTROL) LIGHTS WOULD COME ON A FEW MINUTES AFTER SHE WOULD DRIVE THE CAR. THIS WAS MORE PREVALENT DURING WARMER WEATHER THAN IN THE LATE FALL OR WINTER. BASICALLY SOMETHING WAS MALFUNCTIONING WHICH CAUSED THE ABS BRAKING AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM FROM WORKING. I HAD RECENTLY BROUGHT HER WINDSTAR TO RYE FORD FOR A BRAKE SWITCH RECALL (PROBABLY RELATED TO THIS) AND HAD THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT. LET ME SAY THAT I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FOR HER AND MY FAMILY FOR THE SAFETY FEATURES THAT WERE NOW FAILING. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A BAD ABS MODULE AND A HYDRAULIC VALVE. THE COST FOR THE PARTS FROM FORD WERE $700 FOR THE CA CONTROL, $1,000 FOR THE VALVE ASY MODULATOR AND $385 FOR THE 166CMF (NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS). LABOR CAME TO $385 FOR A TOTAL OF $2,110.00 DOLLARS! IN DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THIS PROBLEM TO BE PRETTY COMMON FOR THE WINDSTAR. IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY OTHER FORD WINDSTAR OWNERS ONE OF WHICH HAS RESEARCHED AND FIGURED OUT THE CAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION. PLEASE GO TO:HTTP://WWW.FORDWINDSTARRECALL.INFO/ AND GO TO PROBLEM #2.. BASICALLY THE MODULE MALFUNCTIONS BECAUSE A METAL PLATE EXPANDS WHEN IT WARMS UP (WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THIS PROBLEM OCCURS DURING THE WARMER MONTHS) AND TOUCHES THE CIRCUITRY. THERE ARE PICTURES AND EVIDENCE OF THIS MALFUNCTION ON THE SITE. I BELIEVE FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS IGNORED IT BECAUSE IT IS A BIG MONEY MAKER FOR THEM. THE PART COST MUST BE A HUGE PROFIT FOR THEM WHICH IS WHY THEY IGNORE THIS ISSUE. IN ADDITION MANY PEOPLE I AM SURE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AS I DID FOR THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL. WHEN FORD PUTS OUT A VEHICLE WITH KNOWINGLY INFERIOR PARTS THAT WOULD COMPROMISE THE OPERATION AND ULTIMATELY THE SAFETY TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS THEN FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION AT THEIR EXPENSE AND NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR