NHTSA Complaint #10362216 — 2000 FORD WINDSTAR

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ON MY 2000 FORD WINDSTAR VAN HAS BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND STAYING ON FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME (I.E., YEARS). REPORTED THIS SEVERAL TIMES TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LIGHT IS ON, BUT CAN NEVER FIGURE OUT THE APPROPRIATE DIAGNOSTICS AS TO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SENSORS OR THE ABS SYSTEM AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNWILLING TO REPLACE ANYTHING. EVEN DURING THE LAST RECALL (CRUISE CONTROL WIRING HARNESS ISSUE) THE MECHANICS AT SHULTS FORD OF WEXFORD, PA ADMITTED THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON AND WOULDN'T GO OFF, AND THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY, BUT THEY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPLACE IT. LATELY, MY LIGHT HAS BEEN LIT UP MORE CONSTANTLY AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE BRAKING DISTANCES ARE GENERALLY LONGER. I CANNOT ASCERTAIN IF THE ABS SYSTEM IS EVEN ENGAGING OR NOT, BUT IT SEEMS THAT FORD IS REALLY NOT TOO INTERESTED IN THIS PROBLEM. I RECENTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES DURING A LIGHT RAIN IN WHICH THE ROAD WAS SLICK FROM OIL/GRIME BECAUSE IT HAD NOT RAINED IN SOME TIME, AND I HEARD NO EVIDENCE OF THE NORMAL SOUND OF THE ABS SYSTEM. I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS TO NHTSA SO THAT AT LEAST THIS WILL BE DOCUMENTED IN CASE I GET INTO A SERIOUS CRASH AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY ABS SYSTEM OR ABS SENSORS. *TR